LOOPERS Anyone?

junplugged

junplugged

Taking the slow road
There are a lot of these now.

The missing info is the end of the loop timing.

Hard to find this info even tho it is critical to the loop and will be an epic fail to your music if it isn't in time.

Next is the darn annoying click track - none have foot control of it, and they don't give up the info on that either.... I think this needs a blog, i think I'll make one, too much info to write.... in the mean time, anyone have the small ones?

I got the rc-20, jamman, jamman stereo, but I now want a tiny battery operated one.
 
I have been interested in loopers, think they'd make a handy tool for writing if you just what to see what a riff and some chords sound like together or see what some dual guitar parts fit together like.

I wrote a dual guitar solo a couple of weeks ago and a looper would have been handy for that, just a bit quicker than sticking it in the DAW.
 
I have a Boss looper, the red one. There's also one in my TC Flashback delay which I've never used. Sounds like a good idea, but in practice I haven't found them useful. For songwriting, it's easier to record a progression in the DAW and then loop. And if you find something you like, it's already in the DAW. No need to transfer it from the looper. The other annoying thing about a looper is if you don't tap the pedal exactly on the beat, the loop will be out of time.
 
Timing is EVERYTHING when it comes to loopers. I've got a Ditto X2. I've found that playing the sequence once before recording/looping it helps with timing. Trying to start the loop as I start playing always gets f*cked up. I think its a valid live-use tool, but not so much for recording/writing.
 
I have the Ditto Looper and love it. There is no internal click track, so you have to set your own tempo on the first loop (which means you have to be perfect on the first loop). As mjbphotos said, that makes it bad for recording, but excellent live.

You can see me using it in a live situation here:

 
junplugged said:
There are a lot of these now.

The missing info is the end of the loop timing.

Hard to find this info even tho it is critical to the loop and will be an epic fail to your music if it isn't in time.

Next is the darn annoying click track - none have foot control of it, and they don't give up the info on that either.... I think this needs a blog, i think I'll make one, too much info to write.... in the mean time, anyone have the small ones?

I got the rc-20, jamman, jamman stereo, but I now want a tiny battery operated one.
Click to expand...

I used to use the rc-50 live in an acoustic duo, and do quite complex loops - and yeah, the only way really in that scenario was to have a pre-recorded "click" which became part of the loop. I used a kick drum sample so it sounded decent, but I'd never have attempted a loop without that guide.

It was actually lots of fun assembling a loop live in front of an audience with them having absolutely no idea what I was doing, as I'd put together loops for different parts of the song up front - as many as 3, as that's what the 50 could do, before the song itself actually started, and then kicking into the song and getting this massive sound.

Some of the most complex stuff I've ever done, and you didn't want to get it wrong with the pedals...
 
I feel like loopers are cheating. Like using midi or pre-recorded tracks in a live performance.
 
I have the Pigtronix Infinity looper...also got the extra 2-switch pedal for it...also bought a couple of the larger storage SIMS (I think either 16 or 32 GB), and sent them to Dave to format for the looper, so it can store a ton of shit on them.
The complete setup wasn't cheap....and I hate to say it, but now I find absolutely NO use for it. :facepalm: so it's been sitting on my pedal shelf for two years now.

For jamming...I much rather just turn on my DAW and pick from dozens of jam tracks I have on hand.
For recording...it has ZERO use to me.
I kinda got it just to fulfill my curiosity, and in case I ever wanted to maybe do some live, solo-player stuff...but after messing with it for awhile, I came to the realization that everything you do with it will sound about the same. It's all that rhythmic build-up of guitar lines, loop, loop, etc...and it sounds rather boring after awhile...IMHO.

If you do one or two songs like that, it sounds cool...but I can't see doing entire sets with it live...and every video I've seen where guys are playing with a looper, they all sound kinda the same, a lot like Brian Miller's video.
I'm not knocking it for the guys that like playing with them...and it takes some skill to be good at it...just saying that everyone with a looper sounds like everyone else with a looper...IMO...and I realized it's just not anything I wanted to do. :D

I've thought about selling my Infinity looper with all the extras...it basically brand new, with maybe a few hours use in my studio...but I keep thinking one of these days some idea will pop into my head on how to do more/different with it than everything I've heard other people doing...but nothing so far. :p

With the Infinity, I can even preload drum tracks and other audio tracks (one of the reasons I got the extra large SIM cards for it)...but at that point, it's no different than a lot of the MIDI rigs you see that some solo performers use, with lots of prerecorded tracks...etc....which is another thing that's already been done to death, and kinda boring IMO to do as a live gig...but YMMV.
 
