LOOP COMP PROJECT
For this project you will compose a song using mainly the loops in Mixcraft
OBJECTIVES:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the following:
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE DOING ANYTHING!
PROJECT DUE by END OF CLASS Friday, Sept. 6
1. Watch this Mixcraft 7 Tutorial 2. Open Mixcraft and start a new project.
3. Choose a Song Kit for your song.
4. Audition Loops for your song
6. Select a Drum Track and add it to the work space.
7. Select a Bass Line for the A-Section.
8. Find a different Bass Line for the B-Section.
9. Add more instruments to your song.
10. Label and Color Code each track.
11. Use the Mixer
12. Experiment with FX
13. Add an Intro and Outro
14. How to turn in your project
RUBRIC - 30 Points Total
Length of Project - 5 Points
For this project you will compose a song using mainly the loops in Mixcraft
OBJECTIVES:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the following:
- song structure
- phrasing
- meter
- balance
- audio effects (FX)
- project organization
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE DOING ANYTHING!
PROJECT DUE by END OF CLASS Friday, Sept. 6
1. Watch this Mixcraft 7 Tutorial 2. Open Mixcraft and start a new project.
- Click File New Project
- Set it to 8 audio tracks
- Press "OK"
- Save Mixcraft project as LoopComp_LastnameF
- Save often!
3. Choose a Song Kit for your song.
- Click on the Library Tab
- Sort by "Song Kit"
- Explore all the different Genres
- Make sure the loops use a 4/4 signature
- Choose a Song Kit you like
4. Audition Loops for your song
- Spend some time listening to all the sounds in your Song Kit.
- Make sure the timeline view is set to "Beats"
- Right Click on the timeline at the beginning of measure 9 and select "Add Marker"
- Type "A-Section" in the Title box
- Add a marker for the "A-Section" at measure 17.
- Add a marker for the "B-Section" at measure 25.
- Add a marker for the "A-Section" at measure 33.
- Add a marker for the "Outro" at measure 41
- Right Click on measure 1, click Edit... and change title from "Start" to "Intro"
- LEVEL 2s
- Your song must be at least 64 measures
- You can explore other song forms, but be sure it makes sense and is interesting
6. Select a Drum Track and add it to the work space.
- Loop the drum track for the 8 measures starting at measure 9. This is the first "A section"
- Copy the same drum track to measures 17-24. This is the next "A section"
- Copy it again to measures 33-40.
- Find a different drum track for the "B section" (measures 25-32)
7. Select a Bass Line for the A-Section.
- Loop the Bass Line so that it lasts 8 measures. Add it to your "A - Section"
- Copy and Paste it to each A-Section.
8. Find a different Bass Line for the B-Section.
9. Add more instruments to your song.
- Use a different track for each instrument!
- The A-Sections should sound similar, but don't have to match exactly
- For example, the first A-Section is just bass and drums, but the second A-Section adds a guitar, with the same bass and drums. The last A-Section could include same guitar, bass and drums, and add a synthesizer
- Listen to your music from the beginning to hear if your loops work well together.
- Not all loops will work with each other.
- If it doesn't sound good, or it sounds a little weird, don't use those loops together.
- Make sure you keep the AABA structure as you add new loops.
- Keep building the song until you are satisfied with how it sounds.
- LEVEL 2s
- Your song must include 2 tracks of original material using a Virtual Instrument or record your own audio.
- Original audio recording should not just be samples, but the whole loop itself.
- These should include a Melody, Drum Kit, and/or Bass Line
- Your song must include 2 tracks of original material using a Virtual Instrument or record your own audio.
10. Label and Color Code each track.
- Make it look cool, and not just the boring green tracks.
11. Use the Mixer
- Adjust the volume of each track.
- Watch out for red warning lights! Adjust the volume to avoid spikes.
- Use the panning to adjust where your instruments are heard from left to right in the mix.
- Imagine where you would like them to be on stage if it were a live performance.
12. Experiment with FX
- Click on the FX button on the Main Mix Fader, or the Master Track
- Add digital effects to the overall mix of your song with the Global Effects menu
- Select the Classic Compressor and listen to some of the presets
- Select Classic Reverb and listen to some of the presets
- The FX you apply should have a noticeable effect
- You can apply an EQ, but you will need to apply another effect as well
13. Add an Intro and Outro
- The Intro can start in measure 1 or measure 5, depending on how long you want it to be
- Consider using the drums and/or bass line from the A-Section
- Maybe add a fade in using the envelope.
- Add an Outro at the end that lasts 4 to 8 measures
- Have tracks drop out as you near the end
- Fade outs a very useful here
14. How to turn in your project
- Plug in flash drive, and create a new folder named LoopComp_LastnameF (e.g. LoopComp_ShearerM)
- In your Mixcraft project, click File > Copy project files to > Folder
- Navigate to the folder you just created
- Select folder and click OK
- Select "Yes" for all of the following prompts
- Close Mixcraft
- Take flash drive to Mr. Shearer
RUBRIC - 30 Points Total
Length of Project - 5 Points
- Song is at least 40 measures and the AABA format is clear and easy to follow
- Level 2s - Song is at least 64 measures with a song form that makes sense and is interesting
- Song has at least 5 different tracks
- Loops are different and sound good together
- Level 2s - Song includes at least 2 tracks of original material
- Clean arrangement window
- Markers in timeline for each section
- Color coded tracks
- Each track appropriately titled
- Volume levels balanced
- No peaking on individual tracks or master track
- Creative use of panning
- Interesting and creative
- Attention to intro and outro (does not end abruptly)
- Evidence of good effort