Drum loops are being used more and more widely in worship services with good reason. If you not familiar with drum loops, they are a pre-programmed segment of percussive instruments in 2, 4 or sometimes 8 measures in length. This segment is played in a loop for the duration of a song. When properly executed they can add another dimension to the music and really make the music much fuller. When improperly executed, too loud, off timing etc, they can totally destroy a worship service.

Using Loops Live
Loops created via software can easily be converted to an mp3 and played back on any mp3 player or played directly from a laptop within the software it was created in. However, no matter how the loops are created, the best way to setup for a live performance is to have the loop panned to the left (or right) channel and a click panned to the right channel (or left if the loop is in the right).  Having a click is a must for musicians to be able to stay with the loop. The click only needs to be heard by the musicians so you’ll need two open channels on the console. This way, the sound engineer can mix the loop in with the main mix while only sending the click to the monitor mix.

Loops can really add to the worship in your church as long as they are used properly but they do take time getting used to playing with them. If you want to start using loops, practice with them with the band and with the sound engineer so everyone can get used to playing with them.