That’s just… I can’t decide what’s worse - this or AI.
Well AI. These loops are “free of charge” for users of Splice. Or royalty-free
I was going through a bunch of “how it was made” hip hop track videos a couple weeks back and the amount of mf’s that opened with the line “so i found this loop” was insane
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Yeah, AI is objectively worse because it’s sucking up and reusing material left and right with no respect of copyright. But even that feels more creative and ballsy than just dropping in a premade loop and calling it your song haha.
I’d understand if it was some beginner teenager music producer being stoked about a couple of loops coming together to makes smth cool for the first time. But Justin Bieber and his producers at that level? That’s just super lazy.
I’d have to disagree there, imho there’s nothing lazy about presets or loops or whatever your poison happens to be, making a finished track takes effort, no matter what the source material is, proper sample or sound source selection is just a minute part of it, making each element work together and coming up with a coherent arrangement takes time and focus regardless of where the the source material came from, if it sounds good it is good, loops, samples and presets don’t just work together out the box, unless of you’re using construction kits but I seriously doubt anyone here is, and even if they were who are we to invalidate the tools they use for the creative process…
No wonder music is so homogeneous these days, since producers get their samples from the same source, and also some use AI.
This has turned me off of using Splice and other big sources for samples, and I am thinking about spending the winter just making my own sample packs.
How terrible should be classical music. The same instruments for centuries ![]()
I think a better analogy would be using the same bars of written music or style for centuries…
Sure, if you throw in a perc loop (and maybe filter it and shuffle it up a bit) just to add that little bit of extra spice to your own groove, fine. But throwing in a premade loop that opens your song and then serves as the foundational rhythmic/melodic element throughout, and no less from a superstar like Justin Bieber, yeah that’s lazy and uncreative.
I look at this the same way. Had a day off, so working on a SBTRKT-style kind of track. Pretty blown away by the options in Splice. For example I always struggle to find proper vocals to beef things up. Or to come up with a fill or break for a transition. So made a beat myself, the bass, a pad-like riser and grabbed a vocal chop and a couple of piano thingies from Splice. Pitched stuff up and down, cut the samples up a bit, doubled the vocals with a neat little trick etc.
Can’t see nothing wrong with that.
I really wish there was an offline AI random loop generator for Ableton that relied entirely on synthesis rather than samples. I honestly believe this is the future. Currently, platforms like YouTube flags a drumbeat you created from scratch, or a major label might target your earnings for a sound effect you created on your own analog gear. It’s a mess.
Back on topic.
OT
The fact that this is someone proudly showing how they made something is terrible.
I do occasionally make beats by just looping stuff if that sounds best, but at least those are samples from songs that I’ve dug up myself and werent meant to be sampled/looped. Also: I would never be particullarly proud of any of those tracks unless I added something very dope to it.
I just cant imagine having fun or being proud of songs made out of premade splice loops with very little creativity.
for possible benefit of the doubt, i dont think the producers making those kind of videos are doing it because they are proud of it, the video is just another piece of content in the basket of low hanging fruit they sell. still makes me snore though
My problem with shitting on stuff like that is that in isolation that clip doesn’t tell the whole story, here’s the instrumental, the trap style stuff isn’t my bag but it’s clear to anyone with half a clue that the loop was chopped and rearranged in the final track, add to that the track went platinum and the guy must be doing something right…
Anyhow I’m not looking to fight about it, I stated my opinion earlier about the whole source material thing, creativity comes in all shapes and sizes…
Intro riff is the second preset on the Korg Prophecy - the preset’s called Firestar
Anyone can do anything - do what works for you. There are literally no rules.
Stop hating on yourselves for doing what works
from reading all of the comments and knowing a bit about everyone commenting I don’t think it’s about hating yourself for doing what works, I think that for example the last for post before mine our 4 different disciplines at work
so the definition of what works for you is gonna be 4 times different… the good news is that everybody is different, and the other good news is that you’re all right for your respective artistic disciplines… the really good news is that there is no bad news in this realization ![]()
there is an sampling art form discipline where you can only sample from vinyl
there is an sampling art form discipline where you can sample from any sound source
there is an sampling art form discipline where you only use loops as they are without changing them
there is an sampling art form discipline where you only make loops unrecognizable
there is an sampling art form discipline where you degrade the samples til they cannot be degraded anymore
there are many more sampling art form disciplines… it’s such a vast art form with many different kinds of musicians dedicated to their particular disciplines within the craft…
the books, avalanches, pete rock, madlib, alchemist, el-p, are just an example of several samplist that don’t follow the same disciplines but adhere strictly to the discipline they each follow.
like different denominations of the same faith… baptist, african methodist, united methodist, Presbyterian, catholic, etc…