How do I create custom beats in Ableton to overlay my mashup mixes similar to Girl Talk?

September 26, 2009 8:21 AM

I use ableton to create mashup mixes for friends as a bit of fun and would like to introduce some custom drums and beats to aid transition from track to track similar to girl talk, eclectic method, diplo etc. to take my mixes to the next level. Ideally i would like some suggestions for the following 1)Where to find the drum patterns for ableton that are similar to that Girl talk uses (these are usually very hip hop type arrangements) 2) What drum pack/drum sounds i should be using and where i can find/buy these 3) If any ableton premade packs exist that contain these sort of patterns and samples already
posted by toocan to Media & Arts (4 answers total)

I can't recommend drum packs for you, but I am sure they are out there. These things are advertised in pro audio catalogs next to the program software. Look to a big dj catalog like pssl.com to start.

However, I'm not sure the artists you mentioned use these drum pattern packs - I believe most of their work is sample-based. You need hip-hop instrumentals. You can either buy those from the labels or the original vinyl/cd releases, buy break-beat records (small snippets of drum breaks for scratch dj routines) or find the original drum samples as used by the hip hop artists in the first place.

Here are some break beat records that turntable lab carries. Here's the Ultimate Breaks and Beats CD&DVD set of every original song compiled on their 25 albums of breaks. Here's Paul Nice's Drum Library series.

Hope this helps!
posted by stachemaster at 10:18 AM on September 26, 2009

Hip-hop beat samples and loops I use: Sony & PLP
posted by dragonette1 at 3:19 PM on September 26, 2009

Soniccouture and Goldbaby have some excellent free stuff. Their paid stuff is top notch too.

You can find loads of free loops just by googling around, but they're so terribly variable in quality.

By the way, unless I'm wrong, Girl Talk is entirely sample-based - i.e. all the drums are taken from various records that he's sampled. Diplo definitely uses a variety of things.

Have fun!
posted by Magnakai at 6:34 PM on September 26, 2009

Best answer: This should be a good start. Lotsa classics in there.
posted by First Post at 2:25 AM on September 27, 2009