Re: new EDP features (was: echoplex or jamman?)

["Dennis W. Leas" <dennis@mdbs.com>]

Kim Flint wrote:
> 
> we're gonna make you real happy in the near future.....;-)
> 

I like to hear that!  You know, you guys already are batting 1000 as far 
as I'm concerned.  It's hard to 
describe how much pleasure I've derived over the past few year from 
looping via the EDP.  Many years 
ago, I used an old TEAC 4 track for awhile but I gave up looping because 
such "primitve" technology got 
in the way.  I find the EDP so incredibly easy to use, in comparison, that 
it usually doesn't get in the 
way of my creativity.

But enough of my effusions...since you brought up the future of the EDP, 
I've been meaning to share 
these thoughts:

How about a new additional unit, I'll call the "EDP Helper?"  I'll try to 
explain it's proposed features 
without too much meandering.

1) The EDP is wonderful as a stand-alone unit.  A pair of EDPs also works 
very well for stereo.  What I 
want to do, however, is to use several in a synchronized fashion.  The 
paradigm here, probably due to my 
history of tape machine usage, is to view multiple EDPs as tracks on a 
multi-track recorder.  Of course, 
because of the nature of solid-state, digital recorders like the EDP, 
you'd expect them to do things 
tape recorders couldn't do.  The "EDP Helper" would have many features 
specifically designed to operate 
multiple EDPs.  These features would include manipulation of MIDI clock 
timing, starting and stopping 
loops (perhaps sequencing through the memories of an EDP, e.g., do {play 
loop from MEM 1 twice, followed 
by loop from MEM 2} ) and a user interface specifically designed for 
multiple EDPs.

2) As a central control, the "EDP Helper" would also have MIDI sequencing 
features (at a basic level) in 
order to support changing parameters and operating modes of the EDPs.  
Players would use the "EDP 
Helper" instead of a full-featured sequencer to change, for example, the 
number of beats/8ths for a 
particular EDP.  This sequencing feature, as well as other features, could 
perhaps be optionally 
controlled by a nifty GUI program on Mac or PC.

3) The display of the "EDP Helper" would supplement the EDP display.  For 
example, I could really use a 
display that shows where I am in the loop.  It could be as simple as a 
"count-up" which is reset at the 
loop start (similar to the regular EDP display when recording).  The 
player could select what kind of 
information to display and which "slave" EDP would be the source.

4) The audio looping features of the "EDP Helper" would be light-weight 
when compared to the EDP.  For 
example, when I use multiple EDPs in a synchronized fashion, I designate 
one of them to function as the 
"master" MIDI clock source.  I play a simple pattern into the master, many 
times just a shaker, clave, 
or bass drum pattern.  I don't need to do things like INSERT, NEXT LOOP, 
and so forth.  I use the 
"master" EDP simply as the MIDI clock source.  Most times, after I build 
synchronized loops on other 
EDPs, I fade out the master EDP for the duration of the piece.  
Conversely, if somebody only had an "EDP 
Helper", they could still do useful looping with it.  This would expand 
the market for an "EDP Helper" 
beyond owners of multiple EDPs.

As described above, the "EDP Helper" would be very heavy on the control 
and display features and light 
on the audio feature.  Perhaps, it could even be implemented totally in 
software.

Your thoughts???

- Dennis Leas
-- 
dennis@mdbs.com