It's not wheter using loops is wrong or right but how, you use loops.

Loops have been around since someone discovered you could cut and paste using tape
way back when.

Then there came 2 track recorders that allowed playing and recording one channel at a time
(overdubbing). Using two recorders would allow some intricate recording of chosen passages
over and over. A type of looping.

 

Paraplu uit de Pijp, there is no real right or wrong when it comes down to it ... however, music is an organic thing and (in my opinion!!!) if it comes from a CPU only, it can be dead and have no soul in it, which I consider musical wallpaper. There's a lot of that around. If you use too much prefab stuff your songs begin to sound 'deadish' in my opinion. There's no real interaction between prefab sounds obviously and that's why I think it has less feeling to it. If you use midi instruments and quantize the whole thing you just played, that's the same effect. It may sound perfect in timing, it also sounds artificial. It's the little imperfections that can make a song come alive. We are human and it's my belief that we can ultimately refer better to music when the emotion is put into it. Human touch. That's why we prefer making love to fellow humans instead of robots, don't we?

 

'I thought using loops was cheating, so I programmed my own using samples. I then thought using samples was cheating, so I recorded real drums. I then thought that programming it was cheating, so I learned to play drums for real. I then thought using bought drums was cheating, so I learned to make my own. I then thought using pre-made skins was cheating, so I killed a goat and skinned it. I then thought that that was cheating too, so I grew my own goat from a baby goat. I also think that is cheating, but I'm not sure where to go from here. I haven't made any music lately, what with the goat farming and all.'

 

I can see the "Purist" viewpoint on this, and as someone who uses SOME kind of loops in almost every arrangement I have, I can say that they are a tool.

Most times, I use an organic loop (guitar, banjo, etc.) in place of where I want a session player to replay. I can't play the guitar myself, so having a loop is a nice way of getting something that I can chop well enough and make sound halfway decent. Some VST's can write guitar, but IMO there's nothing like having a session player track live.

Secondly, most of my production is done to deadlines. This means that I need to be able to create and complete by a specific time, and when creativity is low, or I KNOW that I can just throw in that shaker loop and be done with it, i'll do that. I also love chopping royalty free stuff for a "sampled" vibe when the project calls for it, although I rarely use that stuff for my own personal production.

Using loops isn't a matter of "right and wrong", it's a matter of purpose, and utilizing the tools before you. I can't tell you how many times a Samplephonics guitar pack has saved my ass, and they are priced reasonably well for the amount of uses they have.

 

in the creation of your own personal music it is all good...

 

I often drop in a track I have no intention of leaving in, as inspiration or rhythmic template whatever.
for example im working on a drum line piece that I started with dropping in a krunk original I wrote in 2001 (yes, I am admidting it) and using my hook from that for the new bass drum line

I am much happier with the hook as a bass drum line for drum corps than as a krunk song.. go figure

 

Music, people who create music, the way music is made is changing more rapidly than we are ready for.

Hold on. We are living in the future.

 

im fine with samples i think the key is make them unique
reverse split transpose anyway you can
a good mix of samples and music written into the track
the way i see it its all part of modern music production we aint all Beethoven
if it sounds good then why not dont be a dinosaurrrrrr lol

 

I'm a purist, as hard as they come, but hey: if you use loops, do it, why not? When I compose for "myself", I wouldn't use a loop in a million years. If I have to deliver a piece of audio for some console/PC/iOS-game ... GIMME LOOPS! Why should I bother with a false predicament of "authenticity" when the result is being heard through some waxed out 10$, in-ear-crap-phones?

 

There are a lot of scene artist who uses loops (at least i can see from electronic music scene) .

Some of them really use well and resample them. Some of them uses directly as ctrl + c and ctrl + v .

I always try to resample loops . I mean that at least giving them some multi-effects or slice to be sounded different than package.

Never keep yourself from loops because they can give inspiration but sometimes they can lock the destiny of track.
But also Never use them directly . If you will be locked in loops, you will lose your creative side.

 

Everyone please read bellow

 

mymusic42 agreed. That's an nullified statement anton, unless you're a purest who uses no synths in your music and only live instrumentation. I used to hate loops myself but I can't tell you how much I've learnt from these construction stile kits. They taught me mixing tricks, sound design tricks, layering, and most importantly the "less is more" approach. Although I wouldn't agree with simply dragging a loop in your productions and calling it your own, I can say that loops can provide endless inspiration. I see we share a similar opinion xoso. Being a musician myself I really see where you're coming from. Nice analogy G String. All and all a very interesting thread and something I battled with for quite some time.

 

I would rather rub my balls against a cheese grater than use loops...

...but if you want too, I don't mind at all, why would I?

If you just use loops to make a track and then pretend you made, that's a bit sad, but why would anyone care as long as you're happy and honest when asked?

 

No.

 

@merko Could I sample your voice as you put a cheese grater to your balls? I promise to slice it up and use lots of effects. But seriously, there are so many ways to futz with audio but in my opinion only one way to be a pure musician, and that is by actually playing an instrument. Splicing and dicing and sampling and trampling sound is fucking fantastical but the baseline for me is actually creating with a real musical instrument that you must physically manipulate. The question of what is an instrument is one for debate, but to me one needs to blow it or bang it buzz it. I am sure others have their own opinions. My argument is not the final word, that is for sure, and I haven't really extrapolated my ideas, but the bAsia premise is there.

 

My own personal preference is instrumental based composition.
However a simple preference doesn't stipulate any kind of "must do this and that."
I am also a big advocate for "there are no rules."
Is fine to use samples or loops if your happy doing so and it is the end product that counts.
Suppose it's a bit like stating it's wrong to use "ready made pastry" to make some food item.

Well no it's not because if it tastes good it don't really matter how you made it jmo

 

There is no such thing as "wrong" in art. Do whatever you feel like. Haters gonna hate anyway.

 

This. So very spot on. I think if you make it your own, even if 100% recognizable per sound, in an overall context together with other sounds in a totally different situation, go ahead and use that sample. It's not where you got it, but where you take it.