KVR Audio

hiphopdraw · Post by **hiphopdraw** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:44 pm

I found in another thread that if you convert an mp3 to wav, it's the same quality, just a different format. I heard that from 2 different people now.

So, what's the use of downloading mp3s from sites like iTunes if the quality isn't as good as the original 16 bit wav for sampling? I'm trying to build myself a pallete of drum kits for myself off old records and mp3s I buy. I downloaded some old songs from iTunes on the intent of sampling the drums. Mp3 is not as good as wavs. There isn't any reason to convert it back to wav?

My ultimate goal is to be able to get good quality hiphop/r&b/dance drums to track and mix later in my music. I heard if you put S#!tty sounds in, you're going to get S#!tty sounds out. I have a sound library I bought called cratediggas(old school funk collective from the 60s 70s, but it seems like they are low quality. I think they aren't good for mixdown in a big studio for me later on. It's probably good for layering for hiphop/r&b maybe. What are you opinions. Also, I have friends that tell me that hip hop doesn't have to be quality recordings where they mix everything down to dat, but for my music I want it to to be good quality. Right now, I'm really liking sounds for dance/r&b/hiphop of sounds from modernbeats and hip hop extreme from emagic.

Gargoyle · Post by **Gargoyle** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:50 pm

It's correct that once an audio file is degraded to MP3 then converting it to WAV won't alter that. It's the nature of that kind of compression that you can't "re-invent" quality which you've already removed.

As for iTunes - it's not really, as far as I am aware, intended for the use of sampling. It's in MP3 because it's compressed and is therefore more compatible with internet surfing and transfer to portable devices.

Probably the friends that tell you about quality are referring to something else, which is the grittyness/graininess of lo-fi (often vinyl) recordings, which in some cases is a positive rather than a negative feature of the sound.

No doubt other people will weigh in with their thoughts here too...

The Chase · Post by **The Chase** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:51 pm

hiphopdraw wrote:So, what's the use of downloading mp3s from sites like iTunes if the quality isn't as good as the original 16 bit wav for sampling?

Because the sound quality is at least tolerable and Mp3's are cheap and can all fit on your computer. Tape quality isnt good at all but they were huge as they were so convenient (small and durable).

I've had the mp3 sampling blues as well. I hate when I spot a break I want to sample in a lobit mp3 but cant find the CD or record anywhere.

hiphopdraw · Post by **hiphopdraw** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:05 am

Ha Ha, mp3 sampling blues?!?!?

hiphopdraw · Post by **hiphopdraw** » Fri Mar 31, 2006 12:24 am

ahhh,i wish i had a sp1200 or mpc3000/60 or akai 950 for grittyness, i'll just make do with my exs/mpc1000/battery samplers for now. I have a couple of classmates that have a s900 and sp1200. I might have to borrow from them later.

I have a track that i'm writing right now called "b-girl" that calls for some grit. Now, I need to figure out which one I'm going to put the the drums into for grit. Right now, the drums are in the exs-24.

losing quality when converting wav to mp3 to wav