A little more info on RC-50 loop lengths

[kkissinger@kevinkissinger.com]

Hello!

This note is written to correct and clarify some information that I  
posted regarding the RC-50 and the issue of different length loops.

When "Loop Sync" is "on", then all the loops will start together.  The  
longest loop will play continuously while shorter loops will stop and  
restart when the long loop goes back to its beginning.  As a practical  
matter, all the loops are as if they are the same length as determined  
by the longest loop.  That is, you can overdub beyond the end of the  
short loop and that fragment will play back at the same point in the  
loop where you overdubbed.  Thus, "Loop Sync" makes the three loops  
act as a single three-channel loop.

When "Loop Sync" is "off", then each loop will repeat as soon as the  
loop reaches the end.  When used in conjunction with the "Quantize"  
function, then even if your pedal pushes are a little off the beat,  
the loops will quantize to the nearest bar.  Also, when "Loop Sync" is  
off, there is no length restriction on the loops.  Thus, you can  
record a loop one measure long, another that is three, and another  
that is eight... it really doesn't matter -- they will be quantized to  
the nearest bar (measure).

I really had hoped to sync the looper with my computer's MIDI clock  
however I just can't get it to work.  The looper receives the MIDI  
start and stop messages fine, however it doesn't stay in sync.  I am  
probably doing something wrong. I just don't want to declare that the  
RC50 doesn't sync -- after all, syncing is one of the RC50's selling  
points.  However, for the moment I'm going to "back burner" the  
external sync issue until the summer.

Just to reiterate what I wrote before, when Quantize and "Loop sync"  
is "off", then the three loops act essentially as totally independent  
loops.  A nicety of having them all in the same box is that you can  
set up a pedal to start and stop all the loops at once.  For example,  
if you don't need the "Tempo" pedal, you can assign it to start and  
stop all the loops at once.

I hope this post is helpful to those who had the same questions and  
hope this isn't boring for those who have already been through this  
before.

-- Kevin