I DO THE GROOVES MYSELF NOW!

VOLUME 1: THE BASICS OF THE "EASY GROOPHZ" APPROACH

RAINER ESCHEN, GROOPHZ.COM

I DO THE GROOVES MYSELF NOW!

Digital Music Production For Beginners

Volume 1: The Basics Of The Easy Groophz Approach

You can find other formats of this e-book at: Groophz.com/e-books.

At Groophz.com/coaching you will find video coaching material that matches the content.

General music production videos or Easy Groophz based music videos at: Groophz.com/music.

To be even better informed become part of the Groophz|tribe: Groophz.com/tribe.

All prices are list prices as of September 2021.

Book author: Rainer Eschen, Aalweg 7, 23683 Scharbeutz, Deutschland, blog@groophz.com

© 2022 Rainer Eschen, Groophz.com. All rights reserved.

Version 1.1 (17.2.22)

CHAPTER 1

ABOUT THE "EASY GROOPHZ" BOOK SERIES

The Easy Groophz book series helps people with little or no experience in in-house music production to quickly achieve usable results. The focus here is on creative decisions.

Possible uses include content creators (YouTube, Facebook, etc.), DJs, beat producers, rappers, lyricists, hobby musicians, and music lovers who would like to venture into creating music themselves.

Easy Groophz takes advantage of modern digital music production with a focus on simplicity and effectiveness:

It is produced completely "in-the-box", by using existing computers, pads or smartphones and matching audio and video software

Only professionally produced samples and loops are used to create songs and beats (deliberately breaking the rules currently upheld in the music industry in order to be faster)

Only digital artifacts are created, processed and distributed

The Easy Groophz approach is exemplified by funky dance songs and beats

CHAPTER 2

HOW IT ALL STARTED

The Easy Groophz approach originated around 2000 when, fascinated by the possibilities of the World Wide Web, I thought about how I could get my ambitions as a rapper out into the world without getting into trouble with copyright.

THE HIP HOP FEVER AND ITS CONSEQUENCES

The thing with rap had its origin in the 1980s. Hip hop came to Europe at the end of 1983. I was immediately hooked on this youth culture. My parents had discos in the 1970s and I was fascinated by DJ culture ever since. Since I wasn't really good at breakdancing or spraying, DJing and rapping lent itself to becoming part of the hip hop culture.

The beginnings in rap were not particularly spectacular. As with many things later, I was once again caught up in a subject way too early. But at least I managed to find a way to develop my personal style.

In the early days, everyone tried their hand at English. But that wasn't the language I was dreaming in. The starting point came when I was looking for a birthday present for a friend in 1987. A friend had the idea to try a hymn in German with hip hop beats. The birthday raps were born and by the way I was one of the first German-speaking rappers, albeit without a record deal ;-).

The rhymes were of course very bumpy, but the beats of the finest. Many of the maxi-singles from that time simply had the instrumentals on the B-side. What made record production simply cheaper was a blessing for me. I was able to use the beats of the hottest hip hop groups at the time: first and foremost Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, who released maxis in this style almost like an assembly line.

By the end of the 1980s, a number of the aforementioned birthday raps and some other experimental lyrics had been created. Then the computer science studies began, and the thing was more or less put on ice.

I had already entered the profession, the World Wide Web was on its way to becoming established, and the German-speaking hip hop scene had celebrated its first commercial successes, first and foremost the Fantas and the Rödelheimers, when I happened to have the opportunity to participate in one of those firmly established Hip Hop jams in youth centers in the late 1990s.

This actually took place at the former place of study and had as a special act the then little known Massive Töne. What can I say. The old hip hop fever was never really extinguished and so the idea was soon born to be more creative again with my birthday raps. However, the results should also be able to be published on the Internet.

ONE OF THE FIRST BEDROOM PRODUCERS WITHOUT KNOWING IT

That was the decisive momentum to think about producing my own beats. I wasn't allowed to use my previous works because of the instrumentals used on the maxi B-sides of well-known artists. Internet is legally "public" and therefore "commercial use". Buying the corresponding rights was not an option for financial reasons.

The challenge was to understand how to build beats at all if you have no idea about music theory, don't play an instrument and lack the equipment that is used in music studios. I had never seen the inside of a music studio - and there wasn't much money available.

What came in handy was my view of the computer. It had been a creative tool for me since the early days of college. I was able to experiment with desktop publishing and its aesthetic aspects of arranging text and images very early on. In addition to image editing, video editing joined the mix after graduation. By the turn of the millennium, the computing power was available for higher resolutions and even simple music production.

I was lucky enough to get a stripped down version of a digital audio workstation that was starting to become popular in Germany with my first expensive sound card, so I was able to try out some things with audio tracks. At that time midi was still a book with seven seals. But that changed over the years as virtual instruments got better and better.

The development took its course and I produced beats for my birthday raps and then put them online for the birthday kids to listen to or download. But I was again too early into a new development.

The 2000s brought rapid progress in terms of computer processing power and virtualization of music studios. But the user model was oriented exclusively to the production method of physical music studios.

My idea was to do everything in the computer. Add headphones and a midi keyboard and you're done. No expensive studio monitors, if only because of the challenging acoustic conditions in my own four walls.

What I didn't realize at the time was that I was anticipating the Bedroom Producer model. At that time, however, neither hardware nor software were ready for a virtual music production to provide absolute beginners like me with approaches to create usable results in a short time.

Despite all my investments in the first versions of today's professional tools, I lost interest at first. The job as a computer scientist took too much time to learn all the music stuff on the side. So a few years went by without being very creative in the music sector.

ON THE WAY TO BECOMING A MODERN PRODUCER IN THE VIRTUAL STUDIO

As the 2010s rolled around, a few things changed. Audio material could suddenly be edited like midi material. Special algorithms had already been developed that could change the speed of samples without affecting the pitch. Not much later, you could even change the pitches in audio files afterwards, or extract things like drums and voice without major artifacts.

Well, the development of virtual instruments and effects took off. Suddenly I could use all the hottest instruments of the last decades and the most expensive mixing consoles of the physical music studios in my computer - for next to nothing.

So of course I had to get back into it. I focused first on understanding what audio engineers do, how to mix, and finally how to master. That took a few years. But I now have a clear idea of what I need to do to make my productions sound good.

There are now even emulations of real rooms of famous music studios that I can use for mixing over headphones. I still don't have any studio monitors. And today's sheer amount of excellently produced samples and loops, a just rising industry in the music field, as well as the developments around artificial intelligence, make a lot easier.

We have access to knowledge and experience, with the help of artificial intelligence that we no longer have to work out ourselves over years or decades, and tools that even absolute beginners can quickly understand and use productively, thanks to improved user experience and almost infinite computing power available on the web.

My 2000 vision of a music studio in the computer can be realized for less and less money. And this is where the Easy Groophz approach comes in.

MY WHY FOR THE EASY GROOPHZ APPROACH

Now, of course, I could just use all these things for myself, concentrate on my own productions and that's it. However, the Corona lockdowns have not remained without effect on me.

For me, music production has enabled a real balance and influenced my mental health massively positive since the first lockdown. However, since many have had a completely different experience and I firmly believe that there is an artist in every person who has perhaps not yet discovered the creative side of themselves here and there, I would like to show a way for music lovers to discover this side.

If you want to get into action yourself, be it from mental or even monetary aspects, then simply follow me on the journey into the fantastic world of Easy Groophz. It's worth it ;-).

CHAPTER 3

YOU CAN DO IT TOO!

Now you may wonder if this Easy Groophz topic is something for you at all. You have the desire inside you to produce music successfully, but you might be doubting yourself right now. Surely people from your immediate environment have already advised you against it. They expressed doubts like "art without bread", "not creative enough" and the like. Sure, you trust these statements, because you trust exactly these people.

