Looping With Cakewalk?

[mcurran]

I am working on a trance
project for the first time,
since I like the dance music,
and have a question.

I don't have a sampler, but I
do have a Roland Sound Canvas
hooked up to a Cakewalk Sampler.

One problem I have run into is the
difficulty in playing even a 4 bar
note pattern for a loop wherein each
note is exactly the same in touch,
dynamics, and velocity.

I've adjusted the "velocity" of
the track, but that doesn't do
the trick, oddly enough.

The loop in "We Don't Get Fooled
Again" by The Who comes to mind as
a great example of a rhythmic pulsing
loop. (The opening synthesizer part)

Now I've tried playing a 4 bar
note pattern, looping it, and then
quantizing it to different note values,
but still, the groove is difficult to
achieve because each note sounds
a little different. In other words,
without the exact note velocity or
pressure, the groove gets lost, even
when quantized.

It still sounds "clunky," not tight.

[AlChuck]

mcurran,

I think you are on the wrong track. Making every note precisely quantized and with the identical velocity values will sound -- clunky! Not tight! It's the dynamics, the variations in loudness, and the groove factor or swing or whatever you want to call it when note timings are offset from the "exact" theorectical values, pulling or puching on the beat -- this is what will give them interest.

The example you cited, the Who song, that arpeggio definitely has dynamics to it -- the fifth note in each bar in particular is accented.

-AlChuck

[nubius]

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're working on trance music - don't you have to make sure everything's in perfect machine-like time?
After all, trance music has no feeling, right??

[thelonious]

Well, I am glad that many people understand the groove/feel aspect of recording parts.
Perhaps the 80's wont happen again.

HERES HOW I DO IT:
Go into the sythesizer and turn the send PRS or recieve PRS thingy off and your synth will not send your attack velocity.

This is a lame reply because I dont know much about MIDI but thats how I do it.