Help with drum loops

Choosing Programs:

There are so many programs available as shareware, which means you can try before you buy, most

companies allow this. With every purchase of any Aussiebeats CD there's a detailed help file in all aspects of

recording & soundcard setup using a basic computer, a must for beginners.

I use Flavio`s n-Track Studio for ease of use and reliability, try it for yourself and see.1

And Sony's Acid Programs for Tempo Changes & Paint And Paste options.2

Another great program is Syntrillium`s Cool Edit Pro which has two many features to cover here.3

What is a loop:

A Loop is simply a short piece of music, instrument, or sound, which has been sliced at the Beginning & End

so when the

loop button is pressed on your favorite loop program it will play continuously without

sounding out of "sync" and will play endlessly until you click the stop button.

Before we go any further this is what most stereo .Wav Files or Loops look like when viewed through most

loop & audio programs, see pic-1 & 2 below.

Pic-1

Pic-2

Aussiebeats Explains What a Loop Looks Like

To hear your loop or beat you simply click on your folder icon which every program has, then open it

choose your loop, load it into your program and press play.

As I said above, most programs have the paint and paste option, plus delete, cut, copy, add effects, etc.

To make things really easy, simply minimize your Web Browser which has all your loops in it, and leave it there

for quick reference, this will save you hours of searching for the right loop or beat.

You can also load your loops of choice directly from the Aussiebeats CDs, and place them in your chosen

folder ready to load into an audio program for listening.

Using loops:

Here's a sample below of how it looks when you load some loops Into a program.

You can also see all the various loops painted & placed along each track.

Remember, it doesn't have to be a small drum loop you place into your track of choice, you can paint any

sound you like from a whole song to a screaming guitar solo.

Aussiebeats shows novices what a loop program looks like

Once all this is done, simply Mix them all down to one track, open file then click on mix to one track, and

save to a folder for future reference, then lay all your Instruments & Vocals down.

You can paint a small loop onto a track and keep repeating it non stop until you have your song worked out,

then build the whole drum track up adding all the Crash cymbals, Toms, Hats, etc.

Adding Effects:

When you become accustomed to working with Pre Mixed Loops & Beats you can make you're own loop's

by building them from the single hits supplied with the Classic Beats Collection or purchase any one of the

Single hits from the Essential Hits, Extreme Percussion & Final Element CD`S.

You can add some Effects like, Eq, Change Tempo, add Reverb, etc. Also try to combine different types of Snares,

Kicks, Hats, etc with each other to make your own unique kit.

Helpfull Tip:

Remember to truly get an original sounding kit try to mix and match all the various types of single hits

for example, place a vocal percussion under a snare drum or kick drum and even layer 2 or 3 snares to get that really fat sound, there is no limit to what single hit goes where it all depends on what suits your song.

Also if you want your song's drum track to sound less mechanical and more natural try to make the Hi hats or

ride cymbals a little out of sync you should even do this with your snare & kick drums as no human drummer

can make every live drum track sound perfectly in sync.

When you purchase any Aussiebeats Loops, there's a Shareware version of NT-Track Studio already

on each CD plus a Comprehensive help file which covers all aspects of recording when using a basic computer.

To download the shareware version of Sony's Acid Programs , click on the download page at

their site.

I hope this " How to page " has helped you understand the concept of Loops.

Peter Gutteridge: