Re: Getting rid of the Vortex...

[Mark Sottilaro <sine@zerocrossing.net>]

On Wednesday, April 9, 2003, at 08:03 PM, erwill@suitandtieguy.com wrote:

> as far as the repeater goes, i don't miss the jamman and i don't enjoy 
> the
> whole record-as-you-go looping idea. i'm old-school. i want to just 
> dial in my
> delay length and go. i never make a loop not knowing how long i need it:
> everything's synced to MIDI clock.

Have you ever tried my time tested method?  Figure out the number of 
loops you'll use per sequence.  I find that any more than 3 is too 
much.  Record 3 empty loops per sequence.  I don't always do 3, often 
one or two, depends on what I'm trying to do.  There's your quantize.  
Start up your sequence and your empty loop starts too.  Add to it at 
will.  Start the next, go back, or start a third if you have one.  What 
ever you'd like.  Is it a work around?  Yes.  On the other hand, after a 
while I've grown to really like this way of working.  It's like 
threading a tape machine.  A limitation, but one that can be good to 
work with.

> i do miss the EDP pair though. the quantise is the coolest thing about 
> it.
> reverse loop makes no sense without quantisation. i never use reverse 
> on the repeater because it's not useful to me it it's incomplete stage.

?

>  if the
> repeater is resurrected by some company that _finishes_ it or otherwise
> improves on the concept i'll reconsider.
>

Don't hold your breath.  I'm not saying the Repeater is for you.  It's 
far from perfect, but most interesting gear has it's quirks.  Show me a 
moog that's a perfect instrument and I'll.. well you get the idea.  Some 
can work with and use it's limits and bugs (don't try to drive another 
delay from it's MIDI clock!) some can't.  I'm not arguing anything, just 
playing devil's advocate.  I don't mean any of this as a slight to the 
EDP, but you can't totally compare the two.  I won't be able to for a 
while either.  Doing my taxes tonight has pointed out that my 
withholding weren't withholding enough.  I sold my Repeater to fund the 
war in Iraq I guess.  (funny thing is it sold to a French citizen!  
FREEDOM LOOPING!)

Mark Sottilaro