Boomerang: sample time vs. sample rate

[David_Mitchell@HP-Australia-notes1.om.hp.com]

G'day Motley,

Please take this as a vote for less time/higher sample rate.  From memory,
the Boomerang gives you ~30 seconds at 32kHz with the base memory config;
changing that to ...umm... e.g. ~20 seconds at 48kHz would be enough to
convince me to buy one when I'm in the US again in May this year.

Here's my criteria in choosing my (first) looper, which I'd guess would be
pretty similar to a lot of other peoples'.  For me, these are in decreasing
order of importance:
- sampling rate; must be CD-quality (44kHz) or close enough that I can hide
it in a mix
- cost (always close to the top!)
- simplicity and capability of real time controls; preferably via MIDI
- "extras" (backwards loop capability, cost/ease of expanding memory,
speed/pitch changing capability, likelihood of surviving stage mishaps,
etc.)

The Boomerang wouldn't make my list due to sampling rate.  It may well be
good enough in real life (as you suggest), but I've got no way of testing
that it would work for *me* at home, when I'm trying it out in a shop
environment.  Improve that and I'd be choosing between having MIDI control
and some extra features (on the Echoplex), and saving $US150 or so to spend
elsewhere on presents for my wife and child.  As I'll be leaving my wife to
look after our child for 2 weeks on her own while I'm travelling, guess
which of these choices will be made for me...?

Regards

Dave Mitchell, in the heat of the Australian summer





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mnelson@crystalball.com/HP-Singapore/mimegw34
03/19/97 11:03 AM


To:   Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com/HP-Singapore/mimegw34 @ SGP-GW1
cc:   mnelson@crystalball.com/HP-Singapore/mimegw34 @ SGP-GW1
Subject:  Re: Boomerang (back attcha) (fwd)

nyfac wrote:
> Kim made a great suggestion a while back when I wrote much the same
> thing a while back- that the B-rang had a hugely long sample time, but a
> pretty low sampling rate.  I would own one of those bad boys right now
> if I had half the sampling time and twice the sampling rate.
>
> Glad to see you are part of the list, Mike.  Hope I put it politically
> enough.


Trevor,
  This group is nothing if not gentlemanly and gracious, unlike some
other user groups I've visited where it seemed imperative that everyone
convince the other that a certain guitar, amp, or artist was THE
happening thing, and you were an idiot if you disagreed.
  I do take issue with one word: muddy. I regularly create 5 to 6 layer
musical inventions with my electric guitar and/or GR-50 synth, and they
sound very good to me. I have used my Boomerang with an acoustic guitar
and with a mic to create percussion instrument loops; they too sound
good. It is not CD quality sound, but neither is it muddy in my opinion.
  In another e-mail I mentioned an upcoming software release for the
Boomerang Phrase Sampler, and Lee and I have discussed increasing the
sample rate at that time. We have the ability to increase the sample
rate, and are considering the trade off you mentioned: time and sample
rate are inversely proporional. If one goes up, the other goes down.
  What would you guys like to see? Please tell me. I would dearly love
to hear from you on this issue. On a highly related note, tell me how
you use looping in your musical life: live performance, sound creation
for recording, practice, song development, etc.


-- ==  Motley  == --