Full disclosure, I was definitely in an emo band back in the day so my opinion is not exactly objective on this; emo is one of the greatest genres out there. Whether you need a lead lick or some of those crunchy palm mutes for the verses, samples can add a lot to your track. Ultimately if you’re here, you’re looking for a way to juice more tears from your sound and I respect that immensely.
What To Look For in an Emo Guitar Sample?
As you’ve no doubt found, it’s rather tough to find emo samples but with the resurgence of the scene with the much-ballyhooed My Chemical Romance reunion and recent album drops from other early 2000’s kings like Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World, emo is back (honestly, it never went away). Minus the tight jeans and guy-liner.
How do we recapture some of that sound though? The clean, shimmering guitar that opens Thursday’s, “Signals Over the Air”. The sweet, sultry warmth of the palm mutes in Brand New’s “Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows”. Samples can help and we’ve tracked some down the goods. Some hidden in very mysterious places, looking at you emo trap…
Pricing
Like all things worth having in life, there’s a cost. Producers and artists are putting in the time to create these samples for you to run with so it’s only fair that some compensation is involved.
Splice runs on subscription so you have the freedom to buy individual samples and with Loopmasters, you’d be picking up the entire package, sans subscription.
Compatibility – System Requirements
Just as the days of emo vs scene kids are thankfully behind us, the hatchet buried, same goes for OS vs Windows. While the war of usage may rage, the compatibility battle is generally a non-issue. You’ll be good on either system with these samples.
DAW Compatibility
While all DAW’s have their own quirks, adding samples is thankfully one of the more straightforward processes.
With Splice for example, you can do it from the app by just dragging it to your timeline. If you are accessing Splice from a computer, go to the browser of your DAW and add the “Sounds” folder. Each DAW functions slightly differently, but that is the general process for most.
Versatility
This largely depends on you and your needs but in general, you’ll likely find these to be more versatile than you would’ve initially thought. Think about it, the simpler backing guitar samples will certainly be useful across genres and as those emo melodies crossover into things like the rap game some of those lead lines become all the more useful.
Think about pairing them with some vocal samples and vocal samples and loops to add even more to your tracks.
Skill Level
Assuming you’re at the stage of production and are looking to incorporate samples you won’t have any trouble adding these to your arsenal. These samples come from high-quality providers meaning they’re made to be used in as pain-free a fashion as possible.
8 Best Emo Samples
Without further ado, let’s jump into the samples that’ll cover you from Hey Monday to Taking Back Sunday.
1. 2Late4Me, Part 2 on Splice
Who’s it for? Well suited for producers of all skill levels
2 comes before 1 in this case, it’s the better of the packs, but Part 1 makes an appearance later down the list. While TrakTrain intended this package to be for the aforementioned emo trap scene, at the end of the day, what makes emo trap, emo, is the guitar.
Where to Get it: Splice
Price: Available with Splice Subscription
What’s in this pack:
- 170 live guitar loops
- 52 directories
2. Post Guitar Vol. 1 on Loopmasters
Who’s it for? Intermediate producers
This is a beauty of a pack from DABRO Music and composer and musician Kurmax. It’s filled with those airy atmospherics that really put the emotion in some of those stripped-down, emo classics like Soco Amaretto Lime. You’ll find some stellar distorted guitar here too but always heavy on the melody.
Where to Get it: Loopmasters
Price:
- $39.42 for the full pack
- $9.15 for MIDI only
- $13.10 for One-Shots only
- $26.26 for Rex2 & MIDI only
What’s in this pack?
- 200 guitar loops (100 wet, 100 dry)
- 66 hits
- 200 rex2 files
- 100 MIDI
3. Pop Guitar Loops on Splice
Who’s it for? All levels of producers
A hodgepodge of samples, this is a repack of guitar tracks from many producers, the highest-profile being the sample God, KSHMR. A small package, you’ll get 31 cuts most heavily in the direction of Minus the Bear. They may not exactly be emo but they’re floating on the periphery.
Where to get it: Splice
Price: Available with a Splice subscription
What’s in this pack?
- 13 electric guitar samples
- 9 acoustic guitar samples
- 6 wet guitar samples
- 4 melody samples
4. 2Late4Me Guitar Loop Kit, Part 1 on Splice
Who’s it for? All levels of producers
We’ve arrived at Part 1 and it’s certainly still a good one brought to you by the TrakTrain team. It’s 138 loops of those melancholy tones that’ll leave you aching. What’s nice with this one is the loops are multi-layered so you’re getting background riffs and some bass in there in addition to the lead.
Where to get it: Splice
Price: Available with a Splice Subscription
What’s in this pack?
- 138 total samples
- 128 guitar samples
- 71 chords
- 60 leads
- 51 rhythms
- 40 wet
- 38 distorted
- 31 dark
- 30 melodic
5. Driven Guitar Loops on Loopmasters
Who’s it for? Beginner producers
As the name suggests, these are touching on more of the rock rail of the emo line. With a core set of 50 overdrive riffs, you also get 26 tail samples to smooth out the decay. Which feels very emo to say. Produced by ModeAudio, this stands out for the diversity of sound they manage to fit into a relatively small pack.
Where to get it: Loopmasters
Price: $5.53
What’s in this pack?
- 50 Electric Guitar Loops
- 26 Electric Guitar Tail Samples
6. Fear the Rock on Splice
Who’s it for? Advanced producers
If you’ve been wondering if we’re ever gonna get into the more hardcore stuff, the screamo tones of the world, wonder no more. Fear the Rock brings the rock. It’s a mammoth 630 loop package that goes well beyond the guitar. A project combining the otherworldly talents of Devin Oliver, Sullivan King and KJ Sawka this set drips heavy. Not suited to the whole emo pantheon but a must for those that bring the heat.
Where to get it: Splice
Price: Available with a Splice Subscription
What’s in this pack?
- 101 rhythm guitar samples
- 75 clean guitar samples
- 26 distorted guitar samples
- 18 lead
7. Vibes 13 – Post Punk on Loopmasters
Who’s it for? Intermediate producers
Continuing with the rock side of emo, this a solid entry for those in that space. Produced in house by Loopmasters and another addition to the VIBES series, the package also comes with a lot more than just guitar. In addition to those 64 guitar tracks, you’re getting the whole band with 270 total files.
Where to get it: Loopmasters
Price: $32.84
What’s in this pack?
- 64 Electric Guitar Loops
- 64 Electric Bass Loops
- 8 Song Kits
8. Emotive Instrumentals on SamplePhonics
Who’s it for? Advanced producers
A massive library over 2GB in size, with 452 loops and 358 one-shots, this one from Samplephonics encourages you to get a little experimental. Great for those working on the less traditional side of emo. As you’d imagine given the name, this one is heavy on the atmospherics and is also packed with much more than just guitar.
Where to get it: SamplePhonics
Price: Normally $48.80, now $9.95
What in this pack?
- 452 Loops
- 358 One shots
Get Creative with Samples
At the end of the day, emo is about creative expression and ultimately conveying those inner emotions outwardly.
It’s already a big leap to put yourself out there so don’t be afraid to go even further out of your comfort zone and play around with adding samples. It can fill in gaps in your tracks and maybe even help you discover some new depth and dimension.