You can take that as the only truth now and bury the dream of producing music right now. That's perfectly ok. Or you can let yourself be inspired by the fact that everything you can imagine can also become reality. There's only one rule you have to keep in mind: after every fall or failure, get up again and keep going.

That may not be immediately obvious. But if you're really on fire for something, you can persevere even in the most difficult situations. Many people give up too quickly when things get difficult.

Why? Because they think that when things get difficult, something is not right. They overlook the fact that behind every success there are many, many failures from which lessons had to be learned about how to do things better on the way to success. It's just that in the rarest of cases, these failures are reported on later. That's not sexy, and it doesn't interest very many people.

If you have a clear vision of your future, set yourself small development steps that may well take several attempts before they are mastered, and above all keep focusing on the next step ahead of you, you will achieve your goal in the end. How long that takes depends only on how fast you learn on the way to realizing your vision.

WHAT, STUDYING AGAIN?!

Learning is the secret? Yes, because especially in this day and age, many things depend less and less on the resources available, such as money. A lot of knowledge can be accessed free of charge on the Internet. But very few people see the opportunity for their own further development in accessing and applying this knowledge. Most people prefer to use the Internet for entertainment.

However, it is not enough to read things, watch videos and the like. It is necessary to try things yourself, fail, learn from it, and start the next round to get better. All of this can be a lengthy endeavor. How can you speed it up?

Learning faster means getting closer to your vision faster. This can mean faster success, fame or even wealth. However, acceleration requires the experience of others who have already traveled a similar path.

The trick now is to involve those in your own development who know the workarounds and avoidance strategies of expected errors. They have already tried out the shortcuts themselves. Here, real experience is a crucial point.

Of course, being able to succeed faster costs something: an investment, in terms of money and time. Buying experience is one thing. The more money available, the better the support can be. But it remains a challenge to find the right people for this.

The second aspect is to spend the time to actually apply the purchased experience. This may sound a bit paradoxical, but this implementation step is not as easy as it looks.

On the one hand, there can be a delay because it feels like the essential aspect has already been achieved: the appropriate knowledge, the necessary experience is available. But the actual doing does not happen. After all, you can start at any time, but you forget that the right knowledge also has to be internalized first. It is always only about sample solutions that have to be adapted to your own individual situation so that an effect can arise.

On the other hand, it is difficult to resist the temptation to only partially implement the patterns. This is the famous "cherry picking". But things get even crazier when the parts of the pattern solution that are not immediately obvious are replaced by your own ideas. In this case, failure is inevitable due to overestimation of one's own capabilities, and the investment is partially thrown out the window.

Why am I telling you this in such detail?

LET'S WALK A PART OF THE WAY TOGETHER

You have already gone the way of finding said sample solution with this book. Now you have received the first indications of what awaits you and how you can deal with it. Now it is up to you to follow the path consistently.

For my part, I am happy to help you with advice and action, so that the desired successes can occur. In order for this to succeed, in the first step I chose the approach of achieving a quick sense of achievement without previous knowledge. This will keep you motivated and, if you want, you can delve deeper into music production afterwards.

This book forms the knowledge base that you can complete later by studying further volumes. Depending on how far we will go down the path together, you can get closer and closer to expert status. "Expert" I use now only as a term to give you an idea of the real potential of the Easy Groophz approach. The unique selling point of this approach is certainly the very easy entry and the straight forward way to achieve good results quickly, depending on the means used in each case.

You will see in the next chapters that you carry abilities in you, which achieve impressive results with a little support from me. But you will also find that at some point the desire will arise to find more of your own creativity or creative power in the result. Then it is time to deal with more complicated procedures and tools. Here, too, I am happy to help you and my two decades of experience will come in handy.

However, you don't have to go the whole long way to becoming an "expert", you can certainly leave out subject areas. The Easy Groophz approach is designed to be modular and can be expanded at any time to respond to anticipated developments or changes in the future of music production.

A final note: all volumes introduce the topics and provide a suitable overview. However, due to the rather small number of pages, they cannot go into every detail. If you find it a bit difficult to grasp the contents at one point or another or to implement them directly in self-study, there is the possibility to deepen topics in associated coaching videos. You remember: this requires an investment, in terms of money and time.

And now I wish you a lot of fun and good luck with your first steps towards music production.

CHAPTER 4

INTRODUCTION

With the modern version of dance music that relies primarily on rhythm, your entry into music production is a little easier. All you need is a sense of rhythm and you're ready to go.

To make the results more versatile, we spice it up in the examples with a pinch of "funk", the great-grandfather of all dance music. This allows you to use a wide variety of styles, such as Disco, House, Hip Hop, and mix them in a simple way. Appropriate samples and loops provided, of course.

We will take a closer look at all these terms and contexts in this book. If you are not yet familiar with all this, it is best to work through the chapters one after the other. If you have more experience, then you can read one or the other across.

The book is deliberately kept short and is primarily intended to provide an overview. For this reason, only relevant aspects are touched upon, and very briefly at that, especially when presenting software. The detailed familiarization can be done in self-study or alternatively via the Easy Groophz video coachings.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

Start without costs

Money is always an issue when making music. Therefore, this chapter will take a first look at things that just take your time to get to know and understand:

Basic principles - The Easy Groophz approach and its digital foundation

Procedures - making music in the digital space

Walk in the shoes of professionals

We're taking our cue from the pros, but starting the next stage of development a little lighter. In other words, we're spending a little extra money to achieve even faster results.

Use artificial intelligence

Digital music production now increasingly relies on tools built on artificial intelligence. We can use this to compensate for our lack of knowledge or experience and still achieve decent results.

Creatively change loops

Loops are the heart of the Easy Groophz approach. So that it does not become too monotonous, samples and loops are neatly turned through the effects meat grinder. Whereby the one or other time the original will not be recognizable.

Appendix A: Producer speak for music lovers

Unfortunately, it does not work completely without technical terms from music production. Here the terms used in the book are explained in an understandable way.

Appendix B: The digital music creator's tools of the trade

All tools that are interesting from my point of view for getting started in music production are briefly listed here. You can use the respective links to study the product details.

There are more tools listed in this appendix than will be discussed in the following chapters.

CHAPTER 5

START WITHOUT COSTS

This chapter is all about free tools or the possibility of using paid versions for free. So you can get started right away if you have some time to spare.

THE EASY GROOPHZ APPROACH

Many of the music production terms (see also "Appendix A: Producer speak for music lovers") have been used in music production for a long time, so they're not really new or special. What the Easy Groophz approach now redefines is the way songs are created.

Where melodies or chords were previously recorded by hand using a midi keyboard, instruments and vocals were recorded digitally, or rhythms were recorded as midi via drum pads with sample kits using finger drumming, loops are now used primarily, if possible exclusively.

The advantage of loops is their ease of use and, given the right production quality, their authentic sound. In the best case, experienced studio musicians or well-known artists have been involved in the creation of these loops. It's as if the musicians had taken a seat directly in your studio, supported by the excellent audio, mixing and mastering engineers they brought along, and had immortalized their work directly in your DAW for further processing.

But not only the quality of the production and the sound, also the variety of genres and styles is an inexhaustible source of inspiration. You're no longer locked into one style, because otherwise it would be too expensive to bring all the professionals into the studio. With loops you can start experiments that can create completely new things. Especially when special effects are also used.

But not only that. Loops allow very short production times. Of course, the result is not fundamentally comparable to what a songwriter creates. But in the dance field, such aspects are not so relevant. As long as people like the song, like to move to it and it offers something new in terms of listening experience, the thing fits.

Fans don't care about the way a song was created. Only producers do that. But we want to break the rules a little bit and produce not for other producers, but for our (future) fans.

MAKING MUSIC IN THE DIGITAL SPACE

Let's get into the action now. But what do we actually need for the production of our first beat or song? Actually only the loops mentioned above and a DAW. The DAW allows us to arrange a song from the selected loops.

