Group the Loop User Guide

Please note this user guide is a work in progress.
For any unanswered questions email Jack or visit the GTL community.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Group the Loop is a section bassed audio looper. Group loops together and switch between song sections in real time.

Record your instrument live or import your own audio files. Adjust volume & pan, add effects and much more.

Choose from a selection of inbuilt effects or use your favourite Audio Unit v3 and Inter-app audio apps.

Hook up virtual intruments with Audiobus and Inter-App audio support.

Features

Loops

Loops are short repeating clips of audio. They are often used to create backing percussion tracks or chord sequences during a live performance. They are great for sketching out ideas and building layered intricate soundscapes. You can either record your loops directly into GTL or import audio files.

Record

There are three main recording modes:

CUE Recording - Recording is started and stopped automatically. You set the bar length before recording and the loop automatically syncs to the session tempo.

  • Ensure the main CUE button at the top of the screen is turned on.
  • Set the number of bars you want to record by using the (÷) and (×) clock multiplier buttons located at the top of the screen.
  • Pick an empty loop space and tap the + symbol followed by the record button.
  • Wait for the count in or CUE then start recording your first loop.
  • Recordings will stop automatically after the specified duration and then begin playing back.
  • Loops will continue to play until the session is stopped.
  • Manual Tempo - Allows the user to manually punch in/out the recording. The session tempo is automatically calculated from the length of the loop.

  • Start from an empty session. To create a new session go to Settings -> 'New Session'.
  • Turn off the main CUE button located at the top of the screen.
  • Use the clock multiplier buttons, (÷) and (×), to set the number of bars of the first loop. The default mode is 'Auto', This will predict the number of bars based on the length of the recording made.
  • Pick an empty loop space and tap the + symbol followed by the record button.
  • The loop will instantly start recording.
  • Tap the loop again to stop the recording and begin playback.
  • Instant Recording - Recordings can be punched in/out instantly. Loops are automatically truncated/extended to remain in sync with the session tempo.

  • Turn off the main CUE button located at the top of the screen.
  • Start the session playing by pressing the main play button in the top left.
  • Pick an empty loop space and tap the + symbol followed by the record button.
  • The loop will instantly start recording, tap the loop again to stop and begin playback.
  • You do not need to be exact when punching in/out recordings. Loops will be automatically truncated/extended to syncronise precicely with the tempo and other loops in the session.
  • Mute

    Muting silences a loop's output.

    Mute a Loop
  • Tap once on a loop to bring up the mute, solo and overdub options.
  • Tap the mute button
  • Alternatively: Tap a loop with two fingers to quickly toggle it's mute setting.
  • It's also possible to schedule mute events by turning on the 'CUE Mute' setting. This can be found in 'CUE Settings' or by long pressing the main CUE button at the top of the screen.

    See Group Mute to mute an entire group.

    Solo

    Soloing will mute all other loops so you can hear an indiviual loop in isolation.

    The metronome and drum machine are not affected by soloing.
    It is only possible to solo one loop at a time.

    Solo a Loop
  • Tap once on a loop to bring up the mute, solo and overdub options.
  • Tap the solo button
  • Overdub

    Overdubbing layers a new recording over a previous one. The two recorings are mixed together in real time. Overdubs allow you to add multiple layers without taking up valuable loop spaces. You can perform an infinite number of overbubs on any loop.

    Add an overdub layer
  • Tap once on a loop to bring up the mute, solo and overdub options
  • Tap the overdub button (red circle).
  • Tap the loop again to stop overdubbing.
  • Each time you overdub a layer is added. Layers can be removed, by swiping left and tapping UNDO, or restored by swiping right and tapping REDO.
  • NOTE: Once overdub layers are mixed together during the recording process they cannot be exported individually.

    Re-record

    Deletes then re-records the audio of a loop. Useful for correcting mistakes.

    re-record
  • Choose any loop containing audio.
  • Tap the x button in the top right corner.
  • Select 'Re-record'.
  • If the session is in CUE mode re-recording will wait until the loop finishes playing before starting.
    If CUE is disabled then re-recording will start straight away.

    Undo/Redo

    Each time you overdub you create a layer. These layers can be removed by the UNDO function and restored with the REDO function.

    Undo/Redo
  • Undo: Swipe left on the loop and tap the UNDO button.
  • Redo: Swipe right and tap the REDO button.
  • Loop Options View

    The loop options view is where you will find advanced options for individual loops. It can be accessed by swiping down on any occupied or empty loop space.

