Modern Composing Without VSTs: Sample Pack Deep Dive

[@DanielBastionMusic]

One of the few creators on YT where I can confidently like the video before I even watch it. This is incredible Jonas, there are SO many music creators out there who show tips but rarely ever go through the writing/creation process in real time or semi-real time. Producing and mixing is great to learn but seeing someone making creative decisions to build the song/cue is absolutely gold.

[@jonasfriedman]

Really appreciate this comment and so happy to hear this style of demonstration is helpful 🤘

[@ChakrasMusicLab]

Same here

[@RobertRodriguezMusic]

Super cool & creative work 😱🙌🏼 Fantastic video as always man!

[@jonasfriedman]

Thanks Robert!

[@शिव_सागर]

Very Nice! Thanks a lot! 💛🙂🙏

[@jonasfriedman]

🤘

[@hankscorpio8928]

Without a doubt the most inspirational channel on YT. I can’t watch the full vids b/c I get fired up and head to my music room. Thank you again.

[@jonasfriedman]

Ha one of my favorite comments! Glad it’s inspiring you to make some awesome music!!!

[@rumarey2]

Great content........subbed also dloaded your sample pack its wonderful thanks for sharing

[@jonasfriedman]

Awesome, thank you!

[@peterlepahin]

Hi Jonas, great video again! So many ideas and good practices collected into a short, concise tutorial. It is fun to watch you put together a cool tension track from samples in just a few minutes! I must try the same now! :) Thanks for all the content you do!

[@jonasfriedman]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@therealmattmann]

Jones - I shied away from sample packs a long time ago because I was afraid I would start sounding the same as everyone else if I used other people's samples. Thanks for showing me ways to develop sounds that can speed up my composing process. GREAT CONTENT!!

[@jonasfriedman]

Thanks so much! Yes you I used to do the same regarding sample packs but when I learned that the sounds could be just a starting off point to making my own sounds it changed my whole workflow. Thanks for checking out the video!

[@Dirk_Ehlert]

Absolutely brilliant content, I'm gonna reference that vid later for the nay sayers out there that criticise the use of loops. Brilliant example of making it your own. Great work Jonas

[@jonasfriedman]

please do @Dirk_Ehlert ! Criticizing any tools that can be used creatively to make music doesn't make sense to me.

[@MarkHimley]

Absolutely love this video!! Really enjoying your channel after just stumbling across it recently. I do this kind of stuff all the time, and even more so I like creating my own samples. So cool to see how someone else mangles and uses audio.

[@jonasfriedman]

Thanks so much! Happy you found the channel

[@nathan.rodrigues]

Wow, that was super inspiring! So sorry you had to re-record everything again 😅

[@jonasfriedman]

😅 sometimes that just part of the process

[@BHAGATHSREEJITH]

Your sound selections🔥🔥.Top notch...thats why i love your videos❤❤..Thanks mate for sharing your knowledge! Love❤❤

[@jonasfriedman]

My pleasure

[@superchargedbeats6525]

man you're something big , thank you

[@jonasfriedman]

Appreciate the kind words

[@CB-Music]

Fantastic educational vid. Will definitely use these in my next project (soon). Thanks much for sharing!

[@jonasfriedman]

Awesome to hear!

[@JeffreyBoggie]

Super fun watching Jonas geek out on the sequencer. Mad scientist face!

[@jonasfriedman]

🤓

[@stevesutube]

So cool!!! I’d like to see you do a video where you use this technique scoring to picture (generic stock video if there is such a site)? Cheers for the inspiration

[@jonasfriedman]

This is in the works! Picture can be tricky to demonstrate with due to copyright, so I've been exploring other avenues to make those sort of videos available since I feel it's some of the most important stuff to demonstrate in a professional setting for composers. Stay tuned!

[@EmersonLacerdatecladista]

Hey Jonas, Can u, please, give us some tips, about modern scoring sample packs? Maybe a list of the 10 best, in your opinion

[@jonasfriedman]

great idea, I'll put a list together. For now my top favorites makers off the top of my head are Infinite Samples, Audio Ollie & Ava Music Group. These are all wav file packs just like I demonstrated in this video and a great place to start!

