Real World Digital Audio

Musical Uses

Drum machines that emulated the patterns of rock drummers were among

the first commercial pattern-based hardware. Hip-hop and so-called dance

music seized on the unique, mechanical sounds they provided.

People often refer to loop-based music or pattern-based editing as though

they’re new forms of music—often associating them solely with dance

music and electronica—but the underlying concept isn’t new at all. Musical

traditions of all cultures use repetition and pattern.

By carefully stitching patterns and loops together and using variation,

you can create pieces that sound more organic and musical—or, if you

prefer, more mechanical and odd. Either way, there are endless musical

possibilities.

We’ll look at two ways people most commonly use loops and patterns.

The first is to create a backing track for rehearsing, songwriting, or per-

forming, letting the loops fill in for parts you can’t play. The second is to

build repetitive grooves for interactive dance music. Although we’ll use

GarageBand for the former and Kinetic for the latter, each is capable of

both activities.

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When you need accompaniment for practicing, backing tracks to fill in

missing players for performances, or a way of quickly turning musical ideas

into sketches, loop libraries like the one found in GarageBand are invaluable.

GarageBand ships with a vast collection of ready-made musical materials,

including selections from many different musical genres. You can make

music in GarageBand without ever using these loops, but they can easily

complement other recorded parts or stand on their own. Using sounds

included with GarageBand, we’ll create a country/folk rock arrangement,

then record audio parts, and mix to create a completed song.

Since GarageBand matches the tempo of loops automatically, it’s possible

to combine loops even if they had a different original tempo. GarageBand

doesn’t match the rhythmic feel of materials, so you may have to audition

a few clips to find one that sounds right.

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Quick start:

Pros like

Us3 producer Geoff

Wilkinson use loops

and samples to help

develop ideas and get

an initial groove, then

replace them with

recorded music.

On the DVD:

You’ll

find a completed

GarageBand project cre-

ated via the steps here.

If you’re on Windows or

don’t own GarageBand,

MP3 files are also

included so you can

hear the results.