RE: PERCUSSION LOOPER

[lindsay@pavestone.com]

>I can't rave about them enough!!!   If they had any midi syncing
capabilities (which they don't, unfortunately) I would sell my jampersons
in an instant.<

Rick, I agree that the DL4 is a potent low-cost looper, but, like you, I am
disappointed by the lack of midi synch.  I thought perhaps I could use the
DL4's max delay and sample times as hard bpm determinants, for instance,
always setting the delay or loop time to the max and--knowing the max delay
time--work out the bpm from there.  This is what I discovered:

Delay models (2.5 seconds delay time):
     at 4 beats per sample, bpm = 96,
     at 8 beats per sample, bpm = 192.

Looper (11 seconds sample time):
     at 16 beats per sample (four 4/4 measures), bpm = 87.27
     at 24 beats per sample (six 4/4 measures), bpm = 130.91
     at 32 beats per sample (eight 4/4 measures), bpm = 174.55

As you can see, none of those bpm are really "standard" tempos, either a
shade too fast or too slow.  Even switching to 3/4 doesn't help much, the
tempos remain the same, unless you can work in phrases or statements of
odd-numbered measures.  Anyone up for a ten-bar blues?

So, I was wondering--especially in working with other hard-bpm sources like
a drum machine or sampler--how does one combat the inevitable drift?  I
wonder if it would at all be possible to retrofit the DL4's delay time knob
with a detented or quantized pot, one that allows accurate, reproducible
delay times of say, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 seconds? The tap tempo function would
still be available to get delay settings in between the discrete values.
The bpm generated by these values are much more friendly.

Oh, wait, then I'd lose all the super-cool delay-time knob twiddling psycho
monumental sound storms available by a non-discrete pot.  Damn.  What if we
just capped the delay time at 2 seconds?  The loop time to 8 or 10?  Any
ideas?  Should I just shut up and buy a EDP or Repeater?


L




                                                                           
                 
                    Rick Walker                                            
                 
                    <GLOBAL@cruzi        To:     
Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com        
                    o.com>               cc:                               
                 
                                         Subject:     RE: PERCUSSION 
LOOPER                 
                    12/07/00                                               
                 
                    03:33 AM                                               
                 
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                    Loopers-Delig                                          
                 
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Hey Alyosha,   My name is Rick Walker and I am a professional
percussionist/trapset
drummer who has been looping live for about 7 years.   I have used three
jammans
(or jampersons as we call them in politically correct Santa Cruz) and have
recently
purchased two of the LINE 6 DM4 Modeller footpedals.

I can't rave about them enough!!!   If they had any midi syncing
capabilities (which they
don't, unfortunately) I would sell my jampersons in an instant.

A friend of mine (a very creative Looping Acoustic/Electric Bassist by the
name of
Max Valentino) just bought one for the best price I've heard yet ($239.00)
from
Mars Music.

>From my experience it would be good to put a mic preamp before the pedal
and you can get
a really cheap, physically small one from Behringer for under $100.
I have mics into channels one and two and panned hard left and right, then
the left
channel goes to one DM4 and the right channel goes to a Digitech Whammy
Pedal (simple
octave up/down harmonization) and then into the DM4.   It's all on a pedal
board:  very
convenient.
Good luck in the looping world.  If you end up having any problems don't
hesitate to
e-mail me for help.

Yours,   Rick