Loopcloud advantages?

[Konduktor]

I've noticed a lot of ads about Loopcloud 3.0 lately. I could see it being handy if you're a professional who moves around from studio to studio, working across multiple machines.

However, as a lowly amateur, I only have access to one PC for making music, and it's not the newest or the fastest by any means, though it gets the job done, usually. I tend to use samples a lot, mostly Kontakt instruments.

Would there be any advantages for me to use Loopcloud?

Or is it just another way of baiting people into buying stuff later and being used as a lab rat by marketers, like so many other "free" things?

[Blaster]

Well, from the top of my head:

- new samples/loops each week for free.
- samples you buy from loopmasters can stay stored in the cloud until you need them (not all of them yet).
- works as a vst so you can browse samples/loops in tempo/key/pitch with your project.
- can add your own samples/loops and tag them.

It's not meant for kontakt (or other) based instruments. That is not really using samples imo.

[redlester]

All the things that Blaster says, but also; it's free. So just install it and try it. You will only spend any money if you deliberately choose to go to their online store, by default it opens in the free loops mode and they offer new ones on a weekly basis.

For me it's best used as a simple launchpad for ideas when inspiration is failing (often!).

[Konduktor]

OK, thanks for the input guys.

It's not meant for kontakt (or other) based instruments. That is not really using samples imo.

Well, both Kontakt and Loopcloud are VST's which play samples, they just load them in different ways. Sometimes I'll just import a regular .wav file onto a track. But I guess I prefer using multi-sampled "instruments" because you can manipulate them in more ways than with single loops. When working with the latter, I always seem to find a loop I really like but wish I could change a note here or re-arrange a rhythm there to add more variation in the song, which isn't always possible because that's how the sample was recorded. But this issue is also in a lot of Kontakt instruments as well.

Having said all that, after looking into it a bit further, I can see Loopcloud being a very useful thing, and not just if you're a pro.

[SoundPorn]

OK, thanks for the input guys.

It's not meant for kontakt (or other) based instruments. That is not really using samples imo.

Well, both Kontakt and Loopcloud are VST's which play samples, they just load them in different ways. Sometimes I'll just import a regular .wav file onto a track. But I guess I prefer using multi-sampled "instruments" because you can manipulate them in more ways than with single loops. When working with the latter, I always seem to find a loop I really like but wish I could change a note here or re-arrange a rhythm there to add more variation in the song, which isn't always possible because that's how the sample was recorded. But this issue is also in a lot of Kontakt instruments as well.

Having said all that, after looking into it a bit further, I can see Loopcloud being a very useful thing, and not just if you're a pro.

You're kinda over simplifying. Kontact is a sampler and an instrument. Loopcloud is a library for loops. Although since downloading Loopcloud 3.0 I use it more then any other app because its just insane. It curated all my sample libraries and put them in key. I haven't bought a sample yet it comes with 500 free points but honestly they give you enough free "Inspiration" samples you really dun need too.

The best part about Loopcloud is you can put in the key of your song or what you're looking for and it;ll pitch every sample to the key of the song and the bpm but not only that you both half the speed or double it which is incredibly useful.

If you're looking to change individual notes of the sampled loops you're gonna have to get Melodyne or start using Reaper which has a stock plugin that does it.

[redlester]

You're kinda over simplifying. Kontact is a sampler and an instrument. Loopcloud is a library for loops. Although since downloading Loopcloud 3.0 I use it more then any other app because its just insane. It curated all my sample libraries and put them in key. I haven't bought a sample yet it comes with 500 free points but honestly they give you enough free "Inspiration" samples you really dun need too.

The best part about Loopcloud is you can put in the key of your song or what you're looking for and it;ll pitch every sample to the key of the song and the bpm but not only that you both half the speed or double it which is incredibly useful.

Totally agree with all of that. I think Loopcloud is one of the best tools out there, especially for those of us who only use loops on a semi-occasional basis, for whom a subscription to something like NI Sounds or Output Arcade is not a sensible option. (Have never tried either so don't know how comparible they are.)

I had an email from Loopcloud the other day asking a set of questions related to future developments to it. I hope they don't keep changing it too much though, it's well nigh perfect as it is. I don't really want to upload my own loops to it, the Ableton Browser works pretty well for those. The only question they raised which I thought would be really good was about giving the Loopcloud window an always on top mode. This would be great for those of us with only one screen.

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, IMO Loopcloud is most excellent in case you want to keep track of your loops and don't have a sequencer offering any such a function (Logic, which I'm using, doesn't - and Apple Loops always duplicate files and you really can't sort them on your own at all).
The free content they offer (and keep adding, from all I know), is quite good enough for the occasional inspiration. Then, the option to preview loops in song sync, tempo and key really works quite well, at least for plenty of stuff. So, what's not to like?
And that's coming from someone who doesn't even use loops much.

[redlester]

Forgot to add, if you DO feel that you want to purchase a particular sample library you can switch within the Loopcloud window to their Store and actually preview every sound in the set if you want to. Much better than just hearing a few demos.

[Perambulum]

Hi,
I work with the loopcloud team and developed the user content feature.

What would be the ideal thing to do with the Kontakt instruments?

Currently, you can point Loopcloud at all the samples from the Kontakt instrument folder(s) and it will auto tag and track them for you. So that could be quite useful for instruments which are not multi samples. For situations where it's just a folder of every note from a piano I see how that's less handy, but I'd like to hear if there's something you wish it did do.

A great thing to try is pointing Loopcloud at the folder with all the Battery factory samples. It will auto-tag based on name. I then go through them marking just my favorites, adding more specific or custom tags (glitch, dramatic, etc....) and searching on these and dragging them back into battery to make the kits I really want from Battery stock samples or others I've got elsewhere or bought from Loopmasters.

Dave

[Sascha Franck]

No offense towards the Loopcloud team, but I think that for single shot samples (especially drums), the (free) ADSR Sample Manager is a far better tool. Runs as a plugin, can be triggered via MIDI, allows for drag and drop and, well, tagging, too.

[Distorted Horizon]

Great tool. I've replaced DAWs built in sample search completely with Loopcloud. Only thing or "issue" that is bothering me is that it becomes quite slow when you have around 100 000 samples

[Distorted Horizon]

ADSR Sample Manager

Tried it, hated it.

[Blaster]

No offense towards the Loopcloud team, but I think that for single shot samples (especially drums), the (free) ADSR Sample Manager is a far better tool. Runs as a plugin, can be triggered via MIDI, allows for drag and drop and, well, tagging, too.

Loopcloud does this too. Can run as plugin (as a bridge), can be triggered via MIDI, allows drag and drop. Only thing you also need to do is to start the loopcloud application.

[Sascha Franck]

ADSR Sample Manager

Tried it, hated it.

Why exactly?

[Sascha Franck]

Loopcloud does this too. Can run as plugin (as a bridge), can be triggered via MIDI, allows drag and drop. Only thing you also need to do is to start the loopcloud application.

Yeah well, but the application is quite massive for such a trivial task. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great for loops.