Live Percussion or Loops for Recording Music

Recording Studio South London

Here at The Coolest Recording Studio in South London - we get to do all kindsa fun stuff!

Recording Studio Shazzle ! 

So ….. you’ve got the basis of your track recorded – drums, bass, guitar, keys maybe – & vocals – now it’s time to dress it up with a bit of tinsel & fairy lights!
Most people these days head for the loops folder – especially in Logic as it’s easy as pie to drag & drop some pre made loop into the mix to liven it up a bit – or to cut in some flavour.
However! – it’s always a good idea to question where you’re going with said track – do you really want it to sound generic & perhaps a bit boring? – Cause loops really can be a bit bland.
Take Funkadelic – did they use loops? Course not – they were a powerhouse of creativity – as were all the jazz bands from time!
Listen to On The Corner by Miles Davis – it’s completely nuts – out of time cowbell – clave all over the place – but Boy does it sound good! So good people sampled it to death. 

Recording Music Out of Time & Out of Tune 

xylophone balafon tuned percussion

Well yeah – it looks a bit odd – & for sure it’s not gonna win any beauty pageant – but this kind of hand made – not quite in tune percussive element can really add some personality to a track – especially if you run it through some spacey analog echo effect – and we got a few of those!
It’s all about personality – & adding a bit of magic to your production.
EDM has edged its’ way into all genres of music production – which is great on one front (ie creative use of digital effects) – but a bit crass on the other – not all music needs perfectly timed delays – some music needs a gnarly freaked out something rearing its’ ugly head to add a bit of je ne sais quoi to the mix! 

xylophone tuned percussion

So ….. you take something like a Glockenspiel – hit a few of its’ pretty notes in time to your track – then run it through a huge stereo delay – & Lordy – a whole new percussive & tuneful element arrives to pep up the mix – it’s a beautiful otherworldly thing!
Check This out! 

Cool huh.
Though you do not in any way need to be as adept as these two chaps – you just need a room – with a mic …. & a bit of imagination.
We use this little thing all the time:

There’s just something sweet, happy & nice about him – & he loves being hit! We must have used him in about 70 recordings over the years – but you can use anything you find in the house – brass bowls – ceramic plates – the bottom of your door???
All have interesting acoustic properties you could make use of.
Just look at Tom Waits !!! He’s made a career out of hitting stuff – & makes some of the best music like …. ever.
So …… grab a loop if you must – & mangle it with some plugin ….Or ….. open the crazy door – start banging around & see what magic you can create with a spoon and your moms lightshade.
We do !!!!!