Hardware/Software Looper Failure Rates in Concert was frisell/pds8000-alternatives...

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

On 7/22/64 11:59 AM, Petri Lahtinen wrote:
> I'm so with you Scott on not-going-the-computer-route.
> Recently I have seen two gigs get ruined with problems with mac book 
> pro and ableton live.
>
> And the most important thing is I want to use these machines AS LITTLE 
> as possible.
> Mimimized my computer-time to one hour a day nowadays.
>
> -Petri-
Dear Petri,   with great respect,  I feel compelled to point something 
out having read your  post here:

Namely,  every looping solution available commercially these days (with 
the exception of
someone using two Revox analog tape machines or perhaps Stan Cards live 
feedback looping experiments)
is gear that has the same very simple things in common:

namely on the front end,     they have a signal that is converted with 
an Analog to Digital converter/
                                           that sound is 
manipulated/processed/looper through written software/
                                           it is then sent from a 
Digital to Analog converter/
                                           then,  it is sent to some 
kind of amplification

Whatever you are using IS a computer.   It may be a dedicated computer  
like any so called hardware solution
or it may be a non-dedicated computer using software that someone has 
written for it.

Personally, I am a hardware user.  I can't even explain why I like it 
more, but I do.

However,  I have seen literally hundreds of performances in the looping 
festivals that I've attended in 15 different
countries and at the 10 years of the live looping festival I've produced 
(for which I was the MC for all of the performances).
I venture to say that there is a good chance that I've seen as many live 
looping gigs as anyone on the planet so I think I have
a good sampling of what works and what fails on stage.

I can say categorically,  that hardware seem to fail every bit as much 
as software at gigs (and probably a third of the time
it is the human element which has actually failed in retrospect).    
I've seen laptops fail,  EDPs,
Looperlatives,  Boss,  Line 6,  Jammans,  Repeaters, 
controllers.........you name it.  I've seen all of them fail.
From my observation, the more complex ones seem to have a greater 
failure rate
(EDPs,  LP-1s, Repeaters, Laptops) but the stomp box pedals fail as well.

The only thing that I see as an advantage to hardware is that it is 
nominally less expensive to have backups in place on stage.
When a laptop system fails,  the whole musical experience can just 
stop.........ouch!!!
When I play,  I always take a less sophisticated stomp box modelled live 
looper with me so that I can do my entire show
if my LP-1 or my Repeater should fail (they both can freeze up if you 
over tax them).

Still and all,   hardware looping solutions and software solutions are 
made by human beings and used by humans beings
who are, inherently, imperfect.   Failure WILL happen, from my 
experience, eventually, if not continually.
I just think one's decision to use one solution or the other is truly,  
an aesthetic decision in the long run and that everyone's
decision is valid, artistically.

The next topic, then perhaps is what strategies do we have to cover 
equipment failure on stage.
I'll start that thread now.

That's my inflated two cents.

yours,  respectfully,
Rick Walker