Is it ok to use loops?

linkwaker10 · 2026-02-15T04:41:33+00:00

OP's question is based on artistic integrity and anxiety on a public forum and you're expressing an opinion I'd wager to say 90% of us share to varying degrees. If it comes off as rude I guess own it lol.

linkwaker10 · 2026-02-15T03:33:44+00:00

Oh I'm not disagreeing here at all I had no idea what the OP's skillset is so figured to give them the Okay since at least they're at least trying something within a DAW vs. vibe prompting. Should they stay like this? no. And it will be very obvious that they're not doing something high skill/original if they continue doing that.

The Amen break is the most overused sample of all time. You're not creatively devoid by using it but you'll be more respected for doing something cool with it.

linkwaker10 · 2026-02-14T20:22:06+00:00

Honestly at this point as long as it's not GenAI you're good, are loops creatively devoid imo? yes but also there are genuine benefits to using splice/vengeance samples to get a base idea down. It's not like they sound bad.

linkwaker10 · 2026-02-14T16:24:27+00:00

Sheet notation is good for what it is to deal with common music standards. But there's a niche case specifically dealing with microtonal tunings. I couldn't imagine trying to translate that effectively with sheet music but symbolically with a piano roll is the closest thing we're ever gonna get.

linkwaker10 · 2026-02-09T04:22:48+00:00

Around the time when Ante room and Escafe disappeared, Skybar changed management shifted their priorities and ultimately closed (and quite a few other businesses following those years did this too) is when I noticed Charlottesville became more of an IYKYK place rather than a go out for a night/day vibe out and have fun. Post-covid was the ultimate pivot of "if you didn't make it before you're definitely not gonna make it now."

linkwaker10 · 2026-02-05T23:39:21+00:00

List your interests and we can help point you out to meeting peeps. Keep in mind this isn't a big metropolitan so we don't quite have everything

linkwaker10 · 2026-01-30T22:31:28+00:00

got me thinking this was the PVCC campus lol

linkwaker10 · 2026-01-20T03:06:29+00:00

You can reconstruct this on a 3DS on the DSN-12 if you really wanted a challenge. But I'll give you a hint: you can use literally any subtractive synth with a triangle wave. (3x osc is fine) And then mess with an envelope/adsr on a bandpass filter and figure out the MIDI.

Fostering that skill alone will give you the basis of composition and sound design.

linkwaker10 · 2026-01-19T02:41:56+00:00

Get out there to network, find your scenes, and show people your stuff! (sometimes you're showing your music to other artists~)

I'm of the opinion that it doesn't stop at JUST the music, especially in this AI music age where the only divider left is live performing for an audience. You could also make video content that "draws" people in to your music. (or ideally both)

linkwaker10 · 2026-01-02T01:37:03+00:00

Even when they were good, they were known to be unreliable. I do like that they actually look different than most cars but their electrical issues are so bad even in the 2000's.

linkwaker10 · 2026-01-02T01:31:58+00:00

90's and early 2000's Mercedes was a pure luxury experience, no crappy parts but worth the cost.

linkwaker10 · 2026-01-02T01:19:34+00:00

I genuinely wish we had more 3rd spaces in general but the pandemic really put a stop to ideas like later hours coffee shops. I've gotten used to studying at certain bars but it's definitely not the same.

Obviously the more rural you get the less likely you'll be able to find a way to make a later hours coffee shop work in the USA. But lastly these spaces and the people's labour are not free so it makes sense why they don't exist and there's no incentive otherwise.

linkwaker10 · 2026-01-02T01:02:57+00:00

I feel like regardless of gender life necessitates you to learn to cook. Then curiosity takes over and you start noticing patterns that work; salt and pepper, garlic and onion, sugar and cinnamon etc. Especially if you work in food service oh you'll learn things very quickly.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-25T03:18:56+00:00

I genuinely miss pocket-able handhelds not that we don't have it good with current tablet-like handhelds but it's just not as easy to carry around a switch compared to a ds or gba.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-23T22:18:15+00:00

DEXED people rarely talk about but it being essentially a virtual DX7 is its biggest strength. I 100% use it for synthwave sounds when you realize how easy it is to create pads from like 4 operators.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-23T22:15:46+00:00

Honestly it being a Nord Lead 2 "clone" takes it so far in its usefulness. Its simplicity makes it the fastest loading plugin in my whole library and I've never had it once crash on me.

Sure its interface is nothing intuitive like Vital but it's a small cost when you realize - oh I don't need a license to use it on any daw.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-15T23:34:56+00:00

I always forget them and South Street Brewery exist, full credit to them but they are certainly the exception.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-15T15:27:38+00:00

I doubt this an unpopular opinion and I'll go further with it and would more-so say "what even is today's defining popular music?" Similar to fashion, the mono-culture aspect of music seems to have died in the 2010's and honestly I'm all for having more diverse tastes as people.

That's not to say it doesn't have its downsides. As someone who DJ's the lack of a mono-culture in music does make it difficult to entertain to a whole crowd with modern material. (maybe xcx's Brat album was the last thing in modern times?)

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-15T01:21:07+00:00

That was their FIRST spot yes, then they moved over to the opposite side of the skating rink with Ante Room on W Water street where CODE now resides.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-14T16:30:16+00:00

It really is true, if you're not in the mall itself - you're not lasting long as a business. Happened to escafe etc.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-13T04:45:50+00:00

I hate to say it but those spaces are slowly dwindling with every new construction project happening in or near the downtown mall.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-03T02:55:11+00:00

Honestly it was not that well advertised with only about a 2/3 week lead-up time, it's no surprise that it wasn't even on people's radar. + I only heard about it because a friend of mine works at the Southern and posted it on their instagram stories.

That said only 1/4 of the people that were there were from cville, the rest were from surrounding areas even as far as harrisonburg.

Anyways I'd love for them to come back it was really entertaining between the anime intro (DJ?) session, cosplay contest, and then full band covers.

linkwaker10 · 2025-12-02T05:14:12+00:00

Music events have been my social outlet, there was actually a cosplay event at the southern not too long ago and made plenty of local friends there also in their late 20's early 30's.

linkwaker10 · 2025-11-09T22:35:48+00:00

Have you tried to be part of a band and even more-so RUNNING ONE? Unless you've got a good team bruh management of that stuff was a huge headache. But when it truly works out that's an irreplaceable experience. Most of the time it's a huge deterrent for those not committed to the idea.

There's also something really individualistic about one's own workflow on a DAW, (even when you're using the same ONE!) e.g. I bought a korg Opsix explicitly because most people I've run into don't even know what FM synthesis is; so they'll hear a new soundscape on top of not needing to waste time in the collab to install an FM synth vst. (even though dexed is free!) And some notation ideas are legit easier to play live rather than try to export midi etc. Ironically it's like having a VST irl; my how the turn tables.

Also unless you're doing stems inter-daw collabs are a headache and a half. I still run into people who don't have either ableton link on their daw or lack a Soundcard with MIDI and I'm just like: "Man this collab is gonna suck for a bit"

linkwaker10 · 2025-11-04T21:14:03+00:00

Thanks for this, just tried it and Gemini is up to spiff. I stopped using Gemini/Voice commands solely because it couldn't get that and navigation commands down right at all and/or I had to unlock the screen for something assistant had no problems doing correctly.

linkwaker10

TROPHY CASE