3 Ways to Make Loops Sound UNIQUE In Your Productions | Make Pop Music

Summary

In this tutorial, Make Pop Music's Austin explores creative ways to customize loops for a unique sound. He demonstrates three methods to transform royalty-free loops, including adjusting tempo, transposing keys, chopping and rearranging melodies, and applying sound design techniques. Austin uses Cubase to showcase these processes, emphasizing the importance of personalizing loops to avoid repetition in commercial music and to create a distinct musical identity.

Takeaways

• 🎵 The video is a tutorial by Make Pop Music on customizing loops to make them feel more original and less recognizable from royalty-free packs.
• 🔄 The speaker discusses the issue of artists calling each other out on Twitter for using the same loops in their songs, emphasizing the importance of personalizing loops.
• 🛠️ Three main methods are presented to customize loops: adjusting tempo and key, rearranging melodies, and applying heavy processing to change the sound completely.
• ⏩ The first technique involves slowing down loops to fit the desired tempo and dragging them to start on the beat for synchronization.
• 🔑 Transposing loops to a different key is suggested to make them sound distinct from their original form.
• 🔄 Melody swapping is recommended, where the original melody is chopped up and rearranged to create something new.
• 🎛️ Heavy processing, such as using effects like multi-pass, snappy, and micro shift, can transform the character of a loop.
• 📐 Using EQ to filter out certain frequencies and boost others can help loops fit better within a mix.
• 🌐 Layering additional sounds on top of loops, such as synths and melodies, can add originality and depth to the production.
• 👂 Listening to the key of the loop and working within that key to create harmonious additional elements is advised.
• 📉 Sometimes, minimal processing is better, allowing certain loops to serve as 'ear candy' without overwhelming the mix.
• 🚀 The tutorial concludes by emphasizing the endless possibilities of loop customization and encourages experimentation to make loops one's own.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video tutorial?

The main topic of the video tutorial is working with loops in music production, specifically how to customize and make them feel more unique to avoid the issue of loops being too recognizable from royalty-free packs or other sources.

Why might artists call each other out on Twitter for using the same loops?

Artists might call each other out on Twitter because using the same royalty-free loops can lead to a lack of originality and can make it difficult for an artist to claim their unique sound.

What are the three ways the tutorial suggests to customize loops?

The three ways suggested are: 1) Changing the timing, tempo, and key of the loop, and rearranging the melody. 2) Heavily processing the loop to make it sound completely different. 3) Layering your own sounds on top of the loop to make it work for your production.

What does the tutorial suggest doing with the tempo of the loop?

The tutorial suggests adjusting the tempo of the loop to fit the desired pace of the song, making it align with the song's beat.

How does the tutorial recommend changing the key of a loop?

The tutorial recommends transposing the loop to a different key, which can instantly make it sound different and less recognizable.

What is the purpose of chopping up and rearranging the melody of a loop?

Chopping up and rearranging the melody of a loop helps create a completely new and unique sound, making the loop feel more like the producer's own creation.

What is the tutorial's suggestion for adding movement to the low end of a loop?

The tutorial suggests putting the loop on half time and adjusting the mix, filtering out some of the lows, and boosting the highs to add more movement to the low end.

What is the role of adding an extra melody on top of a loop?

Adding an extra melody on top of a loop can provide additional depth and interest to the music, helping to further distinguish the sound from the original loop.

How does the tutorial suggest using percussive loops?

The tutorial suggests using percussive loops by applying effects like multi-pass or snappy to change the sound, and by customizing the pattern to fit the song's rhythm.

What is the importance of layering sounds in music production according to the tutorial?

Layering sounds is important as it allows the producer to add their own creative touch to the loop, making the final product more unique and personalized to their vision.

What should a producer consider when using loops in their music to avoid issues with other artists?

A producer should consider customizing the loops to fit their unique sound and vision for the song, so that if another artist recognizes the loop, the producer can explain that it was a starting point and has been significantly altered to suit their production.

Outlines

00:00

🎵 Customizing Loops for Unique Soundscapes

In this tutorial, the host from Make Pop Music introduces a new topic: customizing loops to avoid repetition and create a unique sound. They discuss the common issue of artists using the same royalty-free loops and the potential disputes that can arise. The focus is on three techniques to make loops feel more personalized: adjusting tempo, transposing to different keys, and rearranging melodies. The host also encourages viewers to like, comment, and subscribe for support and mentions their website for additional resources.

