daveinspain Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Is there a looping device that would allow me to loop a very large section of music, say 16 or 32 bars, so I can solo over it? Ideally I would like to find something that I could click on when I want it to start the loop, click where I want it to end and seamlessly continue to play a solo over the loop, click it off and play out the song.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 The Boss RC-20XL allows you to record up to 16 minutes for a loop track. I've done full songs in double and triple loops without issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 The Boss RC-20XL allows you to record up to 16 minutes for a loop track. I've done full songs in double and triple loops without issues. Do you pre record the loop and click it on when you want it or do you do it on the fly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 The Boss and other loopers are designed for guitarists and can be pre-recorded or done on the fly.... They really have expanded the horizons for live performance And make things hitherto unavailable, possible....particularly useful for small bands and solo artists.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Man... Getting a loop right live is a lot harder than you think.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Beware the big-deal loopers - most of them won't allow for a loop shorter than 1.5 seconds. Kind of limits some of the best things that you can do with a looper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Yeah I love recording a loop with my El Capistan and then ending it by sampling a really short part out of it. It kindof sounds like a cd skipping but way cooler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I guess my own ideal would be simply to record to mp3 on the computer, then drop into a laptop that goes along to performances. Most PAs offer a stereo input nowadays. Seriously, my ideal setup for solo/duo or almost any sort of relatively smaller bands would be a laptop on a stand with everything from what amounts to "backing tracks" to lyrics, to jokes to the whole set list. I know several folks who have similar stuff on CD, and do whole gigs messing through a rackmount. I've never done the "backing track" thing because I personally feel like that'd be kinda a solo guitar picker/singer's version of karaoke. I don't think it'd work for me. On the other hand, I'm sometimes easily distracted and lyrics/songlists go off to lala land. Another advantage to computerizing is that your rig can continue with your own recorded music, if you wish, while you're taking the inevitable potty break or three. At some point, I know more folks will be able to add that laptop as an overall PA and effects controller. I doubt I'll get there in the next 10 years, but I doubt I'll need to. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Some interesting takes on this... What i want to do is keep it live as much as possible and maintain continuity in the sound. If I'm playing live and don't have a second guitar player to keep an arpeggiating rhythm going while I do the solo I would like to loop it. So, I'm thinking click loop start the last 16 bars before the solo at the end of the 16 bars click on end loop. Hopefully the loop would seamlessly slip in allowing me to do the solo.... Am I asking too much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Dave... I'm pretty sure there would be several ways to do what you're asking. My question - and part of the reason I haven't done anything even close to similar - is whether you'd be better off with the track throughout the whole piece for a degree of consistency through the piece. It also would alleviate any "delay" while pushing a button somehow in the piece. I guess I personally figure there likely are a dozen functional solutions, but my question is more whether it's what you want to do from an aesthetic perspective for a technically smooth performance. Most of what I've seen done more or less along those lines has been with a home-made cd, or otherwise digital, full performance backing track. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Dave you can definately do that but it's definately scary to do that live. Try it with your band and you'll see why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverside Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 It can and has been done to great effect. But you got to get the right pants, and then the right dance on before you hit it. Here's one: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chase1410 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Yeah I love recording a loop with my El Capistan and then ending it by sampling a really short part out of it. It kindof sounds like a cd skipping but way cooler. wait..The El Capistan is a looper too?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Yep as a matter of fact I mainly use it for looping. It's my favorite looper ever. It does sound on sound looping so the filters and all that are applied with each repeat. After you let a loop play for a while it degrades into a beautiful lofi mess. You can keep it pretty clean as well and it does something to your tone that I just can't get enough of. Also not only does it just sound amazing but it's so user friendly IMO. The switches are really good (definately a nice thing to have on a looper) and it's completely seamless. I can send you some clips of some loops I made with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Yep as a matter of fact I mainly use it for looping. It's my favorite looper ever. It does sound on sound looping so the filters and all that are applied with each repeat. After you let a loop play for a while it degrades