Currently, when trying to create a natural-sounding, continuous shaker or percussion loop, I find myself having to slice a single sound across two separate tracks (e.g., Track 3 and Track 4) and alternate them. This method is cumbersome and doesn’t fully achieve the desired seamless, flowing result.
What should this feature achieve?
I would love to see a new track type—let’s call it a “Loop Track”—that would allow for a longer, continuous sample to be played back with a user-definable loop length.
This concept is similar to the “Loop” track type on the Roland MC-101. On that device, you can set the track’s length in steps, which allows a single long sample (like a natural shaker recording) to play back perfectly in sync with the pattern without having to chop it up.
This feature would enable users to create more organic, realistic percussion parts (like shakers, tambourines, or other long FX) that stay perfectly in time and feel more natural than a stepped, sequenced loop. It would also just require one track instead of two for a shaker track and greatly expand the Step’s capabilities beyond strict step-sequencing.
Other uses for this feature include adding melodic loops etc..
Are there any workarounds?
Chopping up two small parts of a shaker loop and using two tracks as described over. Another alternative is to connect the Roland MC101 using tempo and start/stop sync, but that would exclude pattern changes and EFX so not the best solution.
Great wish! I take it that when you mention the “Loop” track being perfectly in sync with the pattern, we are assuming that in the same Tempo as your Step pattern? Like no time-stretching going on?
I do think there’s some time stretching (without pitch-shifting) involved. For example with the looper track on the Roland mc101 I’ll upload a shaker loop that is 4 beats/16steps in length. On the length parameter I’ll leave it at 16 (so the mc101 knows the whole loop should fit within the 16steps). When altering tempo the loop will then follow the tempo and fill out the whole 16 steps.
For a 6/8 track/feel, I’d upload a shaker loop that’s 12steps, and adjust the length parameter to play only 12 steps. That way the number of steps for playback and the length of the original loop is the same. Changes in tempo would then cause the loop to still play over the same 12 steps, only faster / slower.
There’s obvious limits to how much a loop can be time-stretched before it starts sounding unnatural, but in my use with an acoustic set-up I’d be happy have three 16step shakers in different tempo (e.g. in 60, 90 and 120bpm) I’d switch around for what’s closest to the tempo of the song/preset I’m playing. Same goes for other time signatures.
It could probably be done without time stretching as well, but that would require a lot of different loops in various tempos and in no-way leaves the option for slightly changing BMP live (without also changing loop) as I understand it. (Edit: I tried to use a 90bmp loop with a 90 bpm track and that works as is, but only when bpm for track and loop matched 100%)