Here at Samplist the crew is steadily redesigning the site to be used as a tool for Samplist and information seekers who what to learn about the art of sampling .We are currently developing ideas for an online community for beat makers to network with each other. In the mean time we invite you to read "What is A Samplist" and "A brief history of samplers", two articles that are very informative. Plus check out the board. Check back for the launching of the Samplist Online Community.

- Dj Oto (the Curator)

WHAT IS A SAMPLIST

The use of samples is what makes an artist a samplist, regardless of the equipment used to capture and sequence the samples. This means that there were samplist before there were samplers. Among the first samplist were artists such as KraftWerk, Miles Davis, Tangerine Dream, Herbie Hancock, Brain Eno, Tomita, and Vangelis. They are samplist because they utilized Instruments like the Sycnlaveir, and Fairlight which were key to the development of pure samplers. These early samplist used functions that allowed them to hold a note or loop a bass-line. Ironically, samplers were not manufactured to be used by these samplist, that had pioneered the art of sampling.

In the early 1980's samplers were created to be used primarily as studio equipment for the musicians that were playing more "traditional" instruments. Then, the intended purpose that manufacturers had in mind was for musicians to use samplers to repeat phrases that were reoccurring bars through out the a song that was being recorded. Before the use of samplers, when musicians made recordings, they would have to play an instrument for the entire duration of the track in order to complete the recording. The use of samplers did away with this requirement. By using a sampler, musicians were able to play a reoccurring segment (i.e., a chorus segment) with accuracy. There is definitely a correlation between the evolution of samplers and the growth of Hip Hop Music.

Throughout the 80's and 90's Hip Hop producers like Marly Marl, DJ Mark the 45 king, Dr.Dre, Mantronix, Sam Sever, Prince Paul, Rick Rubin, DJ Pooh, The Bomb Squad, DJ Premier, Jimmy Jay, Pete Rock, Large Professor, the Dust Brothers, DJ Muggs, Diamond D, and others utilized drum-machine samplers to capture pre-recorded drum sounds (i.e. kick, and hi-hat). Since its onset, as a source of revenue, the potential of Hip Hop was underestimated and mis-marketed (when it was marketed) by manufacturers of music equipment. However, a few key manufacturers of electronic instruments (Akai, Ensoniq, E-Mu,...), focused their efforts primarily on manufacturing sequencers, drum machines and synthesizers for samplists aspiring to create Hip Hop music. Click here to see a brief history of samplers.

-Words:: - Edub