    Options for empty loop spaces: Labeling and AudioShare import.

    Options for active loops: FX, loop mix, labeling, copy and export.

    Open the Loop Options View
  • Tap the (...) button in the bottom right of a loop space. (Alternatively, swipe down on a loop space).
  • Loop FX

    Audio effects can be added to any loop. GTL comes with a selection of built in effects including reverb, delay, low pass filter, high pass filter, noise gate. You can also add 3rd party Audio Unit v3 extention effects.

    You can add up to 3 effect on each loop and they can be applied either before or afer recording/importing audio.

    Adding effects uses processing power, adding too many may cause audio drop outs (clicks & pops). If you encouter this, try increasing the audio buffer size in the audio settings. You can also add effects to the audio input. This approach uses far less processing power as the effects are printed to the loop during recording.

    Add Effects to a Loop
  • Tap the options button (...) on a loop space.
  • Tap the 'FX' button.
  • Tap any of the three FX insert slots.
  • Select either one of the inbuilt effects or an Audio Unit(AUv3) effect if availible
  • Loop Mix (Volume & Pan)

    On any loop space, tap the options button (...) followed by the 'Mix' button to bring up the mix matrix view. Volume is adjusted by moving up or down and pan is adjusted by moving left to right.

    The mix settings can be quickly accessed by swiping up on any loop space.

    Adjust the Loop Mix
  • Tap the options button (...) on a loop space. (Alternatively, The mix settings can be quickly accessed by swiping up on any loop space).
  • Tap the 'Mix' button to bring up the mix matrix view.
  • Volume is adjusted by moving up or down and pan is adjusted by moving left to right.
  • Labeling

    To help identify loops you can set a custom label.

    Loop labels are stored to the loop space which means if you delete a loop then the label will remain. This is particularly useful when re-recording parts.

    Loop spaces are automatically labeled when you import an audio.

    Label a Loop
  • Tap the options button (...) in the bottom right corner of the loop. (Alternatively, swipe down on the loop.
  • Tap the 'Label' button and enter the name of your instrument.
  • Importing an Audio File

    In addintion to recording you can also import audio. There are several ways to do this, the easiest being drag and drop.

    Drag and drop (IOS 11 or greater)
  • First open the source app. This could be the Apple Files app or any other drag and drop enabled app.
  • In the source app, hold press the audio file for several seconds, then drag it over to Group the Loop.
  • Now drop the file over an empty loop space to import it.
  • The 'Import Options View' will appear. See below for further help with this.
  • Import from the files app
  • Choose an empty loop space, tap on it once then select the import button on the left.
  • When the 'Import From' view apears select the first option 'Files App'.
  • The Files app picker view will appear, you can select audio locally (stored on the device) or from a cloud based service such as iCloud or Dropbox.
  • Once you have selected the audio file the 'Import Options View' will appear. See below for further instructions.
  • You can also import audio files from AudioShare and the documents folder.


    Import Options View - This is the final step when importing an audio file. These settings are used to calculate the length and playback speed of the loop.

    Loop settings:

    Number of Bars - How may bars is the loop you are importing? This is needed for syncronising to other loops in the session. If the session is empty this setting will affect the session tempo.

    Tempo Algorithm - When loops are imported they may need to be stretched to fit the session tempo. The tempo algorithm is the method used to stretch the audio to the correct tempo.
    PITCH - stretches the audio by altering the pitch. Works well on drums & percussion.
    TIME STRETCH - stretches the audio but keeps the pitch the same. Best for harmonic and melodic instruments.
    If this option is greyed out then the audio file does not need to be stretched.

    Session Settings: (For empty sessions only).
    Tempo - The desired tempo for the session. By default this is set to the original tempo of the audio file being imported.
    Changing the tempo will require the audio file to be stretched.
    Time Signature - The desired time signature for the session. For best results set this to the time signature of the audio file being imported.

    Exporting a Loop

    There are several ways to export a loop. The easiest is by using IOS's inbuilt drag and drop feature.

    Export with drag and drop
  • Hold press a loop to start dragging it.
  • Open the destination app.
  • Drop the loop over the intended destination.
  • You can drag and drop to the IOS Files app or any other drag and drop enabled audio app.
    To export multiple loops simply tap them after dragging the first loop. Loops exported via drag and drop will be in the CAF audio file format. This is a widely supported uncompressed linier format much like a WAV file.

