Loopy Pro: Create music, your way.
What is Loopy Pro? — Loopy Pro is a powerful, flexible, and intuitive live looper, sampler, clip launcher and DAW for iPhone and iPad. At its core, it allows you to record and layer sounds in real-time to create complex musical arrangements. But it doesn’t stop there—Loopy Pro offers advanced tools to customize your workflow, build dynamic performance setups, and create a seamless connection between instruments, effects, and external gear.
Use it for live looping, sequencing, arranging, mixing, and much more. Whether you're a live performer, a producer, or just experimenting with sound, Loopy Pro helps you take control of your creative process.
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Comments
Even when you're experimenting, you have to ask some questions and then figure out some methods for how to get answers.
Perhaps the difference between craft and experimentation is that the path of craft is a well worn one? Experimentation may start from a well worn path but head off in a heretofore unknown direction.
I don't know that all experimentation is equally innovative or novel so determining how experimental you're attempting to be may come into play. Above all, I would think a significant aspect of experimentation is that the process leads you somewhere or at the very least away from somewhere rather than trying to impose a preconceived outcome upon your results.
Novelty and experimentation are not the same thing although there can be novelty in experimentation and experimentation can lead to novel results.
@jwmmakerofmusic , Why do you want to make these epic long 30 minute tracks? What will they be for? In what context do you imagine them being used?
I think once you know the answer to these questions (and only one who can tell you is you), that will have gone a long way towards helping you make what you want.
No you don't. The word experiment comes from a Latin word simply meaning "try". Experimentation is just an act of doing without regard to method. For if you already had a method, there would be no try. You'd already have your way.
Good point. I wonder why you might want to make such epic (duration wise) pieces ?
I remember hearing very long pieces by the likes of Trevor Wishart, Ambrose Field et al at EAM concerts at York Uni, wondering where self-editing went
Listen to some Tangerine Dream in the so called Virgin Years. They were very good with musical direction within a piece of music.
Try setting up ways to play many instruments live if possible. Playing music live within the peice can give a more flowing structure than working in bar related patterns. You can always add and change things later.
@1P18
Experimenting by springboarding off of others' helpful suggestions is a way to start developing one's own methods which they may pass onto other musicians who may have the same exact question. Oblique Strategies is a great springboarding device. Others' methods are great springboarding devices. Eventually one will come into their own once their methods evolve, but we all need to start someplace.
As I stated in my OP, I'm not asking for "this is how you should do it" type of advice but rather "this is how I do it". You say "the word experiment means to try". No, it means, "Trying under controlled conditions," and controlled conditions, aka methods, are EXACTLY what I'm looking to try. The word experiment might've meant something different back when Latin (a now dead language) was actually spoken rather than sung in Catholic hymns, but as with everything, word definitions evolve much like humans.
Your method of experimenting is a valid viewpoint, so I'll add it to my list of methods.
@Everybody else, I'm absolutely loving these suggestions and methods.
My creative spark hasn't felt this strong in a long time. Thank you again for all the great advice.
@jwmmakerofmusic as far as specific methods for creating longer experimental music, I ask myself is this something I'd want to listen to some more? How can I combine methods I already use in a synergistic way so that the results are better than the sum of their parts? Are there things I should take out or add to my music? Don't Listen to your musical creation for at least six months to a year so you can engage it with fresh ears. How do I know when something is music and when it is not? Be willing to listen to awful sounds for a period of time to allow the music to emerge from the process (counterpoint to first method). Why am I focused on creating experimental music rather than other types of music?
My one suggestion for making longer experimental pieces is: make them together with other musicians.
Back in the day I used to do this. Three or four of us, not really a "jam session" because we all had in mind we were composing a long, experimental piece within a few loosely-defined parameters we'd discuss in advance. The improvisation kept it interesting--and some good, listenable stuff came out of those sessions.
But feeding off each other was the key. I used to try to do longer stuff like that on my own using iOS only, and just never liked how it would turn out. Even if the process of making it was fun, I just didn't enjoy listening to it afterward. Something really crucial missing that made the pieces sound lifeless.
Find at least one other musician, though, and I bet your longer pieces will turn out great.
Excellent advice. They were a crucial influence on my approach to longer evolving pieces. I don't care what Brian Eno said about them. He's not ALWAYS right:)
Tangerine dream and Eno are so boring today
How about something modern?
