A couple years ago my friend Casey Corum, director of Vineyard Music USA, introduced me to using Ableton Live software and how he utilized loops (pre-recorded tracks) while leading worship. Since then, I've had the opportunity to integrate loops into live worship sets at Houston's First Baptist and I love using them every time I lead or play. This is just a brief overview of why I use loops, some of the down sides of using them, my personal setup, and also some great online resources.
Why I Use Loops
Additional Instruments
The most obvious use of loops is to cover parts of instruments not present in your band. This is especially helpful if you have a smaller band and want a "fuller" or more "polished" sound. Often recordings feature instruments that most bands don't have access to (folk instruments, strings, percussion, synths, or electronic drums) that using loops can cover.
Studio Parts
Sometimes, important parts of songs were created in a studio setting and can be difficult to perform live. Loops are especially helpful when it comes to sequenced drum or keyboard parts. With the growing popularity of electronic influence in popular music, Ableton can be great to help establish musical style in a song.
Consistency of Sound
Once loops are programmed or downloaded, they'll always provide a consistent sound or texture in the song. Pre-recorded tracks don't make mistakes (as long as there is no user error) and they'll have the same performance every time.
Freedom for Band Members
Loops can cover foundational parts that are simple or monotonous which can free band members up to be more creative. Often times, I'll use simple synth or percussion loops that allow the keyboardist and the drummer to cover the more important and/or complex parts in a song.
Cues and Transitions
If you use In-Ear Monitors, loops can also allow you to utilize in-ear vocal cues that can facilitate count-offs, song roadmaps, and quick transitions. I downloaded all my vocal cues from www.loopcommunity.com and they're nice for "silent" count-ins and cues.
Drawbacks of Using Loops
In-Ear Monitors / Click Track
In order to effectively play with loops it's helpful to play each song with a click track (unless all your loops contain some sort of constant rhythmic part). Playing with a click can be challenging for some and takes practice. In-Ear monitors are necessary as well if everyone is playing with a click track. As I wrote some last week, IEMs can take getting used to as well and obviously take additional resources for a church to purchase and install.
Reliance on a Computer
Obviously, computers or software can have issues and if you're leading, troubleshooting on the fly is impossible. Obviously, a software crash is very inconvenient when you're relying on loops for specific parts and click track.
Additionally, the very concept of a computer playing a pre-recorded track can be the biggest drawback for some. The tracks cannot adapt to the feel or natural growth of a song and they cannot improve upon what has already been programmed. For some, playing alongside a computer is fundamentally opposite of what good musicians have worked so hard to accomplish.
Designated Musician to Run Loops
Lastly, in order to run loops live, a musician with an understanding of each song and transition must trigger them in real time. This usually requires a musician already part of a band to split their focus between playing an instrument and loops. In order to effectively multitask, it takes some practice and preparation. Often, drummers are designated to run loops as they are also in charge of the tempo for each song. However, it's probably easiest for keyboardists to trigger loops as they have free use of both hands.
My Sunday Setup
As pictured, I've integrated my guitar setup alongside my loop setup. For guitar processing, I use the Avid Eleven Rack which features both amp modeling and guitar effects. I also use a midi controller for preset and effects switching with the Eleven Rack and an expression pedal for volume and continuous control of effects parameters. (Pictured is a Rocktron MIDI Mate and Roland EV-5).
Online Resources
When I first started running loops, online resources and information was fairly limited and unorganized and most of what I learned was through friends or trial and error. Now, the popularity of using loops in worship has grown and along with it, the amount of helpful resources and websites.
One of the best sites for learning how to setup rigs and sessions in Ableton is LOOP COMMUNITY. They've made so many great videos and have free resources, I can't recommend them enough.
Another great resource is MultiTracks, where you can download the original master tracks of a lot of popular worship songs in several different keys and even customize your mix.
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This is obviously just a brief overview of my thoughts on using loops in worship. I enjoy electronica music in general and I enjoy programming and experimenting with new sounds. For some, learning a new software, creating a new rig, and trying to make it work on Sunday may seem like extra work (it is!).
However, if you're interested and want to learn more, feel free to message me or comment as I'm always willing to give advice! Next week, I'll talk more about how I setup a session in Ableton Live for running loops during a service.
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