Re: Re:Newbie question; the live approach

[Hedewa7@aol.com]

richard z. said, among other things:
>Almost all of the live looping I do is improvisational,

here, too --- though, in some of my solo performances in the '90's, i've 
add'ly triggered previously improvised loops w/a sampler.....
and, now i'll re-use loops (that were originally improvised) on the 
repeater's CFC, sometimes during the same session, sometimes later.

>and almost 
>all of that has been me capturing loops of other people's performance 
>or of recorded sources. 

over the past years, that's become an increasingly important portion of my 
looping-thing --- i set up various (& sometimes, random) mics & sends 
onstage 
(or, in the studio) that feed my mixer, for looping & processing.....
i've also got 2 switchable mics built into my main gtr, which can be bent 
to 
this purpose, as well as having a switchable 1/4-inch *input* on the 
gtr.....

live, i loop w/ 1 repeater, 1 edp and 1 lexicon pcm42.
(and, the gtr input can also be used as a 'pure' electronic feedback loop, 
when the gtr /amp signal is sent back to the gtr).
live processing is w/a lexicon pcm80, an electrix filter factory, a korg 
electribe ES1, a moogerfooger ring mod & various other pedal-devices..... 
and, all the processed material is further processed by vacuum-tube gtr 
amps.

<snip>

>but I'm more inclined to capture short loops of another 
>performer's phrases.

same, here..... though, often i *am* the other performer:
*-)
and, i've found it to be a wad of fun to create single-loops from a broad 
variety of available inputs --- the repeater is certainly great, for that, 
as 
one can choose to do that (or not) using the multiple tracks.....
 
<snip>

>Because I'm rarely performing on a conventional instrument, I can 
>devote my attention to the looping system in such a way that it IS an 
>instrument. 

personally, i've always found this to be my favored approach, even when 
playing a conventional instrument..... the key issue, there, being fluid 
'integration'.

>Thus I rarely let looped material just "sit" in the 
>musical texture.

there is, i think, a certain particular art in animating the looping 
instruments' outputs, even when exercising quasi-drone kindsa 
materials.....

>I often "capture and dump" material at a rapid pace, 
>or I may capture several simultaneous loops of contrasting materials 
>and bring them in and out of the mix.

again: ditto!
though, sometimes i just let the loops 'hang', or 'groove'.....

best,
dt / splattercell