Sensitivity allows the software to search for lower peak values. Almost all of these software (and some hardware) will allow you to control the detail of the search and marking of these hitpoints using a function called ‘Sensitivity’. You can then add or remove hitpoints to your heart’s content. This saves time, particularly when dealing with a large audio sample with lots of peak values. However, it is always beneficial to allow the software to search and mark the hitpoints. You can manually input hitpoints anywhere you want. You do not have to rely solely on the software finding peak values and assigning hitpoints to them. In Cubase, when we wanted to extract a groove template, hitpoints were created by a process that searched and detected peak values. Hitpoints are merely markers that the user places in any part of the audio sample. Recycle works in much the same way as audio editors when it comes to detecting and creating hitpoints. In effect, you can load the midi file that was used to trigger the slices into a pattern format, whilst simultaneously loading the slices. Rex files are simply slices with midi data attached to them. This became so popular that many manufacturers now allow for their software to import the Recycle format called REX. Software manufacturers were also on the scene at a very early stage and Propellerheads created possibly the most popular and used slicing software called Recycle. Akai (MPC Chop Shop), Roland etc all have these functions incorporated into their hardware samplers/workstations nowadays, so it has become a tool that is almost mandatory to provide. In fact, sampler manufacturers like Emu used their own generic function called the ‘Beat Munger’, which effectively sliced any sample and afforded the user to treat the slices like any other sample. Slicing was originally conceived to allow users to slice drum loops into smaller sound components (kicks, hi-hats, snare etc) and to then edit and rearrange the slices to create a new pattern from the original pattern. Additionally, you can drop Rex (the Recycle format) files into your audio sequencer and match them to any tempo without having to time-stretch etc. The beauty of this process is one of versatility and flexibility. This then allows the user to use these segments (slices) to create their own arrangements in their compositions. Simply put, slicing (chopping) is a process whereby a piece of audio recording is taken and cut into shorter segments. The most common slicing software are Recycle, Phatmatik Pro, Guru, most DAWs and even audio editors allow for slicing of samples. It is so accepted and widely used that most software manufacturers incorporate this function in their software designs. Slicing, or chopping, samples is a process that is so common nowadays, and in most genres, that it has become recognised as a genuine engineering process.

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