YouTube video song artist Andrew Huang shares his approach to making a synth patch out of any sound, using Ableton Live, in this short tutorial video.
It’s a basic tutorial, but demonstrates an approach that you can take as deep as you want.
Here’s a track that Huang made, Rock, Paper, Scissors – where, as you might have guessed, all the instrumental sounds were made from sampled rocks, paper & scissors.

basic but somewhat useful tip. the scissors in his song remind of the matmos album where all the sounds come from plastic surgery.
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Thanks for tipping me off to matmos. Listening now, and its really good.
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That’s pleasant.
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Great idea. Thank you.
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Inspired by this I just made a video on how to make a synth out of your cat’s meowing on Maschine.
I’m editing it now.
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Also, a propos of nothing, you should check out Andrew’s song “Pink Fluffy Unicorns Dancing On Rainbows” (!!!), if only to see him play his cardboard BOOM synth like a xylophone.
http://youtu.be/eWM2joNb9NE
You’re welcome.
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OMG you mean I can use my sampler as a sampler?! Wow I would never have guessed!! his music’s OK, but this is kinda like ‘how to use an oscillator to get sound out of an analog synth’ or ‘how to make percussion sounds by hitting a drum.’ Coming soon: how to make words by opening your mouth and saying things!
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or a tutorial on how to say multiple times by being redundant and repeating yourself more than once.
Perhaps some people who were unfamiliar with live’s interface may have been helped in feeling a little less overwhelmed by learning it blindly? What is obvious to you may blow the minds of some newer users. I just made a video the other day about how to use loopy/audiobus to resample sounds. Most people who have these apps probably already knew how to do that, but a few people have personally thanked me for showing them how to do it.
Which means it was worth explaining.
Or maybe I’m wrong, by not being right.
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My issue is not with the guy doing a tutorial, but that this is pointless filler for Synthtopia. Using standard tools in the standard isn’t innovative, so I wasted time looking to see what this guy’s ‘approach’ was only to find out that it the way samplers have always been used. I spent time making a comment about it in hopes that the Synthtopia editors will refrain from posting such low-information content in future, or at least label it appropriately eg ‘sampling for absolute beginners.’
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They said “It’s a basic tutorial”.
Did you want them to put it in all caps or something?
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I think they are going to need for a written apology and a new video teasing bitwig to properly recover from this atrocity.
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Danny
No new Bitwig teasers – so this groove is doomed!
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Edward
We definitely don’t mean to waste your time with ‘filler’ – but we know that a lot of readers appreciate basic information when it’s presented well.
If you’ve got an idea on how we can alert readers to basic tutorials that’s better than saying “It’s a basic tutorial,” we’ll be glad to consider it.
Thanks for the feedback!
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its basic but who cares, spread the love…..tutorials are always welcome!….now some of the terrible performances from people on here who spend more time acquiring gear than making music…that’s filler
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im sure you wasted more time being bitter about it….
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My IQ dropped three points just by watching this.
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Be careful! Anymore and you’ll be in the negative!
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isn’t it true that this method of sampling won’t necessarily be in tune? like, just because you’re hitting C on the controller doesn’t mean you’re playing the actual note, C.
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…if its not in tune then tune it!
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That’s what I’m sayIn’. There should be another step in the tutorial so you can actually play one of these sampler instruments with other pitched instruments.
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hmm…..if you need a tutorial to tell you how to tune then…..
…you are probably lazy
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not a tutorial for me!…for those who dont know… People love talking so much shit on here. I’m just trying to iterate that there should be another step in the process. jeezus…
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My only question is why start from a sampled sound and cut it down into a basic waveform that bare no resemblance to the original sound? Why not just start from a basic waveform using Live’s software synth?
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That’s what I’m sayIn’. There should be another step in the tutorial so you can actually play one of these sampler instruments with other pitched instruments.
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you lost me at ableton live is the best
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Oh well, here’s my tutorial on how to do the same on Maschine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIMwpMsxDKs
I skipped the part about tuning the instrument…
Also, it might seem basic, but there’s plenty of people out there who just never thought about using a sampler as a sampler actually…
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