into a beautiful lofi mess. You can keep it pretty clean as well and it does something to your tone that I just can't get enough of. Also not only does it just sound amazing but it's so user friendly IMO. The switches are really good (definately a nice thing to have on a looper) and it's completely seamless. I can send you some clips of some loops I made with it. Yeah I'd love to see and hear that1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Check out the new Boss RC-3 looper. Seems like a pretty nice improvement over the RC-2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrosurfer1959 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Either and Both Dave - I use the 20xl mostly for acoustic stuff when I'm playing by myself and I have some stock riffs loaded into it and I can also and often do start a quick loop live with it. I use it for rhythm, Bass and even simple drum track using a zen electronic drum to stack tracks when I play. Don't know about the less than 1.5 seconds loop issue I honestly have never tried that and really can't think of why I would want to? I usually use it when I'm performing by myself or in a two or three piece group usually at a hotel bar or something small and free wheeling. It really helps when your letting people from the audience request songs and they yell out something that can't really work to well solo. I'll drop a fast bass line in loop then either play some rhythm or drop a prerecorded rhythm and then play over the two. works great. Milod I understand what your saying about the PC and MP3 on the notebook - but honestly I've never had that work very well live, it always seems to take too long to start or something and I've also seen it piss off the audience big time as they see it as faking or lip syncing in some way I guess. The reverse is true for using a looper though people seem to be fascinated and think it's great that your doing several parts at the same time. Maybe it's just the kind of stuff I play acoustically (old 60's rock) but audiences turn pretty fast anytime Ive ever tried to use a pc, I even got to the point where I'll take a few minutes to explain the midi drum sounds and make it fun before I use the Zen drum live because if you don't people think your cheating and they don't like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 REtro.... Definitely yupper on people figuring that in ways it's cheating to use electronic enhancement such as a looper or computer or whatever... at least with certain types of performance. That's why I just can't bring myself to do so. I've used a drum unit with a duo - even back in the 70s - and that wasn't a problem. But they seem to know <grin> if I'm doing a solo and there's a drum sound or a bass or whatever. I tried that once and gave up on the idea. On the other hand... I've had folks in the olden days dancing just with me flatpicking "Me and Bobby McGee" on an early AE guitar. I guess that last is why I figured, naaaah. Just do what I do and let it fly. Nowadays it's mostly fingerpicking and I've no question that a fake bass or strummy rhythm or drum machine just wouldn't seem "right." But maybe it's just me. I can easily see how a keyboard, and guitar on stage can be augmented nowadays to include bass and rhythm guitar, drums and all kinds of "stuff" without that sorta audience perspective. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarpBoy Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Some interesting takes on this... What i want to do is keep it live as much as possible and maintain continuity in the sound. If I'm playing live and don't have a second guitar player to keep an arpeggiating rhythm going while I do the solo I would like to loop it. So, I'm thinking click loop start the last 16 bars before the solo at the end of the 16 bars click on end loop. Hopefully the loop would seamlessly slip in allowing me to do the solo.... Am I asking too much? I think the Digitech JamMan Solo will do what you want. I use mine primarily for working up solos over chord progressions, but I think you could use it live to do what you want. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Yeah I'd love to see and hear that1 Honestly Dave.. I wouldn't want to turn you off of this pedal with my clips. I played though my little crappy old solid state amp and recorded them with the "voice memos" app that came stock on my iPhone. Since the mic on the iPhone clips so easily I have to have the amp way down quiet. Not to mention my playing... Here's a demo of the sound on sound mode. I feel like I'm better at tweaking the pedal than this guy (not trying to be cocky) but there's no way I could make a demo this good. if you still want me to send you those clips I will though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Searcy Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Here is a tune I did live with my Boss RC-2 looper. This was about 2 hours after I bought it at a pawn shop. You can actually hear when I step on the pedal in the recording. Jerry Was a Racecar Driver Here are some of its features. Up to 16 minutes of record time Loop Quantize for perfect loop timing Realistic Guide-Tone drum patterns built in Easy, logical overdubbing and navigation Undo/Redo function 11 phrases can be stored and recalled AUX input to capture phrases from external audio device External pedal input (stop/tempo) Great bit of gear and will do exactly what you want it too. Here's what an expert can do with a looper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9qyeUOoAZU&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 Wow... Two pretty amazing clips, thanks for posting them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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