    Export a single loop
  • Swipe down on any loop and navigate to the 'export' button.
  • Select the expoert destination (IOS Files app, Group the Loop's own documents folder, Mail and AudioShare).
  • Optional: Choose the output file format (Options include file type, sample rate and bit depth).
  • Tap export.
  • Export all loops
  • Tap the settings button at the top right of the screen.
  • Open the 'Session Manager' page.
  • Locate the session you want to export and drag left to expose three options; export, rename and delete
  • Tap export to bring up the Session Export view.
  • Select 'Export all loops as audio files'.
  • Select the desired destination.
  • Tap export.
  • Loops will be exported in their original audio file format. If the loop was recorded within Group the Loop then this will be CAF format.

    Moving a Loop

  • Hold press on the loop you would like to move.
  • (Optional) Tap another loop to move 2 or more simultaneously.
  • Drag the loop and drop it over an empty loop space.
  • TIP: You can also move loops between sessions and out to other drag and drop enabled apps.

    Copying a Loop

  • Hold press the loop you would like to copy.
  • (Optional) Tap any other loops you would like to copy them aswell.
  • Select the 'copy' option at the bottom of the screen.
  • Drag and drop the loops over an empty loop space.

  • Alternatively:

  • Swipe down on the loop you would like to copy.
  • Swipe left to reveal the copy button.
  • Tap copy then tap paste on an empty loop space.
  • Merging Loops

    It's possible to combine two or more loops by merging them. This can be useful if you need to free up loop spaces for other instruments.

  • Hold press a loop to pick it up.
  • Select the 'Merge' or 'Merge and copy' option at the bottom of the screen.
  • (Optional) Tap any other loops you would like to add to the merge session.
  • Drop them over an empty or occupied loop space.
  • NOTE: Merging can not be undone.

    Groups

    Groups can be used to arrange loops into song sections and then switch between them in real time. Each group can contain a total of 4 loops and only one group can be played at a time.

    The Master Group

    A unique group designed for percussion. Plays throughout your song independent any other group. For example, you may want to record some percussion to the master group to play along to while recording each section of your song.

    Adding a New Group

  • Tap the + (Add Group) button.
  • You can add up to 20 groups.
  • Deleting a Group

    Delete

    Deletes all loops and removes the group.

  • Tap the group options (...) button to the left of the group.
  • Select 'Delete'.

  • Clear

    Deletes all loops but keeps the group.

  • Tap the group options (...) button to the left of the group.
  • Select 'Clear'.
  • Playing/Stopping a Group

    To play a group tap the group play button to the left. This will toggle play all loops contained within the group. With CUE turned ON groups will play/stop after the longest playing loop. To play a group instantly, turn off CUE or double tap the group's play button.
    NOTE: By default, if CUE is turned ON, a group will wait until the end of the longest playing loop before playing/stoppping. To change this behaviour, you can adjust the 'Sync Quantum' setting found in Settings -> Clock Settings -> Sync Quantum.

    play a group with CUE
  • Turn ON CUE.
  • Tap the play button to the left of the group.
  • Wait for the CUE duration.
  • The group will play.
  • play a group without CUE
  • Turn OFF CUE.
  • Tap the play button to the left of the group.
  • The group will play straight away.

  • Alternatively:

  • Double tap the group's play button.
  • The group will play straight away.
  • record and switch to a group
  • Turn ON CUE.
  • Choose a group that's not already playing.
  • Tap the loop space you would like to record to.
  • Tap the record button.
  • The loop will cue to record and the group will cue to play.
  • The loop will start recording as soon as the group starts playing.
  • Group Mix (Volume & Pan)

    Both volume and pan controls are availible for groups. Adjusting a group's mix will affect all of the loops in that group.

    adjust a group's mix
  • Tap the group's option button (...).
  • Select mix.
  • Pan up and down to adjust the group's volume.
  • Pan left and right to adjust the group's pan.
  • Labeling a Group

    It's possible to label each group to help with navigation and workflow. For example, you may wish to label groups after song sections e.g. Verse, Bridge and Chorus.

    label a group
  • Tap the group's option button (...).
  • Select label.
  • Enter the group's new name.
  • Group Mute

    To the left of each group there is a handy mute button. Use this to silence all of the contained loops. Group and loop muting is independent, so you can mute a group but also retain each loop's individual mute state.

    mute a group
  • Tap the mute button (M) to the left of the group.
  • Tap the mute button again to unmute.
  • Unique Group Tempo

