Phase-Lock and Free Loops: Difference between revisions

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[[Category:Basics]]
[[Category:Basics]]
One of the Loopy Pro's most important settings is the Phase-Lock option for loops. Phase-lock is turned on by default in Loopy Pro's default settings. This setting may or may not be appropriate to your use. Understanding it is key to using Loopy Pro.
The phase-locked / free loop distinction is one of the most important aspects of Loopy Pro to understand. In Loopy Pro, '''phase-locked loops''' are synchronized with the transport, meaning their playhead moves whenever the transport is active. Essentially, "play" and "stop" act like "unmute" and "mute" for these loops. When you start a phase-locked loop, it begins playing from the current position of the playhead. This mode is ideal when your loops are the same length or multiples of each other, allowing you to seamlessly turn them on and off without breaking synchronization.


When loops are phase-locked, their playhead is always moving when Loopy Pro's transport is moving. For phase-locked loops, play and stop are essentially unmute and mute. When a phase-locked loop starts playing, it starts playing from wherever the playhead is located. Use this mode when your loops are the same length or multiples of each other and you want to be able to freely turn them on and off (unmute and mute them).
When '''phase-lock''' is turned off, loops are called '''free loops'''. Free loops always start playback from the beginning, regardless of where the playhead is. Use free loops when your song sections have different lengths, or when you need the loops to always begin from the start, independent of Loopy Pro's transport or master cycle.


When phase-lock is off, loops are called free. Free loops always start playback from their beginning. Use them when your song sections are different lengths or when you always want the loops to start from the beginning regardless of Loopy Pro's transport or master cycle.
A project can contain both phase-locked and free loops, and all types of loops can be synchronized. The choice between these modes depends on your needs. Free loops are especially useful for songs with parts of varying lengths or when you want to manually control when loops start.


Projects can contain both free and phase-locked loops. All loop types can be synchronized. Which type to use depends on your needs. Free loops are typically used when songs have parts of different lengths or if you need to be able to start loops from the beginning at will.
This short video provides a quick overview of the difference between phase-locked and free loops.


This short video is a quick explainer of the difference between phase-locked and free loops.<youtube>HoD46b3Z5HQVRR3N</youtube>
<youtube>HoD46b3Z5HQVRR3N</youtube>

Revision as of 05:25, 30 September 2024

The phase-locked / free loop distinction is one of the most important aspects of Loopy Pro to understand. In Loopy Pro, phase-locked loops are synchronized with the transport, meaning their playhead moves whenever the transport is active. Essentially, "play" and "stop" act like "unmute" and "mute" for these loops. When you start a phase-locked loop, it begins playing from the current position of the playhead. This mode is ideal when your loops are the same length or multiples of each other, allowing you to seamlessly turn them on and off without breaking synchronization.

When phase-lock is turned off, loops are called free loops. Free loops always start playback from the beginning, regardless of where the playhead is. Use free loops when your song sections have different lengths, or when you need the loops to always begin from the start, independent of Loopy Pro's transport or master cycle.

A project can contain both phase-locked and free loops, and all types of loops can be synchronized. The choice between these modes depends on your needs. Free loops are especially useful for songs with parts of varying lengths or when you want to manually control when loops start.

This short video provides a quick overview of the difference between phase-locked and free loops.