Re: looping or delay?

[kkissinger@kevinkissinger.com]

Quoting Ben <benoitruelle@yahoo.fr>:

> Can this be called looping? I guess not but cool anyway.
> Brian May teaching the use of delay for multi harmony guitar parts.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs87GuoOvYo
>
> A great way to learn scales as well.
>
> Ben.

Awesome video!

I'm inclined to think that all loops are delays but not all delays are 
loops.

In general I think of a delay as an effect that happens without  
allowing or requiring interaction from the musician.  Most of us would  
likely agree that a slap echo effect that dies away quickly would  
qualify as an effect but probably not as a "loop".

I think "looping" suggests that the musician is interacting with the  
effect such that music is being "layered".  Thus, a delay that is one  
beat long and repeats only once could be considered a loop because the  
musician can play in time with it and play a current note against the  
one just played.  In the video above, the loop is on the order of a  
quarter note and within each iteration he plays two eighth or four  
sixteenth notes.  In the double loop he has one period set at one beat  
and the next at two -- 0% feedback.  So, even though the delays don't  
repeat and the period is short, he is interacting (playing in rhythm  
and harmony) with what is playing back.

Since Mr. May is interacting with the delay and building up real time  
harmony I feel that this demo would qualify as "looping".

Feedback complicates the issue since multiple feedback layers sound at  
once, the musician/composer has more horizontal lines sounding  
together that must "fit" into the vertical plan for the song.

What about freeform/aleatoric music?  Well, the same would hold --  
that is, the performer would listen to the previously looped material  
and add new material based on the old.

In my current work (my first foray into live looping) I utilize short  
(one beat) loops (100% feedback) along with longer loops (say four to  
twelve bar periods at < 100% feedback).  The short loop can be built  
up very quickly and then while it plays (providing rhythmic interest)  
I can concentrate on building up the longer loops.  (I play tonal  
music on Theremin -- since it is a monophonic instrument to build up  
some loops quickly is an advantage.)  The different length loops have  
unique qualities, indeed.

I am new to the world of live looping however thought I'd share my  
thoughts on the topic anyway.

-- Kevin