There are many out there who berate sample packs. They allow people who know nothing about music to make music, these purists say. You know where this is going, don’t you?

Their usual haunt these days is Facebook threads, where they’re happy to peddle rubbish that anyone who hasn’t studied at least a dozen music theories and learnt to play 47 instruments. I should know – I encountered one a few years ago.

I’ve mentioned the theory in the past that sample packs can be used for learning – and I happen to think some of them are particularly useful for learning about drum programming.

When I started out, I used to loop snippets of Masters At Work drums and try to work them out. I failed miserably every time, because Kenny Dope, who used to program drums for MAW, was an absolute pro.

Sample packs show you how to make them by breaking everything down to different categories – kicks on their own, hats on their own, snares and claps by themselves to show you how they work together and so on. From here, you can try and create your own drum patterns.

Everyone has to start from somewhere…