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miroslav said:
.....just saying that everyone with a looper sounds like everyone else with a looper...IMO...
Click to expand...

You never heard me. Acoustic guitars, multi-part songs & loops - ie. creating loops for three different sections - vocal harmonies via a separate looper mic, reverse playing then reversing the loop to get weird on-key noises, simulated bass lines, percussion from thumping the guitar in different ways, shaker eggs via the mic - all created live.

It was epic - not just a jam, which, all due respect, is all that BM is doing in that video - but full length, complex songs/music - sounding like a guitar orchestra/choir.

I've not heard anyone doing anything close to what I was doing since.

Alas I have neither audio or video footage as proof.

Chili - "Fraud" was one of the looper songs - and if you play "Tears and Mascara" with that massive 6-part guitar build up in the end, that recording is all based on how we sounded live, with just the two of us... I had the acoustic going through a multi-effect and would play all the lead lines via a distortion. Truly sensational sound - people walking past with a drink not really paying attention would suddenly just stop and go "WTF? How are they doing that?"

I should haul it out again and see if I can still do it.
 
Do us a video Armistice - partly to prove you're really doing it - mostly so we can see your beer-gut hanging over the top of your shorts while you play standing next to the BBQ and a stack of empty cans of VB
 
Armistice said:
Alas I have neither audio or video footage as proof.
Click to expand...

We'll just take your word for it. ;)

Like I said...most of what I HAVE seen/heard...it sounds the same as everyone else with a looper. :)

JDOD said:
... mostly so we can see your beer-gut hanging over the top of your shorts while you play standing next to the BBQ and a stack of empty cans of VB
Click to expand...

If we see that...the looper thing won't even matter. :p
 
JDOD said:
Do us a video Armistice - partly to prove you're really doing it - mostly so we can see your beer-gut hanging over the top of your shorts while you play standing next to the BBQ and a stack of empty cans of VB
Click to expand...

Sorry. 1.86m / 77kg - no beer gut here. Nor do I own a BBQ or ever drink VB. I sort of need the ex band mate, seeing he sang the songs, to make it work. You can take my word for it. :eek::laughings:
 
Armistice said:
Sorry. 1.86m / 77kg - no beer gut here. Nor do I own a BBQ or ever drink VB. I sort of need the ex band mate, seeing he sang the songs, to make it work. You can take my word for it. :eek::laughings:
Click to expand...
You're not Australian!
 
JDOD said:
You're not Australian!
Click to expand...

I get told that all the time when I'm in England... apparently I sound a bit English because I don't have the broad maaaaate accent so assumed of Australians, and which so few actually have.
 
Brian Miller said:
I have the Ditto Looper and love it. There is no internal click track, so you have to set your own tempo on the first loop (which means you have to be perfect on the first loop). As mjbphotos said, that makes it bad for recording, but excellent live.

You can see me using it in a live situation here:

Click to expand...


I really enjoyed that video. You appear to have a good sense of how to control that foot switch and control the timing. I owned an RC 20.....gave it away because I could never get the timing just right.
 
I use a looping pedal for only one piece (featured above) in my entire 90 minute show. So it's not repetitive or boring. It's often one of the most popular things I do all night. If you were to do multiple pieces with just a single function looper, then yes, it could get boring.

I never use a looping pedal to record, but I do use it for jamming all the time. It's great to be able to lay down a quick layer or two and then jam over the top of it without needing to call up backing tracks or even open a computer, smartphone, or tablet. It's very organic and I love it.

Armistace - With respect, my piece "Magick" is not a jam. It is note for note composition (with a repeated chorus) that I perform as part of my theater variety show. It is (obviously) a Joe Satriani inspired instrumental piece, composed specifically for a single function looping pedal. "Just a jam" it is not. Also, there are plenty of guys doing precisely what you describe and crazier: you just need to look into the campus entertainment circuit. I've seen INSANE looping at NACA conferences that are truly mind blowing.

Miroslav - You're right, to a certain degree. Everyone using a single function looping pedal is limited to just that: progressive building and layering of guitar tracks. Still, there is plenty of room for creativity.

EDIT: For the record, I'm not actually offended by either of the comments directed at my piece. Just responding to them!
 
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