Re: New to looping..

[andy butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

Tim Watson wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> Very glad to make your aquaintance, looper people.
> I am new to this, and would very much like some advice before buying
> my first piece of equipment.
> I am a performing/recording percussionist playing many different
> instruments, from djembe to congas to tam Talking drums to UDU clay
> pot drums, and cajon. I also do grooves on the guitar, and am prone to
> sing as well..anyway, the plan is to have a looping device to build
> tracks for personal use...ie learning new rhythms etc, but also to
> build loop tracks live.
> I would very much like to be able to layer, say 10 tracks with
> different instruments, an to also remove them one by one in a live
> situation.
> Questions
> 1. Would a Jamman be sufficient for this. Does it allow one to choose
> which loop to delete, or would one have to undo the last loop first

no, the Digitech Jamman doesn't work like that.
It's very limited.

No hardware looper does.

If you want 10 separately controllable tracks use a laptop setup.

The Looperlative LP1 allows 8 stereo tracks to be used in that way.

The Echoplex Digital Pro sets you build up any number of layers
(depending on memory available) and then to remove them one by
one using it's Undo function. ...but it's not always possible
to predict how mant presses of "Undo" you'd need to do.  


> 2  You guys all seem very keen on Boomerang 3., but it doesn't seem to
> allow one to load stuff onto the computer

like Gareth says, you can do looping on the computer

> 3. Would the ideal combo be a Boomerang and a Jamman?!! This would
> seem to cover all basses, although expensive to need both.

the boomerang looks good, but it's not yet available,
...could take months

> 
> Any other ideas?

building up layers on separate tracks isn't the only looping technique
available, 
it's rather limiting in terms of musical forms that it can produce.

Why not listen to a few loopers and find out what else is possible. 

Also, you may find that in reality you actually need less than 10 tracks.
Especially as it's possible to overdub onto one track as many layers as
you want.

Check out the Roland RC-50
It has three stereo tracks.
Each of those tracks allows you to overdub as many layers as you want. 
It's possible that the length of a track can be an exact multiple of
the first that you record (you'll find that's an essential for making more 
interesting music).
You can transfer loops to computer.
It's cheaper than the Looperlative( don't know if it connects to computer).

The Looperlative is prefered option if you can afford it, as it
has the 8 tracks you want, but don't know if you can transfer loops
to computer.
....however, you can always record the loops to the computer as audio.


Another line to take is:-
Just get a cheap looping device and try it, then you'll
get a better idea about what you need for your music.


andy butler
ps.
always nice to see a new looper who isn't "just a guitarist".  ;-)






> 
> Thanks in advance, if anyone has the time to advise this newbe Looper 
>person...
> Happy days!
> Timbo
> 
>