1st Post- Various Topics

[ejmd@erols.com (Ed Drake)]

Hello Kim and fellow loopers,

Thanks for starting up a great list! Keep up the great work. I'm going to
apologize up front for what will probably be a long post.
I am a fellow looper using Roland GR-1 guitar synth , Lexicon Jamman(32
sec) and Vortex,Digitech RDS8000 (8sec), 2 Roland SDE 1000(1.2 sec
each),ART SGE Mach2, Mackie 1202 mixer and a few other things with both
electric and acoustic guitars. I very seriously considering an Oberheim
Echoplex. I am doing everything from rhythmic gamelan type looping to
ambient droning washes to more traditional soloing over looped chord
progressions. I have synced up my Jamman to my drum machine and am going to
get into syncing Jamman to my Computer for Midi stuff.

 I agree with others posted about essential Loop Recordings including the
Eno/Fripp/Torn/Frisell/Terry Riley/Steve Reich stuff. I wanted to add
another of Steve Reich's pieces- "Electric Counterpoint" which features Pat
Metheny playing all of the parts on multitrack. I know there is no looping
device used but with the repetitive/minimalist parts that interlock and
weave through various permutations, it is very looplike ( think
gamelan/Fripp) and with the instruments being guitars it seems appropiate
(since it seems a lot of us are guitarists).

Kim Flint said:
>The software that came with your echoplex is the most current *shipping*
>software. A lot of work has been done on an upgrade that is actually 
>really,
>really good. It's currently being held up by a contract problem at 
>Oberheim.
>I'm trying to help the various parties work it out, hopefully soon. One 
>way
>or another I'm sure it will get out there.
Kim -What are some of the issues which will/might be addressed when the
software update is finally released?

Andre La Fosse said:
>but there are at least a few unfortunate
>gremlins floating about in the initial version that have caused me a few
>headaches).
Andre -What are some of the gremlins you are talking about?

Dave Stagner said:
>Here's a technique I use with the JamMan to get a more flexible,
>improvisational feel from it........  Now, rather than using the looping
>functions, I usually
>prefer to just use its delay function.......    Turn the feedback up high
>and start looping.  At 16, you effectively have infinite repeat.  As
>things build, you can turn the feedback down and let a loop fade, then
>turn it back up and add more to the loop while the older material floats
>in the background.  This makes for a much more dynamic and rewarding
>looping improv, I think.
Dave- I tried it and loved it but as Jon Durant pointed out it is a bummer
that you can't loop it and play over it without adding what you are playing
to the echo. Thanks anyway because I had not thought of using the Jamman
like that and it does give a different approach to the looping.

Someone posted (Sorry!)
> Echoplexes often aren't as expensive as you'd think.  The retail is about
> $879 for a new unit, but for just over $500 I picked up a brand new unit
> *plus* the foot controller.
 >The store I got it at (Nadine's here in L.A., incidentally one of
> the few places I've found that even stocks the thing) wanted to move the
> units.
   I called the guy at Nadine's after reading your post and talked to the
owner and he said after I told him  about  the list he quoted me a price of
$500 for the 12.5 second 'Plex  and $75 for the footswitch contingent on
whether Oberheim had  changed it's list price. I told him I wasn't in a
huge hurry to buy so he's supposed to call me back and I have not heard
back yet. He said they will ship anywhere( I live in Virginia). Give him a
call.

dave at studio seventeen  said :
>   in fact I  made some major major changes to how I do things after I was
>fortunate
>enough to speak with John Sinks (RF's guitar tech).
dave-What was your setup and how did you change it after speaking to John?
I think it would be great to hear what other folks setups/signal paths are
as well, as it might help to  inspire us to try something we  have not
thought of before.
Enough for now.

 Again thanks to Kim for a great list
Best regards  Ed Drake     <ejmd@erols.com>