Apple loops and time signature

Most of the questions I have seen about this are in earlier versions, so I am hoping that there might be some solution that I have missed in 10.5.


Much of my music is in 6/8 time. If I create a drum track and play around with various time signatures it always keep in time, whether 6/8, 4/4 or whatever. However, I want to use some Apple Loops. These conform to the project tempo and always change correctly if I change tempo, but I cannot find a way of conforming them to 6/8 time. I searched for loops in 6/8 and there is nothing. If that is correct then Apple loops are useless for anything other than 4/4.


Is there some way to get Apple Loops (either audio or midi based) to conform to the project time signature when it is other than 4/4? Cutting or stretching the loop does not help as the beat numbers and emphasis are wrong.

Posted on May 16, 2020 9:19 AM

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May 17, 2020 3:48 AM in response to melodeonman

I think that I may have figured this out for myself, but the answer is not good.


Drummer tracks adapt to the time signature. At least that is something.


Apple Loops (neither audio or midi) do not adapt.


If you search for all Apple Loops in anything other than 4/4 time almost the only ones that come up are sound effects, and they don't really have any timing. A very small number of midi loops are in 6/8 or 2/4 time, but nothing that would be of any use.


Since virtually ALL loops have 4/4 time built in they will snap to the grid on 4 beat combinations. So an 8 beat loop will take 1+ bars on a 6/8 grid. If the loop beats were divisible by 6 then it might just be possible to combine multiple loops to (sort of) finish a phrase on a bar. But since the loops are only in 4, 8, 16 or 32 beats that is not divisible by 6 and these loops can never finish on a 6/8 grid. The tempo can change, but the beats cannot be stretched or shrunk.


So, unless I am wrong, it is goodbye to Apple Loops unless I constrict my song production to 4/4 - not something that I want to do. Of course, I can produce my own loops at the correct time signature using various instruments (physical and virtual), but the whole point of Apple Loops is to add different effects and try things out quickly.

May 16, 2020 12:33 PM in response to Iaamusic

Sorry - that does not work. With a bit of luck I can fit 2 x 8 beat loops to match a 2 bar 6/8 sequence, but the timing and beat emphasis do not match. The metronome actually plays with the correct timing and emphasis on each 3 quavers, but the loop does not follow. I did try a bit of editing to try to move the notes onto the right beat, but this did not work well.

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Apple loops and time signature

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