I posted here awhile ago about what specifically composing with loops entails, and I continue to find myself confused. How does one take a loop and compose his own melody? I've tried to hack up and pitch change some loops but it sounds so obvious. For the moment, I'm just trying Garageband because it's free and I have it, but I just don't understand. How do you take pre-recorded loops and compose your own music? Or do you not? How do professionals get high quality original compositions without hiring an orchestra? Thank you.
Perplexed By Loops
- Thread starter Chidsuey
- Start date
miroslav
Cosmic Cowboy
Loops of what...drums, bass lines, chord progressions...etc?
If you're looping something with a defined melody...it's not going to be easy to make it your own...but if you start with a basic rhythmic loop, even a chord progression loop...there are many possibilities to then come up with original melodies and make it into a complete song.
You have to add something of your own to the loop(s). If you're just trying to "compose" by combining only loops that someone else put together, it's never going to feel like your composition.
If you're looping something with a defined melody...it's not going to be easy to make it your own...but if you start with a basic rhythmic loop, even a chord progression loop...there are many possibilities to then come up with original melodies and make it into a complete song.
You have to add something of your own to the loop(s). If you're just trying to "compose" by combining only loops that someone else put together, it's never going to feel like your composition.
andrushkiwt
Well-known member
Yeah, this. What are they loops of? From my understanding, most ppl take a drum loop and then compose chord progressions and melodies over it, as well as a vocal loop in the same key.
I apologize for missing this I will check it out again.
Right now I have melodic loops of spaghetti western style whistling that I'm working with. This thread is leading me to the right questions, however. So, how then, if I would not use a prerecorded melodic loop, a live recording, and there is no VST, would I create music with a human whistle sound? And when you all say "compose over", what are you using for that part? MIDI? VST? Something I haven't heard of? Thank you.
Hi,
My link below will take you to some tracks done with GarageBand live loops (forgive the vocals!). I've moved on to Reaper now and compose my own stuff but these will give you an idea of what you can come up with just using loops and a little mixing...
Universal by Dazzyt66 | Free Listening on SoundCloud
Hope that helps! ��
Mack Caster
Banned
Great example!
Pinky
and The Brain...
"Composing" and mashing keys on a keyboard isn't terribly difficult (you can even draw the notes in a piano roll with most software), but you need to have some idea what you want and what instrument/sound you want to play the notes. Loops (in the manner being discussed here) are generally intended for people who don't know what they want, but want *something* (anything).
I've really only ever used drum loops for backing tracks, and moved away from this as soon as I learned midi and bought virtual drum software. That same knowledge translated easily to VSTi orchestration software and synthesizers.
IMO don't bother with loops, learn midi (it's NOT that hard) and get a cheap keyboard that will interface via midi [either directly over USB into the computer or through a midi cable into your sound interface]. Reaper is free(ish)ware you can try for doing some of this. Most DAWs have a trial period, so if you're thinking longer term maybe download a few (Sonar, Cubase, Ableton, etc) and see if you like more than the others. Those DAWs often some with a package of free plugins and instruments, depending on the package tier pricing they're often a good deal.
Not sure the exact limits of GarageBand, but I imagine there's plenty.
I've really only ever used drum loops for backing tracks, and moved away from this as soon as I learned midi and bought virtual drum software. That same knowledge translated easily to VSTi orchestration software and synthesizers.
IMO don't bother with loops, learn midi (it's NOT that hard) and get a cheap keyboard that will interface via midi [either directly over USB into the computer or through a midi cable into your sound interface]. Reaper is free(ish)ware you can try for doing some of this. Most DAWs have a trial period, so if you're thinking longer term maybe download a few (Sonar, Cubase, Ableton, etc) and see if you like more than the others. Those DAWs often some with a package of free plugins and instruments, depending on the package tier pricing they're often a good deal.
Not sure the exact limits of GarageBand, but I imagine there's plenty.
Hey, I just joined the forum today and saw your post. I'm still learning so wouldn't call myself an expert - and I'm more dance/electronic production than soundtrack - but I'm happy to pass on a few ideas to consider when using loops.
I use Ableton, which is great for working with audio, but I think most DAWs have different ways of achieving the same results. I mainly chop loops up to isolate sounds I want to try. Ableton also has a handy clip mode editor where you can automate volume, transposition etc to change the loop. Alternatively I sometimes put the loop in a sampler to trigger different elements using midi. Definitely try and learn midi. There's lots of good tutorials out there. I also sometimes use the sampler 'slice' function, alter the sensitivity and sometimes you can create some interesting variations of the loop, either playing on a midi controller or inputting notes on the piano roll by hand.
Back to using purely audio, I've seen other producers take, for example, a bass loop, chop it up, rearrange it, then pitch certain chunks up or down so you get a different melody/rhythm, but the sound quality is preserved. You wouldn't guess it came from the original loop.
As others have said above I think it's going to be hard to use an original loop (especially in the style you mention) and create a whole new piece of music out of it easily. A combination of using audio and midi and building up layers of instruments I'd say is the way to go.
Hope some of this is helpful.
I use Ableton, which is great for working with audio, but I think most DAWs have different ways of achieving the same results. I mainly chop loops up to isolate sounds I want to try. Ableton also has a handy clip mode editor where you can automate volume, transposition etc to change the loop. Alternatively I sometimes put the loop in a sampler to trigger different elements using midi. Definitely try and learn midi. There's lots of good tutorials out there. I also sometimes use the sampler 'slice' function, alter the sensitivity and sometimes you can create some interesting variations of the loop, either playing on a midi controller or inputting notes on the piano roll by hand.
Back to using purely audio, I've seen other producers take, for example, a bass loop, chop it up, rearrange it, then pitch certain chunks up or down so you get a different melody/rhythm, but the sound quality is preserved. You wouldn't guess it came from the original loop.
As others have said above I think it's going to be hard to use an original loop (especially in the style you mention) and create a whole new piece of music out of it easily. A combination of using audio and midi and building up layers of instruments I'd say is the way to go.
Hope some of this is helpful.