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Looper's Delight
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With the caveat that you'll get a range of different answers to these questions, and that apparently contradictory answers may be equally valid, here's one opinion: >At 03:33 PM 12/30/99 -0800, you wrote: >Some general questions: >My first notion is that looping and soundscapes are not really the same >thing; that looping is more phrase sampling with playback and >soundscapes is controlled feedback/regeneration. Is this correct? There's quite a bit of overlap between the two terms as they're generally used. Yes, looping does involve the repetition of a captured piece of sound, but it's also very important to be able to add to and manipulate the loop in real time. Looping is a much broader term, while soundscapes are usually descriptive of a more textural style using looping. > >How much delay time is necessary to do soundscape-like effects? It's surprising how much can be done with under two seconds, but obviously the more memory (and control functions!) you've got the more versatile you can be. > >How many delay units are needed to do decent soundscapes? A lot depends on what type of delays you're using; if you've got something with a decent live overdub capability (see "Tools of the Trade" on the LD site <http://www.annihilist.com/loop/tools/tools.html> you can do a lot more than you could with a sample-and-hold delay. What many loopers do when they upgrade, though, is to hang onto their older delays since you can always find some use for a short looper. One thing that's probably more important than the number of delays in doing decent soundscapes has to do with the variety of sounds being input TO your delays; a wide range of timbres from your instrument(s) when combined with a looping device's overdub capability can sound pretty orchestral, polyphonic or just plain massive. That's why so many soundscape artists favor synths (guitar, keyboard, or some sort of alternate controller) and/or a good variety of stompboxes; it's important to be able to draw upon a suitably wide range of sounds to feed into your loopers, and to be able to change quickly between these sounds with a good level of control. > >Is the EDP suited more for looping than soundscaping? It can do both. It's probably the most versatile looping device available in terms of delay time and parameters for loop manipulation. (Well, almost available... January?!) > >Can one come close to that Fripp sound without buying lots of TC >electronics and Harmonizers? TC and Eventide both make some VERY fine cream-of-the-crop gear, but there's a pile of stuff available that can get you into pitch-shifting and layered delays for a whole lot less money. Check out the archives or some of the bulletin boards like Harmony Central; you'll find many aficionados of some of the more moderately-priced multi-effects and stompboxes from Zoom, Boss/Roland, Korg, Digitech, etc. etc. etc., as well as those maladjusted miscreants among us who enjoy scouring pawnshops for weird, funky old effects and connecting them in combinations which would nauseate their designers. Again, you'll get many different answers to your questions, and the bottom line is finding what works best for you. Tim