How to repeat a section while you work on it
Press L in Loop by Zaweba to turn on the loop region, and playback keeps going round the same bars while you edit, mix and record.
Repeating a section while you work on it is what the loop region is for, and in Loop by Zaweba you toggle it with the L key. Turn it on and playback goes round and round the same bars instead of carrying on through the song, so you can adjust a part, try a different loop or tweak the mix while you listen. Press L again to switch it off and play the song straight through.
It sounds like a small thing, but it changes how you work. Here's how to use it well.
The keys you'll use with it
Space plays and pauses, and Home goes back to the start. L toggles the loop region. M toggles the metronome. R records and Esc stops all sound. That small set covers almost everything you do while working on a section, so it's worth getting them into your fingers. F1 lists every shortcut if you forget one.
Why work in a loop
You hear changes in context. Swap a bass loop and you hear it with the drums and chords on the very next pass, rather than having to go back and press play again.
It stops you drifting. Without a loop region, it is easy to start listening to the next section and forget what you were fixing.
It helps recording. Set the region around the bars you want to record and do several passes in a row. Every pass over the same place is kept as a take, so you can choose the best one afterwards.
Jobs it is good for
Choosing loops. Set the region over four or eight bars, then click loops in the library to preview them. Previews play in time with the song and lined up with the bars, so with the region running you can audition a dozen options in a minute.
Mixing a section. Loop the busiest part of the song, usually a chorus, and set levels, pan and effects while it plays. If the busiest part is right, the quieter parts generally follow.
Programming drums and riffs. Edit a clip in the piano roll or the drum machine while the region repeats and every change is heard on the next time round.
Practising before you record. Loop a section with the metronome on and play along on your computer keys or MIDI keyboard until you're happy, then press R.
Exporting just the loop region
The loop region is useful beyond playback. File > Export can write the whole song or just the loop region, as WAV, MP3 or OGG with a two-second tail. That is handy for sharing a single idea, checking how one section sounds outside the app, or making a short clip to send to a friend. Export renders offline in the background, many times faster than real time.
Things to keep in mind
The metronome is never exported, so leave it on while you work if it helps. The same goes for loop previews.
A loop region around a section that ends abruptly will jump back to the start with a bump. That is normal and it doesn't affect the song. If it is distracting, extend the region by a bar.
If you're working on a long song, Ctrl+0 fits the whole thing on screen so you can see where the region sits, and Ctrl+wheel zooms in for close work.
Stepping back
Every so often, turn the region off and listen from the start. A section that sounds great on repeat can feel too long or too similar in the context of the whole song, and only playing it through will tell you.
