Vinyl sampling is an old school beatmaking staple. I recently got a new record player, so I’m thrilled to bring it into my own beatmaking workflow to try out some new tools and techniques. This post walks you through my recent journey: from unboxing a new record player to flipping a dusty beat using vinyl samples.
New Vinyl Player: The Angel’s Horn AH-1
The first step in setting up my vinyl sampling workflow was getting a new record player. Enter the Angel’s Horn AH1—a budget-friendly turntable with a clean aesthetic and some practical features.
Setting it up in the studio felt like reconnecting with my musical roots. Growing up, vinyl was always spinning in the background, so the warmth and crackle of records bring back powerful memories. With the AH-1 ready, I was excited to bring those dusty sounds into my beatmaking process.
Angels Horn sent the AH-1 over for me to check out, but have no say in the content or opinions expressed in this post.
Digging the Crates at Mr. C’s Record Shop
With the AH1 set up, I headed out to a local record store, Mr. C’s, which has a budget vinyl crate for $3 each! Here’s what I picked up:
Signs of the Zodiac by Mort Garson – Not used this time, but a treasure for its Moog synth potential.
Contemporary Chamber Group – Another one to save for later, orchestral works are ideal for strings and lush melodic phrases.
Music of Hawaii by Henry Mancini – Known for his iconic soundtracks, this promised some melodic gems.
Provocative Percussion – Perfect for its drum potential and quirky arrangements.
The last two were the focus of this session.
Listening for Samples
Sampling from vinyl is a bit like treasure hunting. I digitized the records using Logic Pro, which allowed me to use stem-splitting technology. This is a game-changer because I could isolate drums, melodies, or other elements from tracks with dense instrumentation.
For this session, I focused on finding:
Drum hits: Kicks, snares, and percussion fills.
Melodic phrases: Parts that stood out, ideally without heavy backing instruments.
From Music of Hawaii, I pulled some smooth melodies, while Provocative Percussion gave me crisp drum hits to chop up.
Flipping the Sample on Roland P-6
The real fun began once I loaded everything into the Roland P-6. Here’s how I flipped the samples:
Chopping: Using the P-6's chop feature, I sliced the melodic sample into smaller pieces to play across pads.
Drum programming: I layered the vinyl drum one-shots over a drum loop for added texture.
Filtering and FX:
Applied low-pass filters to clean up unwanted high-end noise.
Used resonance to enhance the bass frequencies subtly.
Added delay and reverb for a dreamy, cohesive vibe.
Bassline: I brought in an acoustic bass sample from a previous session, adjusted its tone with the SP’s effects, and used a low-pass filter with resonance to add depth and presence.
This session was a reminder of how vinyl sampling adds soul and depth to beatmaking. The tactile process of digging through records, discovering unique sounds, and manipulating them into something new is endlessly inspiring.
If you’re considering incorporating vinyl into your workflow, tools like stem-splitting, affordable turntables like the Angel’s Horn AH1, and samplers like the Roland P-6 can make it accessible and creatively rewarding.
If you want to make the Most of the Roland P-6, check out my easy to reference Cheat Sheet & Quick Start Guide:
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