Same old story when Avicii uses presets,loops and pop out a hit, so everyone is just pleased that is possible and we have legions of newcomers not knowing how to get saw wave from synth and use it to gimmick another artist sound

Whatever works it's there to use, but there should be knowledge that can support that, not shortcuts for it and tendencies for fast results, but whatever, you can always find examples in favor of creativity and I can write novels why I think it's important to know how to recreate the things you use or even have general idea about it *yes*

 

Well if ego placation is what you're into then you're right nobody cares but if you're into really putting in the work to develop as an artist I think that what Xsze said is spot on and I found my own experience to be the same. When I was starting out I could make a decent song with loops but I wanted to understand music better and not use it as a crutch so I learned some synthesis and other disciplines and that has made all the difference. I'm still not there but I think that having standards is the difference between people. Finally just because the braindead masses like something doesn't mean it actually has any value whatsoever...in fact in most cases I would wager it's the exact opposite. We don't have to look beyond Britney Spears, Justin Bieber and all the other talentless hacks to see this. Immortal Technique had a good verse in his Industrial Revolution song:

cuz if you go platinum, it's got nothing to do with luck
it just means that a million people are stupid as fuck
stuck in the underground in general and rose to the limit
without distribution managers, a deal, or a gimmick
Revolutionary Volume 2, murder the critics
and leave your fucking body rotten for the roaches and crickets

 

yes,u are both absolutly right,no doubt about it!

but thats not the point i was aiming for..the masses are stupid as fuck like u said,and at the end of the day it really doesnt matter how you made it..

is it artistic creativ to put loops together? hell no,even monkeys could do it,but if you are successful with that,who cares?nobody smart should nor stupid do

 

I use loops for inspiration when I get writters block and i'll just build around them. I use to feel guilty but nah forget that, it saves me a lot of time.

 

Thats my way too. Sometimes I use a piece of a bongo solo as a fill-in. But when it comes to loops,
I know I would not find a one that fits with the groove/feeling of the song. Thats the main problem
with loops. Apple Loops (the green ones) are cool cause they are sampler-instruments with midi.
I am always interested in exiting ways of playing percussion. I sampled the 'ratch' of a cigarette
maker long time ago. Lately I used the moving noise 'open high hat style' and the 'clack' as a clap.

I also like this mutekki kickless house loops when my trance song is at fullon.

Thats the way of doing old school hiphop. Samples are a good starting point.
I don't see a problem with guild. When it is the first thing in the song, why not. But
when you already have something added loops are probably sounding like alien
elements - and of course less fun.

 

If I record an eight bar loop of me playing my guitar....
and decide to chop it up and loop it...
Does that mean I'm stealing from myself??? LMAO!!!!!

I use loops all the time...
Generally I don't play them from start to finish..
but.. If I find a slice or sound I like.. then I'll use it..
Sometimes theres a nice synth bass sound...
I'll sample a couple of clean notes.. and pitch them in a sampler to create my own bass lines....
It's a lot easier and faster them spending hours with modular synthesis.... :P

I usually program all my parts to songs.. But Loops are there to help..

 

If necessary, I negate the human language:
Zappa

 

I'm speaking for orchestral arrangements here.

I only ever use "fill" percussive loops in my arrangements. Something that doesn't alter the track in any way.

All the main percussions are done by me but sometimes it just needs that extra something that fills in the empty spaces. Like a "click" loop or any sort of shaker loop.

I feel like using anything more that that when it comes to loops will let the loops dictate how you do your track and you don't want a loop dictating your inspiration

Cheers !

 

If using loops is wrong, what about people who cannot play all instruments , they are not supposed to make music?
I believe using loop to create music is another side of music production.

 

It's not wrong. Just kinda corny.

 

Let's see,

1.) Slice in dice by transient, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16 - randomization, or programmed sequencing with slices. Typical breakbeat stuff yummy.

2.) Audio to midi, and be creative from there

3.) Use the loop packages for inspiration to write other ideas. ACID used to be really good for this by quickly painting your arrangements.

4.) Randomly choose loops and chromatically spread across keys - at tempo. Also, i.e. say you have 15 (1-bar) loops at tempo, Ableton allows you to switch between any loop at any time while maintaining your time position, which means that when you switch to another loop at beat 3, and 3rd 16th, it will pickup in the next loop at the exact same time, instead of starting the next loop at beat 1. Use an lfo tool to allow you to switch between many loops, and assign to a knob.

Also, hopefully you've amassed 100s of 1000s of midi files. When you chop and assign, try auditioning different styles of 1,2,4 bar midi files to the sample slice set. FL Studio (fruityloops) is really nice for it's midi randomization options too.

5.) Apply destructive effects and mangling for instant break/fill/experimental device.

6.) Heavy HP filter to turn Drum Loop in to a TOP.

7.) Creative layering onto the loop by added your own BD, SD, HHs, aux perc, etc. Reinforce the melodic content with soft/hard synths - maybe with slight variation. Alter bass line diatonically. Basically supporting ornamentation, but with the intent of altering the orignal idea enough to be original. Then after all of that, maybe try mute the original "loop", and preceed from there.

8.) Split many tempo sync'd loops into 3 or 4 bands and mix the bands up like a layer cake withen your DAW of choice. Similar to Xfer 8cut? tool.

