So it looks like one of our focal points for this semester will be Soundtrap, a (largely) free online DAW which I’ve used and loved for a while. This week’s lecture ran us through the basics, including loops, editing notes via the piano roll, and playing around with velocity. Although I had most of those things down, I learnt a few handy tricks I didn’t know before, such as making a looped section editable by right-clicking and selecting “Create region”.

I think Soundtrap is fantastic – I love its collaborative feature, I love the loops, I love that it’s a program that can work on any computer (looking at you, GarageBand), I love that it’s got so many features that are intuitive to use and clearly explained, I love the user-friendly aesthetic, and most of all, I love that you can do so much with even the free version.

I am not proficient in DAWs, but it’s something I’d love to learn more about, and Soundtrap is such a good place to start, especially as you don’t have to pay anything to access the simplest version. Here’s a project I created last year using the free version of Soundtrap.

This is a cover of the first verse and chorus of Marliya, a song by the Indigenous girl group of the same name. I’ve been a huge fan of Marliya since their formation at Gondwana National Choral School 2016, the first year I spent in Gondwana Voices. I made this cover (in knockoff 80s synthpop style) using different synth, bass and drumset sounds on Soundtrap, and then recording my voice over them through the computer mic.

I especially love how easy it is to create a drumbeat in Soundtrap. You can choose to play a virtual drum kit using your computer keyboard, or you can input beats, as I did:

This allows you to choose exactly when in the bar you want a certain sound to play. The notation is simple and intuitive – especially for those who don’t read classical notation – and you can easily play it back and adjust. Being someone who has never played the drum kit and finds it somewhat intimidating, I found this such a user-friendly introduction to creating a groove that I could easily play back and edit.

You can listen here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xeP90gZhxoSEALbdYpzqRB-36mlrrHjN/view?usp=sharing

So, educational implications? Aside from the obvious potential for building songwriting and basic production skills, Soundtrap provides an incredible array of pre-made loops, which make music-making accessible for even primary schoolers. The collaboration feature allows groups of students to create projects together in real time. Students can enhance acoustically recorded parts with effects, play around with Soundtrap’s sound library, or multitrack themselves singing or playing. And best of all, anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection can use this program without paying an extra fee (though Soundtrap also offers paid subscriptions).

Seriously, there’s nothing not to love about this program. Use it. You won’t regret it.