Kaoss Pad is a Looper; also, what does a Looping device need to be?

["Relay" <relaydelayband@earthlink.net>]

The way Steve plays, several non-synched delays sound . . . interesting, 
and
always melodic.

At 12:39 PM 9/10/2003, Steve Lawson wrote:
> > OK, then . .
> > It's not a Live Looper--you have to stop the unit to play back a 
>sample.
> > Next step--assign the axi to footpedals and use the PMC to change stuff
>that
> > way.  Look Ma, no hands!
> > Gary
>
>What does that mean? I use the Kaoss looping functions in live settings,
>without prerecording stuff - I loop it, and trigger it - does looping have
>to happen immediately?

Kim weighed in: "I would say yes. A looper is a different thing from a
sampler. My basic
definition of a looper is something that seamlessly plays back the loop
after it has been recorded, and allows additional material to be recorded
to the loop while it continues to play. It should at least do that to be a
looper, and that's the definition I put on Looper's Delight about 7 years
ago. A sampler generally has more separated recording functions, and
requires the samples to be triggered. They don't seamlessly go into a loop
and they don't let you record new stuff onto the loop while it plays. Once
a sample is in the sampler, it can be looped with a simple sequence the
triggers it at regular intervals, but that is not the same as being a
"looper".

It sounds to me like the function you are playing with here is a phrase
sampler."

>does it have to go round and round, or is it still
>'looping' if I sample it and trigger it at some point in the gig?
>
>More to the point, does it really matter? :o)

Samplers and loopers can both be used live and in musically useful ways, so
in that respect no, it doesn't matter. Use whatever works for you. But I
think it does matter that words have a meaningful definition, otherwise
communicating gets really hard.

kim

So here's the deal:
There are certain expectations we all have concerning the basic functions
that a looping device must have.
The earliest loopers used natural surroundings to create repetition using
echoes, and also thru teamwork with ensembles.
The modern looping device required the features Kim lists above, but he
omits what is a much desired/required.  We need feedback control, but you
could throw undo in there for good measure.
I think these are all basic looper requirements.  What other features can
some of the rest of you not do without?  I'm sure Andre has some favorites.
Is MIDI sync really a requirement for a looper?
On another note, I have found that the new Digitech XDD DigiDelay I got for
$99 bucks recently, while not capable of feedback control, does allow one 
to
control the volume by using the side of your foot on the knob for fade ins
and outs.  The knob is conveniently located for that use.  And it runs on 9
volts!  Definitely a looper!
Gary