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ReLoop Loop Sequencer

Note: Please use caution when using this application with headphones! Be sure of the volume setting on the phone before pressing PLAY. You can adjust the output volume at any time in ReLoop by using your phone's hardware volume buttons. Try to start out quiet until you get used to the volume level of the samples you are using.

ReLoop is a loop based music sequencer similar in style to PC programs such as ACID or Ableton Live. You preview loops, or one shot samples, and arrange them on a timeline to produce a track. It has many editing features as well. You can edit most everything live while playing (Add new events, change their pitch, etc). Many operations can be performed using the main track screen by touching it or swiping on it, etc. There are also many functions in the menu, so don't forget to check out using the "Menu" key to see what is available.

ReLoop automatically stretches loops to fit the current BPM setting. You can also place "one-shot" sounds on the timeline, they won't get stretched at all. For one shot sounds you can change pitch up/down to make melodies, etc.

Please be aware that ReLoop does not time-stretch while preserving pitch. Pitch of loops will change depending on the BPM of the track. This actually helps to add some variety to the sound, however. Also, there is a limit to how far ReLoop will stretch a loop - exactly half its BPM to double its BPM. If your project BPM is outside this range, then the loop will be loaded at its default BPM and will not be stretched.

ReLoop allows up to 8 tracks. They are high quality sound - 44100Khz, 16 bit stereo, the same quality as a CD-ROM.

ReLoop can load WAV files of the following formats:

44100Khz, 16 bit Stereo WAV files
44100Khz, 16 bit Mono WAV files
22050Khz, 16 bit Mono WAV files (such as Electrum Drum Machine uses)

New user?  Look at BASICS!

Advanced info? Look at Advanced (how to load your own loops, sdcard file locations, etc)!

BASICS

Load a sound to a track
Place an event on the timeline
Placing the playback cursor
Scrolling the window
Selecting an event
Resizing an event
Setting pitch on an event
Quick Copy an event
Quick Delete an event
Moving loop start/end cursors
Multi Editing operations (Edit more than one event at a time)
Slice Events
Insert time

Load/Save song files
Mixer
Setting BPM

 

Layout

 

Load a Sound / Loop unto a track

Simply tap a track number on the left. This will bring up a new dialog from which you can select a loop by clicking on it in the list that appears.

You can load a sample even if there are events already on the timeline, the sample will simply replace the one that was already loaded. However, take care - you should delete all events on a track first if you are switching from a loop to a one-shot sample for the cleanest results.

You will hear a preview of the sample play when you choose it. (Currently preview only works while the machine is NOT playing, this will be added soon)

You can also load samples that have been exported from Electrum Drum Machine using its "Export" feature. Press the "Electrum Drum exported samples" button to switch the directory browser to Electrum's exported directory.

Be aware: Loops will only stretch in the range of 1/2 to 2 times their original BPM. If the project BPM is outside this value, the loop will no longer be stretched to match it, and you will not hear a pre-stretched loop in the preview - it will play normally.

 

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Placing a loop (event) on the timeline

Simply touch a track number on the left, and then drag your finger to the right. A new loop will appear. It's default length is the length of the loaded loop. Drag the loop on the timeline to place it where you want it. Be aware: events further down the timeline will always overwrite events earlier in the timeline. For example, if you add a new loop and drag it partly over another that is further down the timeline, that new loop will automatically be trimmed to the start of the latter event. Events are "sorted" in time in a way that events later in time always overlap those earlier in time.

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Placing the playback cursor

The playback cursor will move to wherever you tap on the timeline area at the top. You can place the playback cursor even while the sequencer is playing, it will jump to the time you specify and continue to play again from there.

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Scrolling the window around

Simply swipe your finger in the window to move it left / right / up / down

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Selecting an event

LONG PRESS an event to select it. Once selected, it will highlight and show resize handles.

If you touch the screen anywhere else once more, you will exit selection mode.

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Resizing an event

Once you have selected an event, you can resize it by touching one of its resize handles and sliding your finger left/right

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Setting pitch on an event

PITCH ONLY WORKS FOR ONE SHOT SOUNDS, not loops!
If you have a one-shot sound, such as a piano key, or synth stab, etc, you first select it, then use the "-" and "+" pitch set buttons to raise and lower the pitch of the event. The sound will be raised/lowered in pitch when it plays this event.

This allows you to build melodies with a sample - you can place events on the timeline, and change their pitches to build a melody.

Pitch adjust is one octave up, one octave down total reach. Every press of "-" or "+" is one semitone down or up.

 

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Quick - Copying an event

Long press on an event and then DRAG right or left to copy that event. A new event will appear which you can place on the timeline.

