Software and hardware looping.

[6stringbassist]

It looks like my brand new DL4 is faulty, so I'm taking it back and changing it.

I was thinking though, of getting software and an interface that I can use instead of a dedicated looper, which might be more versatile. I want to use my laptop for recording anyway.

Any recomendations would be welcome.

I've heard of people using Ableton live for this sort of application, and someone I know has used Logic, I already have Garageband.

Is this any good ?.

[url="http://www.dv247.com/invt/24170/"]http://www.dv247.com/invt/24170/[/url]

Edited October 19, 2008 by 6stringbassist

[dr.funk]

Check out Mobius and Ambiloop. I use Mobius running as a VST in Live (so I have drums to play with) and put it on an effect send. That way I can have different tones on each channel and with record set to auto by pressing the arm button can switch the sound going into the looper whilst having the output on constantly.

It can also be used standalone but I haven't, yet, got a midi foot controller which makes it impossible to start and stop the loop in time!

Ambiloop is a little more basic but still good fun. I think both can be controlled by midi.

[tayste_2000]

Basically every pedal looper is flawed in some way and I mean a major way but if you go the software and VST route you need some serious power there if you go as advanced as Steve Lawson goes with his.

If you return the DL-4 try and see if the shop has a Electro Harmonix Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai it's my current looper of choice.

[6stringbassist]

I've ordered a Line 6 M13, so I get effects and it has a looper built into it, I'm thinking of getting a looperlative too.

[dr.funk]

[quote name='tayste_2000' post='311267' date='Oct 21 2008, 01:05 PM']Basically every pedal looper is flawed in some way and I mean a major way but if you go the software and VST route you need some serious power there if you go as advanced as Steve Lawson goes with his.

If you return the DL-4 try and see if the shop has a Electro Harmonix Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai it's my current looper of choice.[/quote]

Whilst I am not too sure how 'advanced' Steve Lawson goes the Mobius looper I mentioned before is a VST clone of a Gibson Echoplex which I believe Steve Lawson uses. It can run 8 stereo loops at once with ease on my 1.5ghz dual core laptop, so I don't think power is that much of an issue.


By the way that M13 pedal is a beast!

[tayste_2000]

He uses a Looperlative now which replaced 3 of his Echoplex's

[Steve Lawson]

Hi Dr Funk,

I think the implication was more to do with processing power than features... I've not found a software set-up that was stable enough at low enough latency settings for me to be able to use it, but I know a lot of other musicians who are getting fantastic results with both Mobius and Sooperlooper. My macbook is nowhere near powerful enough to reliably do what I do with the looperlative - it's not that it's all that 'advanced', more that there are a few of the functions that require a lot of processing power, and a large amount of memory to buffer the audio.

If you're running a hugely pimped-out computer, with a super-fast processor and tonnes of RAM, or you've got the kind of set-up where latency isn't that much of an issue (for example, if you were looping in a side-chain, and not doing massively time-sensitive parts, or were playing in such a way that you could compensate for the latency...), then that seems like a cool way to go.

For now, I'll be sticking with the [url="http://www.looperlative.com"]looperlative[/url]

Steve