Loops, Why, What and How

Before I begin the meet of this post I want to apologize if it seems a bit... disjointed? (I think that's the word I want) I've been working on this post for around 3 weeks, just adding bits to it here and there as I've had time so I blame time lapse for any confusion. (Unlike this post though, I managed to keep all the names straight... at least I think I did).

Also later in this post I describe the method that I use to build loops. I am by no means a professional loop creator, I am at best an amateur, but it works for me and until I can get some official training on the subject here is what I've found works for me....


One of the (joys? headaches? frustrations? pleasures?) of being my current position at Lifepoint is working on/with loops.

First why work with loops at all?

Well it helps cement tempo, but is that necessarily a good thing?

I mean every drummer (any decent drummer) plays in time, but I know of very few applications musically where perfect time sounds right....

Drum Corp is one instance that I can think of, but applied to a drumset perfect time comes off as too... stiff? Robotic...

Tommy Igoe did a talk about this at last year's PASIC and I believe his exact phrasing is perfect time applied to the drumset comes off as "too vanilla".

So the end result is you play in time, but if that snare is hit somewhere between the last 32nd note of one and the first of two doesn't mean it's late,

Before I confuse you further let me move on to my original purpose of this post. (This subject matter is fodder for a whole other post, one I'll get to... eventually).

Building loops. Back to the original question, why work with loops, it also allows you to add instruments and sound effects in a timed manner that would otherwise require... well insert your sound of choice here, a lot of what we loop can be accomplished with a good keyboardist who knows their way around a keyboard, up until recently though we haven't had a regular keyboardist, though both our Vocal Director and one of our vocals are excellent pianist they weren't available every week to play. But occasionally you run into that sound that just doesn't lend itself to keyboard and requires either a recording session or a pre-recorded sound, Off hand I can't come up with anything, but I know there are examples out there. I've used them at add percussion sound on a Crowder song we did before we got a percussionist, and to add strings on a couple pieces we've done. Also there have been a couple instances when when we were going for a fuller sound than one keyboard could provide.

So okay, you're now convinced that working with loops is a good thing, now what?
Well, you can start by building your own!

I currently do most of the work on our loops with a couple different programs, if I have to program midi I normally use Ableton Live, (A copy of it came with my midi controller), however the need for me to work with midi isn't too great and so most of my work usually ends up being done with a program caller Reaper and a program called Audacity. Reaper is a fully functional
audio mixing program which is uncripled shareware (after 30 days it starts with a pop up asking you to pay) but all the features remain active, and having used several different full system editors in my time I have to say it's a really sweet program. Audacity is an open source audio editor, my only issue with Reaper is it doesn't have it's own WAV editor (Or if it does I have yet to figure out where/how to work it) so if I have to make any corrections to an individual track I pull it up in audacity make the changes and then send it back. Now quite as simple as working with say Adobe Audition (Which is what I was using) but much MUCH more budget friendly.

Ok back on the work cycle here, the first thing I do when we decided we want to do a song that we need a loop for is buy the song. (I normally Use itunes) then put is on a disc and then an mp3.

Then I plug it into this handy little program that analyzes the beats per minute of the song.

Once I have that I go into reaper and import the song. I then create a click (think metronome) track and channel it to the left, the click track becomes the tempo of the song.

Then going layer by layer I begin adding instrumentation and effects to the song. Normally through the Alesis Keyboard or my own PS350. Though I will hopefully be doing more work with a Phantom X8 in the very near future.

Once that I'm please with the way everything sounds I pan everything (except the click track) to the right, then remove the original song.

From there It's either imported into my Sampling pad (A Roland SPDS) or, as I've used more lately get's loaded on my ipod.

OR on occasion it's synced to a video like what we did for Bitter Sweet Symphony, though in this case Josh used the original track for this posting. Oh and I have a cameo in the video, but you only see my back.

Seriously

Ok, I've been wanting to post for ages! and I don't have the time full a normal (well normal for me) length post.

I've got a ton of things I want to share from the conference I was at this weekend and I'll put some notes up later, but while I was away THIS was going on.

And it's also part of another post I've been working on, so all I'm gonna say is that God has blessed me, (well Lifepoint as a whole but me in particular) with an amazing group of people in our Worship Team. I've got words for each of them, but it'll have to wait for later.

For anyone who follows this blog regularly let me apologize for not posting for a while, While at the conference in St. Louis My Hotel didn't have Wifi. Then when I found a Wifi spot my labtop started having some serious issues. The fact that it's working this morning for me to post this is something of a miracle in and of itself.

Anyway I'll be home sometime late tonight so it'll probably be tomorrow before I get my posts up

Attn Lifepoint Pastorial Staff!