[@PGAudioworks]

Second this 🙏🏾

[@es__music]

Have you heard of Sound Weaver? Also, do you recommend any fx plugins or multi fx plugins to make these audio files sound unique?

[@jonasfriedman]

I haven’t heard of sound weaver - I’ll have to check it out…I love the following fx (no endorsement, just genuinely use these products) - thermal and portal from output - the sound toys collection - lfo tool - Paul stretch - Valhalla reverbs - fabfilter timeless 3 - there’s more but those are typically the first things I grab

[@es__music]

@@jonasfriedman I just discovered it. It’s a standalone plugin by boom library that can automatically stack wav files based on search criteria like say “hits”. It auto alligns the wav files and you can audition things ahd export one wav (or individual) into your daw. You can add 3rd party fx too. I’m imagining it for quickly layering hits. and thanks, I’ll check those out!

[@jonasfriedman]

@@es__music um that sounds freaking awesome - I love book library - definitely checking it out - thanks so much for sharing

[@grobinson9352]

I have a fav sound pack (they use to do midi) in Bunker 8. I stopped using wave, but the last two weeks or so, reestablished that they are a useful tool. Thank you for this video.

[@jonasfriedman]

I’ll have to check it out a thanks for sharing!

[@patrykscelina]

Really nice track man. I started out making music by cutting loops in 90's and I was always using this method as my secret weapon. Now everybody knows, You bastard !!! Haha :) Awesome work!

[@jonasfriedman]

Ha! Appreciate the comment!

[@patrykscelina]

@@jonasfriedman Sure thing. I was joking.

[@JohanSamuel]

Amazing work. I usually have a hard time using samples and loops, but this has really opened my mind on how to put them to good use. I bought Pangea during the Native Instruments glitch sale and I'm super happy with it. A lot of really cool sounds.

[@jonasfriedman]

Happy to hear it’s helpful!

[@grahamkcampbell]

Awesome video, you have one of the most binge-worthy youtube channels! I have one question about, when using loops and samples in this way, are you at all worried about tripping up content ID systems? It seems you're mangling the sounds enough to avoid this, but do you pay careful attention to making sure you've altered every sound you use in some way?

[@jonasfriedman]

I appreciate the kind words. I got this question a lot when the video was released …the sounds that I’m using are completely fair used due to the license you get when purchasing the sample packs from the company. You can use them in a composition just like I’m demonstrating without any worry of issues …it’s just like buying a sample library that has loops in it except these are standalone wave files.

[@nikitapisek2901]

You started well... Very well... I would put more sound in the middle, to culminate more... Shet, what will I do now with my 4TB VST Library... It looks easy (just looks) and so satisfying to compose like this... Dont tell us all your secrets 😀 AWESOME CONTENT.

[@jonasfriedman]

Thanks so much!

[@Gusrikh1]

Very interesting as well as,inspiring.

[@jonasfriedman]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jenssieckmann]

Jonas, your enthusiasm is infectious ;-) You've really fun to explore new, uncommon or less well known methods of producing music. One only has to leave the ivory tower of unmatched originality that some producers seem to stay in, like "Each track I write has to be unique and new. The fact is: that's not possible. It's work you have to deliver. Work the supports the film/tv show/video game. I only wonder how the EULA of those sample packs are. I mean, what if I use 3 or 4 samples of a pack and sell this cue to a film producer.

[@jonasfriedman]

@jenssieckmann Thanks! This is a great question and one I'm seeing a lot for this video so the answer likely warrants it's own video at some point. That said, all EULA's I've seen give you the ability to use these sounds to create your own music by combining with other sounds just like I'm demonstrating here. So I believe combining 3-4 sounds from a pack together would totally qualify as a cue, just like using 3-4 sounds layered from a VST can qualify as a cue. However, you CAN'T just use 1 single sound isolated on it's own in it's original form, and release it on spotify as your music or give it to a filmmaker and then they release it in a soundtrack like that. Any sound on it's own in it's original form, is not yours to use in that manner. That said, I don't know anyone that would use samples like that, the point is to bring them into your process as a creator, not to use them as a "shortcut" to getting a cue done. For me the creative part is combining not just sounds from the same packs together, but from multiple sound makers, making it completely fine to use as a cue, again as far as I understand it

[@nogoogleplus]

That really was impressive work! One thing I didn’t catch you mentioning….i assume you were matching most of the rhythmic elements to your 84bpm tempo yes?

