This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Previewing Drum Loops
In a few minutes, you’ll be recording your own Software Instrument drum loops. First, it’s a good idea to listen to a few of the prerecorded drum-based Apple Loops for inspiration.
- Close the onscreen keyboard, if it is open.
- Press Cmd-L, or click the Loop Browser button, to open the Loop Browser.
The Loop Browser opens to whatever view you used previously. If you’ve been following along in this book, it will open to the Podcast Sounds view.
- Click the Musical Button View button (looks like musical notes).
The Loop Browser view changes to show musical keyword buttons.
- Click the All Drums button.
A list of over 280 drum loops appears in the results list.
Each loop was originally recorded at a specific tempo and key. This information is part of the data that can be used to sort loops and can be seen in different columns in the results list of the Loop Browser.
A loop will always conform to the open project’s key and tempo.
- Click the 80s Pop Beat 07 loop to hear it at 120 bpm.
- Click the same loop again to stop previewing it.
Locate the Tempo column to the right of the Name column in the Loop Browser results list.
Notice that the native tempo for the 80s Pop Beat 07 loop is 110.
Now let’s add the loop to the Timeline below the Grand Piano track.
- Drag the 80s Pop Beat 07 loop to the beginning of the Timeline below the first track. Release the mouse.
A Kits track appears in the Timeline with the 80s Pop Beat 07 region at the beginning of the track.
- In the Drum Kit track, play the 80s Pop Beat 07 region at 120 bpm.
- Change the project’s tempo to the loop’s native tempo of 110 bpm. Play the region again.
The loop sounds good at its native tempo, but it would have worked fine at the original 120 bpm. Let’s keep the project at 110 bpm.
- In the Kits track, select the 80s Pop Beat 07 loop and press Delete to clear the track for your recording.
- Close the Loop Browser.
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In the next series of exercises, you’ll record your own drum loops.