In search of the ultimate looper?

[Tom Ritchford <tom@swirly.com>]

...which is not a looper that already exists...

an old thread, but if you could design the ultimate looper,
what would it be?

Here are some features I'd love to see.  Perhaps
something like MSP could do it in software, hmm...


-- storing and recalling loops from disk
   or something like disk, SmartMedia eg
   I could prepare loops in the machine and then
     send them to my sampler -- and vice versa.

-- large memory using standard chips
   a gig of memory?  why not?  at < $2/MB, not impossible.

-- arbitrarily many loops (subject to memory limitations)
   if I want nine hundred 100ms loops
   and I have enough memory for 90s of sampling, why not?

-- click removal/endpoint smoothing
   crossfade between the beginning and end of a loop.
   controllable crossfade time (and fade shape?)

-- time modulation effects a la Super Timeline
   "sample rate modulation" -- the timeline basically had
     an LFO that you could use to modulate the sampling rate
     of the unit, rather like speeding and slowing the rate
     of a tape playback unit dramatically.  You could get some
     great effects by playing with the modulation index and
     the LFO frequency.

-- loop times:  lockstep or not?
  independent loop lengths OR
  length "quantization"
    where length is a multiple or divisor of previous loop length
  so I can just tap out a loop at any time with whatever length I play
  or I can "quantize" the length of any loops I make, relative to the
    "current" loop.

-- loop "tweaking":  real time effects on a loop.
  pitch shift up or down (without length changing) (may be hard?)
  time stretch without pitch change  (may be hard?)
  time modulation effects ("slow down", "speed up")
  tweak start and end points of a loop back and forth

-- feedback and cross-delays
  send part of any loop to any other
  internal mixing matrix?
  !! stereo !!

-- "clever" footpedal
  crossfades between loops on a single pedal
  "grab" a loop and apply an effect to it with a pedal


Comments?  Other features?  Manufacturers, comments?

*Are* there any factory reps on this list
(even perhaps in an informal fashion?)

        /t