FAQ

Q: What are sample loops and why are they important?
Q: What is Loop-X?
Q: Doesn't Ableton Live! do that too?
Q: How good is the BPM detection?
Q: Is there a Mac version planned?
Q: What is the Loop Mangler?
Q: What is Loop Dipping?
Q: Are there any plans to make a VST Plugin version of Loop-X?
Q: What sound formats are supported by Loop-X?
Q: What is a reference loop?
Q: Can Loop-X change pitch or tempo of Loops?
Q: Who created Loop-X?
Q: What can we expect from future Kymerical releases?

A: Sample loops are samples which, when played continuously in a looped fashion, sound like an infinitely long sample. They are very common in popular music, especially electronic music, where rhythm loops or drum loops are very common. Sample loops are relatively time-consuming to set up, as the audio engineer must adjust the start and end points of the sample closely, to ensure the loop sounds as fluid as possible. This can be a very time consuming process.. and this is where Loop-X comes in.

Q: What is Loop-X?

A: Loop-X is a tool designed specifically to cut out loop samples from an audio source, either an .mp3 or a .wav file, and quickly save them to disk. Loop-X has a built-in BPM detector which scans any audio file, determines the BPM, and then finds loops ready for saving. WIth Loop-X, you can beef up your sample library in no time! It basically does the tedious job of loop audiotioning and allows you to adjust things quickly and easily.

A: Ableton Live! is very popular software which is chiefly desinged to operate as a sequencer - both in the studio and for live performances. While it is very powerful software, it is definitely not designed to cut loops out of songs. Loop-X makes a perfect adjunct to Live!, allowing the producer to feed Live! loop source material faster than ever before.

A: The BPM detector has been tested on all forms of music. Typically, it successfully finds BPMs ( within .1 BPM ) to about a 92% success rate for 4/4 electronic music, and around 85% for hip-hop, jungle, and IDM. It has much more trouble with rock or music with "non-sequenced" or poorly pronounced drums, however it still often makes a very good guess in these cases. The best way to see how well the BPM detector works for your music is to download the demo.

A: At this time, there are no plans for a Mac version. If sufficient interested is generated, then this may change.

A: The Loop Mangler is a free Loop-X addon which allows you to chop up sample loops into pieces ( called slots ) and re-assemble them however you see fit. You can tell the Loop Mangler to play the slots in any desired order, and reverse-play individual slots. You can even tell the Loop Mangler to replace any slot with a slot from another sample ( see loopdipping ). The slots are crossfaded so that the transition between slots is smooth.

A: LoopDipping a new cool new concept introduced by the Loop Mangler. With LoopDipping you can replace any slot ( piece or slice ) of your currently loaded sample loop with a slot from ANY LOOP IN YOUR SAMPLE LIBRARY. This allows you to create complex mosaics of sound or create some very experimental digital experimentation. Try loopdipping voice samples over drum loops, mash together 16 different loops, and crossfade the slices together to create new loops!

A: Loop-X is meant to be a stand-alone tool and does not really fit into the VST instrument/effect paradigm; however, the Loop-Mangler could conceivably operate as a VST plugin. We will keep you posted.

A: Currently only stereo 16 bit sound is supported, either as .mp3 format ( any bitrate ), or as a wave file. Future releases will support more formats.

Q: What is a reference loop?

A: When using Loop-X to cut loops out of songs, it is wise to use a reference loop to ensure that all the loops that you cut start at the same point. This is important if you want to mix together the loops at a future date. If the loops are not properly aligned, then mixing them together will result in sounds which sound audibly out of sync. By enabling Loop-X's "Reference Loop" feature, you can play back your loop along with a reference loop, and make adjustments if your loop sounds out of sync with the reference loop.

Q: Can Loop-X change pitch or tempo of Loops?

A: Loop-X can change the tempo of a loop, and, if desired, maintain the original pitch ( this is known as time stretching ). Note that the more a loop is time-stretched, the more artifact sounds and time errors creep in - therefor it is a good idea to limit time stretching to 10-20% of the original tempo, to maintain sound integrity.

A: Loop-X was created by mda-analog, a creature from a galaxy far far away.

Q: What can we expect from future Kymerical releases?

A: Kymerical will be releasing new tools for mashing up sounds... the first of which will be automatic mix creators, followed by automatic track creators. Check back every so often to read up on new releases!