[@jonasfriedman]

Yes all loops sync to tempo - I put the audio files into music mode to do this

[@nogoogleplus]

@@jonasfriedman Thanks Jonas!

[@orchestrazionepratica]

Amazing! Love it!

[@jonasfriedman]

Happy to hear it!

[@hiromotomusic]

Great video! When you buy from individual sample creators will TV/Film companies be more hesitant to clear your music versus companies like Splice that has a larger legal presence to backup the clearance, or does it not really matter as long as there's proof of purchase and commercial use is part of the sample pack?

[@jonasfriedman]

Good question - as long as all sounds are royalty free and cleared for use which I’d say 99.99% are then you’re good. Tv and film companies do not care or know anything about virtual instruments or sample packs so they’ll never ask… it’s always the composers job to make sure they’re using sounds properly based on the license they’ve purchased. Also an important note is that a sound can become “yours” by using your sequencer to process and manipulate it into something unrecognizable from the original source.

[@Doty6String]

my take on loops, they are like the other member of your "band". for example: I'm NOT a drummer so I use drum loops constantly to get going or just to have a beat. I dont feel bad about it.

[@jonasfriedman]

Hell yeah! That’s a great way to describe it. I think of it the same way - even though I make my own sounds I don’t have time to create EVERYTHING. Sample packs give you an opportunity to collaborate with other artists you’ve never even met

[@tb6265]

oh awesome video! Thank you! I have a few questions, how do the rights work when using sounds for a major film or a TV series that is broadcast worldwide? Does Splice have any rights or ownership shares in my music if I've used samples from Splice? What about tracks for production libraries? Can I use sounds from Splice for this purpose? Do I need to indicate anywhere that the sounds are from Splice? How does it generally work with tracks in TV shows, etc.? Where should these tracks be registered, and what names do these tracks have? Where should I provide information about the tracks? With my PRO (Performing Rights Organization)? Is it my responsibility, or does the film studio handle it? Am I also the publisher? How does it work with writers and publisher shares? Can I also distribute the songs on platforms like Spotify? How does it work with royalties? Unfortunately, there is no video on this very important topic. What should a standard contract for a series etc. look like? Sry for all the questions. Thank you

[@jonasfriedman]

@tb6265 These are really great questions. TO address them all I think will need it's own video which I will put into the pipeline since I think it'll be good information for everyone. That said...all of these sounds and samplemakers I reference in this video (and how most of them work) is that you have a royalty free license to use them creatively in your work just like this. When you do that, the piece of music you created with those sounds is 100% yours (or if it's commissioned by a network or studio, the publishing is theirs but you own the writers share). What you can't do is resell the sounds, or give them away for free or anything like that. It all comes down to the EULA (end user license agreement) which I'll expand upon in the video. But the long and short of it, these tools are like paints and brushes, you are the artist using them to create the artwork.

[@Theprettyone234]

Thank you 🙏🏼

[@jonasfriedman]

🤘

[@Boaugustin]

Hello ! Great video as usual !! I was asking myself, how long should be a track for tv/series ?

[@jonasfriedman]

A cue can vary in length depending on the scene but if your looking to include it in your portfolio i personally think 1.5 - 3 minutes is a good length. Most producers only listen to a few seconds to be honest - if they hear something they like they will then dig a little deeper so it’s not really good to have super long tracks in your pitches again just in my experience

[@Boaugustin]

@@jonasfriedmani see, many thanks for the answer !

[@DeKevers]

Sample packs are great as I can write my own music over it and expand on the ideas oh my god it’s windy outside that’s scary

[@jonasfriedman]

That’s exactly what I do as well. I don’t usually limit to only sample packs but did for the sake of demonstrating what’s possible in this video. Thanks for checking it out, good luck with the wind!

