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  • GFSA Challenge January 2016 - Loop mini challenge (All instruments welcome!)



Here we go - our first mini challenge of 2016!

Compose and record a entry that can be used as a backing track. This can either be a loop or -if you like- it can be structured as a tune (E.g. verse/chorus).

Two tracks - one track percussion/metronome and the other track featuring your instrument of choice (guitar/bass/drums/piano/etc...). Up to a max of 40 seconds long. Any genre!

The idea is, that the next challenge will build on this one and jam a solo/melody using these entries.

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When entering, please send through :

GFSA username
Track title
Track bpm
Category (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
Blurb - This is optional! If you'd like to share something us? E.g. key you wrote in, time signature, scales that you thought sounded good when you jammed to it and instruments/equipment/techniques used.

Email to gfsacomps@gmail.com v8v8v8@gmail.com (with mp3 attached) by midnite on Monday, 18th January.
    Thanks Meron.

    Can we maybe make it longer? Let's say you want to do an intro, some playing, a bridge and an ending, 40s seems a bit short? Or maybe I am over ambitious.

    Lpve the pedal "character" in the pic - looks like something that ate Spongebob.

    I have been browsing and reading a lot over the weekend. Are there any decent free VST Instrument drum-kits out there, which are easy to use. The easy to use is important for me, being almost blind - the more complicated the interface, the more difficult to operate it.
      Sounds interesting. Was also gonna ask about drum machines. Tnx G-Man!

      When you say two tracks, I am assuming its one audio clip right?

      Now to find the time before then18th...work is a killer this month.
        G-Man wrote: Hasie, try this for free drums http://www.powerdrumkit.com/download76187.php it is really easy to use and it sounds pretty good.
        Nice find G-Man!

        Hasie, I was going to suggest using wav/mp3 drum samples - but rather go the vst route if you can - less fiddly, unless you like chopping up samples (I sometimes do :?). Working with midi is far less stress!

        I'm not sure about extending the time on the challenge - my idea is to use a loop as the basis for something more substantial in the next challenge. Maybe you use someone's verse as inspiration to write a song around.

        I tend use loops a lot in the challenges, I am lazzzzyyy!. Typically, I'll crank up a drum track jam for a while and then select the tightest section to loop - so my approach is biased/flawed. Below is a screenshot of my ableton project from the jingle bells challenge. The little highlighted section is a four bar loop of the rhythm guitar that I re-used to make two eight bar 'verses' and the track below (was the jingle bells melody) I looped three times (3x4bar loops) - all which served as base for the lead (the track at the bottom - unlooped).


          wern101 wrote: When you say two tracks, I am assuming its one audio clip right?
          Yip! two tracks in your daw rendered into one file for submission. E.g. your last entry had vocals and guitar? One track would be vocals and one would have been guitar - which then the DAW would render as one audio file for submission (You probably did them live together - but had you multi-tracked them, it would have been two separate tracks)

          You get around to audacity/reaper yet?
            I might actually give this one a try- first challenge is to finish my iRig clone so I have something to record into. Been itching to try out some odd time signature stuff.
              Meron Rigas wrote:
              wern101 wrote: When you say two tracks, I am assuming its one audio clip right?
              Yip! two tracks in your daw rendered into one file for submission. E.g. your last entry had vocals and guitar? One track would be vocals and one would have been guitar - which then the DAW would render as one audio file for submission (You probably did them live together - but had you multi-tracked them, it would have been two separate tracks)

              You get around to audacity/reaper yet?
              yeah, previous challenge i did do two tracks. and then mixed them into one audio clip.

              just starting out with Audacity and already enjoying it. much better recording quality. I just need to find a sound card / USB input for the instruments. this business of plugging into the mic jack on the PC is not working for me.
                A huge shout out for Studmissile getting another awesome banner out - For those who don't know, he's been doing them for ages - absolutely tireless in his efforts and they are always killer. Thanks Stud!

                I hope there's enough time for peeps to get programs installed & pedals finished for a entry.

                  I already have a rhythm in my head. Now to pull it off and then find the correct drumkit and drum sequence(or whatever you call it) to complement it...
                    Cool, I really dig this. Now I just need to tune my guitar.

                    O Allen Key, where the hell art thou?
                      Question: have installed MT drumkit and placed inside plugins folder for reaper.... now how the hell do i access it??
                        wern101 wrote: Question: have installed MT drumkit and placed inside plugins folder for reaper.... now how the hell do i access it??
                        VST instruments (VSTi) can be used with REAPER by following these steps:
                        Create a new track.
                        Click on "fx" to open the FX window.
                        Click on "Add". ...
                        Select a plugin and click "OK". ...
                        Close the FX window.
                        Right-click on the Record button and select a MIDI input (MIDI devices are set in "Preferences > Audio > MIDI").
                          Meron Rigas wrote:
                          wern101 wrote: Question: have installed MT drumkit and placed inside plugins folder for reaper.... now how the hell do i access it??
                          VST instruments (VSTi) can be used with REAPER by following these steps:
                          Create a new track.
                          Click on "fx" to open the FX window.
                          Click on "Add". ...
                          Select a plugin and click "OK". ...
                          Close the FX window.
                          Right-click on the Record button and select a MIDI input (MIDI devices are set in "Preferences > Audio > MIDI").
                          Also you might have to scan the vst folder for plugins inside the fx window
                            G-Man wrote:
                            Meron Rigas wrote:
                            wern101 wrote: Question: have installed MT drumkit and placed inside plugins folder for reaper.... now how the hell do i access it??
                            VST instruments (VSTi) can be used with REAPER by following these steps:
                            Create a new track.
                            Click on "fx" to open the FX window.
                            Click on "Add". ...
                            Select a plugin and click "OK". ...
                            Close the FX window.
                            Right-click on the Record button and select a MIDI input (MIDI devices are set in "Preferences > Audio > MIDI").
                            Also you might have to scan the vst folder for plugins inside the fx window
                            Thanks gents, eventually had to move the .dll file into the 'fx' folder under plugins, then I could open it in reaper. 8)

                            now to figure out how to use it.... ☹
                              This year, i have vowed to improve my playing.
                              So I will make an appearance... :-[
                                Sorry to use this space for a technical query, but its for the greater good of the challenge... :?

                                So I got the MT power drum kit working with reaper, and already have my 42 second drum beat set up. (sorry Meron, 40 seconds was just too tight)

                                I want to export/render the file as mp3 so I can jam along, but reaper says I need 'lame' MP3 converter. So I download that, add to the plugins folder, but it doesn't work.... ☹ The specific files that reaper 'wants' isn't part of the download....

                                So now I can only export as a wav file - 40 seconds and 17MB....not good.

                                Any advice?

                                Thanks.
                                  If you a rhythm track figured out. Is it easier/better to do the drums after the rhythm track? Or should you start off with the percuasion?
                                    Hi Hasie
                                    Own experience it pays to first pull your drum track into the DAW, then record your rhythm track. It gives you a good idea of chord/progression changes on the drums but its a matter of personal preference. Different strokes for different folks ?