05:01

🔄 Transforming Loops with Melodic and Percussive Techniques

The host demonstrates how to transform loops by adjusting their tempo, key, and structure. They show the process of time-aligning and transposing loops to fit the desired song structure, and then rearrange the melody to create a new and distinct sound. Additional effects like half-time processing and filtering are applied to give loops more movement and character. The host also discusses layering and sound design to further customize the loops, using examples from their own work.

10:04

🎹 Advanced Sound Design and Layering Techniques

This section delves into advanced sound design strategies such as using multi-pass effects, micro shifts, and EQ filtering to give loops a unique character. The host shares their process of layering additional melodies and harmonies on top of loops to create depth and complexity. They emphasize the importance of sound selection and how to blend original and new elements to craft a personalized sound that stands out from the original loop.

15:10

🚀 Finalizing the Loop Customization Process

The host concludes the tutorial by summarizing the key points: rearranging the loop's melody, heavily processing the sound, and layering additional elements. They play examples of the loops before and after the customization process to illustrate the dramatic changes achieved. The host advises viewers on the importance of making loops their own to avoid potential issues with other artists and to fulfill their creative vision. They also tease an important announcement for the next video and encourage viewer interaction in the comments section.

Keywords

💡Loops

In the context of music production, 'loops' refer to short audio recordings that are repeated to create a rhythmic or melodic pattern. They are fundamental to the video's theme as the tutorial focuses on how to customize and personalize loops to avoid repetition and create unique tracks. The script discusses various techniques to modify loops, such as changing their tempo, key, and arrangement.

💡Splice

Splice is a platform that offers a variety of music production tools, including a marketplace for loops and samples. In the video, Splice is mentioned as a source of loops that can be used in music production. The script discusses the common issue of artists using the same Splice loops, leading to a lack of originality in their music.

💡Royalty-free

Royalty-free refers to the use of copyrighted material without the need to pay royalties to the original creator, under certain conditions. In the video, the term is used to describe loops that can be freely used by anyone, which is a central concept because it raises the issue of originality when using such loops in music.

💡Customization

Customization in the video pertains to the process of making loops feel more personal and less recognizable from their original form. The script provides three methods for customizing loops, emphasizing the importance of creating a unique sound that stands out from the typical royalty-free offerings.

💡Tempo

Tempo is the speed or pace of a piece of music, typically measured in beats per minute (BPM). The script illustrates how adjusting the tempo of a loop can help it fit better with the rest of a track and contribute to a more personalized sound.

💡Transposition

Transposition is the process of changing a musical piece to a different key. In the script, transposing a loop to a different key is presented as a method to make it sound distinct and less like a stock sample, thus adding a layer of originality to the music.

💡Sound Design

Sound design involves the creation and manipulation of audio elements to produce a unique sound. The video script discusses sound design as a way to transform loops by adding effects, changing pitches, and layering additional sounds, which is crucial for giving loops a personalized touch.

💡Cubase

Cubase is a digital audio workstation (DAW) used for music production. The script mentions Cubase as the software platform where the tutorial's techniques are demonstrated, highlighting its role in the process of customizing loops.

💡Layering

Layering in music production is the technique of combining multiple sounds or instruments to create a richer, fuller sound. The script describes layering as a method to enhance loops by adding extra melodies or effects, which contributes to the overall uniqueness of the music.

💡Percussive Loops

Percussive loops are rhythmic patterns created by percussion instruments. The video script discusses how to process percussive loops to make them more unique, such as by adding reverb, delay, and other effects, which is an essential part of the tutorial on personalizing loops.

💡Mixing

Mixing in music production is the process of balancing the levels of various tracks to create a cohesive sound. The script touches on mixing techniques such as filtering out certain frequencies and boosting others to make loops stand out or blend in with the rest of the production.

Highlights

Make Pop Music's Austin discusses working with loops in music production to avoid commonality in commercial songs.

Three ways to customize loops to make them feel more unique and less recognizable from royalty-free packs.

Importance of fitting loops to your own tempo and starting them on the beat for a more personalized sound.

Transposing loops to a different key to instantly make them sound different.

Melody swapping as a technique to create a completely new and different sound from the original loop.

