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Re: software that emulates Echoplex DP



 > I'm not set up yet with a computer, sound card etc. to
 > try these out, so I'm hoping to get some reviews of
 > how these programs work compared to the EDP for live
 > on the fly application from those who've used them
 > with live acoustic inputs.

The first thing you should decide is whether you want to use a Mac, PC
or Linux.  If you have a preference, that will limit your choices as
not all of these are available on all platforms.

Next, decide if you prefer something that runs by itself or runs as a
plugin inside another application.  Standalone programs can be simpler
to configure and use, plugins are much more flexible.  Some loopers
only run standalone, some only as plugins, some both.

If you are specifically interested in something that works like an
EDP, Mobius (PC) and SooperLooper (Mac/Linux) will come the closest as
their designs were inspired by the EDP.  But the EDP is a *very deep*
device.  If you have no prior experience with it and just want to do
overdubs with feedback, you may find these loopers somewhat
overwhelming.   Plan to spend some time with the manuals.

If you intend to use it on stage, then stability is an important
concern.  Some of the loopers on this list are commercial products,
others are written by individuals in their spare time.  I don't gig
live so I can't offer good advice on this issue.  Since the PSP 42
is a commercial product I would expect it to be stable.  Several
people on this list use Augustus Loop live.  The others may be
fine depending on what you want to do with them, just never try
anything live you haven't rehearsed in the studio.

Here is my quick assessment of each looper.  I have a personal
interest in one of these (see if you can guess which one :-)
but I am trying to be fair.  Others will no doubt disagree,
but here goes.


Augustus Loop - Mac/AU plugin

More of a "tape loop" emulator than an EDP-style looper, but it has
some very nice features.  Several people use it live, it appears to be
quite stable.  This will probably be the #1 recommended looper on the Mac.

Musolomo - Mac/AU plugin

I would call this more of a "phrase sampler" than a looper.  Once a
loop is captured you can do several interesting things with it,
but there is no overdub or feedback that I could see.

Lexicon PSP 42 - Mac & PC / plugin

I would call this a delay-oriented effects unit that has some looping
features.  I don't have any experience with it but it looks like a
phrase sampler, not sure if it supports overdub and feedback but I would
be surprised if it didn't.  For $150 it had better be stable.

SooperLooper - Mac & Linux/Standalone but supports Jack

This has a large set of features, though I've heard there may be some
issues with the alignment of successive overdubs.  It is not
a VST or Audio Units plugin but it supports Jack which is similar
to ReWire on the PC.  Jack can be hard to configure, so I would consider
this a standalone looper unless you're into tinkering.


Elottronix - PC/VST plugin

This has been around a long time and appears fairly stable.  It
is designed to emulate a tape looper so it doesn't have the most
features, but what it does it does well.  And it's real pretty.
On the PC, I would start with this one and see if it does what
you want.

AngstroLooper - PC / VST plugin

This doesn't seem to be mentioned much, but it looks like a nice
simple looper with good basic feature set.  The "touch" function
looks unique and interesting.  This would be my second stop
on the PC.

Loopy Llama - PC & Mac/VST plugin

This one is relatively new, but I think the author uses it live.  Its
features are similar to a DL-4 or JamMan, and I found it easy to use.
This would be my third stop on the PC.

Mobius - PC / Standalone or VST plugin

Mobius has the broadest coverage of EDP features, but as a result it
has a fairly steep learning curve if you're not already familiar with
the EDP.  It is relatively young and has been known to crash, though
basic overdubs with feedback should be ok.  Check this out if you
decide Elottronix, AngstroLooper, and Loopy Llama aren't powerful enough.

AmbiLoop - PC / Standalone

This has been around awhile, is stable and has some nice features, but
the main issue for most people is that it cannot be run as a VST
plugin.  I have had issues with crossfades at the loop point that
cause clicks, so you have to be careful.  The builtin effects are
convenient.  The ability to run several loops in parallel is powerful,
though may be difficult to control live.

Coldcutter - PC / VST plugin

This doesn't look like a looper to me.  It takes a loop (not sure
if it can record) chops it up and plays back the segments in random
order according to a set of parameters.  No overdub or feedback
that I can see.  Interesting but not what I would call a looper.

Loopitch - PC / plugin

I haven't tried this and there isn't much information on the web.  The
download page has some disturbing comments like "This is an early demo
intended to generate feedback" and "if I can ever get the VST version
happy with a few hosts!" so it does not appear to be under active
development and may have stability problems.

Divine Machine - PC / Standalone & VST plugin

This looks more like a static loop manipulation and triggering tool.
No overdub and feedback, I'm not even sure it can record.  It is very
powerful but not what I would call a real-time looper.


Freewheeling - Linux/Standalone

This looks interesting but it only runs on Linux.  Unless you are also
a computer geek (and I mean that in the nicest way) I don't
recommend Linux for musicians.  You will have far more options on
the PC or Mac.