Loops folder location options and ?'s

GRB wrote on 6/14/2023, 3:38 PM

May I ask for some additional help on this topic?

In that said Public "Common" folder there are separate folders for "ACID Loops", "Loops Collections", "Producer Planet Teasers", and "Soundpools".

Which of these would I place additional packs, loops, samples, soundpools, Construction kits, Wav files, etc from both Magix and Third Party purchases (IE Producer Planet, Producer Loops, etc).

Will they be automatically read and avail to use? I have many on my external drive in a generic "loops" folder.

Will Music Maker stuff be universally usable in ACID Pro also?

Humbly wonder what the difference is between Soundpools, Loops, Packs, and ACID Loops..... I figure ACID loops are specifically made for the program to be tempo and key shifted in ACID with little to no efforts... the others I'm not so sure, especially Soundpools vs Loop collections (packs)?

Guess I'm still learning.....

Comments

SP. wrote on 6/14/2023, 4:45 PM

@GRB I would put each publisher into a different folder because every publisher does it differently, but all files are basically audio files, usually in WAV file format. There is no way to recognize everything automatically.

Magix Soundpool loops need to follow a certain folder structure and file naming scheme. This is for automating pitch changes in Music Maker or Samplitude without transposing the audio material (usually 7 different pitches) and so that the programs knows the instrument type of the loop (drums, keys, strings etc.).

WAV files for ACID usually have additional metadata inside, like for example which type of sample (oneshot, loop, bestmapped) it is and which properties (time signature, root note, tempo etc.) it has. These files are called "acidized". I think that all Magix Soundpool loops from the store are also acidized in some way.

This type of metadata became popular in the late 90s, early 00s, so a number of different programs like Cubase or FL Studio can also read "acidized" metadata as well. But it's not as important as it was in the past, since computing power is now fast enough that DAWs or plugins can calculate these information on the fly just by loading audio files. Or the metadata is in the filename itself.

Other publishers might also put MIDI files, VST presets, construction kits etc. into their loop packages.

It's always a good idea to have some additional tools available to get the most out of your loops and to reduce manual work.

For example, I really like the free VST Big Fish Audio Momentum which can load loops and automate the hard work of manipulating them. Highly recommended.

Next, for oneshot drum samples I recommend sampler VSTs. Sitala is a very simple and free sampler VST. You can load the samples and trigger them with MIDI notes.

If you have an ACID version with the Independence sampler you can also use it. But it might be hard to learn if this is your first sampler because it has a lot of features (and a very outdated GUI which makes it not easier). But it can also load MIDI files like samples and then you can play them with just one finger. So this might be interesting if you want to use MIDIs from loop packs in an easy way.

GRB wrote on 6/14/2023, 5:27 PM

@GRB I would put each publisher into a different folder because every publisher does it differently, but all files are basically audio files, usually in WAV file format. There is no way to recognize everything automatically.

Magix Soundpool loops need to follow a certain folder structure and file naming scheme. This is for automating pitch changes in Music Maker or Samplitude without transposing the audio material (usually 7 different pitches) and so that the programs knows the instrument type of the loop (drums, keys, strings etc.).

WAV files for ACID usually have additional metadata inside, like for example which type of sample (oneshot, loop, bestmapped) it is and which properties (time signature, root note, tempo etc.) it has. These files are called "acidized". I think that all Magix Soundpool loops from the store are also acidized in some way.

This type of metadata became popular in the late 90s, early 00s, so a number of different programs like Cubase or FL Studio can also read "acidized" metadata as well. But it's not as important as it was in the past, since computing power is now fast enough that DAWs or plugins can calculate these information on the fly just by loading audio files. Or the metadata is in the filename itself.

Other publishers might also put MIDI files, VST presets, construction kits etc. into their loop packages.

It's always a good idea to have some additional tools available to get the most out of your loops and to reduce manual work.

For example, I really like the free VST Big Fish Audio Momentum which can load loops and automate the hard work of manipulating them. Highly recommended.

Next, for oneshot drum samples I recommend sampler VSTs. Sitala is a very simple and free sampler VST. You can load the samples and trigger them with MIDI notes.

If you have an ACID version with the Independence sampler you can also use it. But it might be hard to learn if this is your first sampler because it has a lot of features (and a very outdated GUI which makes it not easier). But it can also load MIDI files like samples and then you can play them with just one finger. So this might be interesting if you want to use MIDIs from loop packs in an easy way.

@SP.

Thank you once again!

So helpful to my (many) questions.....

Thats right, I forgot how Music Maker loops format load and display with all those options. Totally makes sense what you said about being a specific format for them to do so. Same with ACIDized loops.

I have Independence sampler included with my old Samplitude Pro X3 Suite, but I don't really want to load Samplitude just to validate the sampler.......

Maybe I should consider upgrading to AP11 for all the add on goodies.... but $ and late in the version too. I would think AP12 is getting closer, so might be best to just wait and do one upgrade then.

So you think I should make specific folders for say Producer Planet, Producer Loops, Music Maker, ACID, Samples, Midi files, Construction kits, Presets, etc, etc? All within that Public Common folder location (even if I do your shared hack and relocate it to my external drive?

SP. wrote on 6/14/2023, 5:39 PM

@GRB

So you think I should make specific folders for say Producer Planet, Producer Loops, Music Maker, ACID, Samples, Midi files, Construction kits, Presets, etc, etc? All within that Public Common folder location (even if I do your shared hack and relocate it to my external drive?

This is the same way I do it.

I have Independence sampler included with my old Samplitude Pro X3 Suite, but I don't really want to load Samplitude just to validate the sampler.......

No problem, samplers like Momentum or Sitala are relatively lightweight and powerful. The only problem is that ACID may run somewhat unstable with VSTs. I would recommend to always save with the Save as option to create incremental saves in case your project might get corrupted. Or only use loops and export the tracks as WAVs and mix and master your project in another DAW.