These three audio examples accompany the Cubase Sampler Track technique workshop in SOS January 2023.
www.soundonsound.com/techniques/cubase-12-sampler-track
Cubase 12 Sampler Track Backing Vocals Audio Example 01.mp3
This audio example contains five sections, as follows:
- (a) the single ‘doo’ audio sample (pitched at C3) and used as the basis for our initial Sampler Track;
- (b) the same sample dropped into the Sampler Track and played back at three different pitches but with no loop defined within the Sampler Track;
- (c) as for (b) but with a loop region defined and longer MIDI notes used so the loop region can be heard;
- (d) the same single sampled played back over an octave up and an octave down from C3 (playback becomes very obviously less natural a few semitones in either direction from the root note);
- (e) the same single sample but with some modulation applied within the Pitch, Filter and Amp panels (three single notes are played then the same three notes are gradually stacked as a chord).
Cubase 12 Sampler Track Backing Vocals Audio Example 01.mp3
This example illustrates the use of multiple Sampler Track instances, each based upon a ‘doo’ vocal sample, but originally sung at different pitches. As described in the main text, each instance of the Sampler Track can then be used to produce a more natural sounding playback over a range of just 4 or 5 semitones and avoiding the situation illustrated in Audio Example 1(d).
The example contains three sections as follows and note that reverb has been applied in all cases:
- (a) a short chord sequence of sustained ‘doo’ sounds with playback of notes spread across three instances of the Sampler Track;
- (b) as suggested in the main article, a second set of three Sampler Track instances have been created in the same fashion but using three different ‘doo’ samples. The two sets of three Sampler Tracks are then panned left and right respectively to create a fuller sound;
- (c) as for (b) but with an instance of Cubase 12 Pro’s Cloner plugin applied to create additional ‘voices’. What’s possible with these multiple Sampler Track instances is quite striking when compared to the original starting point of a single instance (as heard in Audio Example 1).
Cubase 12 Sampler Track Backing Vocals Audio Example 01.mp3
The example illustrates the use of the same Sampler Track vocal sounds within a music context consisting of a simple drums, bass and guitar instrumental bed. The arrangement repeats a 4 bar chord sequence. In the first pass, the ‘doo’ vocals from Audio Example 2(c) are simply added as a chord-based vocal wash. In the second pass, a second set of Sampler Track instruments is added to the arrangement. These are all based on a shorter ‘ba’ vocal sound and add an additional rhythmic element.