Re: Samplers as loopers?

[matthias@bahianet.com.br (Matthias Grob)]

>Matthias Grob wrote:
>>
>> Then I imagine it totaly shocking to be able to polyphonically detune
>> immediately whatever happens on stage!

Maybe this is not clearly put. It would be *marvelous*, but it should be as
instantly as a dedicated looper does.
Do samplers replay immediately after recording?

Sean exlained carefully:
>Although my sampler has a whole lot of memory (16MB), it is incapable of
>modulating pitch without a sample shortening or lengthening over time.

>A sample conversion function that will supposedly maintain a fixed time 
>for
>a sample while allowing for pitch alteration, it is time-consuming and
>>absolutely not a real-time stunt.

This is a serious technical problem. The real time pitch shifting is not
exactly real time and screws up harmonies. At least my PCM80 does, and I do
not have the curage to claim that anyone should do better.

For simple waveforms it comes out reasonable. So we might ask the builders
of samplers to have a optimized non real time conversion and another which
is real time with some limitations in sound.

Another problem of samplers is that they do either record or play, right?
So its not possible to creat overdubbs. Do you record a second voice
without hearing the first and then press 2 keys to have both voices
sounding together or is this impossible?

Sean again:
>Two sliders were on the face of the unit and were used to control sample
>start- and
>end-points.  Both sliders were identical and were situated one above the
>other.
...
>I may have just explained something that is entirely elementary to
>everyone on this list in way too many words...

Not for me (I never had a keyboard!), thank you for the perfect 
explanation!
You said that your new sampler does not have this feature, so is it rather
a especial one?
Or is there a different (more "modern") solution instead?

Should such a feature be included in a dedicated looper? Probably... it
should not be that difficult...maybe the control of it could be by taping
instead of potentiometer controlers? It means that you save the entire loop
as recorded and then have a second tap facility to select parts of that
loop, without destroying it, just scaning over different parts of it...
Is this just fun or a serious tool to create music?
I actually one of my first customer way back in switzerland (a genious bass
player called Wito Wietn) wanted such a feature to analyze music. A tool
for studying, writing scores for ready music. You copy the whole song to
the looper, play along with it, loop a difficult part, then go on, loop the
next problem part and so on.
Could you do that with a sampler?
Or could it be done with those DJ machines?

Well, my brain is trained and focussed for development. Hope you do not
mind asking all that stuff...
The aim would be to develop what you need, after all... once the comercial
way will be free again...

Matthias