FAQs

I can play. So do I really need Twiddly.Bits?

Just because you play keys, or drums, or whatever instrument you play, doesn't mean you can play ALL instruments. Every instrument has its own playing technique, its own idiosyncrasies, and its own set of typical motifs. And few people outside of top arrangers know what these are, much less how to recreate them in MIDI.

You might be a great keyboard player but how's your drum programming?

Many top arrangers use Twiddly.Bits because they let you interact with different playing styles quickly and easily. Being able to call up, say, a beautifully played snare or cymbal roll IN AN INSTANT is incredibly useful. Not to say inspirational.

If you're a good player you'll appreciate all the more the musicianship and subtlety of the Twiddly.Bits libraries.

Does everyone end up sounding the same?

No. For a start, each volume contains between 300 and 700 individual parts. Depending upon the sound you apply to each part, you will end up with incredibly different results.
More importantly, because this is pure MIDI data, and not a fixed audio sample, you can transpose, invert, expand, and edit parts quickly and effectively.

And if you want to get really down ‘n' dirty you can even change, say, a guitar strum of a C major chord into C minor simply by changing the Es into E flats. Is that laborious? Not really, and certainly a lot less so than recording the part again in audio, or hiring in that guitarist for another session!

Finally the context in which parts are played – which ones are played together, combined with parts you have already played or want to play on top - will create completely fresh and unique results every time.

How do I change key?

Most Twiddly.Bits parts are saved to "C." If it's a minor chord strum it'll be C Minor. If it's a blues riff on piano, it'll be a C minor riff. This way, whatever you want a chord or run to be you can simply transpose accordingly (turn a C into an F by transposing +5).

What’s the best application to use?

The one you have. Seriously. Twiddly.Bits can be loaded into anything from ProTools to a Yamaha Motif XS. Any DAW or instrument that can load or import a MIDI file can use these libraries.

What’s the best sound to use?

That’s entirely up to you. If you want to create a realistic guitar strumming pattern, use a guitar patch when you call up a guitar strumming .MID. But you can get creative, too, and see what a strummed harmonium sounds like, or strummed snare drum.

What’s the drum mapping?

Twiddly.Bits files default to standard GM drum mapping. While almost any drum library or VST will offer this, many instruments offer additional samples or velocity levels based on a wider variety of notes. Check each library to see if there are additional mappings made for a particular application. Alternatively it is relatively simple to create your own custom map. Most times the Twiddly.Bits drum groove will contain all of the subtle variations in volume (ghost hits, flams, swells and more) so you don’t need to apply different samples to a beat in order to make it sound authentic. Remember, these beats were played by real drummers and so inherently contain human characteristics of variable intensity, timing, and feel.

Is there any additional license to pay?

No. You can use these parts wherever you need without having to 'clear copyright'. Credits are at your discretion.

Who uses Twiddly.Bits?

Since 1994 when the first library was released, literally hundreds of thousands of people all over the world, from professional composers to hobbyists have used Twiddly.Bits. They have been used on recordings, used to create live backings, used in schools, colleges, and churches, and used by young and old, skilled or complete novices.

Typical applications include:

• Professional composing. Are you ever faced with a deadline on a piece of music that has to be composed in a style that you're not familiar with? Now you can call on the services of musicians familiar with that style; anytime, day or night!
• Inspiration for song writing. Audition, change sounds, mix, bounce ideas off different players and parts. Create complete songs solely using these files, or simply get the creative juices flowing.
• Education. Use the edit pages of your DAW to 'see' how a real guitarist plays a certain guitar lick or solo, or the voicing of a jazz piano chord.
• Practice makes perfect. Set up loops in any style you want, at any speed or key. Record solos or other parts on top. Audition and view solos and licks played by top professionals on your instrument.