Below, you'll try out several free tools (see also "Appendix B: The digital music creator's tools of the trade"). For the first step, however, focus on creating something short and crisp: a beat.

We jam a bit with Remixlive to warm up, and then build a result with more structure in Loopcloud. Then we use the Bandlab DAW to build a song. Finally, we use Bandlab Mastering to give the whole thing a chart-ready sound.

I JAM AS A BEGINNER

The simplest way to create a song or beat is to freely combine loops from a prepared sample pack. In this case, the loops are switched on and off as desired in a session and possibly edited with effects or in their volume, while the whole process is recorded in an audio file.

Currently, the most suitable application for this, especially in terms of cross-device use, is Remixlive [*].

Remixlive: Grid of a sample pack

The screenshots show the app on an iPhone 11 Pro Max as an example. The large smartphone display just allows working comfortably with the app. For a possible live use at a party, however, an iPad is recommended for Apple fans.

If not already loaded automatically, first load a sample pack. The graphic at the top left between the home icon and the beats-per-minute display shows which sample pack is currently active. If no sample pack is loaded yet, you can load an existing one via this "Project selection".

Remixlive: Selection of sample packs and effects (purchase option)

Remixlive: Free sample packs to choose from

A grid of 8x6 loops or samples is available. One instrument type is provided per column (color-coded). The instruments are replaced one after the other according to the set bar when you tap on the respective area in the line with your finger. You can tap on the following loop in the column while one loop is playing, so that the second loop is automatically started and the current loop is stopped when the bar changes.

Remixlive: Loops playing in parallel (instruments)

This can happen in parallel for all columns. The starting of loops can be chosen in any order. Since Remixlive keeps an eye on the essential aspects, such as speed, bar and basic note, you can concentrate on the creative part:

With which instrument(s) do I start?

How long do I let the loops run (number of bars)?

What do possible bar changes look like?

How should the energy level develop?

At the beginning a few instruments at the same time and then slowly increase by adding instruments?

Or rather the other way around?

How long should the whole thing run?

Since sample packs contain matched loops and samples, you can't go far wrong. As long as it sounds good, any combination can be selected. This is also what makes Remixlive so appealing and simple. Simple on and off by tapping, that's all it takes for now.

If you want to change the speed, you can reset the beats-per-minute in the upper left corner. Remixlive will automatically make sure that the pitch does not change. To the right of it, by the way, is displayed how much of the bar has already passed. As soon as the small white dot has reached the 12 o'clock point, a bar change takes place and the next bar is started.

So that the creative result can also be recorded and processed further, there is the "REC" button at the top right. With the arrow symbol to the right of it, the recording type can be set. By default, "Master audio" should be selected on the far right of the list. To actually start a recording, tap the "REC" button. Tapping the button again will stop the recording. Recordings can be found in the burger menu under "Recordings".

Remixlive: Overlapping sample packs

Meanwhile Remixlive allows mixing sample packs during use. Here, the first sample pack is loaded first and some loops are started. Then you select a new sample pack and the loops still playing are displayed above the 8x6 grid. Now any loops of the new pack can be started and played in parallel to the running loops.

As far as in the column (the instrument) in which a loop from the previous sample pack is running, a loop in the currently loaded packet is started, the loop of the previous pack is stopped at the bar change. This allows for smooth and very creative changes across sample packs.

More videos on how to get familiar with Remixlive can be found here:

Groophz.com/remixlive-howto

What you can create with Remixlive and how it happens while it's being created is shown in the following music videos:

Groophz.com/remixlive-jam

I'M BECOMING A JUNIOR BEAT PRODUCER

Depending on the recording time, a beat can already be recorded with Remixlive [*]. But so can a whole song. Since we're actually just jamming, it takes a controlled look at the content generated to maintain a certain structure.

Rhythm

Loopcloud: Start screen

It is easier to create beats with Loopcloud [*] (shown here using the Mac version as an example). The application provides 8 loop tracks (slots), which can be played synchronously and provided with effects. By the way, Loopcloud also manages a huge library of samples and loops from the sales platform Loopmasters [*].

Loopcloud: Management of licensed samples & loops

To select samples or loops, you can click on individual sample packs to display its stored contents. If you have already licensed sample packs from Loopmasters, they will be displayed under the "Library" tab. Wherever the waveform is displayed, you will find material that can be used in the slots. Alternatively, you can also search for suitable entries under "Instruments", "Genres", "Labels" and "Formats".

Loopcloud: Different search criteria and the hit list

Since we primarily want to work with loops, you activate the "Loops" button above the hit list when searching. When searching across sample packs, the key becomes important. This should be the same for all loops for now.

To make life easy for yourself, the search can be extended by a corresponding setting under "Audio Filters" (the top icon on the right). The screenshot shows the note "C" as an example. If you are a bit more familiar with music theory, you can also search for chords right away (either "Major" or "Minor" activated). The tab shows that we have previously searched for "Bass" loops under "Instruments".

Loopcloud: Preview a loop

A key feature of Loopcloud is the synchronous pre-listening function. This comes into play with two or more loops. When used together with a DAW, this becomes even more important. When you click on a loop in the hit list, it is loaded into the preselected slot. At the same time, its waveform appears large above the slots. A click on the play button ">" plays the loop.

Loopcloud: Use loops in parallel via slots

When you activate the next slot and add another loop, the loop from the previous slot will automatically play. This allows you to hear them in context. The trick is to find loops that fit well together or harmonize with each other. In the screenshot, a new one was created with the "+" next to the tabs and then loops were selected under "Instruments" after "Drum". In the first slot a bass loop, in the second a bass drum (kick) loop. With this the basic rhythm is already defined.

Note: even loops that are not yet licensed can be pre-listened to and already assembled into a beat in the slots, as can be seen in the screenshot by the yellow area on the left above the large waveform. When exporting, however, this must be resolved by providing the corresponding purchase points.

Melody

In the next step, the melodic part can be developed. For this you look again at the basic note of the loop in the first slot, the bass. The penultimate screenshot shows a "122_C_Bass_01_SP.wav":

"122" specifies the original beats-per-minute (BPM) of the loop. Normally Loopcloud takes the BPM of the first inserted loop and uses it for all following loops of other slots. You can see this in the screenshot by the Loopcloud setting on the left above the large waveform above the slots.

"C" is the key of the loop. I.e. all melodic loops that are added should be oriented to the "C".

Loopcloud: Select according to suitable key

In the screenshot another tab was created. This time, "Guitar" loops were searched for under "Instruments", which know a "Disco" attribute under "Genre". Since the search this time does not include a key, the "Key" column in the hit list was searched for entries with "C". The guitar loop has the name "UD_128_C_Guitar Mute_FA.wav". Here, a similar pattern emerges for BPM and key. Since the guitar was recorded 6 BPM faster, Loopcloud automatically compensates the offset for us.

Loopcloud: Adjustment of the key

Loopcloud takes a similarly intelligent approach when we choose a guitar with a different key, as shown in the screenshot. The loop "SRDF_110_E_Guitar_Loop_37_(Dry).wav" is two notes higher. At the first test listening in the fourth slot it already sounded quite suitable, but only the adjustment in the "Pitch" area to the right of the "BPM" area by activating the "Key Lock" button and selecting the "C" in the list below, brings the desired harmony.

Loopcloud: Save beat project

The beat project can be saved in the "Edit" area by clicking on the "MENU" button or loaded again later.

You can find more videos about Loopcloud here:

Groophz.com/loopcloud-howto

What you can create with Loopcloud and how it happens while it's being created is shown in the following music videos:

Groophz.com/loopcloud-jam

I WRITE A SONG

We already dealt with rhythm and melody in the last section. The rhythm gets people moving, the melody makes them recognize the song. Here is a simplified pattern for a song:

Rhythm (beat: drums | percussion | bass)

Melody (pitch: bass | chord progression | melody)

It is interesting that the bass appears twice. It is rhythm and melody at the same time and thus the link between the two.

