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Audio Editing & Production

A guide to Audacity, GarageBand and FL Studio, three free Digital Audio Workstations.

Loop Library

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GarageBand offers an extensive library of pre-recorded samples. The tempo and key signature of the project dictates which loops are offered in a specific project, as samples in incompatible keys will not sound pleasant. After opening the Loop Library, samples can be searched, filtered by genre or instrument, and then added to the arranger. Dragging a sample onto an existing track adds the sample to that track. Dragging a sample to the blank area in the arranger creates a new track housing that sample.

  1. Click here to open or close the Loop Library window.
  2. Use this search bar to filter results based on the term(s) you enter.
  3. Click on an instrument type / genre / mood category to display only samples tagged with that label. 
  4. Loop Markers: After inserting a loop, dragging on the left or right upper corner of the region will create an additional instance, or connected loop, of the sample. The pictured loop, Click Track, contains 8 clicks, represented by the 8 white dots. The user has looped or drug the loop to the right, creating 3.5 additional regions. This method of dragging to loop is applicable to audio and MIDI regions that did not originate from the loop library. 

For more on how to use loops, watch the video below.