A looper plugin that plays the chords too

Most looper plugins record whatever you feed them. still.synth makes the music as well: a chord from two pads, a bassline under it, drums in your DAW’s tempo. You build the song four bars at a time.

How the looper works

• Record arms it, and nothing happens until you play. Your first note starts the loop, and the drums start with it if they’re switched on.
• The loop is four bars. Its length is fixed when the first layer starts, like on a loop pedal.
• Press Record again to add a layer. It starts the moment you press it and stops on the nearest bar when you press again.
• Undo takes off the last layer. Reset clears everything. Up to 32 layers.
• If the beat is already playing, Record waits for the start of the beat’s next four-bar phrase, so the loop lines up with it.
• The drums follow the loop. The Drums switch mutes them or brings them back from the next 1/16.

What goes into a layer

Each layer records the chords and bass you hear, as audio. Switch the preset afterwards and only new layers get the new sound, the earlier ones stay as they were. The drums aren’t recorded into layers. They keep playing from the drum engine, in time with the loop.

From the loop to your track

The ↓ key next to the looper records a take of everything you hear. It shows up in two lanes, a WAV of the whole mix and a MIDI file, and you drag either one onto a track in your DAW. The complete guide has the details.

Built on the looper

Songs we rebuilt from an empty loop, one layer at a time. Every sound is still.synth.

• Get Lucky, from scratchGuitar chords into the loop, then the bass, piano chords and the hook played live.
• Espresso, from scratchThe vocal line looped first, then funky guitar, the bass and the little synth line.
• Borderline, from scratchBeat first, guitar chords into the loop, bass, a pad an octave up, then the vocal line live.
• Dracula, from scratchGuitar stabs first, then the bass, a pad, and the vocal line on top.

Works in your DAW

Any host that loads VST3, or AU on a Mac. Setup guides: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, REAPER, FL Studio. The Standalone app needs no DAW at all.

Questions

Can it loop my guitar or vocals?

No. It loops what still.synth itself plays: chords, bass and melody from its own synths. To loop a microphone or a guitar you need an audio looper.

Does the loop follow my DAW’s tempo?

Yes, it runs in your DAW’s tempo. The loop length is set when you record the first layer, the way a loop pedal works, so pick the tempo before you start.

How long is a loop?

Four bars. You can stack up to 32 layers on it, undo the last one, or clear them all and start again.

Do I need a MIDI keyboard?

No. Hold 1 to 8 on your computer keyboard for a chord shape and play roots on D F G H J K L ; in the Standalone app, or in the plugin while its window has focus. A MIDI keyboard or pad controller works too.