Re: loops with a drummer?

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

Hi Teddy,

I frequently play with live looping in a band situation and use two
main approaches:

1) LOOPER AS TEMPO MASTER - NO SYNC
Even though my looper allows several parallel loops of different
length I do not sync it to anything. Nor do I send a click to the
drummer. What I do is to make sure I always have immediate acces to a
foot switch that instantly retriggers all loops from the top. I do run
effects that tempo sync to the looper and use the good old EDP action
to set a new tempo when needed: delete everything and start a new loop
at the new tempo. This approach is good for free playing where you
need to be as adaptable as possible. If the drummer doesn't follow
your loop you can just make your loop follow the drummer etc. This
approach is great fun for stream-of-consciousness gigs.

2) LOOPER AS TEMPO SLAVE - SYNC
Myslef, my loopers/effects and everyone else in the band play at a pre
defined tempo. Some parts may be pre recorded to run as backing tracks
or to be triggered in sync by any of the players. This works well for
me when doing surround sound concerts. Tempos of songs will be running
even if you don't play. If needing to get the tempo to start with you
can either look at a visual cue, make some noise into a tempo synced
delay effect or simply just step on Record and make a non-rhythmic one
bar loop (add some SUS Substitute points if needing a finer resolution
"click"). Example: http://youtu.be/GawvbfwHgRE

I've used these two approaches all the way back since the old
EDP/Repeater Rack days until today's all-in-the-box laptop rig gigs.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.perboysen.com
http://www.youtube.com/perboysen



On Sun, Apr 1, 2012 at 6:15 PM, Teddy Kumpel <teddykumpel@mac.com> wrote:
> As I read all the posts on this list I'm starting to wonder.... Is 
> everyone here a solo artist?
>
> Does anyone use loops in a band context?
>
> If so, how? What are using? Do you only make ambient loops in the band, 
> or do you play rhythms?
> If you play rhythms and there's a drummer how do you get locked up with 
> the drummer.
>
> I have my own solution, I've been doing it for 4 years now and I'm happy 
> with the results... I'm just wondering what other people do.
>
> thanks for chiming in
> Teddy
>