Re: Re:BackLine Engineering Announces Feature Update for RiffBox Looping Device

["Kelly Coyle" <skcoyle@gmail.com>]

I have one. I think of it as being a box containing about 100 musical looping games. You pick one of the games, then you try to make music from it. So the mode becomes your limiting structure, and you play within those boundaries. It's fun, although I'm probably not going to keep it.

On 7/26/07, Ben <benoitruelle@yahoo.fr> wrote:

Well I don't have the beast myself but from the userguide:

----- from userguide-----
"There are several operating modes that can be selected. The mode numbers
are shown below. More operational details of these modes will be described
in section 5. You can also switch from any mode to reverse mode and/or half
speed mode during playback using MIDI controls.

Modes 31-40: Automatic Fading of a Loop

Operating modes 31-40 cause the loop playback to fade away over time (...).
The first note starts the initial record process, which continues until the
event count is reached. The number of loops required to completely fade the
signal is determined by the mode number minus 30. Manual layering can be
used in this mode. New layers will start at full volume and then fade over
time like the original loop. This allows interesting effects such as
continuous layering of new musicpassages. Loop playback can be stopped with
the double press of a footswitch.

Modes 41-50: Automatic Fading of a Loop with Auto Layering
Operating modes 41-50 are the same as the automatic fading modes described
above,except that automatic layering is used during loop playback as shown
in the figure below. This mode can be used to create feedback delay effects.
The number of loops required to completely fade the signal is determined by
the mode number minus 40.This example assumes the footswitch starts the
initial record process, which continues until the event count is reached. A
single footswitch press will stop playback at the end of the current loop. A
double footswitch press stops the loop playback immediately.

Modes 61-70: Duplicate Loop During First Layer Recording
A given loop can be duplicated multiple times during the first layer
recording using operating modes 61-70. This can be useful if you have a
short phrase that you want to play back multiple times while you record a
longer phrase over it.The number of repeat times is set by the operating
mode minus 60. If the selected number of duplications exceeds the memory
capacity, then next lower value is used.The example below shows operating
mode 62. After loop playback begins, the first press of a footswitch for
layer recording will duplicate the loop 2 times while a new layer is
recorded on top of it. The display will count down the number of
duplications left while the original loop is played. After this layer
recording is complete, the longer loop will start playing back. From this
point forward, it acts the same as operating mode 10 in which multiple
additional layers can be recorded with no additional duplication. Once a new
layer has been recorded, the right LED will turn from yellow to green. This
process can be repeated indefinitely. The playback can be stopped at any
time with the double press of the footswitch."
----- from userguide end -----

So it seems there's a kind of feedback and a kind of multiply (only on
second layer).
It's no EDP but it's not the same price either. You'd better know in advance
the "structure of the song", you can't change the mode on the fly (except
reverse mode and/or half speed mode).

Ben.


----- Original Message -----
From: Sjaak
To: Loopers-Delight
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 11:15 AM
Subject: Re:BackLine Engineering Announces Feature Update for RiffBox
Looping Device


Does it offer delay features like variable feedback control? Does it sync
well (master and slave)?