> Step by step

1. Editing sampled beats in Logic Pro (continued)

7 Now load in a drum loop, not an Apple Loop – just an ordinary WAV will do. We want to quickly demonstrate how to get it in sync with your project. Our tempo is 142, but our loop tempo is only 77. Edit>Time Stretch>Time Stretch To Nearest Bar in this case changes its tempo to 71 so it locks into the current tempo, but at half speed.

8 Now place the locator at Bar 3 and select Edit>Time Stretch>Time Stretch To Nearest Locator. Now the loop reduces in size to run over two bars but speeds up in tempo to 142. With your loop locked into your project tempo you could edit the samples as shown on the previous page or, if you have Logic 10.5…

9 … you could sample! New to Logic Pro 10.5, the Sampler takes a lot of the effort out of your beat (and other sample) editing. Open up a new instrument track and load an instance of Quick Sampler onto it. Now drag your original loop from Step 7 into its main 'Original' slot.

10 There's a whole world of audio manipulation awaiting you here (check out our intro feature in 284 if you want to learn more) but for now we just want some quick ways of creating new beats from our sampled loop and Quick Sampler has the answer! Simply hit the Slice option and your loop is divided up into its original beats.

11 Beneath each beat you can see a keyboard note which will now trigger the individual beat when hit (we're using the Logic keyboard to trigger ours). Now you can create an all-new loop by programming a new set of notes in the instrument track as MIDI notes. Here we're recording a new loop in by playing Quick Sampler live.

12 And because it is recorded as a set of MIDI notes, you can easily correct any poor timing issues from recording it live – we had plenty. These are just some of the quick and easy ways to change sampled loops. As good as loops are, if you can edit them as easily as this to create all-new electronic beat loops, then why not go for it?!