microloop experiments with EP-DP

[<Russell_Gorton@CreatSvc-Ada.CCMAIL.CompuServe.COM>]

     Warning: rather gear-specific post for 'Plexers, but I'd be 
interested 
     if any other phrase samplers are used this way:
     
     Following Kim Flint's tip, I experimented with extremely short loops 
     (fractions/second) by setting the Echoplex Record function to 
     "SuS"tain mode (where loop length is determined by how long you hold 
     the Record button.)  
     
     analog 
     monosynth -->  'Plex -->  multieffects processor 
     
     1) virtually any sound source will work...the actual pitch of the 
     recorded loop becomes secondary to the timbral shifting you can do 
     with judicious use of phasers, flangers, etc., downstream.  I've 
     started with mainly raw synth tones, but also voice effects from a 
     vintage tube mic.  
     
     2) I can tap in, say, a 0.12 second loop which repeats as a blurry 
     wash of tone (remarkably minimal startpoint "popping" depending on 
the 
     static in the room, I guess)   Then, I effect the crap out of it, 
     generally with a mod effect set to a slow speed and high depth 
     (WWWWaaaaaavvvvYYYYYYyyyy ggggrrRRRRRRRAAAAaaaavvvVVVYYYYyyyyy) 
     
     SUPERfun!
     
     3) A quick tap o' the Insert button (with no incoming signal) cuts in 
     a short space that separates each microloop, producing a continuous 
     pulsation. Dial up a delay time that is some even fraction of this, 
     set the delay feedback to -99%, add some additional live synth input 
     (also effected, but not added to the loop), and you're good to go 
with 
     a swirling percussive throbbing drone of microloops.
     
     Next task: sync the microloops to a 16th-note beat from the MIDI 
     sequencer...the effected microloop is PERFECT for techno/dance/rave 
     applications.  The "default" techno tempo is 120bpm (try counting 
     seconds out loud while watching MTV's "Amp" show sometime...)
     My goal is an exact 1/480th-of-a-minute loop (sixteenths of that 
beat) 
      = 1/8 second = 0.125.  Haven't hooked the 'Plex up to MIDI 
yet...plan 
     to do so straightaway....
     
     Way cool, Kim!  Thanks for the idea!  Right after I upgrade to the 
     full 16 Mb RAM, I stop making looptimes more than shavings of a 
second 
     long |%)
     
     --Russell