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Quick - Removing an event

Long press on an event and drag it LEFT over top of the track numbers on the left side. This will delete the event from the timeline


 

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Moving the loop start / end cursors

To move the start /end loop cursors, simply touch them on the yellow triangle, then drag your finger left/right to move. If you reach the edges of the screen / view, it will automatically scroll for you.

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Multi-Editing operations (Copy, Paste, Delete multiple events at once) Menu->Edit->

Copy, Paste, and Delete are driven by Select first, described below. You Select what to copy first, then choose Copy, Paste, or Delete.

To Select: choose Select from Menu->Edit->Select, then draw a BOX with your finger around the events you want to select. If you reach the edges of the display, it will automatically scroll for you. Selected events will be highlighted.

Once selected, you can then choose Menu->Edit->Copy to copy the events to the clipboard. You can also choose Menu->Edit->Delete to delete all selected events.

To paste you first place the playback cursor in the timeline to where you want to insert the pasted events. Then choose Menu->Edit->Paste.

If you Select events, selection mode will end the next time you touch anywhere in the track area!

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Slice (Menu->Slice)

Slice splits an event into two pieces, one on each side of the playback cursor. Using Slice you can break an event and sample into small chunks and move them around, or edit out chunks.

Slice is driven by the position of the playback cursor. Place the playback cursor on the timeline where you want to slice the event(s) and choose Menu->Slice

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Insert (Menu->More->Insert)

Insert allow you to insert space into the timeline at any point where you have placed the playback cursor. Place the playback cursor where you want to add space (1 measure, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 measure), and then choose Menu->More->Insert

Insert will automatically slice events if the playback cursor intersects them, and then it will add the desired space.

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Load / Save song

To Load or save, use Menu->File->Load/Save. A new dialog will appear. For Loading, you simply select the file you want in the list.

Loading screen

If there are subfolders, you can simply click on them to enter into them, and use the "Up subfolder" button to go back up to the parent folder.

 

To Save a song, choose Menu->File->Save Song. A new dialog will appear. If other song files are already present you will see them in the list. You can click on a song file to enter its name more quickly (for example, if you want to save the same song again), or you can type in a new name, Then press OK.

Save screen

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Mixer

Press the mixer button to bring up the mixer dialog. Here you can adjust the volume levels of all 8 tracks on one screen. You can also mute tracks. There is no SOLO or PAN yet.

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Setting BPM

Press the "BPM" button to bring up the BPM dialog. This changes BPM dynamically, live. Currently there will be a small stutter when changing BPMs if the sequencer is playing.

Be aware: Loops will only stretch in the range of 1/2 to 2 times their original BPM. If the project BPM is outside this value, the loop will no longer be stretched to match it.

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That's pretty much all the basics of operating the sequencer!

 

ADVANCED INFO

 

Detecting BPM
Sound Formats required/supported
Loading your own sounds and sample loops
SDCard storage locations used by ReLoop

 

Detecting loop BPM - it's in the filename!

ReLoop does NOT automatically detect the BPM of a sample right now. Rather, you must put the BPM in the filename of the sample like so:

samplename <_BPMVALUEGOESHERE_> samplename.wav

So for example,

drumsAndKicks.wav

becomes

drums_128_AndKicks.wav

or

drumsAndKicks_128_.wav

If you have a file which has more than one number entry like shown above, then the first _<number>_ string found is chosen to be used as the BPM.

How does ReLoop distinguish between Loops an One-Shot sounds?

Currently by FILENAME ONLY. If your file has a BPM indicator in it, it is treated as a loop only. With no BPM indicator, it will be treated as a one-shot sound.

 

Sound formats supported

ReLoop supports the following formats:

44100Khz, 16bit, Stereo WAV files
44100Khz, 16bit, Mono WAV files
22050Khz, 16bit, Mono WAV files (Electrum Drum Machine on the Android Market uses this format for all its sounds)

If you have samples in another format, use a PC to convert them to this format (You can use software such as GoldWave to quickly convert large numbers of files)

 

Loading your own loops and sounds

You can load your OWN loops and sound samples by simply copying them to the sdcard. You can hook your device up to a PC and mount your sdcard as a drive, and then copy loops and sounds to the correct location where ReLoop looks for samples. They must be 44100Khz, 16bit, Stereo, Uncompressed PCM WAV Files! See below for the locations that ReLoop looks for things.

 

SdCard storage locations

ReLoop uses the SDCARD to load samples from, and save songs to. The locations of the root folders that it uses are as follows:

Samples: /sdcard/reloop/samples

Saved Songs: /sdcard/reloop/songs

Exported WAV's: /sdcard/reloop/exported

 

You can have subfolders under these root folders, and the sample and file save/load dialogs will work with the subfolders just fine.

 

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Thanks for using ReLoop!