Re: Looping Catching on?

[pearce <pearce@tctc.com>]

>What do all you loopers think? What's the best way to be true to the music
>and to let looping continue to evolve into an instrument in its own right,
>while at the same time to remain aware of the economic realities involved
>with presenting looping to the larger general-business, AOR
>top-forty-weaned listening public? 

I generally stay in lurk mode on this list, mostly because those who post
have much better insights on the whole "looping world" than I do!  And I've
asked myself these very same questions that Tim asks- how do we continue to
move this looping adventure forward?

It's been a great past week for me- my most recent cd was just reviewed in
Billboard (http://www.billboard.com/reviews/reviewdisplay.asp?ID=48969) (if
you want to see the whole thing...) and it was a comment in that review
that sent my mind onto Tim's question.  The reviewer pointed out that I
used loops, delays are reverb to create my sounds.  True, however, I
personally have a hard time viewing "looping" as just another effect, and
it sruck me that he was viewing looping as just that- another effect.  But,
at this point in time, that's what a good portion of the "listening
audience (whomever they may be) thinks about looping- "just another 
effect". 

IMHO, the answers to Tim's questions are found in Tim's initial question-
and that is to stay true to the music. Although there is part of me that
would REALLY like to see looping viewed as something that is a unique
"instrument", there is another part of me that is thrilled when looping is
seamlessly integrated into music, becoming yet another element in it.
Personally, I think it would be great to have country loopers, heavy metal
loopers, classical loopers, etc.....all styles utilizing this instrument
called looping.  And I know that there are many loopers of many different
styles out there- a lot of you have blown my mind, which probably accounts
for why I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words!

On a completely different note (but still in the mind blowing catagory!), I
have had so much fun playing the past few weeks with my Sustainiac model
B!!  I hook that thing up to my guitar, and I am constantly amazed at the
wonderfully wide range of sounds that come out of it!  Being able to switch
harmonics with the tap of a foot is unreal, and the unit itself is SO
quiet, and that's something that I'm really picky about.  Have any of you
loopers played around with this thing?  I have played a guitar with a built
in sustainer, and I didn't really care for it, although others have played
that same guitar and have achieved remarkable results.

Jeff Pearce