Did Timbaland Sample Batman For Ayo Technology?

tim-batman

We all know the 50 Cent song “Ayo Technology” that Timbaland produced for him and Justin Timberlake. As much as Tim is one of my favorite producers, I really didn’t like this song. It sounded like Tim sampled a video game or something — oh, wait, maybe he DID sample a video game!

Keen Geniuz just sent this over to me claiming that he found the sample to “Ayo Technology” — the Commodore 64 Batman game. After a quick listen, it very well could be. Check it out and compare it to “Ayo Technology” and tell us what you think…

“Ayo Technology”

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Posted in Whatchu Think?

http://www.myspace.com/alsween Al Sween

nah it’s not the sample. tim just used 8 bit sounds found on many sample cds and keyboards including my roland fantom. but if you wanna point out an actual melody then tim interpolated mike tyson punch out for the lead melody. otherwise no this doesn’t sound like ayo technology at all except for the fact that it uses 8 bit sounds. chord progression isn’t the same.
FL

The main sample is from Crystal Castles “Courtship Dating”. I’m not sure about the intro sample, though.
razorSHARPE

nah man you never know….listening to the batman thing, timbo probably did sample it…it sounds a little too similar to the song ayo technology.but then again, al sween you’re probably rite, but you’re probably not lol.
http://www.myspace.com/alsween Al Sween

i don’t doubt that timbaland samples. he …used to… approach beatmaking the same way a pete rock would minus crediting (he’s better at chopping and hiding chops or choosing obscure stuff). i don’t believe this song was sampled for ayo technology (im a timbaland stan yet hate that song anyway). i think possibly another game was sampled but not this one. i don’t hear how the progression could had been chopped and sped up/slowed down to fit. even when tim samples sounds from songs …ionno it’d be real tough to stretch the notes out for this particular game. can’t u take commodore 64 songs and take them apart like midi files though? that may be a possibility. but definitely youtube mike tyson punch out and during the game where i guy plays mike tyson you will see what i mean.
JL

I doubt he sampled it. He probably just used an 8 Bit Emulator VST. Their not hard to find.
either that or his key board had a similar sound. If you have to sample something that you could easily just play a really simple melody for (its just an arp, he didnt play the minor notes) then youre either lazy or have no talent.
Thomas

Not sure about it, but I use to have a C4 and had this game….brings back memories!
http://rapnewscenter.blogspot.com/ akzzle4shzzle

I don’t think he did, but then again I didn’t think Big Pimpin was sampled so who knos!
http://www.vinylmeltdown.com judge mental

he definitely sampled courtship dating by Crystal Castles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jY-Dl1T_V8
http://www.myspace.com/alsween Al Sween

how can anybody think big pimpin wasn’t a sample lol. it was chopped more than the average person hears though. i admit i used to think tim played guitar and didn’t sample but around 98 i realized bill petteway played guitar or it was a sample or even both. no big deal. jimmy douglass is just that good of an engineer. i loved the warm analog sound he gave tim’s records. everything sounded cohesive and made it hard to tell where the sample began and the keyboard began. good example “more than a woman”. sample only plays for 1.5 bars on the hook and then the bill petteway’s guitar, synths, and other instrumentation blended seemlesly.
http://kevinnottingham.com Kevin

All interesting takes… that’s why I didn’t come out and say, “Look what Tim sampled!” lol This makes for a good discussion nonetheless.
http://www.vinylmeltdown.com judge mental

seriously kev… listen to the crystal castles joint… there is absolutely no denying it.
http://kevinnottingham.com Kevin

Yup, I think you’re right Judge. When did that come out?
http://www.vinylmeltdown.com judge mental

last march i believe? I dunno for sure when, but I know I definitely heard it before Ayo Technology.
http://kevinnottingham.com Kevin

Well, it’s possible they both could have sampled the same thing.
http://myspace.com/sttress1 S.T.T.R.E.S.S.

Yo Judge,u hit the nail on the head with that one.The intro on the Crystal Castles joint tells the whole story plus the usual Timbo add ons.
http://myspace.com/sttress1 S.T.T.R.E.S.S.

