You guys into loopers?

[Saul Goodman]

 

 

[cmatthes]

I feel like I should be…

[gorch]

Take it like Abba. Super looper…”

[alantig]

Michael Manring, "Snakes Got Legs".

[BillW]

I feel like I should be into them. I honestly...just dont do well with them, my timing is off on the button pushing or something ...it just never works right for me.

[alantig]

1 hour ago, BillW said:

I feel like I should be into them. I honestly...just dont do well with them, my timing is off on the button pushing or something ...it just never works right for me.

They will brutally show you how off your timing may be.  I've found the easiest way is to play a bit before starting to record the loop.  Trying to hit record on the first downbeat never went well for me.

[Dutchman]

I started with a Boss 505 loop station figuring I could figure out how they where doing all that cool shit. After the realization that there was black magic involved I got a 1 button Ditto looper. You still have to get the timing right or your loop is ass chump. I play thru to a metro till I got it right and step on the button on the 1 and keep playing for thru the the next progression hitting the button on the 3 count of the beginning again. This way you play thru the 1 and it's seamless thru the 3. Go simple!!

[Brooks]

I used a Ditto then a Ditto X2 on solo gigs for, jeeze, the last 8 years. The X2 has a stop button which is easier to use if a tune has a 2nd part, etc.. It has a 1/2 speed setting that I used a few times as a bassline. I agree w/ some of the above comments, it can be tricky to always loop in time correctly (esp on the last set after ~4 beers, ha), but like anything else you get better w/ practice.

~2022 I got a Joyo in a trade that had some drumbeats; I was surprised how much it added (keep in mind my solo gigs are super chill restaurant & patio "wallpaper" type gigs). But, I had to bend down, select the pattern, & tap in the tempo before looping the progression, all live. Nah.

I quickly upgraded to a Boss RC-5, which had better sounding drumbeats, plus you could edit them somewhat (I typically remove the kickdrum and snare, leaving just the ride cymbal and maybe a hi-hat closing on 2 & 4; this fits much better w/ the laid back jazzy stuff I'm doing). AND, I could store the loops and use them gig after gig, no longer having to play thru the progression live 1st (& hope I hit the loop button exactly in time).

So, I guess I'm playing to backing tracks, which I used to look down my nose at, but my gigs go way better this way, & I get to do more tunes too since I don't have to play thru once to set up the loop. Earlier this week I got a 2nd RC-5 and loaded all my loops in as a backup; I was reading a Boss users group and a few guys had their RC-5 go down on a gig(!). I still have my Ditto on my board so I could finish a gig, BUT that would really twist my tits and I'm doing this primarily for fun.

[Brooks]

The "build a loop piece by piece" approach (like the Manring clip Alan posted above) was unique 20 years ago when the tech was new, but I have seen many local guys bore the room trying to do it as well as Keller Williams;

 

[cynic]

1 hour ago, Brooks said:

I have seen many local guys bore the room trying to do it as well as Keller Williams

I've been that bored person.  It's briefly cool a f but quickly becomes the latest iteration of the one-man-band thing.

[JGale]

IIIRC didn’t @HHB do a project or some live gigs early on with looper(s)?

[Jakeboy]

I use them occasionally to work out a solo, but I would play to a drumbeat to ensure good timing. I can see their value for practice.

[velorush]

Got the EHX 720 last Christmas.

I've turned it on... once... 

It works great.  I, on the other hand, not so much... 

[Brooks]

Made this loop and took a stab at a quick improv over it this week;

 

[soli'd]

If you can find a digitech trio+ (now discontinued), that's been my favorite simple looper, as it does the band-in-a-box thing, adding drums and bass in a variety of genres.  It has an onboard mixer to even out levels between instruments and separate outs to route the bass & drummer to an outboard mixer/PA and the gtr (and looped gtr) to your amp.  

You play through however long you want for each part and the pedal "listens" and "teaches" the part to bass player and drummer.  Then once the rhythm section has it down you can loop rhythm gtr over it and play lead over that.  

[JGale]

(y)Ooops! Wrong thread…

[Brooks]

On 3/20/2024 at 11:52 AM, soli'd said:

If you can find a digitech trio+ (now discontinued), that's been my favorite simple looper, as it does the band-in-a-box thing, adding drums and bass in a variety of genres. 

 

I tried one when they came out, it got confused on jazz chords.

[ArnieZ]

42 minutes ago, Brooks said:

 

I tried one when they came out, it got confused on jazz chords.

Me too😀

[RobB]

51 minutes ago, Brooks said:

l tried one when they came out, it got confused on jazz chords.

The looper’s not the only one…

[soli'd]

4 hours ago, Brooks said:

 

I tried one when they came out, it got confused on jazz chords.

One does not simply "learn" jazz, man or machine. 

[1 bottlerocket]

I've been using a Boss RC-3 and RC-5 for about 8 years. I play mostly accompaniment to musicals and singers so there is a lot of space to fill. It definitely took quite a lot of practice for me to get the timing down. I have also used the Line 6 DL4 and that is a nice one too.

Here's a pic of my modest setup at the last musical I played. The looper freed me up a lot to play other parts.