Re: echoplex questions (was Closing the loop)

[Kim Flint <kflint@annihilist.com>]

Chris -

check the info on the website on the echoplex, I think many of your
questions are answered in the FAQ there. I'll try to answer some here
anyway:

At 9:25 AM -0800 11/2/97, Chris Darrow wrote:
>Question 1: While investigating what it would take to upgrade the pitifull
>4 meg of ram in my older 486 IBM,  I was told that sometimes, when adding
>simms, they can work at different speeds even though they are supposedly
>the exact same type. In other words, it is better to replace all of the
>memory insted of just adding to it. Is the same true of the echoplex? Will
>I possibly run into problems by expanding the memory myself, which is much
>cheeper and easier? Can anyone provide me with the full technical
>specifications needed to avoid any conflict between old memory and new?

The echoplex uses 30 pin simms. It can take 256k, 1meg, and 4meg, and every
variety should work. (parity or non-parity, 8-chip, 9-chip, 2-chip, 3-chip,
whatever) The only speed requirement is that they be faster than 120ns,
which is everything I think.

There are four simm sockets, in 2 banks of 2. You need to install the
memory in pairs, so each bank should have the same size simms. It probably
doesn't matter if you mix different speeds, it's only size that counts.

Memory is so cheap now, that you will likely just upgrade them to the
maximum memory limit. The max is four 4 meg simms, which gives you 198
seconds. 4 meg simms are typically between $16 and $25 each. (Compared to
when the plex was made, and those cost $250 each! a maxed echoplex was so
decadent then...)


>Question 2: Well, I guess I'll need to tell you a bit of my story for
>this... I've been waiting for 3 echoplexes for almost a year now. All I 
>can
>say is that Oberheim  really has the delay part down! Yet I've never toyed
>with one myself. Crazy? No. Calculated. There's nothing beter. I know how
>they work by thinking about them, or how they should work. What I want to
>know is: Am I right?
>          I want to play bass, guitar, and sax at the same time. 
>Actually, it
>goes further than that. The sax will be played through a mike that can be
>used for a snare drum, harp, vocals or anything else (how is the static
>build up for overdubs by mic?). I'll switch from guitar to keys via an A+B
>footswitch. A Roland PMA will begin some songs or provide  a bridge to 
>keep
>things interesting.      Three units are needed to A)seporate the diferent
>sounds so that each has its own stereo amplification specifically for it's
>tonal region, ie; bass to a bass cab. and B) so that I can start a short
>loop, build a longer one on another unit, then alter the first or dittle
>with the third. Also for changing from tune to tune using the reverse of
>this process. So the ultimate question is, will I be able to synch and
>close the loops between three units on the fly? Or will I be forced to
>slave them?  If it is a matter of physical coordination, I think I can.
>I've been stomping on an invisible box for mounths. (A row of pennies
>suffices)  Also, practicing matching notes with left hand tapping on 
>guitar
>and right hand on keys or sax. Or sax and keys. All just tricks really, 
>but
>fun.

What you are trying to do is exactly what BrotherSync is for. BrotherSync
allows any of the units to define the time base, which the others then
listen to. The other units can then have loop times that sync up exactly or
are some multiple of the original. So you could do a 5 second loop on one
to define the base time, and then a 10 second loop on the second, and a
fifteen second loop on the third, etc. Each of the BrotherSynced units can
be operated independently, by just you or multiple people.

Also, you can sync to midi clock. So an external sequencer or something can
generate midi clock, and the echoplexes can set their loop times to that
and sync up to it. This doesn't mean they are slaved to anything, they just
use the clock.

echoplex also generates midi clock, so you can have the loop time set the
tempo for a sequencer.

Now if you want to slave them together over midi, you can do that too. You
could also do a combination. So you could have two units set up as a
master/slave pair for a stereo loop, syncing to midi clock from external or
BrotherSynced to another echoplex or whatever.

We spent a ton of time making sure this all works, by the way. You
definitely want the upgraded software for the best results.


>Question 3: Kim. Why no "Previous Loop" button? Is there at least a mode
>which will limmit the possble loops from 1 to 2, or even to 3, so that
>"Next Loop" gets you back to 1 without going through dead loops? I'm I
>thinking of it wrong?  Most conventional songs are in one to three parts.
>So I assume there is some way to mimic this, if one chooses, on the Plex.

Being unconventional people, we let you have anywhere from 1 to 9 loops.
Why is 3 so special anyway?

You set the number of loops you want between 1 and 9 with the "MoreLoops"
parameter. There are a variety of ways to switch between loops, but yes you
can switch between say loop 6 and loop 4 without going through all of the
others in between.

One way is by using the mode that synchronizes the loop switching to the
end of the loop, so that you have a waiting period before you actually
switch. During that time you press NextLoop until the one you want to go to
is displayed, and then it goes there when you get to the end of the current
loop. That works pretty well for this, as long as you don't use really
short loops. During that wait time you can also set it up to copy audio or
copy the time base into the new loop, or you can tell it to start a
function when it gets there, like overdub or record or multiply or
whatever. There is also a similar sort of sync mode called "confirm" that
doesn't switch until you press the confirm button, which is undo in this
instance. So you would press NextLoop until it displays the loop you want
to go to, then press Undo to go there.

The better way to switch loops to me is with midi, where you treat it more
like a sampler. Then you can have a key on a keyboard for each loop, press
it and jump there instantly. The fun thing there is that it is very sampler
like. You can turn velocitity on, so that the loop volume is controlled by
how hard you press the key on the keyboard. You can also set it so that
instead of the loop going on and on, it is only on while you hold the key
down. Or you can set it to just trigger the loop and play it once. (and
retrigger each time you hit the key again, for stuttering effects)

hope that answers your questions,

kim

______________________________________________________________________
Kim Flint                   | Looper's Delight
kflint@annihilist.com       | http://www.annihilist.com/loop/loop.html
http://www.annihilist.com/  | Loopers-Delight-request@annihilist.com