RE: Echoplex LoopStart?

["Neil Goldstein" <ngold@home.com>]

Thanks very much Kim!

Will be checking it out.

The EDP has some functions that make me feel like I have a blinking 12:00 
in
my VCR until I get my hands on it and see that 'that wasn't so hard to
grasp, was it' :-)

Neil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kim Flint [mailto:kflint@loopers-delight.com]
> Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2001 2:56 PM
> To: Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com
> Subject: Re: Echoplex LoopStart?
>
>
> At 1:16 PM -0700 8/5/01, Neil Goldstein wrote:
> >    I have  never successfully used the LoopStart switch.   From  
>reading
> >the manual, its supposed to redefine the loop start at the
> instant of  the
> >button press.   The  manual doesn't show any other settings before this
> >feature should work.     Is  there any possible user error I could be
> >making before I'll have to chalk it up  to a repair issue?    All  the
> >other features are working fine.   Thanks  for the enlightening tips,
> >meanwhile.    Neil
>
>
> This function of the EDP is actually called "StartPoint", and most likely
> you are just not understanding what it does.
>
> StartPoint lets you tell the Echoplex to consider a different
> point in your
> loop the "beginning".
>
> This has no audible effect at the time you do it, because the loop
> continues looping as it was. However, it makes a big difference for any
> functions that care where the start of the loop is. For example, Quantize
> and SwitchQuantize will now use your newly defined startpoint as the spot
> where they engage a function or switch to a new loop. (the point they
> quantize to.)  If you are triggering loops to play from the
> start, this new
> startpoint is the point where they will start from. It can also make a
> difference for midi sync points.
>
> It does have a visual effect. When you record a loop, notice that the
> right-most decimal point of the display blinks each time the beginning of
> the loop comes by. When you change the startpoint of the loop,
> you will see
> this LED blink at your newly defined startpoint.
>
> StartPoint is a little odd to use as a function, because it is actually
> located in the Parameter matrix. So to access it you have to press the
> parameter button once to get to the P1 row, then press the button for
> startpoint. It doesn't have a midi command to directly access it in the
> current version, but in the next software it will.
>
> So let's try it. Turn the Quantize parameter On. Record a simple loop on
> your Echoplex. Make sure it is something where where you can
> obviously tell
> where the beginning is. (some percussive start or obvious rhythm or
> whatever.)  Listen to it for a bit, and look at the StartPoint LED at the
> right of the display. It should be blinking each time your
> startpoint comes
> by.
>
> So you can see how functions care about the startpoint, press Mute
> somewhere in the middle of the loop. (it could be any function, but Mute
> makes this obvious.) The Echoplex will quantize this, and wait until the
> startpoint comes before muting the loop. If you press Mute again, you 
>will
> again see the Echoplex wait until the startpoint comes before it UnMutes
> the loop. That should give you a clear idea about where the startpoint is
> and how it gets used. (you can also try triggering your loop from Mute,
> which is done by pressing the "insert" button while it is muted. you can
> press it repeatedly to re-trigger the loop and make it stutter from your
> startpoint.)
>
> Now let's move the startpoint somewhere else. Press the StartPoint button
> at some different point in the middle of your loop. (Do this by going to
> the P1 row with the Parameters button, listening for the right spot, then
> pressing the button for StartPoint, then go back to play mode).
> You should
> now see the StartPoint LED blink at a different point in your loop than 
>it
> did before, which should be the spot where you just hit the StartPoint
> button. Press Mute again. The Echoplex will wait for this new
> StartPoint to
> Mute the loop. Try some re-triggering, you will hear it start
> from this new
> startpoint.
>
> So why is this useful?
>
> Say you created your loop in a very organic way, by slowly
> overdubbing bits
> here and there. It might start off without much rhythm to it, but
> over time
> some of the things you've overdubbed give the loop a distinct rhythm.
> Probably some point has emerged that feels like the "start" of the loop,
> and chances are it is nowhere near what the echoplex thinks is the
> startpoint. Maybe you want to start doing more rhythmic actions on the
> Echoplex based on this audible start of your loop, using quantize or
> whatever. So you quickly reset the StartPoint to this new spot in your
> loop, and then the Echoplex will use that as the beginning point for all
> quantize and sync actions.
>
> In the next generation of Echoplex software, these concepts will become
> even more interesting.
>
> kim
>
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
> Kim Flint                     | Looper's Delight
> kflint@loopers-delight.com    | http://www.loopers-delight.com
>
>