Whether you start with the rhythm or the melody first is a matter of taste and also depends on the genre in which you want to delve into. Since we always approach it a bit "funky" in the examples, the bass is always in the center and the whole thing leans strongly towards the rhythm.

BandLab DAW: Select track type

In BandLab you create a new track in the project with the "BandLab Sounds". On the right under "Packs" of the "Loops" you can then search for suitable loops.

BandLab DAW: Song arrangement

When arranging the song, you can now choose freely. A good start for dance music are 8-16 bars as independently defined sections, which can also repeat themselves. Roughly there is always an intro, a main part and an outro. The main part can then have different combinations of verse and chorus, depending on the overall length of the song.

Variations are especially important when repeating sections (shown in the screenshot for an 8 bar split). One simple variation is the number or type of instruments playing at the same time (shown in the screenshot in the 1st section for organ and in the 2nd section for conga). Another is the exchange of sounds of the same instruments (seen in the screenshot in the 2nd section for bass) or processing them with sound effects. Variations in the volume of the instruments in relation to each other, for example the special emphasis of an instrument, is another possibility.

Depending on the genre, it can also be helpful to create tension by constantly adding instruments over sections or (promptly) removing them.

OWN SAMPLES

Loopcloud: Preparation for loop transfer to BandLab DAW

The range of samples offered by DAWs is often limited. However, there is nothing to stop you from simply dragging and dropping your own loops into the project. Loopcloud [*] is an ideal candidate here. In the screenshot, the project speed "105 BPM" from the BandLab DAW has been set for easier auditioning.

BandLab DAW: Insert from Loopcloud via drag'n'drop

It is best to run the song in the BandLab DAW and try to catch a suitable starting point, matching the beat of the song, when previewing the loops in Loopcloud. For a certain time both applications will run quasi-synchronously. Then proceed accordingly with the next loop for pre-listening. Finally, in Loopcloud, click on the yellow or blue area on the left and then drag the loop into the appropriate BandLab DAW track (in the screenshot "from Loopcloud").

In the book section "Walk in the shoes of professionals" we will get to know a more comfortable procedure that allows to guarantee synchronous playback at any time.

BandLab DAW: Export format selection

As far as the song is available, the export can be started in the pulldown menu under "File - Download - Mixdown As". Important: do not use lossy, reduced audio formats. We want to continue working with the result. Therefore, MP3 is completely ruled out for this purpose.

MY FANS ARE ALREADY WAITING

After the beat or song is arranged, some mastering is needed so that the result sounds as good as possible on all playback devices. For this BandLab has a free mastering service at Bandlab on offer.

BandLab Mastering: Previewing the mastering variants

The audio file is uploaded. Afterwards, it can be previewed or compared in different mastering variants. The original is also available for comparison. In the screenshot, "Tape" is preselected because it simply fits the funky sound particularly well. Finally you can download the mastered file. If you like, you can also save the result online in your BandLab context.

CHAPTER 6

WALK IN THE SHOES OF PROFESSIONALS

The free tools can already do a lot. But over time, you'll find that it could be a little more flexible, a little more supportive. That's where the entry-level versions of the pro tools come in.

Of course you have to spend some money. But the price/performance ratio is impressive:

Studio One [*] Artist about 100 €

Alternative: Bitwig Studio [*] 16-Track about 100 €

Loopcloud [*] Subscription (Artist Plan) about 7 € / month

STUDIO ONE (ARTIST)

Studio One [*] (2009) belongs to the modern DAWs and is in a line with the original Steinberg Cubase [*] (1989). The "former Steinberg employees" are very keen to keep the operation simple. Despite the increased demands on today's DAWs, they succeed very well.

Normally, the free Studio One Prime would also do it for now. But this one doesn't support plugins. If we want to have synchronous auditioning with Loopcloud, however, it needs the Artist variant. On the other hand, the Artist will be sufficient for a very long time, since the addition of plug-ins can cover a lot of upcoming wishes. When we later look at the possibilities of support through artificial intelligence, this will become clear.

Studio One: musicloops

Studio One itself brings a collection of loops. More precisely, "musicloops". However, these differ from the audio loops considered so far. They are based on a virtual instrument that is controlled via a midi file. As far as you are familiar with the music theoretical background or just want to experiment, such a loop can be changed or adapted very easily. In the screenshot above you can see the midi editor in the lower left corner.

Very pleasant, in contrast to the BandLab DAW, is the synchronous pre-listening function, to be seen on the bottom right of the screenshot. The selected loop in the list above is played with the play icon and all tracks plus the selected loop can be heard synchronously. For endless playback the icon next to the stop icon has to be activated before. To play loops in the list one after the other, you can simply navigate with cursor-up and cursor-down. The volume of the pre-listening function can additionally be adjusted to the volume of the song to better estimate if everything fits together.

BITWIG STUDIO (16-TRACK)

Bitwig Studio [*] (2014) belongs to the modern DAWs and is in a line with Ableton Live [*] (2001), in the meantime also an original. With Live, a production method was introduced that accommodates the sample- or loop-based way of working in hip hop and dance. The "former Ableton employees" are very keen to keep the operation simple. Despite the increased demands on today's DAWs, they succeed very well.

In fact, I like the user experience of Bitwig Studio more than that of Studio One [*]. But the entry-level version is unfortunately limited to 16 tracks. This is not necessarily a disadvantage. The best thing is to take a closer look at both and then decide which production style suits you more.

Bitwig Studio: Clips

Bitwig Studio knows the "clips", which are comparable to the "musicloops" of Studio One. Here, too, there is a synchronous pre-listening function and the operation is arranged and designed similarly.

LOOPCLOUD

Loopcloud [*] has become a collection of samples and loops that sets the standard in loop-based production with its cloud-based management and search. Currently, there is nothing more integrated and flexible than Loopcloud.

Having been through all the ups and downs of this promising development, and not once thinking about discarding it as a tool, I may now say that its use is highly recommended.

Studio One: Loopcloud plugin

The only thing missing from the Loopcloud application is a comfortable track-based mapping, as is common with DAWs. However, the 8 slots are sufficient for fast pre-production. And for the coupling with a DAW, a plugin is provided that ensures synchronous pre-listening.

Connecting Studio One

Loopcloud: DAW connection

The plugin is used like an instrument in Studio One [*]. If the Loopcloud application is not yet running, it can be started via the plugin window by clicking the "OPEN APP" button. At the bottom right of the Loopcloud window you will see if there is a connection to the plugin. If the yellow button shows a "Connect to DAW", you can simply click it. If the connection is successful, the connection to Studio One will be displayed.

Studio One: Synchronous with Loopcloud

For a synchronous preview of a loop in Loopcloud, Studio One must first be running in a loop so that all active tracks can already be heard. After that, the Play button in Loopcloud can be activated. Loopcloud automatically aligns the playback point of the loop to the play position in Studio One for previewing. If the loop matches the DAW project, it can be dragged and dropped onto a track in Studio One using the export function (yellow or blue area at the bottom left).

Connecting Bitwig Studio

Bidwig Studio: Loopcloud plugin

The procedure is the same as shown in Studio One [*].

CHAPTER 7

USE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Artificial intelligence is a direction in computer science that has been trying since the 1950s to teach software to act independently, not to think. The greatest success is certainly that it has been possible to make systems learn, in principle like children do. Today's systems carry learned knowledge and are trained to derive decisions from it after evaluating a data input.

These approaches have already found their way into music production. Learned knowledge of professionals, for example when mastering songs, supplemented by appropriate algorithms for deciding which audio effects are best used and configured with which source material, are even used by professionals to save time.

For now, arranging a song remains a creative process that remains in the hands of the artist. But all aspects of mixing and mastering have a lot of standardized parts that can be easily automated with artificial intelligence.

