RE: Subject: Laptop-based looping

[Dan Ash <Daniel.Ash@Verizon.net>]

>
> ubject:
> RE: Subject: Laptop-based looping
> From:
> "Andrew Koenig" <ark@acm.org>
> Date:
> Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:47:55 -0400
>
> To:
> <Loopers-Delight@loopers-delight.com>
>
>
>> So if I want to record a CD that contains a mixture of note-by-note
>> composition and improvisation, I would use Finale to create MIDI files 
>that
>> I would then sequence in Sonar and use Sonar to combine it with audio 
>tracks
>> and mix down the final CD, yes?
>>
>>     
Not sure where Finale fits into the picture - my understanding is that 
its very strong for scoring, and I presume it's a great sequencer, but 
if you've got Sonar, you can record your MIDI and audio tracks and then 
mix in that environment.  Sonar does offer accurate notation views of 
the midi data, so unless you need to produce orchestral scores I'm not 
really sure why you'd need both. 

However, I'm pretty sure you will end up using an additional piece of 
software to produce the final CD - you'll want to insert markers between 
tracks, etc.  Maybe somebody else will chime in with suggestions for 
this component...
> Interesting.  So what you're saying is that what I really want is to 
>learn
> how to use Mobius, use it as a VST plugin to Live, and control the whole
> thing with a foot controller for live performance, presumably so I can 
>keep
> my hands free.
>   

Ableton Live may very meet all your needs for looping and audio 
production.  It now supports recording midi data as well as audio, so 
you may need go no further.  I'm told it does support Mobius as a VST 
plug in, although I'm not familiar enough with Live! to understand what 
Mobius offers that Live! does not.

Based only on downloading and messing around with the Ableton demo I can 
say that I find the interface less intuitive. Of course that may just be 
because it's a deeper product - I'm just more at home with Mobius under 
REAPER. 

> Do you have opinions about specific foot pedals?  I play a Yamaha WX-5, 
>so
> if I were to use a Yamaha MFC10 pedal, it would double as a power supply 
>for
> the WX-5.
>   

I'm happy with the Behringer FCB1010 - although big, it's almost 
inexpensive enough to be disposable after a few years of stomping on 
it.  That said, mine's been apart twice now and I was able to fix minor 
issues myself... Search the archives here for some other recommendations.


Dan Ash
White Plains, NY