Even as I write this I am cringing. At the very least 30% of all the questions I get about using loops are “Can I use loops without In-Ears?” Whenever anyone talks about what it takes to use loops they mention the absolute need for in-ears. The problem with this is that there are tons of worship leaders that really want to start using loops but don’t have the budget to buy in-ears. They’ve got a mac and garageband but no In-ears. So can they use loops? Most people will quickly answer no and move but, Yes you can use loops with out in-ears ( I cringe…) but keep in mind Attempt at your own risk!
Right and Wrong, Better and Best
Using loops isn’t a matter of right and wrong, its more a matter of better and best. There is no “Right” way to use loops (even-though i’ve experienced ways so bad I’m pretty sure I can say they are wrong). There really are ways that are okay to use them, and then there are ways that are better, and there are the best ways to use loops. It is all based on your situation and what best fits your needs. That being said using loops with out In-Ears is somewhere between okay and better. The fact of the matter is, if you can afford In-Ears and have the ability to use them then DO. Even the argument of using them with loops aside your band will sound much better and your Ears will thank you! But for those of us that can’t afford In-Ears here are a few do’s and don’ts to using loops without In-ears.
DO’S
Always use a Click
Even if you don’t use in-ears it is still crucial that you play to a click when using loops. If your band isn’t experienced with using a click stop reading this post and check out our post on Using a Click, give it a few weeks or months, then come back here. You need your drummer to have the ability to play to a click. It is important to not just run the click to the drummer, i.e. out of your laptop then click only to the drummer. You will find a need to turn up the click in the monitors during the rehearsal at times to help out the other band members or to help learn a song. If you run the click to your soundboard and then back to your drummer via a personal mix then he has the ability to hear the click and when need the rest of the band can hear it as well. It is important to make sure your sound tech turns off the click in the house. If your running your loops mono (i.e. straight out of your headphone jack on laptop) then make sure the click side gets back to the drummer with the ability to give it to the others when needed. If your running your loops in stereo (i.e. multi-output interface, click & loop L, R) do the same thing. It’s also important to make sure the drummer can get the proper balance of loop vs. click, enough click to stay in time and enough loop to hear whats happening and play with it.
Put your Drummer on In-Ears
If you dont’ have the ability to purchase in-ears for the band you need to at least run a personal mix back to your drummer so that he can hear the click. If you have an open channel on your snake you can use a few adapters and a headphone amp (to boost and give better control of the sound) to create a personal mix for your drummer. If you have the budget you may want to buy him a pair of nice In-Ears if not a decent pair of headphones. Make sure they get some practice playing with this mix. Make sure they have plenty of click in their mix so that they can stay in time and so they can keep the rest of the band together.
Have your Drummer keep time
One of the nice things about using loops with In-Ears is that you dont’ need the drummer to keep time on their hat or ride in the low sections of the song. When you aren’t using in-ears the safest bet will be to have the drummer keep time (even if its just 1′s) to make sure no one gets off the click. As your band gets tighter this need may die down but it still is best to always have the drummer prepared to keep time in case tempo begins to waver…
Always have a constant Rhythmic Element Present
It is important that you always have some sort of Rhythmic Element going in the loop to keep the rest of band in time. There shouldn’t be verses of nothing and then a huge loop kicks in, in the chorus. Always keep something going whether its a shaker, tambourine or washy filtered loop. You may be okay if all you have is a tamborine in the Chorus and the drummer either plays or keeps time the entire Verse you can probably get by with empty space. But the safest bet is always to have some sort of Rythmic Element going. You can have them not come in till the rest of the band comes in (ie. two measures of click for the drummer, and he counts you in on the 2nd measure) then the element comes in with the band and stays in until the end.
You can also fade in and out the loops at the beginning and end of the song, but make sure the drummer is aware of where the song is and able to count the band in when needed.
Crank the Loop in the monitors
Make sure the rest of the band can hear the loop well enough in the monitors. This will help give them a good feel for the song as well as keep them in time.
Always have an “Oh Crap button
As mentioned in our Overcoming Technical Anxiety post, make sure to always have an Oh crap button. If things can go wrong, at some point, some where..they will. So always be prepared to kill the click and loop whenever needed.
DON’TS
Crank the Click in the monitors
No matter how much you want to, don’t put the click in the vocalist’s or band’s monitor wedge during a performance. Its screams of cheesiness and makes you loose the professionalism of using loops. If you follow the steps above you will have no need for any click in the monitor whatsoever. Keep in mind there may be times in rehearsal that you want to bring the click up for the rest of the band to hear. This is okay and a good thing from time to time! Once you get In-ears for the rest of the band you should highly consider putting everyone on Click so make sure they can get used to practicing to it at times.
Use only loop and no Click
Go back and read #1. Even if you have a loop that is always going, it will still bomb if you don’t use a click. There may be 1% of the people that use loops that may be able to do it without click, but for the the other 98% of us we need to use it. So don’t be silly or stubborn just use it, and you will start to see an improvement in your band.
Use loops for every song for the first 4 weeks
Okay so even if you are using In-Ears you don’t want to use loops for every song when your starting off. Ease people into the process of using them. Start easy then work you way into more complex things. As you gain the ability to get In-Ears you will begin to gain the ability to do much more loop wise.
Be encouraged as you start your journey. You obviously see the need for your band to progress musically and Using loops is a great way to do that. I strongly feel that the people that do the most with the least are the most creative, so get excited that you are gonna have to use your brain and a little elbow grease to make this happen. It will get easier with time and eventually your budget will grow and you’ll have the ability to use In-ears. When that time comes your band will already know how to play with loops so you’ll be one step ahead! But Good luck on the journey and keep up the hard work!
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