    The unique tempo option allows you to set a specific tempo for each group. This is handy for creating song sections with different tempos. When a group is played the session's tempo will change to the group's unique tempo and remain at that speed until a new tempo is set. Any loops in the master group will change playback speed to keep in time with the new tempo. If you want to switch back and forth between two groups with different tempos make sure you set a unique tempo for both groups.

    set a group's unique tempo.
  • Tap the group's option button (...)
  • Turn on the 'Unique Tempo' option.
  • Set the unique tempo.
  • You can also use 'Manual Tempo' recording to set a group's unique tempo. This involves manually punching in/out the first loop recording for each group. If multiple groups are recorded to, Group the Loop will automatically detect the different tempos and set the unique tempo values accordingly.

    set a group's unique tempo (using manual recording).
  • Ensure all timing features are turned OFF (i.e metronome, drummer count in and CUE and Ableton Link)
  • Ensure no loops are present in the master group and the group you are going to record to.
  • Ensure the session is stopped.
  • Record your first loop to group 1. The session's tempo is determined by the length of this first loop.
  • Record a second loop to group 2. Playback will stop and a new session tempo will be set after you stop (punch out) the recording.
  • NOTE: Group the Loop will automatically detect the different tempos and set the unique tempo values accordingly.
  • Transport

    Play/Stop

    The main play button in the top left corner plays and stops all loops in the session. It's also possible to trigger the playback of other apps with by enabling 'Sync start/stop' in the Ableton Link settings.

    CUE

    CUE keeps loops in perfect sync with each other. If CUE is enabled recording will start and stop automatically at the beginning of the next sequence or phrase. This means you can keep your hands free for playing your instrument. Playback of groups will also start and stop automatically. By default, this takes place after the longest loop in the active group finishes playing.

    Turning CUE off will enable Manual Tempo or Instant Recording mode. In these modes recording and playback starts/stops instantly. Although recordings can be started/stopped instantly, the resulting loops will be automatically synced to the nearest bar keeping them in time with the rest of the session.

    Sessions

    Creating a New Session

    create a new session.
  • Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
  • Tap the new session button.
  • Saving a Session

    Group the loop autosaves in the background so there is no need to save a session.

    Loading a Session

    load an existing session.
  • Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
  • Tap the Session Manager option.
  • Tap the session you'd like to load.
  • Tap the load button on the right.
  • Duplicating a Session

    duplicate a session.
  • Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
  • Tap the Session Manager option.
  • Tap the session you'd like to load.
  • Tap the duplicate button on the right.
  • Deleting a Session

    delete a session.
  • Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
  • Tap the Session Manager option.
  • Drag left on the session you'd like to delete until you see more options.
  • Tap the delete button.
  • TIP: Swipe all the way to the left to quickly delete a session.
  • Resetting a Session

    Resetting a session is a quick way to clear all your loops and effects. This maybe useful in a live situation where you need to quickly move onto the next song.
    NOTE: Resetting a sesison permanently deletes your loop's audio data and effect settings and it cannot be undone!

    reset a session.
  • Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
  • Tap the Reset Session option.
  • Exporting/Importing a Session

    You can export sessions to share them between devices or with other musicians.

    You can export sessions as a collection of audio files for processing in another app. Or you can export as a complete session file which stores all your mix and effect settings. Great for backing up and collaborating.
    Session files can be shared with other devices running Group the Loop via iCloud or Airdrop.

    open the export view.
  • Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
  • Tap the Session Manager option.
  • Locate the session and drag left on it to reveal the export option.
  • Tap export to open the export view.
  • export a session for backup.
  • Open the export view as above.
  • Select Export Session File to backup all your loop audio and mix settings.
  • Select a destination and tap export.
  • NOTE: Save your backups to an external destination so they are not deleted if you remove Group the Loop from your device.
  • share via iCloud drive.
  • Open the export view as above.
  • Choose to Export session file.
  • Choose Files App as your destination.
  • Save to a location in your iCloud drive.
  • Open the iOS Files App and locate your session file.
  • Hold press and select share.
  • Choose the Add People option to share with a friend.
  • To import just tap the session file on a device with Group the Loop installed.
  • share via AirDrop.
  • Open the export view as above.
  • Choose to Export session file.
  • Choose Share as your destination.
  • Make sure your devices are close and unlocked then tap AirDrop and choose the other device.
  • The session should open automatically on the second device.
  • NOTE: The second device must have Group the Loop installed.
  • backup to a Mac.
  • Connect your device with a USB cable to your MAC.
  • Open Finder and locate your device in the left column.
  • Select the Files tab then locate the Group the Loop folder.
  • Drag the entire sessions folder to your desktop or destination of choice.
  • MIDI

    You can use external MIDI device to control Group the Loop. You can either connect your device via the lightning port or wirelessly via MIDI over bluetooth.
    Just make sure your MIDI interface or bluetooth MIDI device is compatible with iOS. PLEASE NOTE: AirTurn devices do not work with GTL as they send out key commands not MIDI over Bluetooth.

