Looping loops: to crop or not to crop?

[John Vulich]

most samples can be looped without crossfading, if you look hard enough - Infinity was very good for finding these points easily. crossfading , IMO, should always be a bit of a last resort, although of course sometimes there's no other option.

I don't agree that crossfading should be viewed as a "final option". It really depends on what type of sound that you're looping. If it's a single note, of a sustaining instrument, then yeah, you often can (and probably should) just loop it without crossfading. I tend to create a lot of complex, heavily processed evolving loops from instruments like Reaktor and there is no way that these sounds are ever gonna loop without crossfading. Especially with some granular type sounds. In these cases, crossfading is integral to getting these sounds looped properly. I just try to make sure that the fade is at a rate that compliments the movement and flow of the sound.