yeah for things like that bass guitar example I think sample CDs are valid...it's using CDs geared towards dance music that already have the whole thing done for you that is particularly lame.

A few years ago I actually put a record out with a track that directly sampled a very well known techno producer for an element of the track. It never occurred to me that he would mind as we were acquainted, and fortunately he didn't, but he was a bit miffed that I didn't ask him. I learned from that.

I'd not like it to be thought that my rants on this thread are in any way anti-sampling, or even that I've not used sample CDs, cos I have (I got one free with my sampler back in '96...dogs woofing etc), but if I've lifted a sample in that way I make sure it's not the focus of the track, or I change it so it's totally unrecogniseable. Most importantly, I focus on making every element of a track into part of a whole that actually means something. Just having a cool loop means nothing if you don't do something good with it.