When
using Soundtrap, I was able to do a number of things that I heard musically. My
composition process when working with a DAW is usually to develop or find (as
in a loop) a groove that can be the basis of my composition. Most DAW created
works, for me, have less harmonic interest and more rhythmic and layer related
interest. Much like Incredibox, musical interest is created by the addition and
subtraction of layers. The text (Bauer, 2014) notes the importance of revision
as part of the compositional process. Though I didn’t have feedback from
classmates or colleagues, I did let the project “incubate” for a while I
contemplated edits and re-writes. For students, I would want to have their
Soundtrap composition go through several layers of revision including teacher
and peer feedback.
Soundtrap
was easy to use. It is similar to Soundation.com, but I found including
external sound sources to be less daunting. I was able to use my computer
speaker and an audio interface in my recording. I found the Presonus AudioBox 2
extremely easy to use as it required no drivers to download for use. I bought
the box for just over $100 and you can find a kit that includes the interface,
microphone, cable, and MIDI keyboard for $200 on Musician’s Friend deal of the
day today (sorry for it being too late, but this deal usually returns). I didn’t
quite know how to split tracks at first, but the tutorials are very informative
and the controls are, mostly, intuitive. The Soundtrap people are also great as
they are active on twitter and have a live questions box on the site when one
of them is online.
I think
Soundtrap could be used to great effect for simple things like recording
rehearsals or performances. It could also be a great way to get students to
compose with loops. I could see myself creating backing tracks on Soundtrap and
then having students record their improvisations and sending the finished
product to me. The friendly interface and helpful customer service does set
Soundtrap apart for me as a product I might use with students. The free 30 days
pro trial is also nice as it includes a TON of great loops an features.
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