[@christiannilsen2835]

Did some major changes happen after 7months to mention? Cool video!

[@jonasfriedman]

Thanks! Are you referring to my absence from YT?

[@christiannilsen2835]

@@jonasfriedmanoh, no no thought about the software that perhaps was upgraded since the video. Seem to have potential for a lot. Just found you a month ago and really enjoy your content and talent!

[@jonasfriedman]

Ahh well thanks for the kind words! No major changes that I’ve come across …yet!

[@robshrock-shirakbari1862]

Yeah, good one

[@jonasfriedman]

appreciate it

[@robshrock-shirakbari1862]

@@jonasfriedman What would be great is a video with more detail on how you manage/organize your audio libraries. Sononym? XO? Folder system only? Do you break up sample packs into their relative folder type (drums, riders, drones, etc.) and to what level of micro-detail? That's always a challenge for those of us always on deadlines. I've been using Sononym, which is cool; but it is another layer of organization and resource drain to maintain.

[@jonasfriedman]

@@robshrock-shirakbari1862 this is a cool idea - I actually never heard of sononym so I’m going to check it out. Write now I keep it pretty simple - packs I buy are already organized by type of sound and I use the Mac tag colors to highlight my favorites. I also spend a lot of time playing with these sounds so I simply know in my head the ones I pull from the most - that said for other sounds and even cues I use sound miner for organization. I’ll look into this other stuff you’re recommending though!

[@jenstornell]

Interesting. I'm going the complete opposite direction. Try to avoid samples. I have my eyes on Swam and other physical modeling sounds.

[@jonasfriedman]

What is swam? What other physical modeling sounds? Would love to check out!

[@jenstornell]

@@jonasfriedman Yes, do that! :) You can find many clips of it on KZbin. Swam is made my Audio Modeling.

[@deckling823]

are these sounds found individually in splice? in their website for example Infinite Samples, the packs are like 10k USD OMG

[@jonasfriedman]

Hey @decks23 - infinite sample packs look like they’re $76 from what I can see I’m on their site… not sure where you may have seen 10k - that would be totally insane!! The sounds i showcase in the splice section of the video are used from there.

[@deckling823]

@@jonasfriedman ohhh i'm in Taiwan, and their websites doesn't actually shows if it is USD or NTD LOL haha it just had de $ sign, i thought it was 10k USD omg hahaha sorry!! good to know! love your videos man!! I've learned so much!

[@jonasfriedman]

@@deckling823 ha! That makes sense - ya they’re 76 bucks and then if I remember correctly they have some cool sales around Black Friday - great sounds IMHO. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[@Squidaniel]

So when you use sample packs aren’t you afraid of a sample not clearing? I’ve never done a commissioned tv score but I feel like every commercial brief I see says “absolutely no samples” How do you approach this?

[@jonasfriedman]

Seems a lot of people have this question … all of the sample packs I use work just like sample libraries. You can not use their sounds in isolation but when combined with other elements to make a piece of music most of them (all the ones I purchase and use at least) give you the full right to do that, it’s what they’re made for. Beyond that when you take a sound and manipulate it as I do in this video you are changing the sound protecting you even further but I would only use royalty free samples from known creators who sell with the intention that composers or music producers will use them in their arrangements.

[@Squidaniel]

@@jonasfriedman ok that is good to know. I saw someone post that they will literally Shazam samples before they use them just to be sure haha

[@jonasfriedman]

@@Squidaniel lol oh ya no definitely not recommending that here. As I show in the video these are sounds purchased from sample makers who create packs for exactly what I'm demonstrating

[@leeahegg2377]

LIKE x 100 times

[@jonasfriedman]

Thanks @leeahegg2377 🤘

[@AJSoundbites]

Forgot to press record 😅😅😅 Here i was thinking you are from same spices as Zuckerberg 😅😅 but you are human afterall. Loving your work.

[@jonasfriedman]

🤣 thanks @AJSoundbites - human indeed, happy you’re enjoying the content 🙏