what do you look for in a drum loop sample pack?

[Nephew]

I would never spend money on pre-made loops.

Why's that?

[diezdiazgiant]

I just buy tons and tons of sample packs, a lot of it was just buying packs at random, but after awhile you start to learn who puts out good packs vs those who put out crappy packs.

They are great for inspiration or to help finish off a project as well. Some days I'll sit down and just start running through a random sample pack until I find something I like and start making a track based on that sample/loop. Be it a bassline, synth loop, hit hat loop, perc loop or something as simple as a vocal shot or phrase.

Plus I can use them in my DJ sets as well, and that's where you'll find some of the best grooves. Just play a track and start dropping a perc/synth/hi hat/vocal loop over your tracks and you'll be surprised at how well some of them work together.

thats pretty valid buddy, i might benefit from that but i am so stuck in my habits and insulate myself i had no idea anyone bought those other than "classic breaks". makes sense, i mean a 4/4 808 kick drum pattern is more or less the same as any other before processing kicks in - starting with a raw sample gives you so much more control of sculpting the sound

[Nephew]

A 4/4 kick is simple enough, but I try to look for unique percussion patterns more than anything else when it comes to drum samples. I have a lot of Latin/African/Indian/Chinese sample packs with loads of one shots and patterns that I can adapt to my own needs.

And like I said, when it comes to producing, more than anything else these inspire me and get me motivated. I have a hard time just sitting down looking at a blank screen and trying to come up with a tune. But if I have a simple sample to get me started like I said before then I get in the groove and start making all my own original patterns/bassline/leads and so on based around that sample.

But more often then not by the time I'm finished I end up not even liking how the original sample works with what I made so I end up taking it out, but it did it's job and that's to get me a starting point and get me working towards something.