    MIDI Devices

    connect a wired MIDI device.
  • You will need a Lightning to USB adapter and an iOS compatible USB MIDI interface or device.
  • Connect your MIDI device to your USB MIDI interface with standard MIDI cables.
  • Connect your MIDI interface to the iPhone or iPad using the lightning to USB adapter.
  • NOTE: You may need to use a powered USB hub if your interface draws too much power.
  • connect a bluetooth MIDI device.
  • In your device's settings navigate to Bluetooth and pair your device.
  • Open Group the Loop, tap the Settings button and navigate to the MIDI settings.
  • Scroll down to Bluetooth MIDI and tap connect.
  • Follow the instructions to setup the device.
  • Your device should now appear as a MIDI port, tap it to connect.
  • connect a MIDI Port.
  • Open the settings and navigate to MIDI
  • Tap the MIDI port of your device to connect it to GTL. (Only one port can be connected at a time.)
  • NOTE: For bluetooth MIDI you will need to connect the device before it appears as a port.
  • MIDI Bindings

    add a MIDI Binding.
  • First make sure your MIDI port is connected by following the steps above.
  • Tap MIDI Bindings.
  • Tap the + button to add a new MIDI function.
  • Scroll down until you see the MIDI function you’re looking for e.g “Record/Overdub” and tap it.
  • Now press a foot pedal, button or key on your MIDI device. You should see the MIDI command appear.
  • You should see the MIDI command appear.
  • That’s it, the MIDI command is now assigned to the binding.
  • Set any other options and tap done.
  • AUM

    Recording the System Input via AUM

    When Group the Loop is connected to AUM you can still record from the system input or microphone although there are some important limitations to consider.

    Usually, while recording, GTL compansates for any latency introduced by the hardware to acheive perfectly syncronised loops. However, when GTL receives audio from AUM there is no way to tell where it originated from (i.e The system input/microphone or another app) and therefore hardware latency is not compansated for.

    To avoid this problem, and potentially out of time loops, there are several solutions.
    1. Enable 'Latency Compensation' in the 'Audio Input' settings in Group the Loop. This option is only availible when an Inter-App audio app is selected as the 'Input Source'.
    2. Set a low buffer size in AUM to minimise to amount of latency incurred.
    3. Add GTL to an input slot in AUM so GTL remains in control of the input source.

    If you are only recieving audio from virtual instruments (other apps), there is no latency to consider and the above does not apply.

    Troubleshooting

    No sound is recorded from the microphone

    1. Check you have allowed Group the Loop access to your device's microphone. You will find this in your device settings: Settings -> Group the Loop -> Microphone.
    2. Unplug any external hardware such as usb hubs and audio interface's. Does the microphone work now? If so there could be a problem with your interface setup.

    No sound from the speakers

    1. Check the the volume on the side of your device is turned up. Sometimes after connecting an audio interface the device's volume is reset to zero.
    2. Unplug any external hardware such as usb hubs and audio interface's. Do you have sound now? If so there could be a problem with your interface setup.

    I can hear the metronome and other playback recorded in my loops

    1. Use Headphones. When recording through your device's microphone it's best to use headphones otherwise the audio coming from the speakers will spill back into the microphone and record onto your loops.
    2. For audio interface's connected to loud speakers: DI your instruments when possible and use close mic techniques with dynamic microphones.
    Generally dynamic microphones have better rejection than condenser mics which means they pick up less background noise/spill.
    Also take care when positioning your speakers, where possible point them away from your microphone.
    When speakers must face the musician i.e fold-back monitors, select a mic with good back rejection (e.g. a cardioid dynamic ) and angle it away from the speaker towards the instrument.

    Contact

    Main website: www.grouptheloop.com

    Feel free to send me an email with any questions: info@grouptheloop.com

    If you like the app, please consider leaving a review on the App Store.

    To be continued...