Resampled horns

33:05Robbie has an unusual approach to processing brass stabs. “The horns add a lot to the drop. I’ve started using these massive trap horn samples that I’ve found, that help add energy when the track kicks in. It’s nothing too crazy: just four samples layered,” he explains. “In a lot of sample packs, the horns will sound a bit ‘tinny’, and kind of gross. What I do in Live is pitch samples like this up and down – say, up two semitones – then add a bit of reverb. I’ll then render this to audio, pitch it back down, and add distortion – especially on vintage-style horns like this – to get it sounding weird and different. It helps the horns fit in the mix, and removes some of that tinny high-end, which helps it sound a lot less synthetic compared to before.”

“The mod wheel changes the length of the loop, and that’s what creates the slowing-down effect”