9.) Run loops through outboard - guitar pedals, saturators, compressors, EQs!!!, tube (starved, 300v, anything) - Fuzz Factory pedal is awesome!

10.) Don't use FULL MIX LOOPS. Unless you're a complete noob, or a Vocalist or Rapper that can seq or write very well, and need tracks to spit over - they might be extremely talented volcalists that need quick backing tracks. - but we're not talking about that....
-
Again, 'FULL MIX' ....loops.... are incredible when you've amassed a bunch ofthem, then you flip through them and can get instant instrumentation and orchestration, beat style, mood, room space, genre, etc ideas to set your mental course.....especially if you're starting from scratch or need ideas for a new section in your form.

11.) You can get away with more, the more effects you use. dBlue Glitch, Glitch 2, Stutter Edit, Turnado, Anything sugarbytes - can be used - for instance - on 1 repeating loop for 128 bars, and with some creative midi note triggering/programming/...work, can yield great results (just an example.)


12.) You could go buy an OCTATRACK, grab your loops, and live in your parents basement for a couple of years.


I don't want to give everything away because you need to be creative. If you're an honest person, and truly care about being original, you'll know what's right and what's copyright infringement, or just plain non-musicianship (don't steal people's ideas. you have to live with the fact that 'you suck shit' for the rest of your life). This really starts to apply when you sample vinyl, or CDs. You WILL HAVE TO be very judicious! Usually the smaller the sample, the more you get away with. If you do sample an obviously copyrighted segment, name the file "artist" "song" "category" so you can reference later for legal purposes (just in case)

Don't let this be your only technique. Example: I've been tracking an Indie-Rock tune, and it's 99% done, vox, guitars, bass, drums, ebow lead. I might just use a technique listed above to add an element to the arrangement, or create a 2 or 4 bar break, add some soft/hard synth elements, while consciously trying to keep it fresh and original (and perhaps, minimal). Then maybe I'll send it to final mixing.

 

Last edited: Dec 31, 2015

The only rule is that there are no rules.

If you're thinking in terms of some code of creative production, it is kinda lame or lazy to use loops that are the product of someone else's time and creativity.
If you're thinking in terms of production value or aesthetics of arrangements, they can get monotonous quickly, and some listeners (and most musicians) will turn up their noses at the obvious usage of loops, while others will think it sounds cool.
If you're thinking in terms of sparking creative ideas or setting a foundation from which to work and to elaborate, then go for it.

For making loops outside of a DAW, Apple Loops Utility is good, but Audio Ease's Snapper is killer:

https://www.audioease.com/snapper/

You can set it to be the DAW's default editor, if you want to.

 

I'm where you are with that comment. Every now and then, I'll listen to several loops to get my brain cranking. I'm always looking around for different ways to approach chords, etc. Sometimes I'll build a entire harmonic pattern from something I've heard... If I hear a great saxophone riff, I may try to create something from one of my keyboards. In the long run however, if I'm suffering from a serious case of mind cramps or writer's block, I just grab my talented young, pianist nephew or even my own son to look for chordal inspiration.

 

Last edited: Dec 31, 2015

fruity loops is good now.
if you can get away making a number 1 hit using loops why not ?

 

London On Da Track used this -

(Costs $29.99)

to make this

(Which has over a 100 million views)

Use whatever you want...

 

The Beatles and The Beach Boys used loops in the 60's. Of course, The Beatles created their own loops because they were very talented mofos and they were on heavy "meds". IMHO loops are good for the creative process, but there are soooo many people using loops as their only way to create. Being a musician for many decades, it really bothers me that there are so many people that know nothing about music that think they are musicians because they throw loops together with a computer. Unfortunately, times have changed, and the music buying public seems to want that dreck and cares less about talent, unless they claim to like Adele. I use loops for demos and brainstorming ideas. I do not use any of the pre-made in the recording process or on stage. If I do use loops, I made them on my own. I see both sides, and debate the creative process many times, but really, whatever floats your boat is ok. I just care about what I do and try not to pay attention to the people who pat themselves on the back for throwing some loops together. It is kinda like taking a dump; you can take your time and make a beautiful swirl in the bottom of the bowl, or quickly leave a pile of gaseous steaming muck. Are both creative, or did one try to create and the other just finished in a hurry? Art is so f****d up!

 

I like loops, sometimes I use them as song starters. I play along with them and then solo/mute until something interesting comes along, and then I delete the loop.

 

Last edited: Jan 1, 2016

I wouldn't say it's wrong to use loops. But it's at least lame. I've been making my own loops for a long time and I can tell you it's much more fun.

I always make a track, then render separate tracks to WAV running through outboard hardware, then mix it and remix it. It feels really really more creative and you get that sense of achievement doing that. Not to mention that it sounds more original that way, too. It gives you a chance to mix your track twice and correct the stuff you screwed up while making it, before rendering the tracks. ;) And if there's something that still bothers you, you can always go back to the first arrangement, correct it, and render it to WAV again.

I mean if you're an artist you're going to make your own stuff, eh? What would you say if a painter used a pre-painted painting and called it his work? It's ridiculous. If you want to call yourself an artist, you have to make your own stuff from scratch. Otherwise you're just reinventing the wheel. It's alright if other's work inspires you, though. That's how art works. But at some point you have to draw a line.

Cheers!

 

Last edited: Jan 1, 2016

What kind of hardware is it?