Sounds Loops and Construction Kits in Garageband Audio

What exactly is a Sounds Loop and Construction Kit?


I love Sounds Loops and Construction Kits in Garageband Audio!!
So what are they and how do you use them creatively? Lets break it down and go step by step.
A "Loop" is a short audio file that can be any instrument or sound. You can think of a "loop" like you would a "word" in a sentence or paragraph; it can be used as the basic building block of a song or composition, just as a "word" forms part of a sentence or paragraph. Like a "word" a "loop" can stand on its own; but usually is used with other "loops" to form a composition/paragraph. Actually the term "loop" has now come to describe any piece of audio that is used as a piece of a song, track, production or composition; and this is regardless of whether the "loop" is used once or looped throughout the entire composition. The term "loop" can also be any type of instrument, be it drums, guitars, bass, piano....any type of instrument or vocal can be a loop. Loops can also be various lengths audio, ranging from the simple one-bar loop to entire tracks within the composition. Originally, the term "loop" meant that it was a repeating pattern or phrase; this is no longer the case and can now be used to mean any length of audio file. There are also cousins of the "loop". The term "instrument" or "one shot" means that
these pieces of audio files are meant to be played or triggered in a sample-playback engine or a sampler. This is a very small distinction and the lines are constantly blurred.

The word "sample" is a term that used to describe any audio that has been recorded digitally. Technically this would be the smallest part of the loop. I think of the word "sample" like I do "cell" in the human body. The "cell" is the smallest part of a piece of human tissue; just as the "sample" is the smallest part of the "loop".

A "sound library" or "sample library" is a collection of music samples or music sounds loops. The "library" is usually a collection of samples or loops with a specific theme or genre. So, you could have a "Drum Loops Library" or a "Guitar Sample Library". Usually these are sold on DVD-ROM or CD-ROM and some companies are even making them downloadable. Since some companies are making there product downloadable you now are able to create that track at midnight and say "oh, if only I had that piano samples in my track", well now you can have it your way, right away!!! Garageband Audio gives songwriters and composers the ability to download all of their loops and samples libraries. Most quality libraries consist of audio files, loops, one shots, multi-samples and sometimes all of these.

Another extremely useful term is "construction kit" format. "Construction Kits" are loops that usually contain several instruments and patterns (i.e. drums, guitars, bass, keys, vocals, percussion; etc). These are excellent for creating really quick demos and song starts. The magic is when you add all of the different construction kit parts together you have a completed part of a song. You have the drums, bass, guitars; ect. Be careful though that this easy way of writing doesn't make you uncreative. I love using construction kits but really try to only use a few parts together, or chop them up and rearrange them. You can do all kinds of tricks to be creative with construction kits; experiment and be originally. Construction Kits allow you the ability to sound professional right away; but its up to you to put in the creativity by rearranging, chopping, muting parts; ect.

As always, with everything you do as a songwriter, music producer, composer and beat creator; you must add a touch of your creativity to the project. This creativity is what makes the Professionals stand out and apart from the amateurs.
Be different, be creative, be you!!!

If you'd like to be different, bold and creative; please check-out all of the Hand-made Live-Played, Sounds Loops Libraries at Garageband Audio