I use loops primarily for drum tracks. I cut them up and add fills and holes to make them musical. I like them better than MIDI drums. I've heard some pieces done with just loops and some of them are very good, however, I'm not really into dance, house or hip-hop or any of those pop styles and since most of the loops are geared to that sort of music, I don't have much use for them. 

I have tons of sample and loop CDs and DVDs. Paid a fortune, all told. Trying to find a loop that fits what I'm hearing in my head is a time-consuming task and not always rewarded with success.

Usually I ask the musicians themselves to play something and loop that, if appropriate. In this way it sounds like it is part of the same song.

My thoughts on this ... You're not a musician if you use loops. You're an artist, but not a musician. Now that I've made all you 20 somethings head's explode ... It might make your head explode if someone gets around to posting the list of famous musicians who have used loops. It's funny when you consider how many you can hear on classic rock radio.

            1) How many Sonar loop user are there?  I never use loops.
 
            2) how do you tranform or mangle the loops by using the plugins in Sonar (X1 or X2)?   See #1
 
            3) Care to share some tips on composition with loops?  See #1.
 
I am not against them in any way.  I just don't use them.

I am actually an owner of a music school, teach piano and love to compose and mess with synths. Well, I suck at playing drum so I have to use some midi drum loops, finger (keyboard) drum or ask my drum teacher to play drum on a yamaha compact drum dd65 and record via Midi to Sonar. I had also tried step sequencer and decided it is better for electronica because of l find it difficult to program the live feel of a human drummer.  I can see myself using perhaps some Hihats or tamborine audio loops on sections of a song. 

              My opinion is that it is very hard to compose music with loops only. And composing that way requires more technical skills than musical skills. But I am open to it and perhaps will try using more loops in the future. Right now, I am composing new age or fantasy style piano music with synths and/or orchestration. I won't be using loops at this moment. 

                 Thanks for reading and writing to this thread. I very greatful for all of our who are sharing your experienses and opinion.

                   Peace and have fun making music
            Choo Shi-Hwei
            Malaysia
i5, W7, 8 gig RAM, X2 PE, Zeta+2, Rapture , Dimension with DSF expansion, Ivory II, Alloy II, tons of free synths from Computer Music Magazine

]Regarding the subject of cheating, I once had a someone accusing me of cheating by composing multitrack music on Sonar! I should only be compose on piano solos only! If that person ever heard about composing with loops! She would throw a fit! LOL!

musichoo


]Regarding the subject of cheating, I once had a someone accusing me of cheating by composing multitrack music on Sonar! I should only be compose on piano solos only! If that person ever heard about composing with loops! She would throw a fit! LOL!

I know some people feel as though using loops is cheating. but as for me I don't want to put limits on myself. Take the limits off, explore, invent, create! I am driven to do this. It is something internal. Loops are great. Just using loops alone would create yet another limit. Throw away the rule book and think outside of the box. If something works then great if not that's fine to. I will try something else. That is what I try to do on most occasions.


Anyone who has used loops knows how challenging it can be at times. I don't think it is cheating. It is still creating. It is still composing. It is still inventing. It is still changing. It is still writing. It is still music.

like it or not, all these qualities makes you a musician.

I agree with your ole pal. I think everyone has cheated some way some how to make the sound they want to acheive. Even the purists. Pre recorded material: I don't use it all the time only occasionally, but I make it my own somehow. My grandfather was one of these people. A profession (self taught) gigging pianist. When I finally got him to try my sampling workstation it blew his mind, the creative possibilities. Maybe pre recorded material is not mozart but it can be used creativly and therefore is not a total waste. Well maybe for some stubborn grandfathers.JK relax.

This whole 'If you use a loop you aren't a musician, you are an artist' is a complete joke. Sure, if you 'compose' a whole song from loops, then of course you need to work on your imagination/musical skills, but using one or two etc in terms of production of a song is a smart thing to do if it works. I have more music qualifications than i know what do do with, but i will tell you one thing, it doesn't make you any good at a 3 minute song that appeals to the masses. That is a talent all in itself, forget being a musician or a dj, if you make records that sell, then you would be forgiven for chuckling at all the 'purists' that never get anywhere and then tell you that you don't have talent. Ultimately, the point of making music, is to satisfy the self, but if you keep a million people happy and music alive and well then who cares how you do it. OQ,s point above.... i would love to hear Mozart, Beethoven etc with today's technology. Do artists make their own paint? Fashion their own brushes? I cant ever recall anyone of those being accused of cheating ;-) (apologies for using firefox ;-) ) Bibs

I'm with ya wizard.