Hiya,
 
Just wondering is anyone creating tracks using Loops and Sample Packs in SONAR? Exclusively or otherwise ..
 
Back in the early sampling days it was "nicking" bits of samples from old LPs particularly back in the 90s. Like MOBY for example.
 
Now a days we are spoilt for choice with various companies selling royalty free high quality sample packs. Best I have come across is SAMPLEMAGIC - www.samplemagic.com 

I already have quiet a few of their sample packs inc most recently:
 
https://www.samplemagic.com/details/558/future-revolution ... some real nice FX, Hits, Risers etc in this for EDM
 
So do you use samples / sample pack? Do you Slice and dice these samples, completely change them? What techniques / tools / plugins do you use in Sonar to do this?
 
In fact I would propose a section here at the Sonar forums for this kind of music making AND also would love to see a video / blog tutorial on same using sonar. Get MOBY in as the guest writer :D
 
Cheers ... Aidan
 

 
- Audiosnap 
- Step Sequencer
- Loop Construction

I'll confess I've never delved that deeply into doing what you're describing, but it certainly interests me to try and learn these sort of techniques.
 
A range of sub-forums dealing with a few different genres could be extremely useful.

I use loops and create loop libraries, and have written several loop-related articles for Friday's Tip of the Week:
 
Week 07: The Multitrack Loop Browser
Week 09: Faux REX Files in Sonar
Week 12: A Beautifully Deranged Timbre-Shifting Application
Week 26: How to Keep Groove Clips "Groovy" When Processing Them 
Week 32: Have Groove Clips Follow Pitch
Week 42: 15 Groovy Groove Clip Tips
Week 43: Piano Roll View/Step Sequencer Conversion and Synergy 
Week 58: 16 Things You Need to Know About Loops
Week 63: SONAR's Audio (Yes, Audio!) Step Sequencer 
Week 65: Big Fun with "Loop Legos"
Week 86: Edit Your Way to (Much) Better Loops 
Week 94: The Paradox of Sophisticated Humanizing with Step Sequencers

Sonar could do with some better tools for sample triggering and manipulation. It's such a large part of modern genres these days, and other DAW's like Ableton beat Sonar in this regard. Personally I use Geist for sample chopping and mangling, it just offers a very convenient workflow for doing it, plus it has an excellent step sequencer.

SONAR was the first major DAW to include built-in audio looping, I believe.  And it came with a nice selection of loops - and still does.  And it can manipulate audio clips as your second post lists.  3rd Party loops - I like SONY.
 
The Matrix is a great tool for loop playing.  I certainly hope Cake updates/upgrades it soon.  There are lots 'o peoples out there doing loops and Cake shouldn't leave them all to Live!
 
I'm also partial to Heavyocity and other such loop synth libraries, where you play a selection of loops that are arranged across the keyboard.  A great way to produce basic rhythm tracks.
 
@

Anderton,
 
Thanks for all the links to those tips and tutes. 
 
I wonder and ask again would it be possible to tie all that together in a big tute maybe. Step 1 on, all the way through. Pretty much a walk through with a few loops from a sample pack. Slicing and then using the step sequencer maybe. Maybe using a sampler .. dimension, cyclone or recommended other. How to do this kind of music making the Sonar way?
 
A run through to show how sonar would handle a similar process in fruity loops or reason?
 
I know you say the tools are there but buried. Could a light be shone on them all tied together? Which tools need more love and TLC for future updates. As others mentioned here - the matrix view. Are tools like cyclone and dimension still useful or outdated?Will they be updated? 
 
As others mentioned here will Cakewalk be paying more attention to toolsets for this kind of music making going forward? 
 
I use Fruity Loops, but would like to not use it if all could be done in Sonar :D
 
AND .. I still call for a new section to be opened at this forum to discuss on going, this kind of music where sonar is concerned ..
 

And there are these articles on Harmony Central:
 
Rhythm and Groove: Getting Started with Loops
Tip for Better Loop-Based Music
How to Create Your Own Loops from an Audio File
Make Your Own Drum Loops
 
...that should keep you busy for a while 

aidanodr
Anderton,
 
Thanks for all the links to those tips and tutes. 
 
I wonder and ask again would it be possible to tie all that together in a big tute maybe. Step 1 on, all the way through. Pretty much a walk through with a few loops from a sample pack. 

Well...each one of those topics is a mini-tutorial on a particular tool. The biggest issue is there are so many ways to create music using loops that yes, there could be a tutorial on how to do it, but it would cover only one of those ways. If you know how to use each tool, you can then find your own optimum combination of those tools to create your desired workflow.
 
Here's an example. I use SONAR for EDM projects in the studio but I use Ableton Live for live performance (although I create and prepare all my files for a Live set in SONAR). I use Live in what many would consider a unique way, so I was surprised when I was wandering around Musikmesse in Germany and heard someone who sounded like he used Live the same way I do. Sure enough, it was someone with Live - but he used it with a totally, and I mean totally, different workflow!
 
SONAR takes the same "a la carte" approach to EDM that it takes to other applications. Do check out the links and articles I've mentioned, in particular "Fun with Loop Legos" and "Tips for Better Loop-Based Music." There are quite a few people here who feel SONAR is lacking in tools for EDM, but as I'm very fluent with Live, Reason, and Cubase, what I find is that SONAR has a different approach and toolset. Although it's not a "purely" EDM program where everything is focused toward that goal, when I want to stretch out of the conventional EDM box, it's easy to do so in SONAR.
 
What I could do is a tutorial on how I create dance music in SONAR...but there's no guarantee it's the way anyone else would want to create dance music in SONAR.

Anderton,
 
Week 63: SONAR's Audio (Yes, Audio!) Step Sequencer 
 
In this tip you have a loaded sample, did the slicing in loop construction, then actually split ( S ) the original one sample piece into its component individual parts as per the slices created in the loop construction phase.
 
At this point I get stuck. I now have an audio track ( I used a piano line of a few chords ) split into individual chords. Suppose I now want to rearrange these chords on another audio track by dragging each individual chord piece down.
 
I notice that when I try drag this individual chord left on the new track it will not go any farther left than its original position. I think at this point you right click the chord piece and bounce to clips?? 
 
So say in my original split piano piece sample i have 20 chords. Is their any way to select all the split individual chords and bounce to clips function does so for each split individual chord? So it doesnt create one big clip of all the selected parts?