Loops

OhMyGosh wrote on 6/23/2014, 9:04 AM
Years ago I bought some CD's from Sony that were clearance and on sale. They have different titles, but they all say 'Sound Series: Loops and Samples.' Going through all my old software to see what I want on my new computer (Win 8.1), and came across and opened them. I have never used anything like them before, so not sure how to use them. Hundreds of 'loops', but they average about 8 seconds. Does loop mean just that, you play the same 8 seconds for as long as your movie is? I was expecting several minutes long sound tracks. Also on there are one or two 'demo songs', but they are in 'ACD-ZIP' file format, and Windows barfed at the idea of opening them........I know it's a dumb question, but would appreciate any help in what these are for and how to use them. Thanks. Cin

Comments

D7K wrote on 6/23/2014, 10:30 AM
If you have the studio suite try and open them in acid. I download loops and have not had a problem unzipping them in windows pro 7.....
Loops are short pieces of music, you use acid to put them into a longer piece of music.
OhMyGosh wrote on 6/23/2014, 11:47 AM
Thank you D7K for the reply. I have VMSP 12, but I don't believe I have Acid. I do have Sound Forge, although I've never used it..... A long time ago I used to use a free program called WinZip. Trying not to add to much extra stuff on this computer, but it may be necessary to see if it will open the files. However, there are so few songs, it may not be worth it. Did I understand that you just take a bunch of those 8 second clips and string them together? Thanks again. Cin
Ivan Lietaert wrote on 6/23/2014, 12:17 PM
I'm using loops all the time. I bought Acid Studio 7 a couple of years ago, and I believe Sony still offers a free edition of Acid Express 7 (with a limited number of tracks), but often this free edition will do. Each week, they offer free '8packs' at acidplanet.com too.
Here is an example of what I do with it: https://vimeo.com/93083815
Not exactly Mozart, but at least it is my music and youtube/vimeo won't take it offline.
OhMyGosh wrote on 6/23/2014, 1:57 PM
Wow, thanks for sharing Ivan. I really like that a lot! I loved the videography, the clarity, the sound track and how it wasn't overpowering like some. I can't comment on the content, as I'm not smart enough to understand a foreign language. I barely understand English! ;) German I'm guessing? Are 'loops' supposed to be really short? I believe I once had Acid with an earlier version of VMS on my computer, but I will check out the link you supplied. Thanks for your help. Cin
Chienworks wrote on 6/23/2014, 3:36 PM
You can use them in Vegas too, though you don't have quite the ease of "composing" with them that you would in ACID. Drop them on the timeline and drag them out as long as you wish, perhaps not for the entire video, but instead use several and alternate between them. You can slice and dice them, and use the number pad +/- keys to change the key up or down if you want to do something like chord progressions.

ACID gives you a lot more music-centric editing capabilities, such as lining up and cutting on the beats, setting precise tempos and key signatures, etc.
Ivan Lietaert wrote on 6/23/2014, 4:22 PM
The language in the video is Dutch, or rather the Flemish (Belgian) variant of it, btw.

The duration of the loops will vary between about a (fraction) of a second up to a minute or so.
When you buy the boxed version of Acid Studio, you get a cd with a huge collection of loops, basically all instruments covering all musical styles.

When you are used to Vegas, then Acid is really simple to get in to, technically speaking. As for the musicallity, it really depends on your talent, I guess...

Here is a more complex tune I composed for a Vimeo weekend challenge last winter: https://vimeo.com/87952487
OhMyGosh wrote on 6/24/2014, 9:58 AM
Thank you Ivan for posting another great video. I wish there was a place here where the members could/would post their work, as we could all learn so much from each others work. Sorry I goofed on the language, I'm afraid I represent the one they would call the 'dumb American!' ;)
Thanks as always Kelly for your advice and help. Just downloaded AcidXpress, and does that ever look like a nightmare! Just did the tutorial and only made me feel dumber......I always used Cinescore, but not sure if it will work with Win 8.1, or if the update would still be available. Does anyone know? Cinescore pushed my musical abilities about as far as they would go, and that is about as basic as it gets! I'm also confused as to when do I use Sound Forge as opposed to Acid as opposed to Vegas? Thanks again for all the help. Cin