Please recommend an app for this workflow

Sabicas

This thread is going to really demonstrate how far behind I am on modern tools for creative composing.

Here’s my current method of creating.
1) I import a backing track that I created in Session Band into Cubasis 3.
2) I grab my guitar improvise over and over until I think I have some good ideas. This might be 4-5 tracks
3) I chop up those improvised tracks into snippets that I then move around and re-order, discard etc. This is tedious as I have to realign them on the correct beat.
4) Once I’m satisfied with the outcome, I rehearse and re-record everything for the final track.

What app will just let me loop and improvise, while automatically keeping aligned to the beat? I don’t care much about final production here as this will be a composing tool. I’m still going to end up traditionally tracking in Cubasis. I do need it to run auv3s, however, as I’m currently experimenting with effects that will affect how I arrange the clips.

I’m hoping for an app that does the above with out bloat like sample packs or virtual instruments

Thanks in advance.

cokomairena

I would do it in Garage Band, or AEM

seonnthaproducer

Agreed on GarageBand. I use it a lot for that reason.

Actually, that’s a good reminder to release a project for public use.

AUM, Koala, Blocs Wave/Launchpad works as well but they require buying or unlocking stuff. For Blocs Wave, simply export the audio from whichever AUv3 apps you’re using.

Drambo could be a potential one but I’d say wait…until you understand how it works.

But if you’re interested, here’s how I started with Blocs Wave and GarageBand.

It has since evolved beyond that, but the simplicity of this video is why I still refer to it.

wim

Loopy Pro!

wim

or Zenbeats.

Zenbeats might be less of a conceptual jump from your current workflow. It has both clip based and timeline based workflows. You can quickly get your ideas down, quickly edit them to a set number of bars/beats, fool around with different combinations of loops interactively, then when ready dump them to a timeline for further development.

Loopy Pro works this way as well, and is easier for importing things like backing tracks.

Garageband's clip launcher is brilliant for this kind of thing, but despite that, I just cannot get myself to use GarageBand.

espiegel123

@wim said:
Loopy Pro!

@Sabicas : Loopy Pro has a retrospective recording mode so that you can play and play without recording and when you decided you like what you just played, you tap a clip and it captures the previous X measures (where X is the the number of bars you told it you want to use as your recording length). It is very handy when there is a tricky part and you don't want to record take after that you have to wade through. If you play a take you like, you just tell Loopy to capture it (after you've played it.)

mistercharlie

Loopy Pro is made for this!

Sabicas

@espiegel123 said:

@wim said:
Loopy Pro!

@Sabicas : Loopy Pro has a retrospective recording mode so that you can play and play without recording and when you decided you like what you just played, you tap a clip and it captures the previous X measures (where X is the the number of bars you told it you want to use as your recording length). It is very handy when there is a tricky part and you don't want to record take after that you have to wade through. If you play a take you like, you just tell Loopy to capture it (after you've played it.)

Omg. Sometimes you don’t know you need a feature because you don’t know it exists. I NEED that lookback capture feature now.

It also looks like it has a timeline view like the aforementioned Zenbeats. Interesting.

And it’s only 25mb!

This looks like the ticket. Thanks!

espiegel123

@Sabicas said:

@espiegel123 said:

@wim said:
Loopy Pro!

@Sabicas : Loopy Pro has a retrospective recording mode so that you can play and play without recording and when you decided you like what you just played, you tap a clip and it captures the previous X measures (where X is the the number of bars you told it you want to use as your recording length). It is very handy when there is a tricky part and you don't want to record take after that you have to wade through. If you play a take you like, you just tell Loopy to capture it (after you've played it.)

Omg. Sometimes you don’t know you need a feature because you don’t know it exists. I NEED that lookback capture feature now.

It also looks like it has a timeline view like the aforementioned Zenbeats. Interesting.

And it’s only 25mb!

This looks like the ticket. Thanks!

Here is a quick demonstration, I put together last year

RajahP

And from next week, you can change the Key of the song if you want.. 7.3. Can’t wait..

Sabicas

As far as I can tell, I can’t fade or crossfade in Loopy Pro. I didn’t think I would care as I started out looking at this solely as a composition tool and would retract everything in Cubasis 3. However, I’m impressed enough, so far, that I’m looking into this as my primary DAW.

Is there no way to fade a clip in/out? In my research, I couldn’t find anyone discussing LPs audio editing shortcomings but I did find someone claiming that “Neon” works well with LP as an editor.

EDIT: I found the “how to play a one-shot” menu with fade options. It’s a weird way to do it, but I’m remaining open-minded.

mojozart

FWIW The manual says you can configure a button to cross-fade

https://loopypro.com/manual/

espiegel123

@Sabicas said:
As far as I can tell, I can’t fade or crossfade in Loopy Pro. I didn’t think I would care as I started out looking at this solely as a composition tool and would retract everything in Cubasis 3. However, I’m impressed enough, so far, that I’m looking into this as my primary DAW.

Is there no way to fade a clip in/out? In my research, I couldn’t find anyone discussing LPs audio editing shortcomings but I did find someone claiming that “Neon” works well with LP as an editor.

Yes, clips can have a fade-in or out. Global fade-in/out settings are in the Clip Settings panel. Individual clips can have their own settings, too. Flick up on a clip to access its individual settings. Turn on playback settings and you can set unique settings for the clip.

At some point in the future, some features for comping together a take from sub takes is planned.

Sabicas

@mojozart said:
FWIW The manual says you can configure a button to cross-fade

https://loopypro.com/manual/

Wth? I searched the entire manual but I didn’t use a hyphen. Jeez.

I’ve also searched for any references to that “seq” button but found nothing.

espiegel123

@Sabicas said:
As far as I can tell, I can’t fade or crossfade in Loopy Pro. I didn’t think I would care as I started out looking at this solely as a composition tool and would retract everything in Cubasis 3. However, I’m impressed enough, so far, that I’m looking into this as my primary DAW.

Is there no way to fade a clip in/out? In my research, I couldn’t find anyone discussing LPs audio editing shortcomings but I did find someone claiming that “Neon” works well with LP as an editor.

EDIT: I found the “how to play a one-shot” menu with fade options. It’s a weird way to do it, but I’m remaining open-minded.

The fade options don't apply just to one-shots; the layout of the panel is a little confusing. The fade options apply to all clips.

espiegel123

@espiegel123 said:

@Sabicas said:
As far as I can tell, I can’t fade or crossfade in Loopy Pro. I didn’t think I would care as I started out looking at this solely as a composition tool and would retract everything in Cubasis 3. However, I’m impressed enough, so far, that I’m looking into this as my primary DAW.

Is there no way to fade a clip in/out? In my research, I couldn’t find anyone discussing LPs audio editing shortcomings but I did find someone claiming that “Neon” works well with LP as an editor.

EDIT: I found the “how to play a one-shot” menu with fade options. It’s a weird way to do it, but I’m remaining open-minded.

The fade options don't apply just to one-shots; the layout of the panel is a little confusing. The fade options apply to all clips.