Re: What is Looping but repetition... Not necessarily

[Per Boysen <per@boysen.se>]

On May 14, 2005, at 0:59, jeremy wrote:

> Recycling existing material is not necessarily repeating what was  
> played
> originally. A few things I’ve tried.....
>
> Using feedback pedal or swell pedal to fade notes into the loop
> Output volume down until your curiosity gets the better of you.
> Dropping straight into reverse after record, feedback at zero
> Play insert, scroll backwards and forwards over section (rec/play)
> Play insert in rhythm with half-speed function (rec/play)
> Play mute button rhythmically (start and continuous)
> The substitute button
> Flip mode
> Processing the sends to loopers
> Processing the returns from the loopers
> Sending dry only or wet only to the loopers
> The off switch
> Pitch shift on Repeater
> “Plate spinning” i.e. Constantly maintaining/remaking a loop.
> Taking time to play before looping a phrase – only loop when you  
> need to
> Play ratty little noises, play quietly, leave space, orchestrate
>
> I’m sure there’s more. What I hope to achieve by these techniques  
> is that
> the listener will not recognize the loop as what has just been  
> played – it’s
> a new thing.


Very interesting to sum up available looping options like that! If we  
leave EDP territory for a while and look into using different  
software there are many nice techniques that use random calculations  
to mangle the loop while the musician records (overdubs) into the  
loop. I find that extremely interesting. Yesterday I set up a looping  
environment in Live 4 with randomly shifting rhythmic volume patterns  
of two parallel loopers. On each 4th note there is the probability of  
1 to 11 for the rhythmic pattern to change to  a different pattern.  
Since loopers, panned left-right, change patterns randomly, there is  
almost never the exact poly rhythm in volume envelopes. Not in the  
stereo pulsation either. It's simply cooking.

Add to that the fact that just using two, or more, loopers  
simultaneously will create different non static texture if different  
loop lengths are used. And finally, when I transpose the pitch of the  
two loops the loop length is changing. Higher pitch gives shorter  
loop length. When pitch transposing is done to loops in recording/ 
overdub mode old layers (recorded at a different pitch) take on a new  
rhythm. And this can be done even more non linear: if you go from C  
to F you can set up the pedal to transpose loop one five semi tones  
up and loop two seven semi tones down.

I'm definitely with Jeremy: Repetition is not what defines looping.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
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