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Hi Guys
I have a disc with lot's of Loops of various things,Piano - Bass - Drums - Synths etc
My problem is I don't know how to use them,well that's not strictly true,here goes.
The loops are arranged in BPM and various Keys but,the different keys are different loops.
If I want to use a Piano loop in the key of say "C" as the first 4 bars,I know how to drag that
to the track but,if the song then changes key to say "G",how do I get the loop to play in "G"
I thought I had it sussed but.......Ah Well
Thanks
Alan
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Alan
Your DAW software will have a way of dealing with this. For example in Sonar, you place a Marker at the point where you want to change the key of the loop, specifying the shift in the marker's details. You would then need to put another marker later on to change back or to another tone. I've found that most (non-percussion) loops don't like being moved too far along the scale and will sound 'gargly' if hoiked more than a tone, but that might be me not doing it right!
I recall you changed to ProTools recently and I don't know how it's done in there but I expect it will be similar.
John
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Quote:
if the song then changes key to say "G",how do I get the loop to play in "G"
Get Acid Pro, lol.
Serious answer is, you either need a LOT of loops to work with them effectively, or you need to change your style. Much of the loop-based stuff I hear (I'm listening to a lot of trance, techno, and other electronica lately) only uses one or two chords. For examples, go to shoutcast.com, search "electronic" and listen to the results. (You'll need Winamp.)
You can also go to acidplanet.com, the Acid user site, and listen to examples of loop-based music in any style you want. A good friend who does a lot of blues and rock styles is there as "albinosquirrel". His stuff is pretty listenable, most of it quite good, and he usually explains what he's doing.
I'm working on a collaboration and have pretty much used up what Reason has to offer us in terms of indigenous- and Native American-sounding loops. My partner is bringing a stack of 30-40 CDs filled with loops and samples, if that gives you an idea. It's kind of its own world.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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ACID does make the use of loops easier and its key-changing system is both easy and sounds superb with no detectable digital artifacts when it does the pitch shift.
However, looping can be a tedious process. RealTracks are MUCH faster and in my opinion, sound better when the whole thing is put together. Loops can get to be too repetitive sounding.
--Mac
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[cracks knuckles] Everybody so far is correct. But not quite. First thing, there's a good chance that your DAW will handle loops just fine. If you're not sure, or you don't like the way they work, get Acid Xpress, which is free. Depending on what kinds of loops you have, you can build a fantastic-sounding song very quickly. The one thing NOT to do is use the same loop for everything, i.e., only one sound on the entire track. As Mac says, that can sound pretty mechanical. Remember that BIAB's RealTracks are basically loops that are varied by the software, rather than the user. The BPM and Key information in the loops you have tells me that the loops are Acidized, i.e., encoded with proprietary information that makes them Acid-ready. This means that Acid Xpress (or Music Studio or Pro, if you decided to upgrade) should adapt the loops to whatever tempo or key you are using. This also means that if you set tempo or key changes in the middle of the song, they will respond properly. (Bluntly, the Acid algorithms for time-stretching and key-shifting are as good as they get, and rather better than many.) Also remember that one of the big strengths of RealTracks, especially RealDrums, is combining actual recordings with MIDI, which have the effect of making the MIDI sound more realistic. You get the same thing with loops, and Acid does let you use MIDI as well.
Best, Tom SmithWin10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM BIAB 2026 • Reaper 7.57 • Izotope MPS AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro
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You can pick up six or eight free loops a week at acidplanet. They also run a regular contest for which they provide what they call a "Six Pack", six loops upon which you must build your contest entry. You have to register on the site for this. Note that the supplied loops tend to be pretty edgy--not typically suited to pop music. But they're there, and they're free. IIRC, Acid Express only supports one audio track, 10 total including loops and MIDI. Note to Mac re: Repetition: That's why they call it "trance", buddy . . . boomp diddy boomp diddy boomp diddy boomp diddy boomp diddy boomp diddy boomp diddy boomp diddy boomp  R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Thanks everyone,
I don't have any loops yet,well only the ones that came free with
Pro Tools,but I have heard some really nice Drum and Bass loops that I could
play along with,it's just knowing where to get them,and how to use them.
CSI backing music is a nice example.
Your answers help in pointing me in the right direction,thanks.
Alan
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Google "free loops" and refine from there. You'll have to winnow out a lot of crap and the royalty-free loops that will turn up in your search, but if you're patient and persistent you will find some good, useful stuff. Users groups will provide good information, too.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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And every single loop library that Sony has, has free samples you can download. Lots of other sites do as well.
Ryszard -- you're right about Acid Xpress. It's teaser software. On the other hand, you can do a lot with ten loop tracks....
Best, Tom SmithWin10/64 • i7-8700K • 24 GB RAM BIAB 2026 • Reaper 7.57 • Izotope MPS AKG C1000S • IK iRig I/O Pro
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Guitarmeister,
Do you know whether Pro Tools supports .REX files? If so, there's another wealth of intelligent loops available to you. They won't pitch shift as far as Acid clips but they handle tempo changes nicely.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Here is the list of Loops that Pro Tools can import
AIFF
• WAV or BWF (.WAV)
• SDII
• SDI
• MP3
• MXF audio
• Sound Resource (AIFL—Mac only)
• WMA (Windows Media—Windows only)
• QuickTime (Mac only)
• AAC audio (including audio with AAC,
Mp4, and M4a file extensions)
• ReCycle (REX 1 and 2) files
• ACID files
Alan
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just came across this Mixcraft 4 which may interest you $65 7 day fully functional trial. Product Features Clear, colorful, and intelligently designed interface to streamline your work. Custom loop library includes hundreds of royalty-free sounds in dozens of musical styles. Works with Acid™ and Apple Garage Band™ loops. Record multiple MIDI and audio tracks simultaneously. Piano roll to view and edit MIDI. Includes a General MIDI library, two sampled grand pianos, Hammond B-3™ emulator, MiniMoog™ emulator and a polyphonic synthesizer. Includes 18 high quality effects. Create mega presets that layer and split multiple virtual synthesizers and effects. Add unlimited VSTi™ instruments, VST™ and DirectX™effects. Mix down to MP3, WAV and other audio file types. Burn CDs of your mix with just one click.
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