Blog, Producer Tips
Crate Digging or E Digging?
Jul
Crate Digging or E Digging?
What up MM, it’s your boy Ant Smith with some food for thought. So how do you dig for samples / sounds? The ones that really inspire you and give you the instant banger you have been looking for.
With the Internet today, it is fairly easy to grab a sample from pretty much anywhere, but there is still a technique to finding that golden sample. The one that no other producer has used. The Internet is a massive chest of musical samples / sounds and it just takes the right click to acquire that instant banger. As many of you know this technique is called E-digging and I’m sure a lot of you dig for your samples this way. Damn, every now and then I even browse the Internet to see what’s on offer, but for me this an untraditional way of accumulating samples.
Personally, my preferred option is the good old-fashioned way, crate digging. There’s something about a record store. I am not sure what it is, whether it’s the smell, or the feeling I get when I find that one dope record. I just love walking into a record store, browsing the records one by one for hours and taking a stack home with me. Especially when I hear that pop and crackling sound. Its just dope! There is another side to crate digging that no producer ever wants to see. You could dig for hours, buy a stack and end up with a load of wack records.
I dunno, there is something about crate digging that I just love. I don’t think E-digging will ever be able to replace it and fill the void that would be left. For some reason I just don’t get that same feeling when E-digging, but I have to admit it does have its benefits.
Crate digging is definitely an art form, hands down; there is no dispute on this. It is an art form that is slowly being lost and it has served the Hip-Hop community so well in the past. I would encourage any producer to crate dig and carry on the tradition that has been set by so many talented producers in the past. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying that E-digging isn’t an art form, but in my opinion crate digging is by far the best way to search for samples and sounds.
So MM, drop a comment below and let us know your thoughts on digging? What method you prefer? Do you think it’s an art form? Until next time, you can catch me at @UKAntSmith. I look forward to hearing your views.
I own close to 5 thousand records. I've collected since 1996ish. I've had to move them from house to storage as I move and move. I swore I'd never stop sampling from vinyl or using my 2000xl. I know use maschine and sold my XL. and have pretty much solely been sampling digital files for the last few years. I've even sampled an mp3/wav even when I had the record sitting a few feet from me. I'm planning on slowly selling/donating my collection. To the purist. Good for you. the argument that it sounds better is false when your still ripping it to a daw either way.
man thats alot of records. i bet you have a few gems in there. Stick with what works best for you man. Aslong as your getting the results you want. Then thats fine. Thanks for the comment
Never really was into crate digging, but WhoSampled and wikipedia are my obsession. I guess I've been E digging for over 10 years now and more recently made iTunes a lot of money just buying samples. Also youtube is a must as well
haha. Agree YouTube is a must its so easy to rip from their. Thanks for the comment bro.
Hey fellas if you know any apps that can download kits or music thru safari on an iPad mini get at me,,, MM @vmsteel
Hey bro. I don’t have an ipad mini, but i’m sure theres some software to rip off YouTube or summin. Not sure what your trying to acheive on the mini, but iMaschine is quite a good app if your looking to get an idea down quickly.