Using Loops.....

Hello all,

In my previous post I noticed many of you use drum loops for inspiration to start a new project.  Good idea, BUT what if you are making an album, and you want to use a similar drum sound all the way through the album,  but what if a loop you have doesnt sound ANYTHING like the previous tracks you have done?   I have some synth/pop songs with a standard drum kit, but i like this real heavy drum loop i found, but the drums do not fit in with anything else on the album i am making.   Was wondering how you guys handle your drum loops in order to have some consistency on the album!

Thanks,
Adam

I'll try to clarify even more, because I'm not sure I'm saying it plainly enough.

At the minimum, any song that I write is basically recorded in full 3 times.

The first time, I use drum loops to help me create the "riffs".  I do a lot of color coding sections and cutting/pasting during this time.  Playback can be a little choppy and less than astetically pleasing...but it get the point across well enough to lay down lead and harmony vocals and hand it off to the drummer.

He listens to the crude recording.  Learns the FEEL of the tune, and interprets it his way....BUT KEEPING THE OVERALL FEEL OF THE GROOVE.  My guy is a pro at understanding intent over content.  All of the changes are there, the arrangement is there, but none of the cool fills and transitions are spelled out for him.  He brings that to the equation.

When he's ready, we come back and we lay his drums down over my original demo, using a click track and all of the original demo guitar and vocal parts.

Once he's done, I delete all of the guitar parts - which were a mix/match of all the cut/paste stuff we did during the actual writing process.  And I go back and relay them, playing them as a proper song this time - instead of little bits here and there.

Then, the bassist and other guitarist rehearse to that, and ultimately come in to lay their parts down for the first time.

At this point, we also delete any background vocals that I sang...and the bassits and guitarist will sing their harmony parts.

And thus...the real demo is born.  This is the copy that we all listen to and rehearse to right up until the time we record the final version.

Hope that makes some sort of sense.

I think I'd go nuts searching loops and working like Skull.... I use Jamstix and it lays down a track for  me.... I might edit it a bit..... but  man... I love those tracks that I lay down one time.... punch in a few edits and call it done....


call me lazy... but it works for me.

I'll bet the "engineer" took the money and bought more loops.

hhmmm being "paid" to work on someone elses stuff.. its well... a JOB.. if you want results in 6-7 hours.. then take short cuts...

it's a bit like anything.. take the amen break... on it's own .. fair enough.. sliced n diced etc.. and it's different.

it also depends on the quality of the library, not all libs are equal. yep I do have a silly amount of loops, but I don't have the pressure of paying someone to get a result.

If I was going to say a proper studio, I'd have done the prep work long before I'd gone there. like I do when I get loops..

I can basically drop them into a track and they are good to go , no faffing around finding zero points etc.. I did all that when I imported them etc.

and yep I'm from a time where you had to use time stretch charts.. then thankfully recycle came along..

using loops isn't a bad thing, just what you do with them... remember some of the time it's economics etc.. like I don't have access to abbey road, but I use their pianos via a sample pack etc.

adamlewis723


Hello all,

In my previous post I noticed many of you use drum loops for inspiration to start a new project.  Good idea, BUT what if you are making an album, and you want to use a similar drum sound all the way through the album,  but what if a loop you have doesnt sound ANYTHING like the previous tracks you have done?   I have some synth/pop songs with a standard drum kit, but i like this real heavy drum loop i found, but the drums do not fit in with anything else on the album i am making.   Was wondering how you guys handle your drum loops in order to have some consistency on the album!

Thanks,
Adam

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Adam,
 
First of all let me state that I rarely use pre-defined drum loops at all...Certainly not on a finished project...
 
I think what you're asking is "Is it okay if the drum sound on a track or two differs from the overall drum sound of the entire CD?"...
 
My answer would be, "Yes. It's okay." Do you use the same guitar sound on every track? Probably not. Do you record all of your material in the same key? Probably not. Are all your tracks recorded at the same tempo? Probably not.
 
Use whatever fits the context of the song, even if it is a total departure from the rest of the songs on the CD. Don't be afraid to experiment. Adding a little "variety" to your CD may be the key to making it sound "less robotic" or "pre-programmed"...