Using half time effects on loops to add movement and variation to the low end.

Original vs. modified loop comparison to demonstrate the drastic differences achieved through processing.

Adding variation by transposing the first note of a loop down for a different feel.

Incorporating drums and 808s to enhance the beat and make loops more custom.

Finding complementary loops in the same or relative keys to create harmony in the track.

Using pitch-shifting to raise the octave of a loop and blending it for a richer sound.

Applying multi-pass or snappy effects to loops for a completely different sonic character.

Utilizing micro shift and filtering to create a wider, more phasey sound.

Adding reverb and delay to loops to create a pad-like texture in the background.

Layering sounds on top of loops to make them work for you and add your own flavor.

Customizing percussive loops with effects like snappy to avoid generic sound and enhance the mix.

Using loops as ear candy by adjusting pitch without heavy processing for a fitting mix.

Recap of the three main tips: rearrangement, heavy processing, and layering own sounds.

Advice on making loops fit your aesthetic and vision to avoid potential issues with artists.

Encouragement to experiment with loops to make them your own and add unique flavor.

Transcripts

[Music]

what's up make pop-music austin here

from make pop music and austin whole

audio and visual and we are back with

another tutorial and for this week I

wanted to do something that we've never

really done on the channel and that is

working with loops so we've been seeing

it going around a lot lately that there

have been a lot of loops being used in

commercial songs that are spliced loops

or our worlds he free loops from other

packs that end up not being changed much

in several songs and so a lot of the

time the artists will end up calling

each other out on Twitter we just saw it

with the Justin Bieber song I've seen it

before in the past and really nobody is

at fault for this it is a royalty free

loop and anybody can use it if they want

to however it does get a little sticky

when you're just trying to claim your

sound so for this video today I wanted

to go over three ways that you could

actually make loops feel more like your

own and make them not so instantly

recognizable for what you might download

from splice or from a royalty-free pack

so we are going to go over three ways to

actually customize that loop and build

off of that to have something that fits

your production and acts more as a

starting point rather than just a drag

and drop melody or sample or something

like that

so we are gonna hop into Cubase and go

through those but before we do if you

like this video please make sure you

like comment and subscribe we really

appreciate it and it helps us out a ton

if you want to download any of our

sample packs or courses or anything like

that head to make pop music com we'd

really appreciate all the support but

without further ado let's actually hop

into the DA and see what we can do to

make these loops feel more custom all

right now our mi da you'll see another

panel has fallen so if anybody has

always wondered can you stick them up

with command strips you can for about

six months and then you should probably

just take them down probably not gonna

rehang it cuz I'm moving in a few weeks

but rest in peace of that panel let's go

ahead and let's hop in so I can show you

what the loop that we I picked at first

sounded like and then kind of what we

did with them and I'll go over three

things that I like to do two loops to

make them feel like my own so we used a

loop from splice it's the Boy Wonder

melodic loop piano for bar it's an F

sharp minor and it's at 90 BPM this is

what it sounds like by itself

[Music]

so that's it and then I had another loop

that is an a-minor at 1:50 so those are

the two primary loop so we're going to

talk about and then there's also some

percussive loops that we'll also go over

so let's go ahead and let's look at loop

number one which is this boy 1 2 loop

the first thing that I like to

personally do I'll kind of walk you

through and I'll show you the final is

this loop is at what is it ninety first

of all I want to make this loop fit my

tempo so I'm actually going to bring

this all the way down so it fits four

bars and then we'll have something like

this and it's starting a little bit late

so I'm just going to drag it back like

that so we can start it on the beat so

this is what we have after we actually

bring it to our tempo so now we've got

it to our actual tempo the next thing

I'd like to do is I like to put it in a

little bit different key so for this

song I transpose 2 up 3 and Cubase you

can just go right here I like putting it

in a different key because that makes it

instantly a little bit different so now

the next thing I did and I'm going to go

over to the one where that I actually

use is I went through and I put this to

a quarter note and I just chopped it all

up and then I just rearranged the melody

to be something completely new and

completely different so I had it all

chopped up like that and then this is

what I ended up coming up with

[Music]

so you can hear that that melody is

completely different then so that melody

swapping up really helps me out and then

I like to put half time on loops a lot

just to give them a little bit more

movement in the low end so I put this on

one bar half time 50% mix and then just

filtered out some of the lows and

boosted some of the highs a little bit

[Music]

