How do I get started with drum loops?

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Level 1

19 points

How do I get started with drum loops?

I've got an old Mac G4 Powerbook but I am a super-basic user. Not tech savvy at all.

I play Hammond organ - an old, completely analog non-MIDI instrument.

I want to get started playing along to prerecorded drum loops. I've googled drum loops and I'm blown away by the huge selection of all kinds of awesome live drum patterns. I know I definitely do not want to play along with MIDI drum sequences ... I want strictly whole measures or more of live drums.

I know nothing whatsoever about what software to get to begin using the drum loops that are for sale online. The obvious points me to very complex (and expensive) software like Native Instruments Kontakt, a high-end sample player. I have no need for anything that complex at all. I just want to drop in some loops, set up the song, hit play, and then jam along on my Hammond. There is a super-basic program called Band In A Box which is more my speed ... and it has drum loops capability ... but it looks like the drum loops have to be proprietary to the software. You can't buy any old loop package and drop it in.

Now I'm overwhelmed and confused. I'm not a tech-head and I'm certainly not into digital music, sampling, or sequencing. I have no experience with Apple's audio products, and the promo pages just confuse me with too much info.

All I want is a program that will let me set up and play the loops I buy online - regardless of who makes 'em. And it needs to be simple software. I have no desire to pay for or learn all these features I'll never use, like recording samples. Again, I think Band In A Box would be perfect, except you have to use their drum loops, and there's not that many of them.

I just want to drop in and play drum loops on an older Mac. Nothing complicated.

Can anyone steer me to some software that's right for me?

-JOHN

PowerBook G4 running 10.4.10

Posted on Mar 3, 2010 12:31 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 3, 2010 1:52 AM in response to Plenty7

Have you tried GB's drum loops? If you don't like them, what don't you like? If you are more specific, the drum people here might point you to more sophisticated stuff.

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Answer 2

WarriorAnt

Level 4

2,752 points

Mar 3, 2010 2:06 PM in response to Plenty7

Garageband should be right for your purpose. Just get to know it a little. It is extremely easy to use.

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Answer 3

Plenty7 Author

Level 1

19 points

Mar 4, 2010 10:20 AM in response to Plenty7

Hi Christoph and WarriorAnt,

Thank you both for the replies.

I don't know anything about GarageBand because I've never used it. I've never used any music software before, (other than iTunes, Ha!)

I don't have GarageBand on my Mac because it wasn't stock on the old Powerbook G4, so I would have to buy it. I'm happy to do that if I can figure out that it does what I want ... but I'm overwhelmed by the info at Apple's site. Too much for a beginner like me. Even the wikipedia.com entry for GB uses too many terms I don't know, so I'm easily lost.

I just want to be able to set up drum loops and play along with them. The main thing is that I'm able to use third party loops. There are so many really amazing loop products out there ... jungle drums, acoustic jazz drums, lounge, etc. I don't want to get caught up in anything proprietary (like Band-In-A-Box) because the selection is limited. I'm sure GarageBands loops are great, but I want access to all these other third party loops as well ... loops that were not specifically made for GarageBand.

Will GarageBand let me drop in any and all drum loops from these other companies?

And does GarageBand work like a basic sequencer, where I can program up an intro, X number of measures of a loop, then a turnaround, then a variation loop, then an ending, etc?

I know the high-end stuff like Native Instruments Kontakt does this, but unfortunately it also does a kazillion other professional-level things I will never need and don't want to pay for (and which make the software more complex and daunting).

Thank you again, both of you, for responding and helping me with this project.

Just a little more advice on those two questions would really go a long way.

-JOHN

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Answer 4

Plenty7 Author

Level 1

19 points

Mar 4, 2010 10:35 AM in response to Plenty7

By the way, I see on some of these third party drum loop samples, they have lists of the different formats the samples come in. One of the formats I see on some of these products is "Apple Loops". Does that mean it will work with GarageBand?

-JOHN

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Answer 5

Mar 4, 2010 11:52 AM in response to Plenty7

Yes, GB ships with lots of Apple loops. You can also create your own.

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Answer 6

Plenty7 Author

Level 1

19 points

Mar 5, 2010 8:11 AM in response to Plenty7

Thank you, Keith.

I appreciate the hardy endorsement for GarageBand from all of you guys. It sounds like it's all I need.

Can I ask one more question to understand this third-party compatibility thing?

I found a drum loop library that has loops I want and on the package it says, "Specially formatted for RMX and Reason ... Fully compatible with any other WAV and REX2 reading software"

So I assume GarageBand does this WAV thing, which would make it "fully compatible". But what makes something "specially formatted" for software like RMX and Reason, if in the very next sentence it says that it's fully compatible with any other reading software?

Is there something RMX and Reason can do with these files that any other compatible software can't?

Probably my last question, I promise.

-JOHN

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Answer 7

WarriorAnt

Level 4

2,752 points

Mar 5, 2010 7:15 PM in response to Plenty7

Can you post the drum loop library? A description and link would be helpful. Often a loops package comes in multiformats. This one probably has REX2 formatted loops and and another set as WAV loops.

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Answer 8

Plenty7 Author

Level 1

19 points

Mar 8, 2010 12:09 PM in response to Plenty7

Sure. Here is the post:

http://www.equippedmusic.se/lounginhouse.html

The product I'm talking about is the one at the top of the page ... "Loungin House" loops. It says formatted for RMX and Reason, but then follows up with "of course works with any REX2 and WAVE software.

So what makes a set of loops formatted for a certain software, when it follows right up with "works with everything else too"...?

And, more importantly, what are we looking for to determine compatibility with GarageBand?

-JOHN

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