How to Chop Samples in Ableton Live

Chopping a sample means cutting a piece of audio into small parts and playing them back in your own order. That's how you turn a drum loop or a bit of melody into something new. In Ableton Live you do it with Simpler. Here's how.

First: are you allowed to use that sample?

If you use a piece of an existing song, you usually need permission from the rights holders. Even a short piece can cause problems, like a claim on YouTube. Read what a Content ID claim is. Want to be safe? Use royalty-free samples or record something yourself. Not sure about a release? Ask someone who knows the rules.

Step 1: put your sample in Simpler

Put Simpler on a new MIDI track and drag your sample into it. According to Ableton, you can do that from the browser, but also with a clip from your Session or Arrangement View. Simpler then only uses the part between that clip's markers.

Don't know the tempo and key of your sample? Check them with the free Beat Lab.

Step 2: choose Slicing

Simpler has three playback modes: Classic, One-Shot and Slicing. Choose Slicing. According to Ableton, Simpler then cuts your sample into pieces without changing your original file, and you play each slice with its own note. Ableton calls this mode ideal for drum breaks.

Step 3: choose how to slice

Under Slice By you choose how Simpler places the slices:

• Transient: on the hits in your sample. Sensitivity sets how many slices you get, up to 64 according to Ableton.
• Beat: on musical divisions, like every eighth or sixteenth. You pick that under Division.
• Region: in equal parts. You pick the number under Regions.
• Manual: you place every slice yourself by double-clicking in the waveform.

For a drum loop, Transient is a logical start. For a melody or chords, Beat or Manual gives you more control over where a piece starts.

Step 4: move and delete slices

Slice in the wrong spot? According to Ableton, you drag it somewhere else. Double-click a slice to remove it, and double-click between two slices to add one yourself.

Step 5: choose how the slices play

Under Playback you choose, according to Ableton, between:

• Mono: only one slice plays at a time.
• Poly: several slices can sound at once.
• Thru: one slice at a time, but the sound keeps playing to the end of your sample.

For tight drums, Mono often works well. Want pieces to overlap? Choose Poly.

Step 6: play your own pattern

Make a MIDI clip and draw your notes. Every note plays a different slice. Put them in a new order, repeat a bit or leave one out. That's how you turn the original loop into something of your own.

Does a slice click at the start or end? Use Simpler's Fade In and Fade Out.

Step 7: tempo and Warp

With Warp off, Simpler works like a regular sampler according to Ableton. Play a slice higher or lower and it also plays faster or slower. Turn Warp on and your sample plays along at the tempo of your Set, whichever note you play.

Handy: Slice to New MIDI Track

Right-click in Simpler's waveform. According to Ableton, Slicing gives you two extra options. Slice to Drum Rack replaces Simpler with a Drum Rack that has each slice on its own pad. Slice to New MIDI Track does the same on a new track and also creates a clip that plays the slices in order. Handy if you want to give each slice its own effect.

Common mistakes

• Using a sample without permission. Check this before you release anything.
• Too many slices. Getting dozens of tiny pieces with Transient? Lower the Sensitivity.
• Slices that click. Use a short fade.
• Your loop doesn't fit your tempo. Turn on Warp or change the tempo of your Set.

Looking for drum sounds you can use without worries? NAME The Trap Oneshot Pack Vol. 1 includes 26 808s, 22 closed hats, 12 claps and 20 kicks, among other sounds, all royalty-free.

Keep your samples organized with how to organize samples by BPM and key. Want to turn your chop into a full beat? Read from loop to beat or how to make a trap beat in Ableton Live. Working in FL Studio? Read how to chop samples in FL Studio. Or browse all beats right away.

FAQ

What does chopping a sample mean?

Cutting a sample into pieces and playing those pieces back in your own order.

How do you chop a sample in Ableton Live?

Put it in Simpler, choose Slicing, pick how it slices under Slice By and play the slices with a MIDI clip.

Can I use samples from existing songs?

Usually you need permission for that. Want to be safe? Use royalty-free samples or your own recordings.

Source: the Ableton Live manual on Simpler.