many different reasons. Let's take a look through some of them.
You can find looper pedals and stations for all different kinds of musical instruments including ones that work for vocals. They will record a piece of vocal, maybe you singing a line or making a beatbox sound and re loop them over and over to your desired speed or beats per minute.
By doing this you can then use that recorded loop as a base or part of your track which you are creating. Should you be making dance or house music, you will notice that there are a lot of elements of the songs which are repeated throughout the track.
You can use a vocal looper to help form main parts of your track to make it stand out from just a generic beat being played over and over by using your voice as a key element to the track.
Which Vocal Loop Station Should I Purchase?
There are many options when it comes to buying a vocal loop station so which one should you choose? A good place to start is to find a vocal loop stations' guide online to help with your decision.
Prices can really range widely, some can be bought for as little as forty pounds while you can find custom made vocal loopers which can cost into the thousands of pounds. The cheaper models will obviously be more basic and have less functions than the more expensive models.
That's not to say that a cheaper model won't do a good job; it all depends on what features and functions you are requiring it to possess.
A good recommendation would be to write up a list of all the requirements that you need before then searching out the best options for you. It's always a good idea to do some research as well as read up on some reviews of the models you are interested in before parting ways with any of your hard earned cash.
Can You Use Other Instruments With A Vocal Looper?
This really depends on the brand and model that you choose.
Many will be multi functional and have the option of plugging in other instruments, like a guitar but it's always best to find this out before buying your vocal looper as some are designed purely for using a microphone with.
Using Vocal Effects
A lot of vocal loop stations will have added features such as vocal effects. These are great for changing how your voice sounds to suit the track you are creating.
Using EQs and effects like reverb or echo can really add an extra dimension to the music you are producing. For example, you could loop your voice saying a specific word with some added effects and echo to use as base for your track. Have that in time with a nice beat over lapped and you already have a basis for a song to produce.
Vocal loop stations really come into their own when producing dance music as with this genre the tracks tend to use the same patterns and elements throughout the track. It would very easily be possible to create a whole dance track just using a vocal loop station should you wish which would mean you could get very creative just using your vocal chords.
Is Creating Your Own Vocal Loops A Better Option Than Using Pre Made Samples?
It can be very easy to find premade loops and vocal samples that you could incorporate into your dance music track but creating your own vocal loops, although may take longer is a much better choice.
If you are using somebody's else's samples you generally will need permission and clearance from whoever created them to allow you to use them in your track. If you use them without permission, and they are not royalty free, then you will be breaching copyright laws.
To avoid all that hassle you can create your own by using a vocal loop station. This will free up your time trying to search out a vocal loop that fits your requirements and then trying to get permission to use them.
Using a vocal loop station to create your own loops instead of pre made ones will also make your tracks stand out so much more. You can be creative and express yourself alot more this way as there are no boundaries to what you could create.
Don't forget those pre-made samples you have found are also going to be available to every other producer but those loops you recorded yourself are only going to be available for you and your music. This means the music you produce will be so much more unique.
Other Ways You Can Use A Vocal Loop Station
As previously mentioned some loop stations will allow you to also plug in other instruments to them, so they can be used for multiple purposes.
As well as recording you sing, you could use them to beatbox to create a drum pattern for your next dance track. You could also use them to record singular words or phrases as the main vocal for your track, and by doing this it will save you the expense of hiring a singer or vocalist to record those parts for you.
Vocal loop stations can also be used in a live setting like concerts. A perfect example of this would be the English singer and guitarist Ed Sheeran, who incorporates looping in all his live shows. So instead of having a live band you are able to perform all the parts and elements of your track live by yourself. It certainly makes for a great live performance.
Conclusion
Vocal Loopers in dance music are becoming more and more popular and as the price keeps dropping as well as more newer and exciting features being added to them there has never been a better time to elevate your dance music production by incorporating them into your studio.