Beyond Backing Tracks: Using Loops

We have taken some time to look at what Backing Tracks are and how to go beyond just simply making a backing Track for a song.  In this article we will take a look at a few ways to Use your loops so that they don’t feel like backing tracks when your using them on Stage.

Yet again it bears repeating that we should treat loops as another instrument in our band.  Allow it parts to play, and sounds to use that other instrumentalist couldn’t play or just would be better suited for the computer.

Unless you were born yesterday, we all know everything sounds better in Stereo then in does in Mono.  I have a good friend that describes the benefits of using In-Ears in Stereo vs. Mono.  He says that when using mono you only have the ability to mix by volume up & down and your options to place the instruments are limited.  If you have the ability to use In-Ears in Stereo then you now can go up & down with volume as well as panning left & right. We have much more room to place sounds.

Using loops in Stereo will add so much more to the sound.  So many people think of people using loops with a laptop on stage running two channels a Click to the Left and a Loop to the right.  We plug into the Direct Box from our Laptop and we are good to go.  Using a Multi-Output interface allows you to breathe new life into your loops.  You can pan loops & pads to create some really cool ambiances.  In breakdowns of the songs you can have Cymbal or Synth Swells that pan from Left to right.  It will add a whole new life into your sound.

Granted it is important that your church’s sound system is ran in stereo otherwise it will defeat the purpose.  But if you have the option to run your loops in stereo try it one time and sit out in the house while the band is playing and see the improvement, you’ll never go back

When you use Ableton Live you have the ability to “slice” your song up into sections.  You don’t just have to use one loop.  You can take your song and create a Verse, Chorus, and Bridge loop.  As you play the song you can trigger each section accordingly and Live will automatically place the loop in the correct spot at the correct time.  If you want to repeat a Chorus you can do so, and repeat it as many times as you want.

Most people when they perform songs, always do the song the same way.  If this is the case then slice the loop up into an “Intro” section and a “Song” section.  This way you have the ability to trigger your intro and it loops over and over while you can talk, pray and when your ready you can come in with the rest of the song.  This will allow you another dynamic to your services and not just always have piano or guitar start the songs.

There may be a song that you do that you often go back into the chorus at the end.  If this is the case then also slice up just a “Chorus” section, and when you finish the song make sure you keep the click running, and then when your ready bring the loop back in for the chorus, and the song will still have a great flow to it.

You can smooth out the Transitions of your songs by using the same loop for both of them.  You can use a simple 4 measure repeating loop for your first song that you can fade in and out (using a midi controller) or trigger in and out of the song (also using a midi controller).  At the end of the first song you can leave the loop running and then segue-way into the next song.  The loop will provide you with a smooth transition and provide the felling that the song never stopped.  This is extremely helpful in the case of doing a hymn after a well-known song, when you are looking for a fresh way to do the hymn.  Try it out some time it will instantly improve the feel of your worship sets.

For those of you that have used loops for a while, and have a band that is used to playing with a click, this is a great “next” step. Using Live you can assign tempos to scenes in session view.  You can drop in loops to those scenes and Live will automatically sync them to the click.  Go through and select a few loops before hand that you like (simply washy, filtered loops work best) and put them in a place you can easily get to them.  As you are playing a song, if you want to add another layer to it drop a loop into a track (make sure the volume is turned down) and slowly fade the loop in.  You can fade your loop in and out and trigger it in and out throughout the song.

If your really feeling adventurous you can setup a channel on the ears that is just for the “Preview” function in live.  That way you can preview loops from the Browser and when you find something you like you can drop it into the set.  Even if you use a Set-list type setup on Sunday morning in Live (where you have a loop planned for each song and tempos plugged in) you can still use this function.

Go through and create a few open tracks and place a few random loops you like in them.  You can also put in a few tambourines and shakers.  Now go through and assign the volume of each track to a knob or fader on your controller.  You can have as many loops plugged into the same song as you want.  You can do “We fall down” at the end of the service (it normally only has click) and you can fade in any one of your loops at any time.

If you always have a few loops plugged into each scene at the same time you will always have the ability to throw something in on the fly.  The most recent time I used this setup we had a “Master set” loaded with 120 songs and each Scene had a tempo programmed in, possibly a strandard preset loop (programmed out to a specific arrangement) and 5 loops (plus shaker & tambourine) that we could bring in at any time.  When you use loops like this you truly are treating the computer as an instrument in its self and you are playing “with” loops not “to” them.

All of these are ideas of how to better use loops live.  Loops don’t just have to be backing tracks. They can be living breathing “parts” of your band and add new and exciting sounds.  With a little tweaking of your setup and experimenting you can get some great sounds, as well as some really freeing ways of using loops.  You don’t have to be tied down to one arrangement and one sound.  Create something new and make it a part of your bands sound.  And remember don’t just try to sound “Bigger” but sound “Better”.