Forum Activity for @deltadio

Complete beginners forum

DAW or Software Questions

Maybe this "Complete Beginners Forum" should have the form of a ... (sub) forum (i.e. possibility of multiple/separate threads/discussions)?
Or could it be that all beginner questions always focus on sidechainng issues?
Maybe drop the 'complete' adjective, already proven inconsistent with its first posted topic.

Loopcloud vs Splice (not really)

DAW or Software Questions

LoL It seems I was preaching to the choir with this thread. Loopcloud is such a joy to work with and knowing new features are around the corner, it really is the gift that keeps on giving. I will race through Rob’s PT Loopcloud tutorial so nothing remains unexplored when using this gem. I don’t think I am the only one making sure every included sample pack has its unique graphic so Loopcloud is (always) able to show every sample’s ‘coat of arms’ ; the colors and depictions of those little emblems just add joy to this vast realm of sound. I can’t believe the annual subscription (for ‘Studio’ plan) has such reasonable a price ($119.99 billed yearly). The approximate equivalent plan on Splice would cost you … twice as much!

In the future I hope Loopcloud could do a bit more on 'previewing' midi files and categorizing/autotagging them; synth presets would be ‘a nice to have’ although I don’t think I would need them; not being able to buy Drum patterns is a peculiar deficiency that I’d expect they fix pretty soon.

Now as said before, I’ll get my money’s worth on Splice and I will report back if I found something that Splice does have an edge on [insert silence].

Loopcloud vs Splice (not really)

DAW or Software Questions

The top 3 Splice vs. Loopcloud reviews (top 3 because of how Google works) all perpetuate the lies that Loopcloud is “less user friendly” ("interface is a bit more complicated" ) and that Splice has “a better size library and it has a much vaster array of unique sounds” also phrased as "in terms of variety, Splice totally wins." They also put forward the preposterous claim that Splice is "better organized". This one might contain one (not two!) tenuously defensible claim(s): "The samples on Splice are the best in the business. And it’s got tons of exclusive, unique libraries". As to the exclusivity argument; I bet content providers/sample producers would LOVE to (also) be included in the Loopmasters/Loopcloud catalog but Splice simply won’t allow that, so yeah, that is exclusivity alright.

One interesting point is the assertion that since Splice is essentially cloud based you’ll have access to your purchased samples wherever you are. That must be have been a unique selling point of Splice at some stage in the development of Loopcloud (I even doubt that) but that difference, if it were ever true, has evaporated. At this point in time Loopcloud also offers (through its web interface under the “Purchased” button) the entire catalog of your Loopcloud/Loopmasters purchased* samples and sample packs AND under the “My Files” button you’ll find the sample libraries you have chosen to sync with the cloud storage (if that is included in your Loopcloud plan). My current annual Studio Plan includes 50 GB “Loopcloud Storage” that I have grossly underused (will fix that soon!) with 8.54 GB used and 41.5 Gb free.
Basically you sitting in that depressing (?) hotel room with that shiny new laptop will have all of your Loopcloud/Loopmasters purchased samples available through the webbased version of Loopcloud without any need to also install the Loopcloud app; getting all your stuff from the cloud. Obviously the Loopcloud app installed on your computer will easily outperform the cloud/web version esp. when you have locally stored samples that you use for most projects.

* Would be nice if they assumed like the pragmatic iTunes that content included, is content purchased, so your Loopcloud cloud library (under the Purchased button) would ALSO include packs bought outside Loopmasters/Loopcloud shop structure but part of their sample pack catalog. At least provide a mechanism of verifying “legally purchased” so as to add packs (that are parts of the Loopmasters/Loopcloud sample pack catalog); I mean I bought plenty of packs at Producerloops for instance, that are also available at Loopmasters but at that time Producerloops had a better price for a particular pack (just an example, bought more than plenty at Loopmasters!). Well maybe that would be too much too ask.. I still could include those ‘externally bought’ packs into my own Cloud sync collection but terabytes of samples don’t fit into 50 Gb storage…

Here are some examples of slightly disingenuous, dated or misinformed Splice vs Loopcloud reviews, but in all fairness, none of them are veritable hatchet jobs and they do give some props to Loopcloud (as they should!):

https://www.stockmusicmusician.com/blog/loopcloud-vs-splice-best-site-for-samples-and-loops
https://bpmskills.com/beatmaking/loopcloud-vs-splice/
https://wealthysound.com/posts/splice-vs-loopcloud
updated by @deltadio: 10/18/21 08:57:46PM

Loopcloud vs Splice (not really)

DAW or Software Questions

@robjones Thanks for that link to the Beatport vid. Stumbled upon this within that presentation: Reso: "You can see how basic this plugin is compared to the Loopcloud browser"; I'll finish watching that vid at a later time to watch that typical Splice workflow in action. As to your remark "[...] whilst he was just searching for sounds in the Splice app and then exporting them out to work with in the DAW in a more tedious and certainly less revolutionary"; not sure if it is very recent but Splice (now) has a rudimentary "Splice Bridge" so you can hear Splice samples within your DAW. See screenshot, looks like they are crawling toward a measure of Loopcloud functionality. Will check out the community and other bits of the site since I'll be sitting front row for the next 2 months; I'll update this thread if I come across something that would constitute a bona fide "nice to have".

Loopcloud Drum Tutorial

Member Content Requests

@robjones Thanks for your feedback Rob, I think you are right. That's up to 8 pads you could re-assign for actual drum/perc use, not even an easy task btw, many professional drumkits (like in Ableton) often include one or more dubious pad assigned instruments that you'll find no use for. Also, should you use them after all (quaint can be good) they tend to bear witness of which drumkit you used [and didn't bother to modify] (and we don't want that!).

