Audiotent Tip 406. 3 Effective ways to use sub-loops in your music.
Having solid low-end in your tracks is vital when making music for clubs and festivals. Do you struggle to get that thick and tight bottom end in your music? If you do, don't be afraid to use loops from sample packs.
Sure, you could just drag and drop a loop straight into your project but here are 3 ways to effectively tweak the loop and make it your own.
Here's a before example. Just a basic beat with one of our sub-bass loops underneath. We recommend listening on your studio monitors or good quality headphones for the best results.
1) Repitch.
This is a super simple way to change the loop. Many DAW's include a pitching plugin or built-in algorithm but in this example, we decided to use one of our favourite 3rd party plugins Waves Audio Soundshifter.
Simply drop the plugin onto the sub-bass loop channel and set a number of semitones to your liking. In this example, we pitched the sample down by 2 semitones. You can hear the effect this has below.
2) Cut and reposition.
Another way to transform the loop is to cut the audio and re-position inside your DAW. Find a section of the loop that you like, cut, and then re-position into a new groove sequence. To transform this, even more, you can also repitch a few of the notes as we did in the previous example.
To take it one step further you could also add a few volume curves to certain sections, this will give a slow attack to the sample and can help add more movement (See the image below).
3) Add to a sampler
The final example is slicing and adding to a sampler so that you can play a completely new groove and melody. First, slice you sub tool loop and add it to your favourite sampler. Be creative hear and try different sections of the sample as this can lead to interesting results.
For example, we chose to use the section where there were two hits of the bass very close to each other, this gave a nice bit of extra movement compared to just the single shot on its own.
Next, it's as easy as playing in your MIDI notes or drawing them in. Try adding a pitch bend or two to help get the low end grooving and moving even more.
We trust you found the article useful.
If you're looking for solid low end we recommend you take a listen to Rumble // Techno Sub Tools.
Let us know in the comments below your favourite ways to be creative with sub bass loops.
Having solid low-end in your tracks is vital when making music for clubs and festivals. Do you struggle to get that thick and tight bottom end in your music? If you do, don't be afraid to use loops from sample packs.
Sure, you could just drag and drop a loop straight into your project but here are 3 ways to effectively tweak the loop and make it your own.
Here's a before example. Just a basic beat with one of our sub-bass loops underneath. We recommend listening on your studio monitors or good quality headphones for the best results.
1) Repitch.
This is a super simple way to change the loop. Many DAW's include a pitching plugin or built-in algorithm but in this example, we decided to use one of our favourite 3rd party plugins Waves Audio Soundshifter.
Simply drop the plugin onto the sub-bass loop channel and set a number of semitones to your liking. In this example, we pitched the sample down by 2 semitones. You can hear the effect this has below.
2) Cut and reposition.
Another way to transform the loop is to cut the audio and re-position inside your DAW. Find a section of the loop that you like, cut, and then re-position into a new groove sequence. To transform this, even more, you can also repitch a few of the notes as we did in the previous example.
To take it one step further you could also add a few volume curves to certain sections, this will give a slow attack to the sample and can help add more movement (See the image below).
The waveform in black is the original loop and the orange waveforms are the newly sliced version.
3) Add to a sampler
The final example is slicing and adding to a sampler so that you can play a completely new groove and melody. First, slice you sub tool loop and add it to your favourite sampler. Be creative hear and try different sections of the sample as this can lead to interesting results.
For example, we chose to use the section where there were two hits of the bass very close to each other, this gave a nice bit of extra movement compared to just the single shot on its own.
Next, it's as easy as playing in your MIDI notes or drawing them in. Try adding a pitch bend or two to help get the low end grooving and moving even more.
This is the section we chose inside the sampler
This is the new MIDI we played in
This is where we added the pitch bend automation
We trust you found the article useful.
If you're looking for solid low end we recommend you take a listen to Rumble // Techno Sub Tools.
Let us know in the comments below your favourite ways to be creative with sub bass loops.
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