How to single cycle waveform?

I am amazed with the results of the science lab contest. But the question for me is… how to get a beat out of a sample? I think it is done with single cycle waveforms, something I have seen videos about but didn’t understand these videos.

Can anyone explain how the kicks, hhts, snares, pads, leads, etc… were created only out of one such a sample?

What I think you mean is:

[ol]
[li]shortening the sample to a split second sound using the Start and End parameters[/li]
[li]then setting Loop to 1 which cause it to keep repeating.[/li]
[/ol]
But I remember getting kicks and snares by shortening the sample as above, then adding overdrive/distortion and pitching it up or down.

My effort was pretty appalling though.