5 ways to customize loops & samples

How's it goin' everybody!? Aaron here once again with R-Loops & TheDrumBank & I've got a dope discussion for us to dig into! Today we are going to learn 5 ways to customize loops & make them your own!

 

1. Chop It Up

This works with melodic instruments as well but is really dope for drums & percussion. Since the loops are usually already processed & layered with other sounds, it gives them a bit more flavor when you chop & sample them. You can even re-create an entire drum rack! Tip: If you really like a sound just chop it out, trash the rest of the loop & save the sound to your sample library for use in other productions!

 

2. Stereo Hats & Percussion

Instead of just dragging in a single percussion or hats loop, drag 2 similar loops & layer them, panning them left & right as you see fit. This will add a wider stereo image that won't suffer from phase cancellation when collapsed into mono. You may have to play with the timing of your loops to get them to flow just right! Tip: Always pay attention to your panning! It is one of the singular most important aspects of creating a great sounding beat or song!

 

3. Stretch & Re-Pitch

This is a big movement in Trap Music right now. By using your DAWs time-stretching & repitching options, you can create some wild sounds & loops! This can add crazy texture to your production. Use these effects simultaneously to take your track out of this world! Tip: They make plugins that can help you do this as well! 'Gross Beats' is by far the most popular of these plugins.

 

4. Transient Shaping

Using transient shaping tools to do things such as enhance harsh attacks or reduce sustain to make it snappy. You could also add sustain to take the punch or spike out of the transient to wash it out into a background layer. Gating can also be used to take a long sustained loop and turn it into a more staccato sound. Tip: If you're looking for a little help, try using 'iZotopes Neutron 2 Transient Shaper'!

 

5. VST Help Please

I get it, I know, VSTs & Plugins make our lives a whole lot easier when it comes to the tedious tasks within our productions. I'll share a couple of free VSTs that I still manage to find uses for.

• DBlue Glitch This plugin is a free multi-effect sequencer. It adds multiple effects such as distortion, tape stop, flanger, delay, reverb, reverse & more all at the same time. Its very good for vocals (especially editing for a clean version) & for manipulating loops to make then your own. There are multiple free versions of this plugin so do your research & choose which is best for you!
• GSnap GSnap is a free version of Auto-Tune. Not only is it good for vocals but you can add some crazy manipulation to harmonic & melodic instruments as well. Another cool thing to do is to use GSnap for your own vocals and then sample yourself, you can make some pretty epic music!

 

Tip: There are 1000s of free VSTs out there for you to enjoy. All it takes is a simple search & a little knowledge of what you are looking for.

 

That will wrap up this discussion. Thanks again R-Loops Family & keep creating!

Customize Your Loops With DBlue Glitch (VST TUTORIAL)