Tools for midi or wav loop creation -ACID Product Family

Subject:Tools for midi or wav loop creation Posted by: slr Date:11/7/2001 6:12:23 PM I've started looking at some tools to potentially create my own loops for use with Acid, but I'm trying to keep the price under $150. So far, I'm thinking about FruityLoops or Cakewalk Home Studio 2002. Has anyone here used either of these programs or have something else to recommend? Or is there sufficient justification to move to a higher priced package that might be better suited to this application? Any comments or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Steve
Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation Reply by: Iacobus Date:11/7/2001 10:25:57 PM You might want to think about Sound Forge XP Studio 5. Though it's not as powerful as its full-fledged cousin, it definitely gets the job done for ACIDizing loops. HTH, Iacobus
Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation Reply by: slr Date:11/7/2001 11:46:12 PM Yes, thanks. I use SoundForge XP Studio to finalize loops for Acid right now. I guess what I'm looking for is some software package that can create a pattern from either samples or midi and then render that pattern as a wav file that can be Acid-ized in SoundForge XP Studio and then used in Acid. For instance, I used a demo version of FruityLoops to construct a syncopated bass line with some echo. I then rendered that pattern as a .wav file. I then had to tweak it in SoundForge so it was the right length (I forgot to set FL to 120 bpm), and then used it in Acid. FruityLoops seems to work quite well, although I really don't like the user interface (SF UIs are my ideal). I just want to find out what others are using in case I haven't come across something that would do the job better. Thanks, Steve
Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation Reply by: Iacobus Date:11/8/2001 12:30:33 PM What you described is the best way possible when dealing with FLoops and ACID together that I can think of. Too bad FLoops isn't a DirectX plug-in itself. Now if only Sonic Foundry would create a software synth/sequencer...(insert maniacal laughter here) :) Iacobus
Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation Reply by: hecatenv Date:11/16/2001 9:48:01 AM Here's how to use Fruity Loops to make PERFECT Acid Loops... First off, you'll need the FULL version of FL...But don't panic...You can bend this rule and still use the demo. See, in order to make a perfect loop with delay or reverb, or any effect on it, yoou'll have to save a file with the pattern repeating twice in a row. If that is confusing, let me try to explain a little clearer: OK, say your patter is a progression of notes: A to B to C to D The patter is 4 bars long. SO, if you add an effect, such as reverb to it, and you want it to loop perfectly...You'll have to to create an 8 bar long project and have the 4 bar pattern repeat once: A to B to C to D to A to B to C to D THEN Export to WAV... If you have Acid 3.0...This will be EXTREMELY EASY...If not, it won't be much harder. OK, open the wav file you just saved into Acid. Double click on teh track(or right click and choose "properties") Under the "general" tab in the track properties, you'll see the waveform with bars divding it into sections. Since your WAV file was 8 bars long, you'll see either 2, 4, 8 etc. etc bars segmenting the waveform in track properties. Take your mouse pointer and highlight the the second half of the loop. This can be achieved by placing the mouse pointer on the first segment of the second half of the loop and dragging it all the way to the right. NOW, right click on the highlighted area and choose "Edit it Sound Forge". The file will open up in soundforge with the are you highlighted in track properties already highlighted. Hit "Control C" or go to "Edit" then "Copy". Then, go to "File" then "New" and hit "Control V" or go to "Edit" the "Paste". Save what you just pasted as whatever you want, and that file will be the perfect loop! Now, if you have Acid Pro 2.0: Open the 8 bar WAV file you created in FL in Acid. Drwa out the loop to it's full length, but no more. Then, click the first bar of the second HALF of the loop, right click and choose "Split at Cursor". Right click on teh first half of the loop to highlight it and choose delete. Pull the remaining half of the loop to the very start of the project and render that as a WAV file, and you will have a perfect loop. If you have any questions, just email me. Oh yeah, the reason you want the full version of FL is so you can use the sequencer in it, and also save the prject as a wav file...Instead of only being able to render the patter as a WAV...Thus you can make longer, better loops.

