Re: Akai Heardush , a little frustrated, please help..

["max valentino" <ekstasis1@hotmail.com>]

I use loops in a number of different situations, in addition to my solo 
bass/looping performances.  In fact, I try (though do not always succeed) 
in 
using loops in just about every project I get involved in.  Often this 
might 
just be in one section of tune in a band's set..but nonetheless, it has 
helped me to better understand how other musicians percieve looping.

One thing that is absolutely neccessay is a good monitoring 
sytem...especially if you are working with a drummer.  Few are the 
drummers 
you recoginize their own "imperfections", and often when playing to loops 
they tend to balme the machine.  When using a less than aceptable monitor 
system, I tend to use my DL4, and "readjust" my loop manually...that is to 
say, I play what it being looped (to provide continuity) and stop the 
loop, 
then re-record it at whatever new tempo/feel we have drifted to.  Of 
course, 
this may have to be done several times if the drummer/other instruments 
cannot adjust themselves to the time of the looper.

I have recently been using an Adrennalinn, which allows me to send a click 
drumtrack to a seperate monitor at the drummer ( for this I am using a SWR 
California Blonde amp). The Adrenalinn in midi syn'd to my JamMan, to his 
click is at tempo of the loops....this helps.

But, nothing beats having your own "looping chops" honed to a fine point.  
There are a few techniques for tightenig up those pesky loop points and 
keeping your rhythmic fidelity.
I  stumbled upon  a technique for tightening up the start and end points 
of 
loops which has greatly helped the rhythmic quality and “seamless-ness” of 
my looping and so thought I might share it.

I might point out, that usually I consider any “glitch” in the loop to be 
“incidental” rather than “accidental”, and thus can incorporate it into 
the 
loop, even though it might be a garish “error” with an obvious skip to it. 
 
The trick there is to make the skip part of the piece….
….but mostly I am referring to small timing errors which, although the do 
not seem as obvious as “jumps” still are enough to annoy and frustrate.

Probably the biggest point is to play through the end of a loop.  That is 
to 
say, that as you punch out, play along with the part and into the looped 
part.  This helps lose any noticeable “pops” in the loop points.

To aid in the timing of your loop tap ins and outs, you need do develop 
your 
rhythmic acuity.  One way I have found to be a great help is to hook up a 
drum machine along with whatever is your primary instrument, in my case 
bass, to separate channels of a mixer and put the looper into the aux send 
and return.  Be sure to return the looping device to the aux return and 
not 
a separate channel.  The idea here is “record” the drum machine along with 
whatever you are looping.  If your timing is perfect the drum parts will 
be 
flawless, until they start to drift do to lack of sync(yes, btw, don’t 
sync 
the looper and drum machine as that will defeat the purpose of the whole 
technique).  That is to say there will be no audible “flam”, glitch or 
other 
audio inconsistency.

If your timing is just a hair off, something like 10-20ms, you will get a 
phasing effect from the looped drum part and the original sequence being 
slightly off.  With practice you can lose this phasing effect, and gain a 
newfound “tightness” to your loops. If your timing is further off, there 
will be obvious flams, and glitches and other audio ugliness.  I use this 
technique as a regular practice for my looping, and it has helped greatly. 
 
It has made it possible for me to really the hear the loops as a sort of 
audio landscape, and with a higher degree of accuracy in setting the loop 
points I can proceed with real-time playing or overdubs just as the loop 
begins to play…again greatly benefiting a “seamless” quality.

Of course, with any loop tap, MIDI or otherwise, there is a slight 
latency, 
and what you are doing is learning to compensate for this.  This is not a 
performance technique, but rather a practice technique which I have found 
has greatly improved the rhythmic quality of my loops.

Max

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