Recording - To loop or not to loop? This is the question

[rmuscat]

So the title says it all...

when is it ok to loop backings or not? I mean i don't think they do it in the studio unless it's a jam track right? (sorry no experience)

And for me looping is like saying "hey i can't keep 3 minutes of consistent (and yes boring) playing of the same chord/riff/etc!"

Must be good practice without looping.

So give me opinions, experienced recording dudes, beginner dudes etc

thanks

[phantom]

hey rob!

again it's me , sorry .

it depends in the style of music you are making and on how long the parts are you are looping, and how the playing is on them, and how important they are in the song.
things are copied everywhere, a lot of times.

it sounds more human though if you really play it instead of looping or copying (you are talking about guitartracks, right!? not drums or stuff like that..?)

to arrange a song more quickly i copy various parts to their "final destination" but try to play them again when the "final recording" is done.

[rmuscat]

np sven i was hoping on your advice

yes i was mainly talking about guitar tracks and evenmore about rythym tracks ... i get the shivers thinking of pasting solos together to make one big one. Maybe this is ok to have the solo structure defined but as you said it has to be replayed.

I presume drums are ok to loop, sounds like 90% of all radio stuff is with drum loop hell we even have drum machines today.

[bdemon]

For me, it depends on the mood. Sometimes I nail down a killer rhythm, so I'm happy copying it through the song, like a straightforward rock thing that's played the same every time. But other times I'll have some cool, funky chords that are basically the same, but I'm getting that chucka-chucka thing going with the groove. It's basically the same, but it's not, you know? In those cases I definitely like hearing the variation.

But you know, it's all about what brings life to the song and makes your ears happy.

[phantom]

yeah.. i usually loop and copy/paste drums and basses and synthies all over the place, but before i consider a song as finished, i go over each track and think of little things that make them more interessting. little stops, breaks, different inversions, transpositions and so on.
so all the tracks are subject to change until its finished. maybe even afterwards .
but for faster songwriting and arranging i definately copy everything there is to get the tune finished before it makes me sick .

[rmuscat]

bdemon: i think your points make sense you kinda have to decide on what you're doing at whether it's worth looping or not. My point was more of a moral duty towards guitar but thanks you advice makes perfect sense.

sven: your points helped too, it makes me thing of scultpures/artists. Get the shape, do the details, finish the product, do the details, finish the product etc lol

Moving on to drum questions now ...
One more thing i was thinking about in the shower , i was listening to some drum files (snare, hi-hats etc) let me guess those have to vary depending on the tempo?! How do you work that out you have to speed up the wave file or have a wave file for each tempo? i'm talking about the speed at e.g. the hi-hats open or close. Am I talking BS and totally wrong?!?

Are drum machines or drum making software better for the job?

[phantom]

hey rob..

how do you record drums (have you started yet?)
usually you take sampled single drum sounds, so the kick, the snare and everything else is seperate. you'll have a open hihat file and a closed hihat file. you can advice the sampler you are working with (do you?) to stop playing the open hihat as soon the close hihat file starts.
the tempo doesn't really matter as it is all stored single midi information that can be varied, modified and stretched in many ways.
have i suggested using a computer and a software sampler sampler before?
did that help?
what time is it?
where am i?
master luke, we have to rescue princess leia..

[rmuscat]

LOL

relax man breathe go get a coffee ...

no i haven't started drum parts i didn't have time too many rehearsals and work.

- Ok i get it, MIDI i forgot about that, i was considering wave files.
- No i don't think i ever heard of the existance of software samplers. Can you advice any?
- It did help
- In germany it's probably too early just like over here.

Chubaka's with you for leila... SHE'S MINE

now wait a second, is she the same Leila for Layla ?! Eric Clapton!?!? hmm makes me wonder

[phantom]

most important first:
have you noticed the similarity of clapton and c3po?


frightening. . i don't know what to think about that...

for software samplers:

if you are working with audio logic (arrangement and recording prg) the "exs 24" is a good sampler. more drum specific is battery. very powerful sounds come with it already.
basically you load wav file into it and you can then play it like drum machine plus you can edit everything in your recording software. it helps very much to have the different midi notes visually on a screen. programming a "real life" drum machine can be a nightmare. on a pc it is fun .

[rmuscat]

thanks for your help and patience sven. I'll check out your suggestions.

and about your clapton/C3PO comparison ... ROFLOL awesome if i didn't now you just came from holiday i'd suggest a break

edit: man when i saw those pics i burst out laughing my *** off in the office. Everyone went what the f**k!

[phantom]

if i didn't now you just came from holiday i'd suggest a break

hm.. yeah.. one day in the office and i could go back to holidays. i really need another job - all that i-netsurfing makes my brain crumble up... (with the exception of ibreathe of course).

and the pics.... the longer i look at them them harder i have to laugh myself . and i found them very easily! that were the first two pics when i was looking for some. their perfect, the look, the "shiny eyes" the mouth expressions, even the ears.. fantastic.