Distinguishing Looping

[michael noble <looplog@gmail.com>]

I've changed the subject so as not to derail the radio stream thread.

For the purpose of defining looping, the distinction between "manual" repetition or other kinds of repetitions seems very arbitrary to me. Why make the distinction at all? Surely if it repeats, then it is a loop? Why then, is manual repetition not looping? What is the difference, if we are including remixes or any repeated-sample music, between sampling and looping? If I trigger a sample repeatedly using a pad, is that manual or sample based repetition? Is it looping? What about using a midi guitar to trigger the sample repeatedly by manually playing the same note over and over? Why does replacing the guitar with a sequencer suddenly make the music looping, or vice versa, not?

As a point of discussion, I find even the LD definition of loop music quoted by Andy doesn't quite work for me. What about midi looping? That may not involve the use 
of a repeated sample - the instrument itself could be highly variable. 
But you can't deny that looping is involved, especially from a 
studio/compositional perspective. Also, by the LD definition, would a live performance of Terry 
Riley's In C be considered loop music? It doesn't appear so, since it
 need not involve audio samples. Yet its probably one of the "loopiest" pieces of 
music one could encounter. 

These may seem like semantic distinctions, but to me they are important. If looping is not something distinct from other things, then what is the point of maintaining the distinction at all? 

best
Michael

On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 6:22 AM, Tyler <programmer651@comcast.net> wrote:

That's what I was trying to say! As long as its repetition of a sample, and not manual repetition,
we should be able to share it here! And some Britney Spears and Kesha songs have sample repetitions that
are obviously not manual repetition. And remixes of other songs? Oh boy, are there loops!
Tyler Z

On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:16:54 +0100, andy butler wrote: