EQ Magazine - May 2008 - (Page 29)

READ THE LICENSING AGREEMENT! in for the two 16th notes that precede the loop. While you’re at it, draw in a level curve so they build up to the loop itself. The end result is a seductive lead-in. You can also chop internally to the loop; for example, in one iteration of the loop, swap the 2nd and 3rd beats to add some variation. Or, “intensify” a part by chopping an eighth note hit in half, throwing away the second half, and repeating the first part twice. Adding selective processing can also add variations. Suppose you have a pad loop; fade reverb in and out while the loop plays, and it will come alive. With percussive parts, throw on tempo-synced delay when you want to diffuse the sound more or give it more motion, then “dry it out” for a stark contrast. Making sounds brighter can also push them to the forefront, without having to change the part or level. And if you’re using loops that can respond to tempo changes, take advantage of that fact. Real music “breathes,” with tempos that lead and lag slightly over time. Slowing down the tempo ever-soslightly can help emphasize the vocals in a sensitive verse, while speeding up a little bit provides the rhythmic equivalent of modulating upward by a semitone. FASTER AND BETTER: USE A CONTROL SURFACE There’s often a tradeoff between doing something faster and doing something better, but using a hardware control surface for mixing can give you both. By manipulating multiple channels simultaneously, you can create a more organic, interesting mix than doing parameterpushing with a mouse on one track at a time—while saving time. And don’t forget about automation: Using a control surface to program automation changes allows dynamically varying the drum loop levels and timbre, which can help restore some of the dynamics that are taken away by repeating a loop over and over again. Because most loop libraries contain copyrighted sounds, there’s usually some sort of licensing agreement. The least restrictive type licenses the sounds to the disc’s purchaser for use in music production, period. On the other hand some allow unrestricted private, non-commercial use, but require compensation if you want to use the material in commercial productions. Others require clearance before usage in commercial projects, or stipulate that a particular credit be included in any accompanying printed material (such as a CD booklet or cover blurb). In most cases, it violates the agreement to sell the physical media. This is because you are buying a license, not the sounds. It’s like having a driver’s license: Selling your car doesn’t transfer the license to the buyer; they have to get their own. Also, agreements vary about whether you can use loops as part of “needledrop” music libraries. http://www.primacoustic.com http://www.primacoustic.com http://www.primacoustic.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - May 2008

EQ Magazine - May 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Jamie Lidell, What the New Model of Record Deal Means to You, Part II, Andrew W.K. Tool Box Aerosmith Fast Tracks Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet DigiDesign Pro Tools LE 7.4 Cakewalk Sonar 7 Line 6 UX8 Studio Projects CS5 Art Tubefire 8 Jazzmutant Dexter MCDSP Emerald Pack Overloud Breverb KRK Exposé E8B Mackie MR5 Blue Sky Exo Monitor System Big Fish Audio Around the World in 80 Raves East West Fab Four Virtual Instrument Sony Matt Fink- Starvu Session Keys Room With A VU

EQ Magazine - May 2008

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