How do you keep things sounding original when using pre-played MIDI and/or loops?

[budsticky]

Hello all,
I'm pretty much new to the computer music recording world. I've played bass for 25 years but I've never jumped into the PC recording side of things.

Lately I've gotten the bug and have been using Reaper along with programs like MusicLab's Real Strat, EZkeys and EZdrummer, as well as Jamstix. I have some basic keyboard skills, but nothing special. I'm using these to create original song demos for my rootsy rock/alt country band and so far I'm having a great time with it. I'm not doing anything terribly fancy, just making sketches which will be further fleshed out by human musicians.

Basically I'm kind of wondering how folks keep their stuff sounding fresh when they are using material that everyone has access to. For example, even if I change the progression to something in EZkeys it will still sound a lot like anybody elses song that uses the same MIDI. And in some of the EZdrummer packs the MIDI loops are even grouped into song sections. So my worry is that everyone using this tool will have songs that sound the same. That said, since I don't play guitar and my keyboard skills are only basic these programs are a god send for my particular purposes. And even though I'm turning these things over to human players who will interpret them in their own way I still fear sounding too samey to other things.

So give me your tips and tricks for working with these things. Listening to stuff out there I know that people are doing great things...but how do you all make them your own?

[michael2]

when I use EZ Drummers loops I will paste them in a bar at a time and change them up just a hair so that they're not exactly the same as the loop (take off a crash, or stagger the timing of a fill,...). just try and personalize them a bit.

sometimes I will take a drum loop and try and duplicate it myself; never turns out quite the same and I may get new ideas as I am working. or obviously you can cut up drum loops.

some stuff though who cares? if you're using the old boom bap, boom boom bap, it is what it is.

have fun at all costs.