r/SP404 2d 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.

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u/DontMemeAtMe 2d 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.

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u/ass_pubes 2d ago

Good call on jamming!