Re: blech (pedal choices)

["Jeff Duke" <jeff_d@embarqmail.com>]

>I'm interested in getting a stereo looper with midi sync, preferably a
>pedal, but not happy with those on the market.

Join the club here. I have 3 loopers DL 4, DD 20, and 2880. What they can 
do 
is what I have to focus on not what they can't. From reading here all 
loopers (should I say hardware? :)) have some wish lists and "if onlys" 
attached.

>I currently use a EHX SMMH and while it's a lot of fun and good at what
>it does, there's no accurate way to set the tempo other than by tap or
>analogue dial without any BPM readout which means it inevitably drifts
>away from the timing of my other effects.
>Midi sync is very important to me now.

What are you syncing to? In my experience even if you had a BPM readout on 
all loopers and fx they would drift apart. No two clocks are the same. I 
have read that the DD 20 is very stable and if you have 2 of them set the 
same they will stay together. I have not tried this however as I only have 
one. Great reviews here:
http://www.loopers-delight.com/tools/bossDD20/bossDD20.html
I never use it in looper mode. I use it in delay mode. Up to 23 sec of 
stereo delay is a great looper for me. There is a way to double that time 
in 
one of these reviews. I really want one more of these.

The DL 4 I mainly use for delay models because there is no feedback (fade) 
on the loop, although this can be simulated with the expression pedal.

>With the 2880, because it doesn't have tap tempo, and the tempo fader
>doesn't have an LED read out giving an accurate BPM, theres no choice
>for me but to slave it to another midi sync source.

Again what are you syncing to? I can tap in a loop that is pretty accurate 
for most uses.

>I've read reviews  saying that if you have the 2880 slaved to a midi
>sync source, after recording the first loop when you immediately
>overdub, the loop playback slows down and speeds up the first time
>through which is simply unacceptable.

This is not my experience. When synced to my Boss DR 670 it stays locked 
tight through all the overdubbing I do. It will drift if I put the 2880 in 
reverse while in slave to the Boss. Also if you stop the 2880 with the DR 
670 running  then start again it will not be in sync. I have to stop both 
with the DR. Of course you lose the octave down and fader tempo features 
in 
slave sync. I don't know how old that review you read was but there has 
been 
a software update that supposedly fixed some sync issues (but not all).

>Another review said the same
>thing, so you have to stop the 2880 before overdubbing, again
>unacceptable.

Again this is not my experience. I have never had that problem as long as 
the 2880 is in quantize mode. It syncs well as master or slave except for 
when throwing it into reverse while playing/overdubbing. I did do the 
software upgrade.

I hope others will come forward with more on this. There is quite a bit in 
the archives if you dig around. I rarely use the 2880 with a sync source. 
Only for practice and such nowdays. I use it as a standalone very long 
delay 
type looper and tap sync it. It works good enough for what I do. As I said 
I 
have to make the most of what they all will do not just look at what they 
won't do.

I hope this helps some.

Storms raging, power is flashing, I had better go. I love Florida in the 
rainy season!

Jeff

http://jeffduke.org




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "G" <gigs@paradise.net.nz>
To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2009 12:07 AM
Subject: Re: blech (pedal choices)


Hi Jeff
I'm interested in getting a stereo looper with midi sync, preferably a
pedal, but not happy with those on the market.

I currently use a EHX SMMH and while it's a lot of fun and good at what
it does, there's no accurate way to set the tempo other than by tap or
analogue dial without any BPM readout which means it inevitably drifts
away from the timing of my other effects.
Midi sync is very important to me now.

With the 2880, because it doesn't have tap tempo, and the tempo fader
doesn't have an LED read out giving an accurate BPM, theres no choice
for me but to slave it to another midi sync source.
I've read reviews  saying that if you have the 2880 slaved to a midi
sync source, after recording the first loop when you immediately
overdub, the loop playback slows down and speeds up the first time
through which is simply unacceptable.  Another review said the same
thing, so you have to stop the 2880 before overdubbing, again
unacceptable.
What's your experience of the 2880 midi sync slaved?
Thanks in advance.
-- G.

>To: <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
>Subject: Re: blech (pedal choices)
>From: "Jeff Duke" <jeff_d@embarqmail.com>
>Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 11:04:13 -0400
>
>The 2880 even with it's limitations is one looper I have never regreted
>getting. What it can do far outweighs what it can't.
>
>Jeff