THOUGHTS on the new BOSS pedal VS. the Line 6 and the SOLO BASS LOOPING FESTIVAL

["Rick Walker (Loop.pooL)" <GLOBAL@cruzio.com>]

I have to say, that there are times that I find it irritating that the 
loops
fade with each successive loop layer in the
Line 6 which, otherwise is a perfect and fantastic pedal.
Ironically, if the Boss let there be fading layers (with it's really long
looping time) and the Line 6 had non-fading layers, it would be the best of
all possible worlds for me and I'd probably save up and buy two of each.

I've always been a short looper (because I play so many acoustic/electric
melodic and rhythmic instruments----none of them well with the exception of
the percussion side of things) until I saw Steve Lawson play the other
night...............WOW!!!!!!!!      I loved what he did with very long
loops that he then memorized and played over.

At the after show party, I was gratified to hear him say that he was into
the same conception of looping rhythm that I have been getting in to.   He
said (I probably paraphrase badly) that he thinks of a long loop (or a 
short
one for that matter)  as a terrain, that has peaks and valleys and 
different
distances between those sonic and rhythmic events.   He then 'learns' the
terrain, sometimes listening to a loop over and over in the background 
until
he can accurately predict when an even in the loop is going to occur.
There is nothing wrong with metromic phrasing but many of the world's 
master
musicians know time so well that they can
stretch it (even playing over a quantized sequence) to include great
expression in their playing.
Most of the world's ethnic traditions have 'moles' (moe- lay) or templates
where the three or four metric units are not exactly even (like a perfectly
quantized 16th note or triplet 8th note).   Learning how to play over these
feels and comform to them without trying to be metronomic has really helped
me when I have backed master musicians from other cultures (primarily in 
the
studio and at the Festival D'Ete in Quebec City every summer).

It would be cool to start a little thread on how we concieve of time in our
looping efforts.   I tell all of my students that a digital looper is the
best thing you could ever do for your mastery of timing in rhythmic 
playing.
Who can stand a lumpy or glitchy loop unless it is intentional?  Steve
Lawson has GREAT mastery of this concept.  I highly recommend that you all
go to his web site    www.Steve-Lawson.co.uk   to check out his new CD.

later,   Rick Walker  (loop.pool)