The ability to quickly sample audio is invaluable in the creation of modern music. Digital Audio Workstations allow the user to quickly swap out sounds in a sampler but often sounds can be limited to that on the users sample pack folder. Whilst recent plugins such as Splice Bridge and Loopcloud are useful to modern music makers, they often lack the familiarity and the nostalgic presence of finding samples from older records. Building upon our last blog post about finding samples here we aim to show you how to implement this in your music productions!

Google Chrome extensions are small software programs that users can install in their Google Chrome web browser to enhance its functionality and add features. These extensions are often created by developers and can be found in the Chrome Web Store. Two of the most useful chrome extensions for music producers are the Transpose extension and the Sample extension which can be pinned in the google chrome tool bar.

Transpose acts as a pitch shifter, speed changer and looper for online videos like YouTube, the ease of access for Transpose once pinned in the tool bar allows the user to playback audio at different speeds pitches and tempos which is ideal for any music producer to test out musical ideas in real time.

Extensions such as Sample can be used to quickly record and download audio from your google chrome browser to your Macbook or PC. Sample allows you to record up to 15 minutes and enables you to export the audio as WAV or MP3 files. Samples also includes the ability to set start and endpoints on the audio file pre download allowing the user to cut audio to the desired length.

Sampling audio remains a cornerstone of modern music production and digital tools such as these offer convenience and efficiency. By combining digital sampling with the rich history of classic records, music producers can craft tracks that resonate with authenticity and creativity. The combination of these two powerful tools has endless implication in terms of sampling, however illegally sampling music carries severe legal and ethical consequences. It is essential for artists to respect copyright laws and seek proper authorisation when sampling. Having noted that sample responsibly!