[looper's] Re: WIERD SOUND DESIGN & cassette looping

[Daryl <highhorse@mhorse.com>]

In my guitar setup, I always have a very small, battery-powered amp on a 
stool
to my left.  When I press my headstock up against it, it generates a great
low-range, humming feedback at the lowest fundamental, very different from
typical high-gain feedback (it's fun in combination with that through my 
main
amp, too). I'm sure everyone who plays guitar has discovered the amazing
resonance possible by leaning the guitar into a wall, a piano, a doorjamb,
etc...this gives a similiar kind of vibe.  I find it a great way to get 
infinite
sustain from a clean guitar sound, or to keep things going with my left 
hand
while my right tweaks my delays & four-tracks.

Thanks for the cassette looping tips, sorry not to respond over my weekend 
out
of town.  I guess the definite answer I got is that I'd have to add 
another head
to be able to monitor playback whilst recording, which I may try to do.  
The
reason I'm sticking with cassette, as opposed to reel-to-reels, is that 
they're
eminently portable, cheap, and lowfi, plus the built-in mixers and eq's 
make
them instrument-like in their own right.  I didn't realize that 
Mini-Disk's had
looping capabilities, but if I wanted digital looping, I'd probably stick 
with
my Zoom 2100.  I'm an analog fiend! And a cheapskate!

In response to a question from Tim, yes, I use answering machine 
cassettes, for
the longer (30 sec, 60 sec) loops.  I've been constructing my own for short
ones, wrapping it around various poles inside the cassette case; I can get 
about
an 8-sec loop this way (at reg speed).  I also like wrinkling and abusing 
the
tape itself, it yields fantastically gnarly sounds.  I've also made some 
where I
route the tape without passing near the erase head, so I get the 
sound-on-sound
effect without having to mod the machine.

thanks much all!

Daryl Shawn
highhorse@mhorse.com