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By DCS Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:11 pm
As an absolute beginner i would like to understand why loopings are used instead of tracks for beats. What are the advantages and do you use loopings for any music genre?
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By NearTao Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:09 pm
Reasons to use loops:
Loops are often used to get ideas down quickly that have some level of structure
Some semblance of structure can let you focus on what you want to add
Spend more time considering the tones that you want to use vs playing
May add a more professional sound than you are capable of playing yourself
Gets you "that sound"... whatever that might mean to you

Loop Pitfalls:
Overuse of loops makes your song repetitive
Difficult to change many features of a loop
Frequently limits the recreation and modification

Beyond Loops:
Learn how to chop up loops, tons of ways to approach it but lets you do much more
Chopping audio can create a certain feel because you are loosing reverb tails, adding extra content elsewhere
Use effects, can cover a lot of gaps, and let's you change the sound/texture
Look into software like Melodyne to determine notes/chords/scale of loops if you cannot do this by ear
Find small pieces of audio you like within the loop and make new kits/key groups out of it

Above all... have fun!
By CharlesRandolph Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:31 pm
DCS wrote:As an absolute beginner i would like to understand why loopings are used instead of tracks for beats. What are the advantages and do you use loopings for any music genre?



Loops can and are used for every genre of music, one the advantages is not having to replay a passage again once you've already composed it. They're great for live looping session, solo musicians who need backing track, for people who aren't live players but have the ability link passages of music together.

It really comes down to how creative you use them. MPC's are geared toward music that loops and less about linear compositions with tempo, swing, key and time signature changes. Personally, I use tracks more then the loops/clips.

Also looping allows you to be the entire band without looking like this guys.

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By DCS Tue Feb 09, 2021 8:04 pm
Thanks all. I think i start to understand the idea of loops, let me know if i’m missing something here:
- chopping drum tracks for ‘special’ effects
- live performing turning loops on and of
- developing songs without the need to create a drum drum track first.