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Phrase Looper suggestions


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Looking for a new phrase looper I think...

 

WHAT I NEED IS SOMETHING THAT:

 

-Multi channel phrase looper (with overdub, etc)

-Capable of doing loops longer than 16 bars

-MIDI master/slave sync'able

-foot controllable

 

ANY IDEAS????

 

 

I have a Boss RC-50 and it's got some great features but also some major, major, major short comings.

Some of the stuff I could live with if need be but the deal breaker and reason I am thinking about selling it is that it does not properly midi sync. I need it to be the slave device but it was made where the slave doesn't work properly. And apparently the master is pretty weak too.

 

I am looking at the Electro-Harmonix 2880 but heard it has some slave issues too (will work but makes a piano-like noise as it syncs).

 

I have a KP3 which I love and would really like to use as the master. I don't really want to get another tho because, while it is great, it doesnt meet the other specs for what i am looking for.

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^^hmmm.. thats an interesting idea. I hoped to use a hardware device only, but that is a really good idea ya got.

 

This is cool site I just found--comparison chart of looping devices:

http://www.looproom.com/looperchart.php

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  • 6 years later...

Electro Harmonix just came out with a new looper... EHX 22500 Dual Stereo Looper pedal

 

http://www.ehx.com/products/22500

 

 

http://www.ehx.com/blog/a-powerful-new-looper-from-the-inventors-of-digital-looping

 

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i use Mobius Live looper as a VST in ableton. i can do pretty much whatever I want with that. 8 tracks, pre/post fader effects.... midi control.

problem is that my computer is 7 years old so struggles a bit.

If i had a nice sound card i'd be ok i think.

 

but i want a rc-300 though - looks sweeeeet

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i use Mobius Live looper as a VST in ableton. i can do pretty much whatever I want with that. 8 tracks, pre/post fader effects.... midi control.

problem is that my computer is 7 years old so struggles a bit.

If i had a nice sound card i'd be ok i think.

 

but i want a rc-300 though - looks sweeeeet

 

The 300 does look dope. You could probably find a 50 for cheap used which is the predecessor. I had one. It was pretty ok but not perfect. Now I have a 505 which is 99% perfect for my use (one man bad stuff but not with scratching). I just wish it had a foot controller is all.

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In relation to the first post from 2009 (!) in case anyone has similar issues or decides to get an RC50. I set my RC50 to the same tempo as my MPC, I have 4 or 8 bars of silence on the RC50 tracks and then use a MIDI message set to tell the RC50 to start. There's no MIDI sync in the true sense but it never goes out of time - not even slightly.

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In relation to the first post from 2009 (!) in case anyone has similar issues or decides to get an RC50. I set my RC50 to the same tempo as my MPC, I have 4 or 8 bars of silence on the RC50 tracks and then use a MIDI message set to tell the RC50 to start. There's no MIDI sync in the true sense but it never goes out of time - not even slightly.

 

 

Wait, what? Can you give an example?

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All the live stuff on my youtube channel was done that way: Beats recorded into the MPC. Live scratching or Bass recorded into the RC50.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoPylKRFlvc

 

From memory, I think CC80 is recognized by the RC50 & you can assign it to start/stop.I set the MPC to send these messages when I need them - typically once at the start of a track.I have each RC50 preset set up with silent wavs already loaded - this is so when you hit record & stop it doesn't change the length of the loop - because you want the loop length to match the tempo of the track.You don't need to record silence for each preset, as you can copy & paste between RC50 presets & save at new tempos.

 

I haven't tested it with other devices apart from my MPC but if I set them both to 90BPM for example, loop something live over a MPC beat, leave the room for 30 mins , when I come back everything is in time.

 

Of course, if you change tempo on one device, then the other device will not follow as it would with MIDI sync. For me the beauty of doing it my way was I could start & stop both machines independently too. With MIDI clock on the RC it always stops & starts with the master.

 

You can also set up CC's to control pan,volume,tempo & a few other things.You only have 3 CC numbers that the RC recognizes but these can be assigned to different things on each preset.

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All the live stuff on my youtube channel was done that way: Beats recorded into the MPC. Live scratching or Bass recorded into the RC50.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoPylKRFlvc

 

From memory, I think CC80 is recognized by the RC50 & you can assign it to start/stop.I set the MPC to send these messages when I need them - typically once at the start of a track.I have each RC50 preset set up with silent wavs already loaded - this is so when you hit record & stop it doesn't change the length of the loop - because you want the loop length to match the tempo of the track.You don't need to record silence for each preset, as you can copy & paste between RC50 presets & save at new tempos.

 

I haven't tested it with other devices apart from my MPC but if I set them both to 90BPM for example, loop something live over a MPC beat, leave the room for 30 mins , when I come back everything is in time.

 

Of course, if you change tempo on one device, then the other device will not follow as it would with MIDI sync. For me the beauty of doing it my way was I could start & stop both machines independently too. With MIDI clock on the RC it always stops & starts with the master.

 

You can also set up CC's to control pan,volume,tempo & a few other things.You only have 3 CC numbers that the RC recognizes but these can be assigned to different things on each preset.

 

Nice. I've seen those videos multiple times. Dope stuff. That helps. I've had the RC-50 for a long time but I just copped an MPC a while back and it makes a lot of sense to integrate that with the RC-50. I'm just going to have to sit down and work it out.

 

The RC-50 has that awkward sound drop-out and the issues with loop length on your first recorded loop. The way it handles the loops once you get that first one down is dope but that first loop can always be tricky. I've definately pre-recorded silence to get around that.

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