Yo Kev, the best explanation to this is that the Crystal Castles joint could have been a sample of the game, but Tim DEFINITELY sampled the song. Just listen to the first few seconds of the song in the intro. Timbo’s song is lined up the same EXACT melody as the
cc joint.
Detroit Murder Dog

There is some irony here as Crystal Castles is also a video game from the early 80s. When I first heard the 50 Cent song, I thought it was the bicycling theme from Mike Tyson’s Punch Out for the NES.
http://www.twitter.com/coryhall Cory Hall

I mean, honestly, It’s very well known that Timbaland samples Commodore 64. Timbo hides and chops his samples no other.
http://www.myspace.com/cenzobeatz08 Cenzo Beatz

nah. timbo didnt sample the batman joint.
http://kevinnottingham.com Sean Deez

hahaha man, I freaking love that game
I freaking hate this song.
droopypinga

it doesn’t sample crystal castles, it came out a year before that song
http://www.soundclick.com/dynastywiliams dynasty williams

kev when are we gonna get a timbo sample set?..i’m dying for one..i’m a timbo stan as well as the next guy..although i didn’t like ayo technology either.
http://kevinnottingham.com Kevin

Man, I’ve been wanting to do a Timbo set, but I’ve only come across a handful of samples. Lemme see what I can put together.
jeff

i think its just a synth, i mean its not a complicated sound to recreate,where he would need to sample, IMO
Eric

according to wiki…

“The intro and lead synth were created with the Elektron SidStation, an 8-bit sound synthesizer. Because of this, it is remarkably similar sounding to the electronic music duo Crystal Castles’ “Courtship Dating” from their self-titled album, released the following year although performed live since December 2006. Despite the album itself not being out until nearly a year after the public debut of “Ayo Technology,” there was still minor controversy over the alleged “sampling” of this song on “Ayo Technology” perhaps because of the negative reputation Timbaland has garnered recently over sampling 8-bit musicians uncredited. The origin of the unique sound of both songs has actually come into question on both sides. Renowned chiptune and 8-bit music forum 8bitcollective.com could not locate a sample source for the two songs nor any evidence either song sampled from the other. It is also possible that, instead of using the SidStation personally, Timbaland and Crystal Castles both used the same sample CD, something available for purchase to use in any way without attribution, as has been hypothesized by the Timbaland blog The Thomas Crown Chronicles, which specifically cites 8 Bit Stylez by Ueberschall. Ethan Kath of Crystal Castles has allegedly stated that he made the disputed music on a SidStation synthesizer, which he then looped over the Crystal Castles track, and that “Ayo Technology” is at most a re-creation with a similar feel using a SidStation rather than a sample of “Courtship Dating.”

it can be possibly wrong..
http://www.myspace.com/banghardmusik banghardboy

its just a keyboard sound.. when they used this keyboard to create this.. . im sure it wasnt the last one on earth. come on now we know better. .. I have sounds from almost any of the more popular boards created.. . vintage and all. . .i actually have a sound that sounds kinda sorta like that
http://kevinnottingham.com Sean Deez

Kev, I gave you the best of Timbaland mixes yo!

Dynasty, search for that..
unless kevin hasn’t posted it yet
http://kevinnottingham.com Thomas

I think they are asking for samples he has used….not tracks he produced.
http://www.soundclick.com/dynastywilliams dynasty williams

yea i meant the samples..i searched from here to rapcredits..couldn’t find any…im hoping for a major set like the kanye or jdilla set
DodgyC

Bah, The Thomas Crown Chronicles used to have the best group of Tim stan’s that I’ve ever seen.
They figured out tons of Timbo’s original samples. That site was a goldmine of info, too bad it’s gone forever…….
DodgyC

Well I forgot to check the old blogspot address, but the covered the source of AYO Technology back in 2007:

http://thomascrownchronicles.blogspot.com/2007/11/boogies-sample-of-week.html
http://myspace.com/kwanleemusic Kwan Lee

do you have to clear video game samples as well?
http://www.myspace.com/htownsoundinc Tha REAL DooK

SMH.. STFU!!!
http://myspace.com/breatheeasyrecords tushae thomas

I told you that “Ayo Technology” sample came from Crystal Castles “courtship dating” track 7
DJ

Wow you guys are dumb as fuck. That sample for Ayo is used in several timbaland tracks, including a Nelly Furtado one. It’s a God dam sample from Timbaland’s keyboard that he/his team created. Do you have any idea how incredibly easy it is to make one of those sounds? It takes like 10 freaking seconds. It’s just a square wave with a square LFO.

Did Timbaland Sample Batman For Ayo Technology?

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