live funk guitar loops

[Si Butler <jazzlists@burble.net>]

Hi all,

First of all hello to everyone. I'm a jazz player and am just starting
to get into looping. I'm excited to have stumbled across this list, its
seems like there is a lot knowledgeable folks in the group.

I've had a scan through the archives and don't seem to be able to find
many recommendations for creating funk loops in a live situation. I have
a funk trio (guit,bass,drums) and want to be able to set up and loop the
guitar grooves live. I have the rc-20 but I think I'll have to modify it
to give a click track out for the drummer if everything is to stay in
synch (I'll be starting and stopping the loops depending on where we are
in the arrangement). I really like the quantize aspect of the rc-20
though. Is this something that could be just as easily achieved with the
echoplex?
I'd like to be able set up a tempo (preferably by tapping my foot on a
pedal) and then have the unit auto-start recording my phase when I start
playing and stop recording when I stop playing. This phase would then
get quantized to a perfect 1/2 bar length so that I don't have to mess
around hitting the stop button at exactly the right moment.. as I
mentioned above I would then the unit to generate a click track (that
would be continuous, independent of whether the guitar phrase is playing
or not) that a drummer could listen to to ensure he remains synched up
for the duration of the performance. This ensures that I can stop/start
the loop and it will always be in synch with the drummer.

Is this a tall order, can I do this with the echoplex and some
imagination?

Appreciate any insight, -simon-