Subject:Tools for midi or wav loop creation

Posted by: slr

Date:11/7/2001 6:12:23 PM

I've started looking at some tools to potentially create my own loops for use with Acid, but I'm trying to keep the price under $150. So far, I'm thinking about FruityLoops or Cakewalk Home Studio 2002.

Has anyone here used either of these programs or have something else to recommend? Or is there sufficient justification to move to a higher priced package that might be better suited to this application?

Any comments or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Steve

Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:11/7/2001 10:25:57 PM

You might want to think about Sound Forge XP Studio 5. Though it's not as powerful as its full-fledged cousin, it definitely gets the job done for ACIDizing loops.

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation

Reply by: slr

Date:11/7/2001 11:46:12 PM

Yes, thanks.

I use SoundForge XP Studio to finalize loops for Acid right now. I guess what I'm looking for is some software package that can create a pattern from either samples or midi and then render that pattern as a wav file that can be Acid-ized in SoundForge XP Studio and then used in Acid.

For instance, I used a demo version of FruityLoops to construct a syncopated bass line with some echo. I then rendered that pattern as a .wav file. I then had to tweak it in SoundForge so it was the right length (I forgot to set FL to 120 bpm), and then used it in Acid.

FruityLoops seems to work quite well, although I really don't like the user interface (SF UIs are my ideal). I just want to find out what others are using in case I haven't come across something that would do the job better.

Thanks,
Steve

Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:11/8/2001 12:30:33 PM

What you described is the best way possible when dealing with FLoops and ACID together that I can think of. Too bad FLoops isn't a DirectX plug-in itself.

Now if only Sonic Foundry would create a software synth/sequencer...(insert maniacal laughter here) :)

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Tools for midi or wav loop creation

Reply by: hecatenv

Date:11/16/2001 9:48:01 AM

Here's how to use Fruity Loops to make PERFECT Acid Loops...

First off, you'll need the FULL version of FL...But don't panic...You can bend this rule and still use the demo.

See, in order to make a perfect loop with delay or reverb, or any effect on it, yoou'll have to save a file with the pattern repeating twice in a row.

If that is confusing, let me try to explain a little clearer:

OK, say your patter is a progression of notes:
A to B to C to D

The patter is 4 bars long. SO, if you add an effect, such as reverb to it, and you want it to loop perfectly...You'll have to to create an 8 bar long project and have the 4 bar pattern repeat once:

A to B to C to D to A to B to C to D

THEN
Export to WAV...
If you have Acid 3.0...This will be EXTREMELY EASY...If not, it won't be much harder.

OK, open the wav file you just saved into Acid. Double click on teh track(or right click and choose "properties")
Under the "general" tab in the track properties, you'll see the waveform with bars divding it into sections.
Since your WAV file was 8 bars long, you'll see either 2, 4, 8 etc. etc bars segmenting the waveform in track properties. Take your mouse pointer and highlight the the second half of the loop. This can be achieved by placing the mouse pointer on the first segment of the second half of the loop and dragging it all the way to the right.

NOW, right click on the highlighted area and choose "Edit it Sound Forge". The file will open up in soundforge with the are you highlighted in track properties already highlighted.

Hit "Control C" or go to "Edit" then "Copy".
Then, go to "File" then "New" and hit "Control V" or go to "Edit" the "Paste". Save what you just pasted as whatever you want, and that file will be the perfect loop!

Now, if you have Acid Pro 2.0:

Open the 8 bar WAV file you created in FL in Acid.
Drwa out the loop to it's full length, but no more. Then, click the first bar of the second HALF of the loop, right click and choose "Split at Cursor". Right click on teh first half of the loop to highlight it and choose delete.
Pull the remaining half of the loop to the very start of the project and render that as a WAV file, and you will have a perfect loop.

If you have any questions, just email me.

Oh yeah, the reason you want the full version of FL is so you can use the sequencer in it, and also save the prject as a wav file...Instead of only being able to render the patter as a WAV...Thus you can make longer, better loops.