IZOTOPE ELEMENTS SUITE

One manufacturer has stood out for years with its DAW plugins: iZotope. The basic idea at the foundation in 2001 was to provide tools that allow you to produce at home. Quasi the basis for today's bedroom producing.

The iZotope [*] Elements Suite for about 180 € serves as a starter.

Neutron

iZotope Neutron: Wizard results

Neutron [*] takes care that the audio of a track is cleaned from possible errors. In addition, it gives the track an "official" sound. This is done with the help of a wizard that draws on the experience of mixing engineers.

If you are a bit more familiar with effects, Neutron can also be used like a channel strip of a mixing console, where effects can be combined and adjusted individually.

Nectar

iZotope Nektar: Wizard results

Nectar [*] is specialized in vocals. Here, too, an assistant does the work, e.g. to give the voice more clarity or space in the mix. Individual compilation of effects is also possible.

Ozone

iZotope Ozone: Wizard results

Ozone [*] is specialized in mastering and is used on the master track or main bus as the last plug-in. This is important because Ozone always includes a limiter (or maximizer) effect, which ensures that no overload (digital clipping) occurs during the final export (rendering) of the song. Ozone also allows you to customize the effects.

RX

iZotope RX: Filter out rumble

RX [*] is an audio editor of a special kind. With it you can edit not only the standard waveform but also the spectral representation of an audio file. This is especially interesting for post-production, e.g. to get rid of noise from (vocal) recordings or random background noise.

CHAPTER 8

CHANGING LOOPS CREATIVELY

Loops are already very multi-faceted, depending on how the musicians play. Nevertheless, it can be exciting to give them a little more variation to build up a better arc of tension in the course of a song.

Meanwhile, there are some plugins that produce quite useful to amazing things with different approaches. However, most plugins with a large range of functions are quite expensive for beginners. However, one plugin stands out positively: Tantra.

Tantra [*] costs around $70.

Note: Unfortunately, in the course of writing this book, I had to realize that the author of Tantra has moved away from his previous business model, which has unfortunately led to a not inconsiderable price increase for Tantra 2. If you can still get hold of a version 1 cheaply, its use is still highly recommended.

There is hope, when some time has passed, that the new distribution platform Plugin Alliance [*] might also offer Tantra 2 at discounted prices from time to time.

TANTRA

Tantra: Change drums

Tantra has a multitude of processors on board, which the signal can run through in any order. The manipulation is driven by a 32-step sequencer, since rhythmic changes are to be generated.

In addition to the very well-prepared presets, any number of settings can be customized. Through this, a DAW track can be very versatile and individually adapted to one's own needs.

SHAPERBOX

In terms of price, with around $99, Shaperbox [*] is an obvious alternative to Tantra 1 [*].

ShaperBox: Global preset selection

ShaperBox allows you to combine effects to manipulate time, drive, noise, crush, filter, volume, pan and width. The cloud-based management of effect combinations is particularly successful.

ShaperBox: Curve progression in TimeShaper

All effects also offer visual manipulation of the signal curve. Common curves can be selected separately in each effect. The effects can be arranged in any order.

CHAPTER 9

APPENDIX A: PRODUCER SPEAK FOR MUSIC LOVERS

No profession without technical language. Therefore, here is a brief introduction to the terms we need to apply the Easy Groophz approach.

The terms build on each other. But you don't have to study them all, you can also look up some of them if something is unclear in the book.

RESOLUTION IN BIT

Every computer stores its information in the form of bits. The famous sequence of zeros and ones, following the binary system, which knows just these two states to describe or record any kind of information.

When we talk about resolution, it defines the maximum number of zeros or ones that can be used next to each other. Common formats are 16 bit (integer), 24 bit (integer), 32 bit (floating point). The higher the resolution the better you can work with the audio information. This is especially important when performing calculations.

SAMPLING FREQUENCY IN KHZ

If we look at the resolution of music files on commercially available music CDs, the standard defines a resolution of 16 bits and a sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz. This allows audio information to be stored that covers the entire range of human hearing. The DVD standard has an even finer resolution and works with 48 kHz.

The higher the resolution or the higher the sampling rate, the finer the resolution of the audio information. The higher the sampling rate, the higher the load on the computer's processor for (intermediate) calculations.

As far as the quality of a sample is considered, it is normally sufficient to work with a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. In order to avoid unnecessary quality losses due to mathematical rounding during (intermediate) calculations, samples should have at least 24 bit resolution.

SAMPLE, ONE-SHOT SAMPLE

An audio recording that contains any sounds. These can be, for example, noises (sounds), speech (voice), singing (vocals) or instrument recordings with single or multiple notes. A sample, since it is recorded digitally, can be processed losslessly and played or listened to as often as desired. A very big advantage of digital technology.

Anyone who has experience with analog recordings is familiar with the problem that, depending on the quality of the recording medium, e.g. tape or cassette, the quality increasingly deteriorates over the period of use when dubbing (copying).

The length of samples can vary. Basically, one can assume that the focus is on short sequences that capture, for example, special characteristics of an instrument. When a drum kit is sampled, the instrument components are struck in their various uses and each is captured in a sample. For example, the beat on the drum or the kick against the bass drum. These types of samples are also called one-shot samples.

SAMPLE KIT, SAMPLE PACK

As far as samples logically belong together, the drums are an example here, one speaks of a sample kit. For the drums, the audio recordings for the individual components are then each recorded in a separate one-shot sample and compiled into a "drum sample kit".

A sample kit in itself only records the sounds of the instrument. You can't really play the drums with it yet. For this, additional information is needed that captures the drummer's playing behavior at runtime. For this purpose, so-called midi files are used.

Logically compiled samples or loops, which can be used to create songs, are offered as so-called sample packs by sample producers.

MUSICAL INTERFACE DIGITAL INTERFACE (MIDI)

If you look at what a drummer does while working on the individual parts of a drum kit, then at a certain point in time we need information about, for example,

what state the drum kit is currently in,

on which component he is hitting,

how long he does it,

how fiercely he does it,

and what all happens at the same time.

This information can be evaluated by a sample player, which then plays the individual samples one after the other or parallel to each other accordingly.

If we alternatively look at a piano, then such a midi file also contains e.g. pitch (note), tone length (hold time), velocity (key pressure), and their changes over time. Since such instruments are more complex to sample, the sample players used are far more complicated internally.

SAMPLE PLAYER, SAMPLER, VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT

Samples are played back via a sampler player and can be recorded in a sampler. Samplers are usually equipped with functionalities that perform a variety of manipulations on samples or their components (so-called splices).

A special feature here is the placing of the splices on individual keys of a midi keyboard. This allows e.g. the constant, rhythmic repetition of phrases of a vocal. For example, the rhythm sequence "I - I - I lo / I - I - love" can be generated very quickly from an "I love you".

Virtual instruments work sample-based, where they are stored note-by-note in sample shots, or algorithmically, e.g. via psychoacoustic modeling. Virtual instruments are more complex than sample players. They also have to imitate the playing behavior of a musician as closely as possible, usually by using a midi keyboard. This is a particular challenge for string instruments.

MIDI CONTROLLER, PAD CONTROLLER, MIDI KEYBOARD

A midi controller is a piece of hardware that sends control signals to the computer via the midi protocol, which can be recorded or processed for conversion into sounds via a virtual instrument.

A distinction is made primarily between keyboard controllers and pad controllers. In principle, the keyboard behaves like a piano without being able to produce sounds itself.

A pad controller is a matrix of velocity-sensitive knobs that can be used to play a drum sample kit, for example. In this case, one also speaks of finger drumming, since individual components of the drum kit are made to sound via the individual fingers, just like a drummer with his sticks.

If it is a classic 4 x 4 pad grid, it is also called MPC style.

LOOP

The main difference between a sample and a loop is the possibility to let the audio recording of the loop run in an endless loop without hearing a "jump". The beginning always matches the end.

