Re: Any dj's using loops live?

["Devious D_MasterMixer" <dj_devious_d@hotmail.com>]

HuH ?

----Original Message Follows----

From: Richard Zvonar

Reply-To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com

To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com

Subject: Re: Any dj's using loops live?

Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 19:28:41 -0700

At 7:09 PM +0000 7/9/01, Brian Parker wrote:

>I was just wondering if there are any djs on the list that are using

>samplers to create loops on the fly during performances? It just did

>look like many electronic artists were here from the profiles i

>read.

>If you are a dj, what are you using for gear?

I don't consider myself a DJ (nor would most DJs or their audience)

but for a long time I have performed with a combination of playback

media, live performers, and signal processors that include looping.

The setup varies, but among my favorite processors are the Eventide

H3000 and DSP4000, and the TC2290. All three of these devices can

perform looping functions in either a regenerating delay mode or a

sampling mode. One favorite hack with the H3000 is to control the

playback parameters (start and end point, playback rate, pitch

transposition) with faders. The H3000's Sampler can loop two voices

independently, so I use eight faders. One particularly interesting

thing is to move the end point earlier than the start point so that

the sample plays backwards.

The DSP4000 has a sampling function that can immediately play back in

reverse, so I can capture a live sample and then play it back

immediately either forward or in reverse. This is especially

interesting with live voice, and I've done a lot of this with a story

teller.

I control the TC2290 with MIDI, and I am able to address all its

parameters with system exclusive messages. One favorite looping hack

is to control a pair of 2290s and to move the playback "window"

forward and back in time. The two loops can be the same length but

offset in time, or they can be of different lengths.

For prerecorded playback I use CDs and cassette tapes (when I started

doing this there weren't any CDs yet). On occasion I've used looping

cassettes, but mostly I use regular cassette recordings of music

ranging from assorted world music to classical to avant garde

instrumental and electronic music (it's interesting to hear Satie and

Nono superimposed). One of my cassette decks is a Tascam Porta One (I

bought it in 1985). This is a cassette portastudio that runs at

regular cassette speed, so you can play any normally recorded

cassette. The interesting thing is that while "Side A" is playing

back normally, "Side B" is playing back in reverse. The faders on the

Porta One allow simple fading in and out of the tracks.

I mix all this stuff with a Mackie 1604, and I've devised a patching

system that allows me to audition signals before sending them into

the main mix. The 1604 has four outputs, of which 3 and 4 are

considered an Alternate or "Alt" pair. I use these outputs as my

mail feed to the PA system. When I want to audition something with

headphones I have that channel in normal mode, routed to outputs 1

and 2 (which aren't hooked up to anything but which feed into the

headphones). Then when I want to send the signal to the main mix I

punch in the "Alt" button for that channel.

In recent years most of my performances have been with the band

Cosmic Debris. I had signal feeds from all the other performers:

voice, flute, keyboard, bass, percussion loops, and sometimes from

two cassettes and a CD player.

--

______________________________________________________________

Richard Zvonar, PhD

(818) 788-2202

http://www.zvonar.com

http://RZCybernetics.com

http://www.cybmotion.com/aliaszone

http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/directory.cgi?autostart=rz

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