Is ACID the best looping software around? -Sound Forge - PC

Subject:Is ACID the best looping software around? Posted by: scooby13q Date:12/25/2002 3:10:46 PM Hey, I received FruityLoops 3.0 as a gift recently, and I don't know whether I should return it and get Acid instead. I'm interested in making "techno" music, but I would really like the ability to import recorded sounds (i.e. acoustic guitar, etc.). I do a lot of home recording, and I'm really looking to integrate some elaborate drum patterns and synth sounds in with "human" tracks. Is this possible in Acid or FruityLoops, and if so, how difficult is it to "micromanage" all the different drum parts and patterns going on? Will I always be confined to preset loops (and have to buy CDs with new samples when I want something different), or will I have the capability to build my own beats and synth sounds from the ground up with single drum hits, note-by-note melodies, and editable synth voices? I already own Sound Forge and Vegas, and I've been very impressed the quality and number of features from Sonic Foundry products. Any advice about the pros/cons of either the ACID family of products or FruityLoops would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Subject:RE: Is ACID the best looping software around? Reply by: Iacobus Date:12/26/2002 12:29:53 AM You can actually use both Fruityloops and ACID Pro 4.0 together. Fruityloops can be run as a VSTi within ACID. (I don't have Fruityloops myself, but I've tried the demo as a VSTi within ACID and liked the results.) You can use ACID to program a drum sequence by using what's called One-shots. One-shots are designed to play only once in any given event along the timeline. (This means that a One-shot event does not and cannot connect to the next event along the timeline like Loops do.) They're quite ideal for quick samples (like vocal or synth stabs) and percussive sounds such as kicks, snares, etc. By holding down CTRL with the Paint Tool active, you can instantly paint in a One-shot event in its entirety and have it snap to the grid according to your desired note resolution. (Quarter notes, 8th notes, 16th notes, etc.) This is actually how I usually build my projects that contain percussion. There's only a couple of problems using this method: You'll need to know your music theory if you have a desired rhythm in your mind and want to make it real, and, of course, the actual One-shot material. A lot of the loop libraries from SoFo contain such material. Not every collection has One-shots, though. Two collections I can think of out of the top of my head are the Industral Toolkit and the Junkyard Rhythms libraries. You can also make your own One-shots. Sound Forge has ACIDizing tools that allow you to create such material. (It's under Special>Edit ACID Properties on the menu bar.) It can be somewhat tedious, as you'll have to make sure that the desired One-shots sit where they're supposed to on the grid. However, you can turn a group of One-shot tracks into a Loop if you want to simply by soloing and bouncing down for easier manipulation. If you ever pick up ACID Pro 4.0, email me and I'll send a sample project out to you that shows how it's done. You can also check out my projects at ACIDplanet. (The percussion tracks on those projects aren't very complicated to begin with, but they could be as complex as I want them to be.) HTH, Iacobus
Subject:RE: Is ACID the best looping software around? Reply by: scooby13q Date:12/26/2002 6:36:45 AM Wow, thanks for all the info! I think I'll go ahead and get Acid Pro. BTW, I like the projects on ACIDPlanet =)
Subject:RE: Is ACID the best looping software around? Reply by: Iacobus Date:12/26/2002 2:07:51 PM Thank you! Be sure to email me via my previous post if you want that sample project. Iacobus

Subject:Is ACID the best looping software around?

Posted by: scooby13q

Date:12/25/2002 3:10:46 PM

Hey, I received FruityLoops 3.0 as a gift recently, and I don't know whether I should return it and get Acid instead. I'm interested in making "techno" music, but I would really like the ability to import recorded sounds (i.e. acoustic guitar, etc.). I do a lot of home recording, and I'm really looking to integrate some elaborate drum patterns and synth sounds in with "human" tracks. Is this possible in Acid or FruityLoops, and if so, how difficult is it to "micromanage" all the different drum parts and patterns going on? Will I always be confined to preset loops (and have to buy CDs with new samples when I want something different), or will I have the capability to build my own beats and synth sounds from the ground up with single drum hits, note-by-note melodies, and editable synth voices? I already own Sound Forge and Vegas, and I've been very impressed the quality and number of features from Sonic Foundry products. Any advice about the pros/cons of either the ACID family of products or FruityLoops would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Subject:RE: Is ACID the best looping software around?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:12/26/2002 12:29:53 AM

You can actually use both Fruityloops and ACID Pro 4.0 together. Fruityloops can be run as a VSTi within ACID. (I don't have Fruityloops myself, but I've tried the demo as a VSTi within ACID and liked the results.)

You can use ACID to program a drum sequence by using what's called One-shots. One-shots are designed to play only once in any given event along the timeline. (This means that a One-shot event does not and cannot connect to the next event along the timeline like Loops do.) They're quite ideal for quick samples (like vocal or synth stabs) and percussive sounds such as kicks, snares, etc.

By holding down CTRL with the Paint Tool active, you can instantly paint in a One-shot event in its entirety and have it snap to the grid according to your desired note resolution. (Quarter notes, 8th notes, 16th notes, etc.) This is actually how I usually build my projects that contain percussion.

There's only a couple of problems using this method: You'll need to know your music theory if you have a desired rhythm in your mind and want to make it real, and, of course, the actual One-shot material. A lot of the loop libraries from SoFo contain such material. Not every collection has One-shots, though. Two collections I can think of out of the top of my head are the Industral Toolkit and the Junkyard Rhythms libraries.

You can also make your own One-shots. Sound Forge has ACIDizing tools that allow you to create such material. (It's under Special>Edit ACID Properties on the menu bar.)

It can be somewhat tedious, as you'll have to make sure that the desired One-shots sit where they're supposed to on the grid. However, you can turn a group of One-shot tracks into a Loop if you want to simply by soloing and bouncing down for easier manipulation.

If you ever pick up ACID Pro 4.0, email me and I'll send a sample project out to you that shows how it's done. You can also check out my projects at ACIDplanet. (The percussion tracks on those projects aren't very complicated to begin with, but they could be as complex as I want them to be.)

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Is ACID the best looping software around?

Reply by: scooby13q

Date:12/26/2002 6:36:45 AM

Wow, thanks for all the info! I think I'll go ahead and get Acid Pro. BTW, I like the projects on ACIDPlanet =)

Subject:RE: Is ACID the best looping software around?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:12/26/2002 2:07:51 PM

Thank you! Be sure to email me via my previous post if you want that sample project.

Iacobus