Sorry if this is an incredibly dumb question, but what is the difference between RealStyles and Loops?

I'm wondering whether I should add Loops-with-Styles to my collection, but honestly I don't really know what they are. I've listened to some of the demos on the PG music page and to me they sound like more RealStyles.

Thanks!

Loops are small snippets of music that can be played over and over and over again. They loop in such a way as to sound seamless.

I use it when I just want a rhythm to noodle around while I play my guitar. Can also be used in a composition.

...Deb

Thanks Deb. That makes sense and is pretty much what I thought a loop was.

But isn't that what RealTracks are as well? Small snippets of music that fit seamlessly together.

To a certain degree, but RealTracks are not necessarily loops as such. They are different, separate musical phrases performed (usually) over multiple bars, that can then be seamlessly joined together. It's possible that there may never be a repeated (looped) phrase when using RealTracks.

Looping indicates the same musical passage repeated over and over. RealTracks are different.

Hope this assists.

Ah, okay, thanks. Are loops purely rhythmic, then? (i.e. they can't be changed to fit chord progressions or transposed like RealTracks can?)

It kind of depends. I started my computer-aided music making with Loops using Acid software, the early software that made "looping" a thing available for the desktop set.

Loops in general, if the software is right, can have their pitch changed and time compressed/expanded. I think most loops are rhythmical in nature, but that might also contain some pitch information in short, repeating musical phrases that "loop" end to beginning in a rhythmical pattern.


I'm not familiar with the loops available from PGMusic enough to know for certain how they are handled within BiaB. Certainly Rhythmical loops will match tempo, and will change pitch if there is pitch to be changed.

Right. Loops can conform to the Acidized standard. If they do, their pitch and timing can be altered by the program.

Tangmo, did you start with Fruity Loops, now known as FL Studio?

Hi Matt. I started with Acid software from Sonic Foundry. It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I had a lot of fun with it. BIAB was what I was hoping for. There were a lot of FL users on the Acid Planet website. Loops definitely have their place and there is more that can be done with them then simply painting them coast to coast. Tools and raw materials.

Drum loops normally have beat and tempo data embedded so the digital audio workstation or DAW can stretch or shrink the loop as needed to match the length of a bar and DAW tempo. Musical loops have beat and tempo data but also have root key signature data embedded. The root key data allows a DAW to adjust the pitch of the notes within the loop.

RealDrums and RealTracks differ slightly from loops. Users auditions and selects loops. Band-in-a-Box and RealBand selects complete audio phrases out of a 3 - 4 minute audio file. The audio phrases can range from 1 to 8 bars in length. Loops can be used by any program that can read the embedded metadata. RealDrums and RealTracks work only within Band-in-a-Box, RealBand and perhaps PowerTracks Pro (but I don't think so). Copy a RealTrack audio file and import the file into any program that can read metadata and, guess what, the program will not recognize any beat, tempo or root key metadata.

Thanks, everyone. I am getting a better idea of the distinction between the two, though I'm still unsure about whether I should get the loops packs.

I mainly use BIAB for jazz and latin, with a dash of classic pop/rock. Would you say that loops would be a useful addition to my collection?

my small contribution is that RealTracks give you a musical equivalent of a real musician, i have both loops paks and to my ear loops give you an opportunity to create a solid background groove where repetition is essential to a thick punchy sound.

listen to some of PG's demo tracks for xtra styles and the loops pak styles to see what you think

<<< "RealTracks give you a musical equivalent of a real musician" >>>

That's how I think too. Except I include any style and instrument as a real musician.

I see the Chord Chart when it's populated as the demo or scratch track of a recording.

The Style instruments and any instrument additions become overdubs by session musicians.

Any chord changes, edits and regenerations as Punch-ins/outs.

Yes.