looper?

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looper?

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Mark2

Posts: 1871
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco

looper?

I've been toying with the idea of buying one. Here's what I'm thinking:
the good
1. Lay down some compas with muted strings and go
2. same with chords and practice soloing
3. quick way to figure out 2nd guitar parts or harmonies
4. it would (maybe) be possible to do stuff that requires two players
the bad
1. I usually play in my living room(too lazy to go downstairs) and won't want to hook the thing up with a mike in my LR
2. Isn't it hard enough to play well without stepping on buttons?
3. I don't play electric guitar much because I don't like to mess with gear
4. Does the recorded track really sound good?
5. I've yet to see a video of anyone doing anything with one that I'd want to do.

So, who's got one and what do you do with it? Which one and why? That is all.......

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 20 2014 19:36:03

Posts: 225
Joined: Mar. 1 2011

RE: looper? (in reply to Mark2)

If you have a smart phone or tablet you might be able to pick up a looper app up for a couple of dollars (I've seen free apps also).

This would be a cheap way to experiment to find out if it provides what you're after. There is also a bluetooth stompbox out there if you decided an app is sufficient but you need 'foot control' (which I guess you would, if you wanted to pursue it properly, although fixing a phone to the guitar might be an option for testing).

Fx apps seem to have matured very quickly. There are also some nice reverbs and modelling software in the app space... and cheap.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2014 7:38:14

johnnefastis

Posts: 631
Joined: Jan. 10 2012

RE: looper? (in reply to Mark2)

Hi Mark,

I bought a second hand Akai headrush for the same reason. I sold it for more or less the same
on EBay so it's not expensive to try.

The thing I really didn't like was the noisy button. I think most of this gear is for looping loud electrics where that's not a problem.

Also they are a bit like learning another instrument and I decided I would rather just practice solo and then improvise out with friends.

Still I am considering setting one up in software to explore harmony and improvising more but, happy just working without technology distraction.
Well just a metronome and guitar.

Hope that's useful

Cheers

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2014 18:35:20

pink

Posts: 570
Joined: Jan. 8 2013

RE: looper? (in reply to Mark2)

Hi Mark,
Try a ''ditto'' looper pedal by T.C.Electronics .....cheap,good quality and easy to use. Buy online ....I say this because in UK we have distance selling laws and if you buy online with a credit card you get a 14 day returns policy....buy it, try it and return it if its not what you hoped!You may need to check returns policy for your own country ...hopefully it will give you the same rights?
Good luck

Best

pink

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 21 2014 21:45:48

Miguel de Maria

Posts: 3532
Joined: Oct. 20 2003
From: Phoenix, AZ

RE: looper? (in reply to Mark2)

Weird, Mark, I just mentioned a looper on Simon's post. I got a Ditto looper a few weeks ago and love it. I now use it at my gigs, just for little vamps I can riff on. If you have a guitar amp and a guitar with a pickup, the laziness factor should be alleviated. The Ditto only has one button.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 22 2014 0:10:02

Sr. Martins

Posts: 3077
Joined: Apr. 4 2011

RE: looper? (in reply to Mark2)

Looper pedals, loads of used ones available at all times on the internet... why?

In my opinion, people watch some youtube videos and think "oh, this is sooo cool!" and when they get it they go "ok, it does what it's supposed to... now what?".

Unless you want to make it part of your performance, forget about it. You're much better off with a simple multitrack software if what you want to do is practice ideas, all you need is a microphone (usb).

If your guitar has a pickup, you can get an audio interface with both kinds of inputs and you can even get an interface with inputs for a footswitch that you can assign midi functions to (in case you really need a pedal).

Both options should cost you less than a looper pedal and be way more useful.

If your thing REALLY is loop based layered stuff, then you could try Ableton Live + audio interface + footswitch pedals.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 22 2014 12:27:20

Mark2

Posts: 1871
Joined: Jul. 12 2004
From: San Francisco

RE: looper? (in reply to z6)

Thanks,
I bought one from the app store for my iphone. It's perfect for what I wanted. My iphone is a powerhouse. It's got a tuner, a reference with all chords and scales that supports odd tunings, an ear training app, amazing slow downer, a couple metronomes, guitar pro, real book tunes, dr compas, beat vibe, and now loopyhd. Truly amazing tools on a phone of all things.

quote:

ORIGINAL: z6

If you have a smart phone or tablet you might be able to pick up a looper app up for a couple of dollars (I've seen free apps also).

This would be a cheap way to experiment to find out if it provides what you're after. There is also a bluetooth stompbox out there if you decided an app is sufficient but you need 'foot control' (which I guess you would, if you wanted to pursue it properly, although fixing a phone to the guitar might be an option for testing).

Fx apps seem to have matured very quickly. There are also some nice reverbs and modelling software in the app space... and cheap.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 24 2014 18:37:43

Blondie#2

Posts: 530
Joined: Sep. 14 2010

RE: looper? (in reply to Mark2)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Mark2
I bought one from the app store for my iphone. It's perfect for what I wanted. My iphone is a powerhouse. It's got a tuner, a reference with all chords and scales that supports odd tunings, an ear training app, amazing slow downer, a couple metronomes, guitar pro, real book tunes, dr compas, beat vibe, and now loopyhd. Truly amazing tools on a phone of all things.

That does sound like a great box of tricks, I am about to buy an Ipod. Are you connecting to a docking station or PC or something (just thinking of sound quality, I hate palmas etc through phones and tablets it just sounds so clackety clack)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 25 2014 8:58:04

Posts: 225
Joined: Mar. 1 2011

RE: looper? (in reply to Blondie#2)

Blondie, there are no clackety clacks being caused by any interface but if you use the built-in speakers of a phone everything will sound tiny and awful.

You can use headphones. Or use the heaphone socket as a line-in to something with speakers attached, or powered speakers. (or even send the signal by wifi, if you have a bunch of other stuff that allows that.)

Apple also have an internal interface that lets you connect various (software devices). For example, you might want to send your output through some fx/other apps. The interface allows this. It is a big deal.

The problem is not output, it's input. Getting the sound into the thing can be the tricky part. I have a Yamaha silent guitar with a direct line out that simplifies everything (but it is noisy/slightly naff).

No idea how an ipod/phone solution would work in a performance situation though. Dedicated hardware still looks like the least annoying way. But as Mark says, the range of music fx/manipulation apps is astonishing. And the quality is surprisingly good.

Best of all, these things (apps) almost always have a free version that is pretty damn good, so no need even to fork out a couple of dollars to check stuff out.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Mar. 25 2014 10:51:46