Playing with looping pedals

Posted: 1/21/2007 6:07:11 PM
Brian R

From: Somerville, MA

Joined: 10/7/2005

Hmmm... on reviewing some of my previous posts, I catch myself having used the term "loop" quite casually.

In particular, in those posts, I have NOT maintained the careful distinction between "loop" and "delay", probably because I've used the Boomerang to switch back and forth between both (i.e., the decay can be halted by latching into "play" mode, and resumed by latching into "stack" mode), and so I've forgotten that some other devices out there might not perform both functions.

So, f'rinstance, when I described my reaction to hearing Pamelia Kurstin creating polyphony (with a DL-6, yes?),

[i]1) Wow! She's amazing!

2) So why is she using such a ridiculously short loop?[/i]

arguably I ought to have translated my original thought into, "So why is she using a sound-on-sound delay with such a ridiculously short periodicity?"

My apologies for any confusion. At the risk of nauseatingly pedantic redundancy, then:

The Boss GigaDelay (in its Sound-On-Sound mode), the Akai HeadRush*, or the Boomerang each can be used to perform either "loops" (material you record that repeats without decay as you perform other material that isn't added to the loop), or "delays" (material that decays slightly with each repetition, as the material you're playing is added to the repeating-and-decaying cycle).

The principal differences, then, lie in 1) maximum available delay time, 2) amount of information available in display, and 3) ease of use in live performance.

Item 2, by the way, is one point on which the GigaDelay beats out the Boomerang: The GigaDelay has an LCD screen, that graphically shows you when you're 1/4 of the way through a cycle, when you're halfway, when you're 3/4 of the way, and when you've reached the end = when you're starting anew. The Boomerang has only an LED that flashes at the beginning of each cycle. (I like to create rhythmically amorphous masses of sound, so I generally wind up ignoring the LED.)

* [afterthought: um, I THINK I remember doing this with the HeadRush... but I don't have it any more, so I can't verify it... and I don't recommend this pedal, period: anything it does, the GigaDelay does better, with a better interface.]
Posted: 1/21/2007 6:13:04 PM
Brian R

From: Somerville, MA

Joined: 10/7/2005

Lest anyone suspect a lapse in my religious fervor, that last observation reminds me of another advantage of the Boomerang:

With the GigaDelay, once you've set up a cycle, you can't add material that's shorter than the cycle. That is, if you try to "punch in" a segment that's shorter than your original cycle, you wind up defining a new, shorter cycle length, and thereby you lose the latter portion of your original cycle.

With the Boomerang, once you've set up a cycle, you can "punch in" and "punch out" at will without disrupting the total length of the cycle.
Posted: 1/21/2007 6:19:21 PM
Brian R

From: Somerville, MA

Joined: 10/7/2005

...which in turn reminds me of another problem with the GigaDelay:

As Chris mentioned near the start of this thread, for the textures we've all been describing, using the GigaDelay's various delay modes (with a long delay time, and a high feedback level and effect level) is much more convenient than using its Sound-On-Sound mode, because the latter requires you to [i]keep your foot on the pedal[/i] in order to record/layer additional passes.

The 'Rang latches in and out of its "stack" mode; you tap a switch lightly with your foot, and move on. (This is especially important if you're using other effects or pedals.)
Posted: 1/24/2007 6:27:00 PM
unclechristo

From: Leicester, UK

Joined: 9/23/2005

looks like a new little looper from Boss - seems to do 16mins like the RC20XL tho. Just the 1 pedal.

http://www.turnkey.co.uk/web/productAction.do?dispatch=showProduct&SKU=BOSS-RC2&context=WEB
Posted: 1/24/2007 7:24:04 PM
Alexander

From: Bristol, United Kingdom

Joined: 12/30/2006

It basically is an RC20 with one pedal. To operate it properly, you have to buy a footswitch.

Thus making it two pedals

Hah!
Posted: 1/24/2007 7:56:13 PM
unclechristo

From: Leicester, UK

Joined: 9/23/2005

it's not heaps cheaper either :-)

Posted: 1/24/2007 7:59:16 PM
Alexander

From: Bristol, United Kingdom

Joined: 12/30/2006

No, I'm selling my RC20XL for less.

Cough.
Posted: 1/24/2007 8:17:03 PM
unclechristo

From: Leicester, UK

Joined: 9/23/2005

hey - nasty cough ya got there.
even comes across thru typing!

get well soon :-)
Posted: 1/25/2007 10:06:20 PM
DiggyDog

From: Jax, FL

Joined: 2/14/2005

I occasionally see the RC 20 show up at th epawn shops. I will porlly wait for one of those....
Posted: 1/26/2007 6:34:12 AM
unclechristo

From: Leicester, UK

Joined: 9/23/2005

after raving about the electro-harmonix 2880 I read in a Harmony Central review that the main drawback - and quite a big one for most thereminists not in the Kurstin/Buchholz/Kavina league - is that there is no easy undo button/pedal.
Undoing a loop involves recording once round with the volume down. Fiddly. Ultimate looping machine?
pa! I say - back to delayland for me.

I am tempted by the RC20XL but am wondering about it's mono-ness for recording etc... Fine for live... I'd probably want to feed in processed stereo stuff into it.

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