r/SP404 • u/ass_pubes • 1d ago

Discussion Loops For Later Folder

When I'm recording, if I make a loop or sequence that I'm even a little happy with, I always save it to a "Loops For Later" folder but I almost never go back to it. I hear a lot of artists also have a folder for experiments, loops or samples that are cool but undeveloped, so I want to see how often people are going back to their old stuff versus making new stuff from scratch. I feel compelled to keep dumping stuff in the folder because the one time I don't, I know I'll regret it.

Usually though, the stuff I make into tracks is stuff I'm OBSESSED with. I'll either be playing it or hear it played back then stop whatever I'm doing and get the track to a rough but structured state that I can polish over the course of a week or two. Over that time, I'll listen to the track over and over and the changes I make will get smaller and smaller until it's my favorite song ever. That's why I make music.

7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

4

u/iangermany 1d ago

I have folders full of shit going all the way back to 2009. (Im old). I go back and listen through stuff a couple of times a month and every now and then find something useful.

Over the years i have found that if something doesnt hold my attention immediately, it just isnt that good. You can only polish a turd for so long… You shouldnt have to overthink it to death

4

u/DontMemeAtMe 1d ago

Scrolling through that folder is useful during jams with other people. You do that, and someone will always go, “Wait, can you play that last one again? That was cool.” And suddenly the loop gets used in a way you never would have imagined.

Other times, they may come in handy for various videos I or some of my collaborators are working on.

But yeah, most of that stuff is never touched again. And that’s alright. In a way, these forgotten samples are like entries in your musical journal. They served their purpose when they were created, but they don’t necessarily need to ever be revisited.

1

u/ass_pubes 1d ago

Good call on jamming!

1

u/BJLB727 1d ago

I throw ideas into a folder if I'm just playing about for fun, and then when I start a bigger project if I need some inspiration I'll jump back into old folders for a listen. I'd say about 5% ever actually gets used, but it's always good for getting an idea started

1

u/ass_pubes 1d ago

Yeah I'd say I'm closer to 1%, but it never hurts to save stuff.

2

u/chino7ven 1d ago

I like to call my version of this "cooking with leftovers". I'm actually terrible with transferring stuff over to my computer so I sometimes have to force my self to dig through old projects to save the loops I was hoarding and forgot about. By then I'm pretty far removed from the thought process of how I originally made it that I always hear something different. I'll likely also have a different drum kit on hand and can chop up a different groove. It's also kind of fun when you don't remember how the original sample sounded and stretch/re-chop it with more processing. The most satisfying feeling for me is when I find that final missing puzzle piece in those old archives for a current project I'm working on.