Software that actively creates new music can be a great boon to composers, especially in the dance music scene where no two performances are ever expected to be the same. Even if your tastes run toward the mainstream, music-generating programs can provide valuable building blocks for digital recording and multimedia.
GrooveMaker

FIG.1: GrooveMaker’s main user interface resembles a video game. The track list appears in the upper right. (click image for larger view).

One of the more interesting entries in this arena is IK Multimedia’s GrooveMaker 2.0, a loop-based, music-generation program that is available for Macintosh, Windows, and BeOS. GrooveMaker’s user interface may look more like a video game than an audio package, but it provides a whole new approach to the music-writing process.

Slick, Smooth, Circular
 GrooveMaker songs consist of up to 512 stereo loops, each with an 8-bar maximum length. The loops share the same key and tempo and you can overlay and sequence them in various combinations. You can load any of the loops into GrooveMaker’s eight stereo tracks while the program runs in real time, so you can experiment for hours without stopping the beat.

GrooveMaker’s main user interface has a slick smooth skin and a circular design (see Fig. 1). The track list in the upper right lets you assign a category, such as Bass or Percussion, to each of the eight tracks and then select a loop from the assigned category. You can change the category and the loop on the fly; eight buttons along the interface’s upper rim determine which tracks are played or muted. Icons emanating from the central hub select individual tracks. Buttons along the rim control volume, pan, and other functions.
GrooveMaker

FIG.2: The Arpeggiator adds another layer of sound to the groove. You can choose notes with the virtual keyboard. (click image for larger view).

In addition, the Randomix buttons let you generate seemingly limitless permutations of groove combinations. Each of the four buttons produces separate mixes and distinct styles. Clicking on the same button repeatedly creates related grooves. The track list’s Lock button prevents selected tracks from being modified by the Randomix feature, letting you experiment with various elements without losing the current groove’s feel. The Sync button determines whether changes made to the tracks take effect immediately or wait until the start of the next 8-bar phrase.
The new GrooveMaker version features an Arpeggiator that appears as an overlay on top of the main interface (see Fig. 2). The virtual keyboard lets you select notes to play in a pattern synchronized with the groove. Notes that will most likely produce harmonious results in the song’s key are highlighted. Each song comes loaded with a palette of synth sounds, and you can load more from your hard drive, including custom WAV files. You can set the pattern type (up, down, up/ down, and random), beat value (quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and thirty-second), and choose from 33 rhythmic variations. You can save up to 99 arpeggiator settings to disk for instant access.

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Reprinted with permission from Magazine, December, 2000
© 2000, Intertec Publishing, A Primedia Company All Rights Reserved


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