A "loop," in digital music terminology, refers to a brief music or sound sample, usually four, eight or 16 beats in length, that you can incorporate into a larger song or audio project. You can create entire musical compositions by gathering individual loops and layering them together. For example, by overlapping a guitar loop with a bass loop and a drum loop, you can create an entire piece of rock music without the need for a live band. Even if you have limited or no production experience, you can create loop-based compositions at home.
Instructions
1. Gather a collection of instrumental loops, incorporating different instrument sounds. Many websites offer professionally recorded loops free of charge (see Resources), which you can download royalty-free and mix together to create original mixes. When searching for loops, note the specific information provided beside each download file. In particular, pay attention to the "Tempo" field, which tells you the speed in beats per minute. To create mixes in perfect time, you will need to select loops of the same tempo. Some digital audio programs will allow you to edit tempo, but if you edit the speed too much, it will negatively affect the quality of the recording.
2. Open a digital audio editor on your computer. If you do not have such a program installed, you can download a high-quality program online for free (see Resources). In order to mix loops, you absolutely must choose a program that supports "multitracking," or the ability to layer different parts of a song on top of one another. Most professional editors support this feature, but if you're downloading a free program, read the description and look for "multitracking" among the software specifications. Good examples of free programs that offer this feature include QTractor, LMMS and Audacity.
3. Place a different instrument loop on each track. For example, you might begin with a drum loop on Track 1 to lay down your percussion, and add a piano sequence on Track 2 to add melody. On Track 3 you might add a bass loop for your bass line or a violin loop for rhythmic accompaniment. By default, you should see your tracks as long horizontal bars beginning at the top of your work window and continuing downward, like lines on a sheet of paper. In some cases, you may need to manually create the track. Click "File" on the menu bar (or sometimes "Track") and locate the "New Track" option.
4. Repeat your instrumental loops. Since most loops only span four to 16 beats, you will need to repeat them a few times, a process known as "looping." To repeat a loop, click the right edge of the region (your loop file, as it appears on the track) and use your mouse to drag it to the right. Continue dragging until the loop repeats as many times as you need. Note that some programs have two separate "drag" functions: one that loops the region and one that simply stretches it. When this is the case, you usually obtain different results by dragging the upper right corner of the region versus the lower right corner of the region. Try it both ways to find the proper looping method in your software.
5. Mix your instrumental song. After arranging all of the loops on their respective tracks, you can manipulate your sound to perfection by adjusting the volume fader on each track until each part blends into the song without overpowering the mix or disappearing into the background. Likewise, you can use the "Pan" dial on each track to drag different parts of the song to the left and the right. For example, you might want to emphasize your violins in the right speaker and your snare drum in the left speaker, while keeping your main drum and melody in the center of the mix. If your software provides effects features, you can also add effects to your tracks for a truly original sound.