so I'll show you the original now right

next to the one that we actually have so

this is the original so that sounds

drastically different than this

[Music]

and another thing that I did was when I

copied it for the next four bars I

actually took the first note and I took

that down to transpose one so it's

actually falling for below this because

this is up three this is down one from

the original so we're going from like an

A minor to an F minor so we've got a

minor and then F minor and that just

gave me a little bit of extra variation

so then after that I was like okay we've

got a pretty cool lead so I wanted to

add in some drums so I added a kick and

a snare just from our hip pop pack and

then I added an 808 it's just the best

808 you've probably got it if you have

any of our free content so we've got all

that so with the loop we have this now

[Music]

so the next thing I wanted to do was I

wanted to add some extra kind of melody

on top of it that's when I found this

loop the 150 a minor loop and a lot of

the time I'll just keep in mind if

something is minor or major and then

I'll find a loop that is in minor or

major and then I can scale it up or down

however many semitones so like for

example if this would have been in C

minor I would have just brought it down

three semitones to be a minor however

since it was in the same key I did not

have to do that so this is what it

sounded like originally at 150 so of

course I had a tempo align that to be

120 and I'll go ahead and take off all

the processing and it actually sounds

really sick as is but this is all about

making it kind of unique right so here

is just to the tempo but let's talk

about what we actually did to make it

special so the first thing I did was

throw a little altar boy take it up 12

semitones and put that mix at half so

we're getting a higher octave in there

[Music]

and then another thing that I like to do

with a lot of loops that I'm working

with either percussive or melodic its

throw on either multi pass or snappy and

just kind of scroll through the presets

because it'll make it sound like a

completely different sound and I found

one on here called glassy attitude and

it sounded like this so we're getting a

little bit of wobble we're getting a

little bit of reverb and we're getting a

little bit of saturation well quite a

bit of saturation next thing I did was

throw a micro shift so we can actually

spread it out just a little bit and give

it some phase II sound

[Music]

[Applause]

then I just filtered it with pro-q

because we had a lot of high-end in

there that I did not want next thing I

did was through on H delay at 1/8 dotted

to the tempo and blended that in so it's

pretty wet now a lot of the time if I

find like a cool vocal throw or like

some kind of cool little melodic element

like this I'll put a lot of reverb in

delay so it acts more as like a pad in

the background and then I can kind of

build off of that so the next thing that

we added was a lot of reverb and that's

pretty high in the mix then just

filtered it out some more and then added

little altar boy down an octave mix so

you would think that that's kind of

cancelling out the first thing that

we're doing but it's not because the

first has the main octave and a higher

octave and now this one is going to

bring that main octave from the original

down 12 so we're gonna get down an

octave blended in barely the middle

octave pretty apparent and the high

octave blended in barely so it sounds

really cool with all of that

and that to me kind of gave it that

separation of the original loop that I

wanted then I just took out some low

mids and scooped out a little bit of

lows as well and so now with the

original we have this

[Music]

so that loop is still decently

recognizable but you'll see as we start

doing the next step it kind of helps

that fall way towards the background so

that's just an example of how I process

them a lot of gloop I'll kind of show

you how I would process something like a

percussive loop so we have the 420

hi-hat loop 144 clap 3 from splice it's

a very fun name and again like I was

saying before I like throwing on snappy

and I found this one called the chirp

Perkin which sounds like this here's

what it sounds like originally with no

processing pretty standard trappy loop

nothing special nothing bad it's like

very not offensive it was at 144 beats a

minute so I definitely time-aligned that

to 120 and then I threw on that preset

that we just talked about from snap heap

and that's going to give it some extra

width it's gonna kind of modulate it a

little bit and it's gonna give it a

little bit of reverb so doing stuff like

that where it's gonna add little pitch

variations and it's gonna add little

delay and reverb throws helps that sit

in the mix a lot better than just a

generic straight eight or sixteen bar

loop so here it is would be actual

processing

[Music]