To research the "wiley producer obfuscation options" I loaded the Loopcloud Drum midi into other drum instruments, it looks like Loopcloud Drum adheres to GM (or IMAP?) settings to some if not large extent:

I had 100% pad triggering for:
Ableton Drumkits
XLN Addictive Drums 2

I had approx. 90% pad triggering for:
ToonTrack EZdrummer

I had approx. 85% pad triggering for:
IKMultimeda's Modo Drum

The real question remains does the midi trigger the right instruments but with 8 pads assigned to Pad/Synth and Bass (i.e. Loopcloud Drum) it is difficult to come to a final conclusion because none of the other instruments commonly have similar instrument mappings; anyway, the kick was always a match but I lack the time to checkout all GM mappings. Perhaps RTFM is the answer but I haven't found one...

Collaboration as a useful learning tool

Collaborative Space

@robbie-o-beirne Cool. Left some comments in the comment section of that track, let's get this part of the site rolling!

Loopcloud Drum Tutorial

Member Content Requests

Ah well, to answer my own question "Also, Loopcloud drumkits generally feature bass pads and synth pads and not just drum and percussion pads. I am a bit startled how well that works out (normally I would add bass and synth in separate tracks) but at the same time it also limits me what I can do for bass and synth further along. Any thoughts?" After a bit more experimentation I have come to the conclusion bass, synth and pad sounds within the Drum kit are indeed very limiting in what you can do in your track afterwards. They may be suitable for simple projects or just to be used as placeholders but even that I find rather restrictive or outright annoying. The fact that these elements are often pitched makes the unsophisticated randomization function pretty useless when looking for less annoying placeholders (also that randomization routine suspiciously often suggests the same samples over and over again, it is definitely not the strongest aspect of the current Loopcloud Drum version).

Loopcloud vs Splice (not really)

DAW or Software Questions

@chdb Excellent points and hitting the nail on the head with "creative tool for your music workflow"; it has become my nr. 1 musical sketch pad. Guess I wasn't the only person who - to get at least their money's worth - at some point (before the subscription ended) got busy looking for some fresh samples on Splice. I managed to actually find a few charming vocal samples and have quite a few credits left. As for the additional Splice subscriptions like VST's, DAWs etc. those might have saved me a fair chunk of money when I started out but now that I already have ' every VST and DAW known to man' it's too late to start over. Well, maybe I should cut (some of) my losses and jump on the Slate Digital bandwagon, I am pretty sure I'll jump off the Waves train and almost certainly will not go ahead with my Plugin Alliance subscription but that's a diifferent subject altogether! Great platforms in their own right but not nearly enough integral part of my workflow and tbh many modules poorly documented and/or _above_ my current skill set...

Loopcloud Drum Tutorial

Member Content Requests

Bought 20 extra kits in total, still 1800 credits 2 go for the remainder of the year. Samplestate's "Minimal Deep Tech" and Loopcloud's own "House Exp" my new favorites. Always want to venture out in genres not really familiar to me like ... Dub Reggae (nice Drum Kit) so got this too. Note to self: now you have plenty and then some, stop buying!

Loopcloud vs Splice (not really)

DAW or Software Questions

[question in the 5th paragraph]

Ah, I got you there. Not much of a competition: Loopcloud rules supremely, browsing, sorting, playing samples that you already own and those you could buy from the shop, Loopcloud does it fast* in an attractive GUI and with an ever-growing amount of extra features like effects and in-app sequencing/arranging. With my yearly plan I got 3500 or so credits which I can’t even begin to make a dent in with normal use for projects; the only way to make those credits disappear fast is using your credits to buy entire packs, but why would you buy (given the option) an entire pack when you’re only after sounds you can/will actually use?

So Loopcloud it is for me, it has curated/tagged all the sample and midi libraries I have been (legally) collecting over the years making them project candidates instead of collecting digital dust on my hard drives.

Spurred on by curiosity and an internet coupon I have embarked on a trial “Creator” plan (200 credits p.m) at Splice and am already shocked at the slow glorified web interface like Splice desktop app where previewing samples is cumbersome and s-l-o-w, their app takes at least twice as long compared to Loopcloud which is a no-no for a speed freak like me who wants to preview sound after sound in a blazingly fast tempo before I decide which one to buy (or use if I already “own” them; “own” as in legally licensed to use them!).

It is almost comparing apples and pears with Loopcloud being supremely sample focused and turbo fast and pedestrian Splice geared more toward a marketing mix of a nice bunch of samples and additional plans for softsynths and DAWs and such (which I don’t need, already have all the daws and sofsynths I could ever want and use).

My question to you is: how do you use Splice, which feature is difficult or unavailable in the Loopcloud app which makes you prefer Splice or brings you (perhaps) to have a Splice subscription next to a Loopcloud subscription?

Slowly wading through the thick molasse of the Splice sample collection I discovered some nice vocal packs to select from, not really a replacement of all the vocal samples available in Loopcloud, but a nice-to-have supplement with a hint of (unwarranted I am sure) ‘exclusivity’. What else am I going to do with my monthly 200 credits? Full disclosure: they have a tutorial section which is small but from what I have seen, top quality! Already in my agenda is a cancellation date within the trial subscription; from what I have seen extending my subscription would be a waste of money (and as indicated above: time). I will check out the Splice Drum app which does look a tad bit more sophisticated than the nice enough “Loopcloud Drum” app but I don’t think it will change my mind about the cancellation.

* I currently have over 1 million (!!!!) samples and midi files curated in Loopcloud app (its DB called 'local.db' approx. 795 Mb) and I noticed the “Randomise Search Result” function taps out in search results > 40.000. I contacted Loopcloud support and they said this will likely be fixed in the next update coming soon.