[Ads-l] Antedating of "Sample" (Verb, Musical Sense)

[Shapiro, Fred]

sample, v. (OED, additional sense b., to obtain a musical excerpt, 1989)

1984 New York Times 7 Nov. C25/1 (ProQuest)  Mr. [Stevie] Wonder endorsed the Kurzweil 250 and the Synclavier, two instruments that digitally sample and reproduce musical sounds and which are both used on "The Woman in Red."

1985 Miami Herald 24 Nov. 10K/1 (Newspapers.com)  You digitally record bees buzzing, then "sample" the sound using the synthesizer as a digital source-book.

1986 Los Angeles Times 20 July 88/5 (Newspapers.com)  The funny thing in England is reviewers supposed we sampled Duane's sound and used the technology to play with it.

1987 Guardian 23 May 13/4 (Newspapers.com)  Rik [sic] Rubin ... mixed in heavy metal riffs stolen (the polite word is sampled) from Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.

Fred Shapiro

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