and here it is with no processing it's

just kind of boring so that's another

thing that I'd like to do to profess of

loops of course if I didn't like any of

these little you know roles or anything

like that I could cut those out and kind

of customize the pattern however I

wanted if I wanted to add another one I

could just go in with like a sixteenth

note cut and I could just add them

wherever I wanted but the actual rhythm

was pretty non offensive and kind of fit

the back beat of the song so I didn't do

too much to that at all the next thing I

want to talk about is sometimes you

don't have to do anything to a loop you

just use them as ear candy so this is

actually from our sounds of life pack

it's loop 17 and the one twenty folder

just vibin so I didn't really do

anything to this I did bring it down

five semitones so it's set a little bit

better in the mix but sometimes that's

really all you need

we could have processed this but there's

so much other stuff that's very highly

processed I wanted this to actually just

sit in there nice so again that loop

originally sounds like this it's not

doing anything crazy but just by

changing that pitch it does help it

sound a little bit different and it

helps it sit a little bit better in the

mix because it was too high and just

wasn't really fitting the vibe so using

them straight up that's not an actual

tip that we're going to go over but it's

just kind of a tips if you want to use

something as ear candy you don't have to

process it crazy especially percussive

stuff so just to recap tip one is go

crazy with rearrangement change timing

change tempo change key and then swap

around the melody as much as you can

step two is going to be heavily heavily

processed stuff and just make it sound

like a completely different sound

altogether and then step number three is

actually going to be to layer your own

sounds on top of that so this is not

really working with a loop it's just

making the loop work for you so right

now just standard and a beat we have

this and it sounds good it just sounds a

little bare and a little kind of generic

right now

[Music]

so then once you have that you have the

courts if you can you know get the

chords down or if you can figure out

pitch by ear you can easily play some

stuff and if you can't you can probably

look at the key that it started in and

then kind of go from there so you know

this this started an F saw F sharp minor

and then we brought it down three so

we're just gonna work within the key so

right now just by listening to it I can

tell you a minor and F minor are going

to be my main chords that I want to

focus on so I played those on the synth

[Music]

so we added that one sense and then I

added another synth on top of it which

is just kind of like these bubbly little

[Music]

and then on top of that we added this

[Music]

just another little stab to kind of give

it some aggression and then probably my

favorite thing to do is actually layer

up the lead melody so the next thing I

did was I just took that lead melody

which is and I played it on a synth and

you can do this as many times as you

want with as many layers as you want but

I found one that I liked an omni sphere

and then just threw on a rotary to gives

me a cool little wavy Bell effect that

actually says really nice with the

original loop so here's mine by itself

[Music]

here's that layered over that original

loop so now let me show you the beat

without that on top and then with that

on top so here's without it

[Music]

and then here's that with me throwing in

my extra kind of auxilary scent and

comparing that to those original two

loops that I'll drag right back in I

mean it could not sound any more

different we had both of these loops at

completely different tempos and one at a

completely different key

here's them with nothing all together

[Music]

nothing's happening so again just take

this fit it to whatever tempo you want

to work out put it in whatever key you

want to be at rearrange to melody and

then you take this one that just happens

to fall on that key anyway and then you

get to really just kind of customize

them with sound design and adding stuff

on top of them so hopefully this kind of

helped you figure out how to make loops

work for you and kind of how to add your

extra flavor and your extra spice on top

of them

and that does it as you can see there's

so much you can do with loops you can

really rearrange them re-- pitch them

turn them into a different tempo do a

ton of sound design put your own sense

overtop of them the options are endless

so next time you find a loop that you

think might be a good inspiration or a

good starting point definitely play

around and see if there are any ways

that you can make it your own if you

want to just drag and drop a loop in

there is definitely no problem with that

you are legally allowed to do so

morley it gets sticky with artists if

you have an artist that hires you and

then you put that as a lead element in

their song and then a couple months

later they hear it again they might get

kind of pissed off and they might come

asking you what the problem is so

definitely be aware of that but if you

start doing some of these things if they

ever notice you can say hey that was a

starting point much like any other

preset or loop or anything like that and

we really made it custom to your song so

definitely try to make it fit your

aesthetic your sound and your actual

vision for the song but other than that

if you have any other ways that you like

to make loops feel like your own kind of

thing let us know in the comments below

I'm always looking for tips myself if

you like this video make sure you like

comment and subscribe if you want to

head over to make pop music calm and

check out the stuff we offer there

we would really appreciate it but that's

going to do it for this video and we

will see you guys next week with a

really really important announcement so

stay tuned but as for now much left make

pop music

I don't

I can't