Project 1 – Intro to Mixcraft

Open mixcraft and choose Build Loop and Beat Matched Music

Click on the Library Tab

Set the Category to Song Kit and choose Drums N Bass.

Drag the Bass 1 Loop to track 1

When you’re asked to use the Best Sounding Tempo and Key, choose “Yes”

Notice that the loop you are using is 4 Bars (or measures) long. When you add it to the timeline, it lasts through

measures 1, 2, 3, and 4, and ends at the start of measure 5.

Extend the loop for another 4 measures. It should now be 8 measures long and end at the start of measure 9. Notice the

little white triangles that appear half way through. This is where the loop ends and begins again. Any time you see these

triangles, the loop is re-starting.

Notice that when you play your project, the volume indicator on track 1 turns RED

This is called REDLINING and it should be avoided! Turn the track volume down to 75% to fix this.

Now would be a good time to save your project. You want to save frequently just in case you run into any technical

trouble and need to restart your computer. Saving often prevents you from having to re-do a lot of work.

Click on the File menu in the upper left-hand corner of your screen, and choose Save. (Note the keyboard shortcut:

Ctrl+S).

There is also a Save Button in the toolbar:

After clicking save, you’ll be asked where you want to save your project. Make sure it’s saved in your LanSchool Files

folder by clicking on the Desktop Icon, then double clicking on LanSchool Files.

Make sure the window says “Save In: LanSchool Files” and that you have named your project “Project 1” then click Save.

Let’s keep working on the project. Add the Crash 1 loop to track 2.

Position the Crash 1 loop so that it begins at measure 3 and the climax is at measure 5 (when the Bass 1 loop repeats).

Even though neither track is redlining, the combination of sounds is causing the MASTER MIX to redline.

To fix this, adjust the volume of Track 2 to 75% (just as you did with track 1).

Add the Beat 2 loop to Track 3. Position it so that it begins at measure 5. It should now end at the same time as the Bass

1 loop on Track 1.

Play back and notice that the MASTER MIX is redlining once again. This time, lower the volume on Track 3 to 65% and

the MASTER MIX to 60%.

You have now created the INTRODUCTION SECTION of your first project. Let’s label the section by right clicking the

yellow flag at the start of the timeline and selecting “Edit…”

Change the title of the marker to “Intro” then click OK.

Before we begin the next section, let’s add another marker to mark the beginning. Right click on the timeline at the start

of measure 9 and choose “Add Marker”

This is the beginning of the A Section so we will name it “A” then click “OK”

Add the following loops at measure 9: Bass 2, Beat 1, and Beat 4. Make sure your project looks like the one below:

Add two more loops to the A Section: Arpeggiator and SFX 1.

Notice that every loop is grouped on a track by instrument. Each track should contain the same instrument throughout

the entire project. It’s ok to have more than one track with the same instrument; in this project we have two drum

tracks.

If you’re ever unsure which instrument a loop is, you can check the instrument column in the library tab.

Note that even though there is room on the track, it is technically incorrect to put SFX 1 and Crash 1 on the same track

because they are different instruments.

Add a new marker at measure 17 for the B section

Put the B section together with the following loops: Beat 5, Jazzy Synth 1, and String. Notice that Beat 5 has been looped

once. Jazzy synth is added to the same track as Arpeggiator since they are both Synth loops, but String has been put on a

new track since it’s an instrument we haven’t used yet.

Notice that so far each of the three sections are completely separate (there are no loops that cross between two

sections).

To smooth the transition from A to B, let’s add a transition loop: SFX 4

Notice that it begins at measure 15 and ends at measure 19. Doing so puts

the climax of the sound right at the moment of transition from A to B and

makes the change sound smoother.

Which track did we add SFX 4 to? Why?

Adding this loop probably caused some redlining, so turn the volume of

track 5 down to 65% to fix this.

Have you saved recently? Now is a good time!

When you listen to the B section, do you notice that the String loop sounds too loud (in comparison to the other loops)?

Even though there is no redlining, there is a BALANCE issue. Turn the volume of track 6 down to 40% to compensate.

Create the final A section and add another transition loop as shown below. The loops used are: Bass 2, Crash 1, Beat 1,

Beat 4, and Arpeggiator. Add another marker at Measure 25 as well.

Lastly, create the Outro section marker and add the Crash 2, Beat 14, and Vox 4 loops. Notice the placement of the loops

onto the correct track (Vox 4 is added to a new track because it’s an instrument we haven’t used yet: vocal). Also notice

that the climax of the Crash 2 loop is aligned with the start of the Vox 4 loop.

Your project doesn’t need an eighth track, so let’s delete it. Right click on the track and choose “Delete Track”

The final step is to turn your mixcraft project into an MP3. To do this, click on File -> Mix Down To -> MP3

Save the MP3 in your LanSchool Files folder (on the desktop). Give the song a title. What do you think it should be

called?