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Looper's Delight
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Doctors of Loop and all ye assembled Loopers- Yea, verily the Echoplex manual doth not suffice. It is an excellent overview, (thank you Warren Sirota)but the unit is too deep to talk about, it is maybe best explained with examples. It even has the awful reputation of being complex! Therefore, everyone on this list who wants to contribute to re-writing the manual, (to be edited by the fabulous Jackie O. herself), please choose a section you feel most competent with and re-write it. I will collect all efforts and re-print a manual written by the actual experienced users of the Echoplex. Kind of like a Lutheran Ladies Auxiliary cookbook, with italicized credits at the bottom of each recipe thanking the author(s). We will incorporate the "best of" the digest archives and hopefully Kim and Co.'s helpful pages, etc. Free t-shirt to all who contribute. Pepsi and balloons for the kids. All in favor of manual by committee e-mail me. All opposed, look upon the book ye mighty and despair! (Some may think this is a low-budget, pandering, corporate-drive, attempt to enlist off-payroll intellects and transform them into glorified tech manual authors solely because they have spent the time necessary to truly understand the product at a level the so-called Product Manager at Oberheim cannot hope to attain without weeks and months of sleepless night. They are correct. Thank you.) Tom "UnaLooper" KuzIsedzo ;) At 12:58 PM 1/20/98 -0600, you wrote: >Hi New Potential Acoustic Looper: > > > >Rich Lamphear wrote: > >> Hi, >> I'm an acoustic guitarist/singer/composer and I'm getting interested in >the >> concept of looping and processing the acoustic guitar. I'm intrigued >with >> the idea of extending my solo guitar and voice concept to incorporate >new >> sounds, textures, and rhythms via electronics. >> >> I've got a little money to throw at this (~$1500) and I'd like some >advice >> on how I might best spend the money. >> >> My idea is to install a decent quality pickup on my acoustic, something >> that would maintain a reasonable amount of the acoustic guitar timbre >> before sending it to processing. I've heard good things about the >Sunrise >> and McIntyre pickups for this type of application. >> >> The Echoplex Digital Pro seems the clear choice for a looper. Has >> availability of these improved lately? (sorry if it's a faq, just >joined >> the list). I did phone Thoroughbred Music and they had three in stock, >but >> no pedalboards. >> >> In addition, I'd like a multifx box to do standard digital processing >for >> both the guitar and the voice. My main question revolves around the >issue >> of stereo processing. Do you really need 2 Echoplexes to get a decent >> stereo sound happening? Do most people running stereo process first >(add >> reverb, flange, etc.) and then go into 2 Echoplexes? Or do people loop >> first and then send the mono looped signal into a stereo processor and >> output from there? >> >> My choices (for around $1500) seem to be: >> 1) Echoplex mono into good quality multifx to stereo output. >> 2) El cheapo multifx stereo output into 2 Echoplexes operating in sync. >> >> Any advice to help me think about this would be much appreciated. It >sure >> would be great to be able to do both the processing and looping in a >single >> box, but I don't think anything like that's on the market....correct? >> >> thanks, >> Rich > >The LoOpDoctOrs have their own particular take on "appropriate" >technology, >but we've journeyed down some of the paths you wish to explore and here's >our >two cents. > >1: acoustic pickups are enjoying a renaissance. We use the Highlander >system >-- piezo and internal mike combo. It works just grand and you can split >the >seperate feeds out of the guitar...so there are more processing/looping >choices. That said, a single source piezo or whatever will work fine too. >Sure it will sound like a piezo/whatever, but it's there to loop and >morph, >etc. > >2: One thing that we think is important on your equipment list for live >applications is a MIXER. We use Mackie 1202s, but there are any number of >excellent and affordable small mixers. It can't be emphasized how >important >learning to deal with a mixer is, vis a vis getting a good live sound and >taking advantage of all the acoustic looping possibilities. When you can take >your mixer and break it down blindfolded in the dark with the drill >sargeant >barking at you at 1 am, then you know you're in the music zone. So start >checking out mixers and the possiblities of hanging your >loopers/processors >off the aux channels, which will give you molto/mucho/maxi flexibility as >far >as tossing out cool stuff to the audience. > >3: Stereo processors are a GREAT idea after the looper... We use the now >discontinued Lexicon Vortex and we SWEAR by it, but we are a loopy lot and >some listeners swear at us. There are a lot of stereo processors out >there >though, and a lot of used one that will take a mono source -- like what >will >be coming in from your loopers via your mixers -- and turn it into true >stereo. We have found the best way to grab our audience is to do >everything >live in TRUE stereo. The ambient fields created this way can be startling >over the most modest pa. Put another way, you will have the biggest >sounding >acoustic guitar on the block! And remember, that's even before you start >looping, so yes, once you get that mixer and pickup sorted out...look for >a >stereo preamp/processor/effects box. > >4: Finally loopers. We own the Jamman and the Echoplex. We love them >both >for their unique personalities. The Jamman had achieved a cult status by >way >of now being extinct, but the Echoplex is not unduly complex as far as instant >looping gratification, has a MUCH better foot pedal. Can be loaded with three >full minutes of memory and is much, much deeper in terms of what can be >done >if you really get into it. We're not crazy about the manual though, and >the >faceplate interface is not as intuitive as the Jamman or the Boomer- >rrrrrrrannnnngss. > >Best, >the LoOpDoctOrs > > >