In beatmaking, a “choke” refers to a technique used to control the playback of sounds, typically in drum kits or sample-based instruments. Here’s how it works:
Purpose of Choke
- Muting Sounds: The choke feature is used to stop one sound when another is triggered. This is often applied to hi-hats or cymbals, where an open hi-hat sound is cut off by a closed hi-hat sound.
- Creating Realism: It mimics the behavior of real instruments, such as a drummer using a pedal to close the hi-hat.
How It Works
- Choke Groups: Sounds are assigned to the same choke group, meaning when one sound in the group is played, any other sound in that group stops playing.
- Implementation: Most digital audio workstations (DAWs) and samplers allow you to set up choke groups easily. For example, you can assign both open and closed hi-hats to the same choke group.
Benefits
- Cleaner Mix: Helps prevent overlapping sounds that can muddy the mix.
- Dynamic Control: Provides more expressive control over the rhythm and groove.
Using choke effectively can add a professional touch to your beats by ensuring that samples interact in a realistic and musically pleasing way.