Other ways to resample

Ableton Live’s Resampling input selector makes it quick and easy to resample your output – and since it takes its lead from whatever’s coming out of the master bus, what you hear is what you get. Not all of us are Live users, of course, but there are plenty of other ways to play the resampling card, whatever your host software.

Users of other DAWs don’t have it too bad – by setting up a new audio track for resampling, selecting that track’s input as an empty bus, then sending the required tracks out to that bus, you’ll be cooking.

Alternatively, create your own dedicated ‘resampling’ channel. Route the main stereo output into an empty audio track’s input, set its output to ‘no output’ (to prevent ear-shredding feedback), solo any parts in the mix you want to resample, then record the audio onto that track. Ready-route this channel and stick it at the top of your template project so it’s always there in your DAW.

Another option is the humble Bounce in Place function, which will replace a region and its processing with a ready-made audio file. Cubase, Bitwig Studio, Logic Pro and Studio One all do a good job of bouncing audio in-line.

Any DAW rocking a decent drag-and-drop system can get processed audio back into its Browser for use in future projects. Reason is a good candidate for this method, although it’s got Bounce In Place too, with which, via drag and drop, you’ll have access to the audio in Reason’s Tool Window for use later on.

And when all else fails? Naturally, every DAW has some way or other to export audio. Head to the Export menu, tweak your settings as you would if you were exporting your entire song, and hit Export. Drag the exported audio back into the project and away you go.

If you want to make things particularly hard for yourself – but interesting nonetheless – you could try creating a setup that routes audio out of your computer and back in again through the interface. By plumbing things through some outboard gear – especially old and less-than-perfect audio kit – you’ll get an even more personalised and characterful sound. Try using a tape recorder (VHS, even), to get the sound out of your DAW via your audio interface, then record it back in through an input, retro warts ’n’ all.