Let's listen to the god of ambient music
Sadly he died a few years ago
Enjoy! And listen at neighbor irritating volumes.
I bought so many FAX records
Most of it was limited to 3000 copies
He always was the secret tip for those who know,
It's such beautiful music.
Yep listen to lots of stuff. Classics to modern. From Phillip Glass to Edgard Varèse. From Jarre to Mike Oldfield. From TD to ENO. That will give you the ground work from these great musicians and composers. Then hunt out what the new kids on the block (not the crappy boy band) are doing.
Somewhere along the track, the question will change. You will no longer be looking for how people do it, you will be thinking 'what if'. What if I take the arpeggios of Phillip Glass and add such and such from the way The Beatles recorded. What if I throw in this and that and pass it all through the neighbours concreate mixer. What if I throw away certain notes. What if I give three sounds to every child on a separate iPad and get them to play along. What will happen if I throw out the rule book?
If like me, all your best stuff just happens when you least expect it, record every session you do (if you can). I'm no musician to be honest, but there has been times when everything just aligns and I've made some beautiful synergy of sound - I like to call it music
If possible, great idea. If not, using loopers with long loops allows you to sort of feed off yourself.
And on that note, loopers come to life with solid external control. If you haven't take the time to set up Loopy with a foot pedal or similar, definitely consider the time investment. Very worth it in my opinion.
Nice write up on some of the details of music for airports and discreet music. http://www.trustmeimascientist.com/2014/03/03/brian-eno-ambient-1-music-for-airports/
I like them but they can be quite boring.
As eno says it's elevator music, music to not listen, some noise carpet in the background.
So better don't follow to closely.
That's why I posted Namlook,
It's the exact opposite.
Don't think music always needs to excite. Especially if the stated artistic purpose at the outset is exactly the opposite!
Plus, I'm a nerd. Anything that references tape loops strung around be backs of chairs in Conny Plank's studio is inherently exciting.
^^
It's a concept, but I don't know, why create music that is not supposed to touch you and is supposed to be boring.
It's so easy to loop stuff today,
Of course it doesn't have the aura of hr. Planks spliffs. ^^
I don't think it's not supposed to touch you, it's just not meant to excite you. I find all of MfA to be touching and beautiful. Horses for courses, of course, but all these years later, I don't think it's boring at all. The point wasn't for it to be boring; the aim was for it to be ignorable on one level but engaging if you wanted to be engaged by it. Think he pretty much nailed that.
+1 for Fax label if you are looking for inspiration for longer experimental stuff
This is best longer experimental thing released in last few years in my opinion
Digital looping and sequencing will never sound as good as the same material looped using old analogue or tape gear. Your brain picks up on very subtle nuances of tone, timing, pitch and ambience that are missing from a clean digital signal or repeated sample (unless added artificially to the mix). That's why I'd never describe early Tangerine Dream music as 'boring', the subtleties keep the pieces interesting to my ears.
You have to work a lot harder with digital electronic music to keep potential boredoms at bay.
Tell ya whut, I have tried the long loop thing. I could see it working (well, even) for some folks. For me, tho, it just doesn't - if I'm rolling solo and I plan to ever listen again to what I'm laying down, the finished product has got to be brief.
The secret to creating longer experimental pieces is to not stop quite so soon.
One of the knife-edge aspects of experimentalism is the possibility that all you're actually doing is masturbation. But sometimes that what is required, don't be afraid of pleasing yourself. Scientists wouldn't have come across the Post-it note if it weren't for that (experimenting, that is) (or was it invented by Lisa Kudrow?).
This.
I believe Mira Sorvino was the genius behind that one. She made them yellow
@RedSkyLullaby : wow, that link (dawn of midi) just blew my mind. Thank you!, great stuff, and more to find where this came from... .
These are so great.
One of my favorite records.
Pete Namlook rules.
Eat your heart out,
Brian Eno.
Really if you just jam out some shorter parts, 4-8-16 bars, and then jam some more on top of pieces of the previous parts and so on and so on, you'll end up with a shit ton of material that is related enough to each other to sound coherent, but different enough to piece together into a longer piece. It doesn't have to be a complicated process. Just play, then structure it later.
Coming up with a lot of stuff is easy.
Here comes the important part,
delete everything that is unnecessary,
and see what's left.