M9 and RC50

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

I have frequently used a Line 6 DL4 (the same looper in the M9) to do 
'synced' sounding shows
with my brother, Bill.

The answer is,  no, emphatically,  they will not sync up due to micro 
timing errors that human beings have intrinsically.

There are, however, some techniques you can use to fool the audience 
into thinking they are synced up, however.

Firstly,   really get your timing together:  PRACTISE YOUR ASS OFF.      
I you make a really well timed loop
it will inevitably drift from the RC50's loop but the better your timing 
is,  the longer it will take to drift.

Secondly,  since drift is inevitable,  I have found it is good to make a 
lot longer loop (four bars or even 8 loops instead of one bar, for example)
because if you loop points are fairly accurate it will take four times 
as long to drift as the shorter loop)..

Then you have the ability to retrigger the loop on the down beats 
periodically when you can feel the loop starting it's inveitable drift.

Now this method takes a lot longer so this is where a more sophisticated 
looper has advantages over things like the M9, the DL4, the Digitech
Jamman and all the Boss RC series.

As a rhythmatist, primarily in my role accompanying Bill, this is not a 
problem but it would be if I were trying to be a multi-instrumentalist:  it
would just take too much time to establish my base loops (a structural 
problem that is rampant in the life looping community if you ask me).

There is also a decided downside to the architecture of the M9 and DL4 
and that is, both machines have the ability to trigger once (one shot mode)
but do not have the ability to have retrigger with continuous play.   
This necessitates a tricky combination that entails
a press of retrigger............a press of stop/start on beat four (or 
wherever you want the silence to occur) and the a repress of start/stop 
to continue
the loop.   This one's a toughie if you are juggling playing, looping 
and , say, singing all at the same time.

That is precisely why I added Retrigger/Continuous and Retrigger/Random 
to the upcoming Looperlative LP-2 Mini Looper
(which, by the way will also have midi sync IN/OUT and many other cool 
features already mentioned on this forum).

I can't wait for the Retrigger/Random function to come out because this 
will allow someone to use an ambient rubato loop as a sound source
and then by retriggering it, one can create a cool and unusual ostinato 
rhythm that is constantly varying slightly in it's timbre without the use
of techniques like filtering or random filtering which have been used in 
the past to add spice and continual variance in a rhythmic loop.

   From my experience,  you'll need to really practice a lot to get this 
technique to work but as I've said in a lot of forums,   live looping
has taught me more about the nature of rhythm and groove time than all 
the playing with sequencers, drum machines and master drummers
from other cultures combined.     There's nothing like having to 
compensate for your own timing inaccuracies (let alone those of the 
musicians
you are playing with, because a looping performance sets those mistakes 
in stone for the duration of the piece.

Good luck,

Rick Walker