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Re: Is using Pre-Recorded Loops Cheating?



Hi all,

Of course there are some musicians that would consider even "live 
looping" as a from of musical "cheating" of some sort.

Too often in music, one group or style of musician often wants to 
present itself in an "elite" context (relative to others).

The frequent habit is to "dis" somebody else instead of simply, 
single-mindedly, pursuing ones own ideal of "excellence" with a modicum 
of tacit humility and an open mind towards others who offer different 
styles or points of view.

It all depends.

Like a lot of people, I have no particular admiration for the activity 
of karaoke.

But I suppose that there are practitioners thereof who would qualify as 
some having some sort of "artistic merit."

I've never heard them, but it could happen.

Anyhoo . . .

Such questions often stem from a desire to qualify, quantify, 
categorize, marginalize and denigrate the artistic value of ones 
perceived competitive "rivals."

As if to say, this music or that musician is less than something or 
somebody else because they do "X" and (of course) we don't.

Some of it is silly . . . some of it is shamefully arrogant.

Stupid primate "status seeking" . . . I guess it's in our DNA to 
constantly "compensate" socially.

We're all guilty of it from time to time.

"Cheating" in this regard is in the eye of the beholder, and therefore 
says as much (if not more) about the accuser as the accused.

About the only clear cut "cheating" that we would all probably agree 
upon is "lip synching" I suppose (think Milli Vanilli).

All sort of accepted and/or popular musicians have used canned material 
- some more cleverly than others (oops there I go again).

Les Paul (an early practitioner of geetar looping if ever there was 
one) actually used "canned" tracks upon occasion when on live TV.

Pink floyd's frequent use of "musique concret" loops in many songs is 
well documented.

I saw David Torn at Luna Park in L.A. in the mid '90s and he had some 
sort of sampler (Akai I believe) to play drum track loops synched to 
his Lexicon delays for his otherwise solo show.

Various members of this list, famous or not, including myself have used 
"canned" loops of various kinds at different points in time.

I've found that it can be fun and useful to make loops in my DAW on the 
computer that sound rather unique and like no instrument on this planet 
- then port them over to a little phrase sampler to be played at the 
press of a button.

The same goes for spurious audio clips from radio or TV, plus 
environmental or mechanical sounds I can record around the house - even 
the cheesy rhythm track from a wheezy old chord organ.

Who the fraak cares if I'm not actually triggering them with my MIDI 
guitar instead of a button on a box?

I also like to record simple percussion loops played on kitchen 
utensils or garage/shop tools.

Each one on it's own would not sound like much.

Envision one loop functioning like a bass drum.

Another like a snare.

Another like a clave or hi-hat.

Another toms.

Individually they are nothing - too little information to be involving 
or interesting alone.

But even if they all have numerically relative BPM values they can 
sound totally different if I trigger them at different times (other 
than on the "one") relative to one another.

Hey, I have an electrified biramau, a Seymourized kalimba, a mini conga 
and a diggeridoo too - they all could be fair game for this and I don't 
have to tote them to a show.

I have also sample snaches of orchestral "chords" and "swells" from 
classical CDs which I've edited to use and play as canned "pads" or 
atmospheric loops.

Is it "cheating" if I don't bring an orchestral string section to a gig 
to play on only one 6 minute piece?

The main advantage I see for (using) canned loops is the ability they 
give to get to a musically developed point in composition (when playing 
live) earlier and/or quicker than when you actually have to play and 
trigger every sound in every loop one at a time in real time.

In festivals with short (30 minute) set lengths it can take forever 
(and be rather tedius for an audience) to develop a piece all in real 
time (over whatever period of time) if you don't happen to have the "Mr 
showbiz" gene  - or the panache of some musicians who can make every 
single little gesture and element a visual spectacle.

I for one don't have such gifts.

Frankly, I am as boring to watch as mold growth in the average 
refrigerator.

I may have all the patience in the world to develop an idea one note or 
beat at a time in real time myself . . . but I find most audiences do 
not.

They wanna get to the "good stuff."

Having a set of personally-developed "canned" loops like these can also 
help in creating some some "fall back" pieces in an otherwise 
improvised set when the improvisatory "muse" isn't cooperating (or has 
decided to give the gig a miss altogether).

Hey, sometimes the "muse" get's the flu too.

The chief drawback (for me) is not having enough "hands off" ways to 
ensure these canned loops don't stay static.

I used to have a little Akai sampler that would allow the loops to 
decay over time just like a digital delay.

Parts would appear at the press of a button, loop several times and 
slowly, slowly, slowly fade away.

All I had to do was hit the button again (at precisely the right time) 
for them to reassert themselves in the mix - kind of a neat and easy 
musical function if you ask me.

So far, sadly, the Roland/Boss samplers I now own and have experience 
with do not have this ability.

It is sooooooooo boring to hear the same loop going and going and going 
(like the Energizer Bunny).

There was a time (about 15-20 years ago) that I thought it was really 
cool and "minimalistic" - hey look at me I'm Phillip Glass (or Robert 
Fripp, or whomever).

It does have a rather seductive navel-gazing trancelike appeal.

But more and more I am trying to make the loops change and evolve (as 
well as what I play over them).

Okeedokee, I'm tired of listening to myself type.

Somebody else's turn.

Tag you're "it."

Cheers,

tEd ® kiLLiAn

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that 
you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. 
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. 
Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

http://www.pfmentum.com/PFMCD007.html
http://www.CDbaby.com/cd/tedkillian
http://www.guitar9.com/fluxaeterna.html
http://www.indiejazz.com/ProductDetailsView.aspx?ProductID=193
http://guitarplayer.com/article/y2k6-international-live/Jun-07/27768

Ted Killian's "Flux Aeterna" is also available at Apple iTunes