For example, if you record the drummer playing and cut the recording so that the next sections are cut off, the loop will sound as if she never stops playing the same thing over and over again.

SONG

The song we know as a transport vehicle for the creative power of musicians. Depending on the playing time and the sound storage medium, we speak, for example, of single, maxi-single, long player (LP), music CD, music DVD.

A song always has rhythmic and melodic components. These are realized through instruments and their arrangement in the listening room or through the temporal progression. Good songs create an arc of tension or tell a story and remain interesting over the entire running time.

In the dance area, the rhythmic part usually predominates. Here it is important that the groove pulls people up from their chairs and leads them into a rhythmic movement or directly to dancing.

If a song unconsciously triggers a rhythmic moving along of hands, feet, legs, the head, etc., then it has what James Brown as the inventor of funk, the origin of modern dance music, calls the groove.

TRACK

A song is made up of tracks containing, for example, instruments or vocals. The special thing about this is that if instruments or vocals are recorded individually on their own tracks, they can be processed more easily afterwards. In the analog world, the (audio) tape machine determines how many tracks are possible at the same time.

This approach has been carried over into the digital world, but without the limitations of the analog world. The number of tracks is in principle endless, determined only by the memory and processing power of the computer; and the tracks can be re-recorded as many times as you like without any loss of quality.

Loops, individual samples arranged in a pattern, or even midi files can then be found on such digital tracks.

BEATS PER MINUTE (BPM)

Every song has a certain speed. You notice this at the latest when you try to move to the beat. The speed is based on the beats, for example on the change between snare and kick of a drum kit. Here you count all snare and kick beats that occur in one minute, as long as they are beaten alternately.

In modern dance productions, a "4-on-the-floor" pattern is usually played. Here, the kick is played continuously and the snare is sometimes played parallel to the kick. At 120 BPM there are then a total of 120 bass drum beats per minute.

BAR

The beat is a summary of notes or sounds that are played repeatedly with a special emphasis and that form the basis for the rhythm of a song.

In dance productions, the 4/4 time signature is often used (i.e. 4 beats, one bar). For example, a song is divided into 8-bar or 16-bar sections (with an 8-bar intro, for example). In rap, 16-bars typically represent a verse with 16 lines.

The lengths of loops are based on this scheme. The BPMs used are crucial here. Basically, it's a good idea that all elements of a song have the same BPM. If not, the respective track should be able to automatically make adjustments during adding.

GRID

A digital production usually has very precise grids in which loops or midi files are arranged. These work almost always in the right rhythm without any deviation. This can sound somewhat mechanistic.

This shows an important difference to the playing behavior of musicians. The human being is not a machine. Even the best drummer has variations in his playing that do not follow a sharp pattern. This can be an advantage if the song is supposed to groove particularly well.

There are ways to integrate such variances into the grids by artificially building "errors" into the grid arrangement. Or you can use loops that directly reflect the playing behavior of the musician.

KEY, SCALE, PITCH

Every song knows at least one key around which all voices and instruments revolve. The scale determines which notes may be used. The pitch defines in which range or interval (octave) of the midi keyboard we work.

Without looking at the music theory now, one aspect is important: All melodic loops or midi files should be oriented to a common key in a certain song section, so that everything can harmonize with each other. Therefore, it is always an advantage if melodic samples and loops make a statement about the key.

CHORD, CHORD PROGRESSION, MELODY

As far as harmonic multiphonics are involved, so-called (accompaniment) chords, the key also plays a role. Here, the chord sequences map the course of the melodic accompaniment per song section.

A melody is a sequence of notes that is perceived in context. It is the part of a song that is most easily recognized. A melody is virtually embedded in the chord progression and without chords can sound slightly thin or abandoned, possibly even a bit boring.

DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW)

A DAW virtually combines the

mixing console channels,

(audio) tape machines,

effects devices

and necessary connecting cables

used in the analog world.

The tracks can record audio or midi files. If necessary, only one of these formats is supported. In addition, a DAW can be extended with plugins.

PLUGIN

Plugins are extensions that can be used in a DAW to increase the number of available effects or virtual instruments. The following interface standards are interesting for us:

VST (cross-platform effects)

VSTi (cross-platform virtual instruments)

AU (Mac specific)

Officially, Steinberg, the inventor of the VST interface, only supports VST3. However, there are still a lot of manufacturers that only offer VST2.

VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT

Virtual instruments emulate the sound behavior of instruments. These are usually played via a (midi) keyboard. What still feels very natural for a piano, especially if the (midi) keyboard is equipped with an appropriate hammer action, becomes a bit more challenging when playing a virtual bass guitar.

Two methods are used to implement the sound behavior, possibly in combination:

Mapping through finely resolved (note) samples

Psychoacoustic calculation of the sound behavior

EFFECT (FX)

Effects have a long tradition in audio engineering. They are used especially in mixing. The essential feature is the modification of the audio information of a track, a loop or a sample. For example, volume, frequency, pitch, speed or the arrangement of substructures can be changed.

In extreme cases, the original audio material is no longer recognizable and an independent acoustic experience is created.

MIXING

After the tracks of a song have been created by the artist, if necessary with the help of the audio engineer, and all available elements have been arranged on the tracks accordingly, the mixing engineer comes into play. Its task is to bring the volume levels of individual tracks into balance with each other and to determine the arrangement of the tracks in the stereo panorama (left, center, right). If errors occur in the overlapping of tracks, e.g. in the low frequency range of bass guitar and kick, he compensates for them with appropriate effects. His work determines the final sound of a song.

Mixing is a profession in its own right. Since it is a creative process, the mix can have a decisive influence on the success of a song.

MASTERING

Mastering originally had the task of adapting the mix of a song so that it was suitable for the respective sound storage medium. Especially with vinyl, it was important that the song was mastered in such a way that the needle could not jump out of the groove at any time. Since most of the work is done digitally, the end result is made available in lossless (e.g. WAV, AIFF) and lossy formats (e.g. MP3).

As a downstream part of a 4-eyes principle, the mastering engineer still keeps an eye on the song to make sure that it does not contain any errors that later leave an unfavorable impression on fans on playback devices (e.g. mobile devices, hi-fi systems). The correct loudness of the song also plays an important role here. Streaming services in particular have strict requirements for the overall volume. This must be selected so that, for example, the dynamics of the song do not suffer after conversion by the streaming service.

EXPORT: RENDERING

At the end of all the doing, an audio file is created that contains the entire song and can be passed on to others. The process of finally computing all tracks with their loops, virtual instruments, midi files, and effects is called exporting or rendering. In stereo projects, all existing (stereo) tracks are combined into a single stereo track (the master).

DAWs also generally offer a master track that combines the audio output of the individual tracks and can accommodate the effects that affect the overall result of the song. During rendering, the stereo track (the master) is created precisely from this.

SESSION / JAM SESSION

A period of time in which music is made or processed. If this happens rather spontaneously or unplanned and out of the situation, one also speaks of a jam session (one jams to the music of the others).

CHAPTER 10

APPENDIX B: THE DIGITAL MUSIC CREATOR'S TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Below are some offers that are suitable for getting started. Some of these offers can also be used later.

LOOPS

If you search the web for free loops, you'll get a ton of possible sources. There is something for every taste. However, before each download and use in your own songs, you should check how a loop may be used.

Loops are also subject to copyright. And every publication in the web is equal to a commercial use. This also applies to a free publication or a context that cannot be directly linked to monetization.

Recommendation: If the commercial use cannot be clearly clarified, then in case of doubt it is better not to use samples or loops. Otherwise, in the event of later commercial success, it may be very expensive from a legal point of view and you will also lose all sales.

It is easiest if the platform that offers the loops regulates this uniformly for all loops of the platform. Otherwise it can become very exhausting. Especially if loops are used commercially, and a song in which a loop is used is then successfully marketed, it should be possible to prove at any time that the commercial rights of use are available at the time of use of the loop.