If there's one thing I've learned working (though can you really call what I do work? Well some of the organizational stuff I suppose... but I digress) is that Lifepoint has a deep love of Starbucks, and as such I thought that this article needed to be noted for them.

Perhaps if Starbucks coffee didn't cost the same amount as a lunch at a decent family restaurant they'd do more business?

There be Eggs there...

Okay first mad props to Josh who I'm guessing did the design work for this


Secondly We learned from last year, last year we did Spotsylvania's biggest Easter Egg hunt and dropped 3000 eggs (in addition to what was already down... ) err I think...

We thought we were thinking big, we thought it'd be plenty eggs for everyone... WE. RAN. OUT.

Having learned that lesson we're doing things a bit different this year, and with 80,000 eggs divided up between different age groups we're hopeful that every kid will go home with more chocolate and other candies than their parent would ever want them to consume... (hehe)

Why are we doing thins? What would posses us to do such an insane thing? Simple, we want to show the love of Christ to our community in a real and relevant way. A young family might not understand, hey we're praying for you, they will understand, hey here's a place your kids can come for a saturday and have a great time.

Sunday, bloody Sunday...

Okay, it wasn't that bad, actually I had a very pleasant Sunday. The only problem is that roughly halfway into our video (Synced to the song we were playing) the computer (A MAC) crashed. Thankfully we continued on (mostly ignorant in my case, except for my click track vanishing). Happily Josh has the video (set to the original song) on his blog, see it here.

Super awesome job by our teams yesterday, The production team got everything back up and running, and the band (Even the one who could see it freeze up and crash) didn't miss a beat.

I found myself listening intently to Elizabeth (Super talented percussionist of earlier posts) and Dave (Super incredible keyboardist of note, and yes that was a bad pun) as well as Pick, but I always listen (and look for that matter) for cues from Pick. Our Bassist (Bill) and Guitarists (Brandon and Ronnie) didn't skip a beat, if not for the video crashing behind us I don't think anyone would have noticed anything wrong at all. Mad kudo's folks.

I used a slightly lighter than normal setup, meaning less cymbals, I'm working on paring down a bit to make setup and tear down easier.

Book Update...

on reading, I just finished
Seasons of Life, it's an excellent book, and one that EVERY colts fan should read.
and I just started Centurion Principles. (Which I'm doubly enjoying given my love of history)

Also picked up an old copy of Band of Brothers (The book that the series was based on) at my local used bookstore, side note here, but used book stores rock! you never know what kind of literary gem you're going to find when you're in there, as I'm also reading Man's search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (another one I stumbled across at the used bookstore)

Life's lesson's one oh one...

Always request signature required on any package you are having shipped.

Yes there is a story behind this, one from actually a month ago, but the bottom line for me, is that from now on every package (and I don't care what it is) I'm having shipped is getting the instructions: "Please insure that a signature is required" on the order. Especially when ordering parts for musical instruments or in-ear monitors, and doubly especially when there seems to be a bunch of idiots in your neighborhood.

That way if some shipper say... fedex has a shipment of say... ear piece replacements for um2s it's insured that someone at residence will actually receive the package, instead of it simply disappearing an act likely committed by the same people who like to break into cars.

Count it joy...Count it joy...Count it joy...Count it joy...Count it joy...

drool

If there's one thing I've learned from being part of a portable church is that setting up a full drum set takes quite a bit of time, plus I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but drum sets aren't the most portable of instruments. (Especially if you don't have your own drum-tech to set everything up for you), now the downtown campus at Lifepoint has found away around this in the form of the taye go-kit, but I just found this little baby. (Click on traps drums, for some reason t he direct link doesn't go to the right video)

Does it help to mention that my birthday isn't too far away?

whoops

I just realized that when I posted that who knew article I forgot to add the link.

Now I was never a huge fan of Korn, but I remember one of their music videos had this wicked cool effect with a bullet being shot.

A blessing, truly

I added everything up, drums, gear bags, gear in bags, extra percussion that was in with the gear in the gear bags, the grand total was 735.86 (Before tax or shipping).

I set it aside, reminding myself that the Lord gives AND takes away. And also reminding myself that all things that happen happen for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. (Because seriously that's 735 bucks that I don't have right now)

I just got off the phone, the sheriff's department found my gear, all of it (including the bags) in an undeveloped area of the neighborhood, (well at least all of the gear I remember being in their) now what good is going to come out of it? I'm not sure yet, (I mean other then getting everything back). Hopefully I had something in my bag about Lifepoint and they'll show up and experience the life change that we see so much of.

I do suppose I have to edit the witty comment I made about the odds of me not getting my stuff back earlier....