[Slipstreamer]

... sometimes you make a loop that just sounds so damn good that you can't throw anything else on top of it, because it just ruins it?

I made a very simple 8 bar techno percussion loop yesterday. Nothing special, basic four-four, but I'm very proud of it nonetheless as I think its the best percussion I've managed so far. Problem is that whenever I try adding any pads, basses, leads etc. they just sound so laughably amateur that all they manage to do is detract from the sound of the drums.

How does one get out of this kind of rut?

[Stich]

What about making a loop that you have no idea how you would lead up to it or come out of? Ha ha. Silly loops. It appears to be a basic problem of composition, not that I would know much about it.

[Barry Acid]

lets hear this loop.....

[Dugg Funnie]

Originally Posted by Slipstreamer

... sometimes you make a loop that just sounds so damn good that you can't throw anything else on top of it, because it just ruins it?

I made a very simple 8 bar techno percussion loop yesterday. Nothing special, basic four-four, but I'm very proud of it nonetheless as I think its the best percussion I've managed so far. Problem is that whenever I try adding any pads, basses, leads etc. they just sound so laughably amateur that all they manage to do is detract from the sound of the drums.

How does one get out of this kind of rut?

set a timer for 5 minutes, if whatever you're trying to add or change about the sound doesn't give you at least something decent to work with, it's probably not meant to be. Don't write music, let music write itself through you.

[ThomasEdger]

I suggest using a piano/guitar if you have one, and try experimenting whilst putting the loop on repeat. Eventually you should find some chords that fit, that you can then mess about with.

If you don't have that, try find out what chords are appropriate at the certain bars in the loops.

[RFJ]

Originally Posted by Barry Acid

lets hear this loop.....

+1

[Autechre]

Originally Posted by Barry Acid

lets hear this loop.....

+2

[alphx]

I wanna hear the loop too haha. Yeah i have the same problem though, where i get a melody and a decent ish intro... then i cant find any way to progress it because it feels un-progressable. I think its just overthinking/lack of inspiration/being lazy or something along those lines.

[Slipstreamer]

Well it's extended into a minute of nothing but percussion. But here it is:

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[RFJ]

If you're happy with the loop you made there's no shame in using a preset patch for pad / bass / lead etc until you get better at sound design. You could always throw one on there and replace it wth something you have made that sounds suitable when the time comes. If your patches sound amateur then when you find a preset you like try and reverse engineer it. Break it down, build it back up and make it somehow your own by changing something about it. I tweaked many presets to fit when I was first starting out.

[relic]

^What RFJ said. And if you really like the loop you could always save it for a rainy day and move on.

[Barry Acid]

Man you just have a basic 4/4 kick with a hats.... Here is my techno loop

[Slipstreamer]

Originally Posted by Barry Acid

Man you just have a basic 4/4 kick with a hats.... Here is my techno loop

I know that; I never said it was particularly good objectively speaking- only that as far as I'm concerned its the best thing I've done, personally, so far. I'm proud of the kick, I like the simple hat patterns. I load up previous attempts and the perc sounds like crap in comparison. In six months time this loop will also sound like crap to me, I'm sure.

[Johnny_Newman]

Not to be discouraging, but, sometimes these things take a lot of time. I've had riffs, rhythms, and melodies for years at a time before I've found a song or composition that the particular idea fits in. If you don't have a home for it right now, hold on to the idea - keep writing & composing - and if it's a good idea, it will find a home.

[Focalized]

Come on if you listen to techno in its simplest styles you know you should not be making a thread about this "loop". If you can't manage to add anything to fit that you need to try something else.

It's the simplest of loops.

I want to hear what you though was crap before this one.

And listen, if you are really starting out with this music, give yourself a lot of trial and error and introspective thought before looking for answers on what to do next.

[Slipstreamer]

Eh, ok, fair enough. Noob errors, shouldn't be sharing anything when I'm at this level of production (non)skill. Can a passing mod take this thread down please?

[scyn]

Originally Posted by Slipstreamer

Eh, ok, fair enough. Noob errors, shouldn't be sharing anything when I'm at this level of production (non)skill.

Pssh - of course you can. The majority of replies were positive . Still want the thread removed?

[Slipstreamer]

It can just die a natural death I guess XD. Maybe a few months down the line I'll actually have done something with that loop and I can give it another shot