Particularly suitable are the loops that are delivered with the DAWs and the offers of commercial loop platforms.

BandLab Sounds

BandLab Sounds

BandLab is special compared to all other offers. The philosophy behind it is special and the financial cushion available for its implementation is apparently unlimited. BandLab wants to provide everyone who considers herself creative with the possibility to live out this creativity without financial investment.

All tools are free, all samples and loops too, and the whole thing is also designed as a collaboration and community platform, platform-independent and built on the latest IT standards. Even if the feature set can't keep up with commercial offerings yet, it's the most advanced approach to distributed collaboration in music production.

BandLab regularly expands the loops and sample packs. Among them are also products of well-known artists. Everything is free and commercially usable.

You can access the loops and samples via the web browser. Here they can be previewed, downloaded and also edited in a collapsible wave editor. The search also knows various filter criteria.

If you want to have the samples permanently on your hard disk, then download the sample packs via the browser. We will talk later about sample managers for the desktop, which can work with these samples even more comfortably than what BandLab offers via the web browser.

With the application "BandLab Assistant", which runs on your own computer, you can search for samples and loops in a more limited way. After previewing and the download triggered by this, these are then available for a drag'n'drop into your own DAW.

Loopmasters

Loopmasters [*]

Probably the most comprehensive commercial offering of loop producers in the world. Very wide range of genres. And there are regularly discounted offers. If you want to buy loops later to have them always in direct access, Loopmasters is a good partner.

When you register for free for the first time, you get a pack of free samples and loops.

Loopcloud

Loopcloud [*]

The cloud-based variant of Loopmasters [*] is Loopcloud. Besides the browser support there is an application with the same name, which provides a comfortable navigation for the entire Loopmasters offer. In addition, exclusive samples and loops are also offered via this application.

Billing is done via a multi-level subscription model based on credits. The monthly subscription increases the number of credits that can be used to buy samples and loops. Likewise, there is a certain number of free samples and loops every month, which varies.

It is very easy to use and user-friendly. You can search according to various criteria. Even a similarity search is now integrated. After previewing, you can buy with one click.

The pre-listening happens in time with the DAW project, if the Loopcloud plugin is in use. Speed and pitch can be adjusted to the DAW project at any time. After downloading, the sample or loop is dragged and dropped into a DAW track. By the way, those who have already purchased sample packs from Loopmasters can download and use them immediately. Otherwise there is a purchase step that reduces the credits.

The Loopcloud application has one more special feature. It has a sample player that can play up to 8 samples or loops in parallel. Each of these slots can be assigned its own effects. So you can already create your own loops with the Loopcloud application alone, without the use of a DAW. However, if you want to create a complete song, the Loopcloud application is no longer sufficient.

The free registration gives you access to free samples and loops to try out the Loopcloud application and the Loopcloud plugin.

Landr Samples

Landr [*]

Landr became known with the offer to master songs online. Artificial intelligence is used for this. In the meantime, the offer has been expanded by digital distribution of own songs and a quite large offer of samples and loops.

After the free registration, a not inconsiderable amount of samples and loops are available for testing the functionality. In the paid version, as with Loopcloud [*], a subscription model with credits is used.

The online selector allows a similarity search that is also based on artificial intelligence. The online creator allows you to combine loops into a set suitable for creating a beat. Here, 8 loops can be combined, as with Loopcloud. The result can then be downloaded.

There is also a plugin that can be used in the DAW for synchronous auditioning, changing speed and pitch, and then drag'n'drop.

Samplephonics

Samplephonics [*]

Samplephonics is a loop producer that used to be listed on Loopmasters [*]. In the meantime, it has established its own cloud-based solution for its inventory and regularly expands its offering. Not as big and fast as Loopcloud. But the sample packs can be a good addition.

Free sample packs are provided via Noiiz [*].

Noiiz

Noiiz [*]

Noiiz is the cloud-based solution from loop producer Samplephonics [*]. Here, too, a multi-level subscription model is used. In contrast to Loopcloud [*], the Noiiz Connect plugin is also the sample manager. This means that there is no need for a DAW-external application for management.

Noiiz also offers speed and pitch adjustment for samples and loops, a preview function (unfortunately does not start together with the DAW's playback function) and download. Access is available to the entire Samplephonics inventory. However, the subscription level determines the maximum number of samples or loops that can be downloaded per month. An explicit purchase of individual samples or loops, as with Loopcloud, is not offered.

Free registration gives access to free samples and loops to try out the Noiiz Connect plugin.

Meanwhile, a Pro version of Connect also exists, which adds sampler and synthesizer effects and simplifies the manipulation of samples and loops.

Citizen-DJ

Citizen-DJ

A special project to support DJs or Hip Hop productions is Citizen-DJ. Lots of historical recordings with public domain character (public domain, thus also free commercial use), which are easy to handle and can be used for remixes or new productions.

The tools offered for searching and remixing are absolutely professional suitable, the whole project, despite being done in one year, is technically and culturally exceptionally innovative.

The focus, however, is on downloadable sample shots that first have to be expanded into loops via a midi editor or in a sampler.

Output Arcade

Arcade [*]

Output [*] is a manufacturer of virtual instruments that combine a lot of approaches from the analog and digital world into new, special sounds based on samples and loops.

Arcade is a special sample player built on loops that can be played like a (melodic) virtual instrument and manipulated via effects at runtime. It is a kind of bridge between the world of virtual instruments and the use of loops.

Arcade is easy to use and very flexible for your own creative expression. It is integrated into the DAW as a virtual instrument and controlled via midi data.

There is a 30-day trial. A subscription model is also used here.

Landr Chromatic

Chromatic [*]

Landr [*] has meanwhile released Chromatic, a tool similar to Arcade [*]. The split of royalties is interesting for artists who contribute samples and loops to the library. For those who already use Landr’s automated mastering and song distribution, this is an interesting add-on for little more.

A subscription model is used here as well.

SAMPLE MANAGER

A lot of free samples and loops can accumulate in a short time. Even if you maintain a directory structure from the beginning, which helps you to keep the overview, it makes sense to think about an appropriate management tool. The advantage is: you can define your own virtual structures and assign tags. Most sample managers also offer analysis options, such as speed or key, which make it easier to find or assign the samples or loops.

Loopcloud

Loopcloud [*]

The Loopcloud application is a real all-rounder. It also allows you to upload and manage your own samples in the cloud. However, since storage space is limited, it may make sense to think about including the samples on your own hard disk in the management.

The algorithm is able to look into the files and then interpret them, i.e. assign attributes and tags that can be searched for. The results are based on the scheme of the Loopmasters sample packs.

ADSR Sample Manager

ADSR Sample Manager

ADSR Sounds [*] also offers sample packs. To draw attention to their own offer, they developed their own free sample manager. It can certainly be compared with the one in the Loopcloud [*] application. However, it lacks the synchronized DAW preview function. However, the search function and automatic tag assignment can help to better manage one's own stock of samples and loops.

Sononym

Sononym [*]

One of the really cool professional tools for sample management is undoubtedly Sononym. The sample similarity search brings a breath of fresh air into the creative handling of samples and loops. In addition, the automatic analysis provides a lot of attributes, including speed, key, loudness, instrument category.

The algorithm is able to look into the files and then interpret them. In doing so, it may well find other and more suitable assignments that deviate from file name specifications.

There is a 30-day test.

Waves Cosmos

Waves Cosmos

Waves [*] has discovered the processing of loops with the CR8 Creative Sampler and offers with Cosmos a free, artificial intelligence based management of samples and loops on your own hard drive. At first glance, it stands between the ADSR Sample Manager and Synonym in terms of functionality and has something of the user experience of Loopcloud. It's best to try it out for yourself.

XO

XO [*]

XLN Audio [*] is a manufacturer of virtual drum instruments. With XO they have created a virtual instrument for the creation of beats, which knows a similarity search like Synonym [*]. The special feature is that in addition to the included sample kits, any one-shot samples on your own hard drive can be analyzed and included.

XO provides a lot of midi files for various genres, which can be combined arbitrarily with the included samples or own one-shot samples compiled via the similarity search. Samples can even be modified via an included sample editor.

The generated kits are sometimes very surprising. Both which samples are found in one's own inventory, of which one does not even know (anymore) that they exist, as well as in the instrumentation (drum sounds supplemented by e.g. scratch or bass-like sounds).

XO is very flexible regarding the exchange of the assembled sample kits. It allows a quick creation of drum beats as a basis for own songs. When the selection is done the corresponding midi file can be inserted into a DAW track via drag-n-drop.

There is a 10-day trial that includes content for testing.

DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW)

With DAWs we can distinguish between:

Operating system or device independent - through specific applications and apps with similar operation or similar range of functions

Web browser-based - as a web application that runs in common browsers on any system with a similar form factor.

Operating system or device dependent - through dedicated provided applications or apps

Remixlive

Remixlive [*]

MacOS, Windows, iOS, Android, VSTi

Audio

Super easy entry into music production. It is a pure sample/loop pleasure, also suitable for finger drumming, if necessary with additional midi pad controller or directly via touchscreen (for mobile devices). The Live feature even allows you to use only one device, but it is not quite as flexible.

But Remixlive can do even more. It allows to build own song structures. It can be used as a live tool with its own effects section and can replace a complete DJ set if two hardware instances are used.

Remixlive can be used immediately with a few free sample packs. To get really creative, however, you need to purchase sample packs from the integrated online store, which comes with a rich selection of different genres.

If you want to access all available sample packs right away, you can use the subscription model. The offer can be tested for 7 days.

Audacity

Audacity

MacOS, Windows, Linux

Host für VST, AU

Audio

Audacity is often referred to as a DAW by the open source community. But it is rather a comfortable, multi-track and plugin-supporting audio editor. However, if you only use it to arrange audio material, it can do a good job.

Studio One Prime

Studio One Prime

MacOS, Window

Audio, Midi

Studio One is one of my DAW favorites along with Bitwig Studio [*], which together represent the spearhead of modern DAW concepts in the professional environment. Unfortunately, the "Studio One Prime" does not support third-party plugins. This changes with the next higher "Studio One [*] Artist", but it costs a bit.

BandLab

BandLab

Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, iOS, Android

Audio, Midi

Max. 16 tracks and 15 minutes per song

BandLab is not only a free cloud-based online DAW plus free mastering and digital distribution service, but also an ever-growing free collection of sample packs and loops.

At the same time, it's a community for distributing your own work and creating collaborative, globally-distributed songs together.

Waveform Free

Waveform Free

MacOS, Windows, Linux

Host für VST, VSTi, AU

Audio, Midi

Waveform is one of the newer DAW implementations. It offers a lot in the free version, e.g. support for third-party plugins or loops. However, I like it less in terms of user experience.

Serato Studio

Serato Studio [*]

MacOS, Windows

Host für VST, VSTi, AU

Audio, Midi

Probably the easiest entry for DJs, if there is already experience with DJ software, like Serato DJ [*] or Traktor [*]. Serato Studio combines DJing and MPC-like production style, like Serato Sample [*] or Maschine [*].

Cakewalk

Cakewalk

Windows

Host für VST3, VSTi3

Audio, Midi

Cakewalk offers the best feature set of all the free DAWs. In its heyday, it played in the upper league of professional DAWs. Unfortunately, BandLab does not continue to develop Cakewalk.

Since it was originally developed for Windows and all previous attempts to get the application to run reasonably on the Mac via emulation have failed, it remains operating system dependent.

GarageBand

GarageBand

MacOS, iOS

Host für AU

Audio, Midi

Apple's in-house beginner's version GarageBand can be used similarly well on all Apple operating systems and devices. The connection via the in-house iCloud helps with the exchange of DAW projects. Also available is an upward compatibility to Apple's professional DAW Logic Pro.

GarageBand is very easy to use and its range of functions is particularly suitable for beginners. If you own Apple hardware, you can download GarageBand for free from the AppStores and use it.

EFFECTS

Audio tracks do not always have to play back only what their loops contain. Every audio signal in a DAW can be influenced by so-called effects. At any point or at any time. Effects can also be combined.

Insert

If an effect is applied directly to an audio track, i.e. the entire signal is processed, this is known as an insert effect. DAWs provide "slots" per track for this purpose, into which such plug-ins can be inserted.

PlaylistRider

PlaylistRider [*]

Loops are rarely at the same psychoacoustic volume. PlaylistRider helps with the adjustment. It allows you to specify a target volume to which the DAW track is then adjusted.

Mixed In Key Studio Edition

Mixed In Key Studio Edition [*]

It often happens that a loop fits the project, but you do not know which key is actually present here. Mixed In Key [*] was originally created in the environment of DJ support for marking sample collections.

The Studio Edition plugin analyzes a DAW track and then shows which notes appear in the track and in what proportion, ultimately indicating with a probability what the key might be.

Tantra

Tantra [*]

More variation in the rhythmic material. Tantra is one of the most comprehensive effects in this challenge.

ShaperBox

ShaperBox [*]

More variation in the rhythmic material. ShaperBox allows very precise intervention via the envelopes in the various effects that can be combined.

Sidechain

In order to avoid "muddying" by frequency superposition of instruments when they play simultaneously, there is a procedure that allows the exchange of information between two tracks in a DAW, the so-called sidechaining. Here, the signal of one track is forwarded to the other track and a corresponding plugin is used to define to what extent the incoming signal should influence the track.

In most cases, the plug-in lowers the volume of the track (possibly limited to a certain frequency range) so that only the track from which the signal is fed in can be heard.

Trackspacer

Trackspacer [*]

The easiest and most elegant way to get rid of the problems caused by, for example, playing kick and bass at the same time is to use Trackspacer. As far as frequency range and volume are set, Trackspacer does the rest. The result of the setting can be auditioned, so that even beginners can find the right parameters by ear.

MIXING

At first glance, mixing is something intuitive. But the details can get tricky pretty quickly. Artificial intelligence helps to be able to fall back on stored expert knowledge.

Sonible . Focusrite Balancer

Sonible . Focusrite Balancer

Sonible's smart:engine is Sonible's core of their research in the field of artificial intelligence. The balancer is based on this engine and is available for free to make individual tracks smoother with a few adjustments.

iZotope

iZotope [*]

iZotope provides the best paid plugins that are used in mixing with the support of artificial intelligence even by professionals to save time. The handling is very simple, but still flexible enough in case you want to do it yourself afterwards.

MASTERING

Do mastering yourself? With the help of artificial intelligence, you can. We simply shorten the steep learning curve by using deposited expert knowledge. Even with the remaining limitations of the current offerings (only relevant for the experts), the results are much better than if you tried to do it yourself by hand and with a lot of time.

BandLab

BandLab

Again, BandLab is something special. Everything is free. You can happily experiment and find out your own settings in peace. Important: when exporting to a DAW or rendering songs in preparation for mastering, choose the best (lossless) quality level, e.g. WAV/AIFF in 24 bit, 44.1 kHz. Then upload this file in the browser via drag'n'drop and let it be processed.

Mastering Studio

Mastering.Studio [*]

Plugin Alliance [*], manufacturer of excellent analog emulations of popular studio hardware, now also offers a free online mastering service. Behind it lies decades of know-how of the Brainworx mastering specialists with a worldwide reputation.

iZotope

iZotope [*]

iZotope provides the best paid plugins that are used in mastering with the support of artificial intelligence even by professionals to save time. The handling is very simple, but still flexible enough in case you want to do it yourself afterwards.