Looper questions

[Brian Haner Sr.]

Hey Kids! Happy October!
I need some help. I've been toying with the idea of doing some live dates up here in Vermont and was thinking of doing acoustic/vocal with a loop pedal - just for fun.
My usual deal is with backing tracks - and even though I've recorded some killer backing tracks, it feels old fashioned and a bit like guitar karaoke.
So here's the deal. I don't have a loop pedal and I've never used one. lol.
Does anyone here have experience with using one - the ins and outs, tips, problems, constraints, reasons I should use one, reasons I shouldn't use one, best pedal to get, etc. ???
Maybe links to videos of players who are nailing it with a looper?

Appreciate any help you can give.
Cheers!
pg

 

[idssdi]

I have a ditto looper and I love it. I got the small one and it's very compact and it ready works like a charm.

Here's Paul Gilbert using one



I can make a demonstration myself and go into a bit more detail when I get home on Sunday

 

[Awex Came]

Hey Kids! Happy October!
I need some help. I've been toying with the idea of doing some live dates up here in Vermont and was thinking of doing acoustic/vocal with a loop pedal - just for fun.
My usual deal is with backing tracks - and even though I've recorded some killer backing tracks, it feels old fashioned and a bit like guitar karaoke.
So here's the deal. I don't have a loop pedal and I've never used one. lol.
Does anyone here have experience with using one - the ins and outs, tips, problems, constraints, reasons I should use one, reasons I shouldn't use one, best pedal to get, etc. ???
Maybe links to videos of players who are nailing it with a looper?

Appreciate any help you can give.
Cheers!
pg

You didn't end up buying that Boss RC-5?

 

[Brian Haner Sr.]

You didn't end up buying that Boss RC-5?

I did not. I've been holding out for something with more channels. The Boss RC-600 just came out and it looks incredible. 6 channels, etc. It's pricey, but I think I need something with more than one or two channels.

 

[Rad Synner]

Hey Kids! Happy October!
I need some help. I've been toying with the idea of doing some live dates up here in Vermont and was thinking of doing acoustic/vocal with a loop pedal - just for fun.
My usual deal is with backing tracks - and even though I've recorded some killer backing tracks, it feels old fashioned and a bit like guitar karaoke.
So here's the deal. I don't have a loop pedal and I've never used one. lol.
Does anyone here have experience with using one - the ins and outs, tips, problems, constraints, reasons I should use one, reasons I shouldn't use one, best pedal to get, etc. ???
Maybe links to videos of players who are nailing it with a looper?

Appreciate any help you can give.
Cheers!
pg

It's honestly a question of practice but from my experience in a music store, the best loop pedal will depend on how intricate you plan your performance to be.

Really the constrains will always depend on the pedal you end up getting because the main thing will be the interface and how many loops you can have, which is why for example boss has so many different models under the RC line.

From that line, the one i think is best for a live performance would probably be the RC-300 because of its ability to have 3 set of loops at the same time that can be arranged and pretty straight forward and clear interface which I believe would make things pretty easy for live shows!

BOSS - RC-300 | Loop Station

RC-300: Loop Station - The Triple-Stereo Mega Looper!

www.boss.info

In this video, Ed Sheeran actually uses the RC20XL but that pedal is discontinued though the point is mostly to showcase what the boss units can do because the RC300 is basically a more expanded version of it.


So the problems you can encounter from a loop pedal will really depend of your ambition because they all do essentially the same thing: looping your signal. So then the first question that needs answering is: what do you want to do with it to the maximum extent? How elaborate do you want things to be and how many loops do you want? So yeah, different looping pedals for different guitar player's need and ambition.

Reasons you should use one? Just as with any pedals, because it can add value to your performance.

Reasons you shouldn't use one? You wouldn't actually need one.

Hope this was helpful. In general I always had good results with BOSS. There are also other brands but, I dont know. I still feel like BOSS really nailed it. They are also planning to release a new looper, the RC-600 but I'd need to check it out to say more about it!

 

[Ed Seith]

Okay, so, if I were to want to use one of these with the AxeFX - I'd put it after, on the AxeFX's output?

 

[Rad Synner]

Okay, so, if I were to want to use one of these with the AxeFX - I'd put it after, on the AxeFX's output?

Really depends on how you'd want your signal path to be but in general, I would say yes simply because if you get effects involved, being distortion, chorus or whatever, in a loop, You'd want that to be preserved and stored as is within the station because then the loop pedal sends it back to a speaker or whatever.

So by putting the pedal after your FX unit assuming that it goes into some sort of PA or speakers, then you will be able to control the effects you send into a single loop.

If you'd put the loop pedal before your FX unit then you're essentially sending a dry signal into the loop which will then send it into the FX unit but the thing to keep in mind is that whatever comes out of the axe fx isn't going to be what the Looper will store because what you originally sent is a dry signal.

Seems obvious but i've seen a lot of people treat the looper like a standard pedal and get confused about it's placement.

So all that to say that your assumption is correct!

 

[Ed Seith]

Thanks. I know the AxeFX has looper functionality, but to use it right, I'd have to use scenes in one preset, and I've tried to do that, but I use too many different amps and effects to be able to do that without overloading the CPU. Damn reverbs...

 

[Rad Synner]

Thanks. I know the AxeFX has looper functionality, but to use it right, I'd have to use scenes in one preset, and I've tried to do that, but I use too many different amps and effects to be able to do that without overloading the CPU. Damn reverbs...

Yeah so then using an external looper and letting it be it's own unit to process the signal it receives without the constraints of having to ''render'' effects will for sure be a good alternative in your case!

 

[Ed Seith]

At least until SOMEONE lets me buy an AxeFX3...

 

[Rad Synner]

At least until SOMEONE lets me buy an AxeFX3...

Don't ask for permission. Ask for forgiveness.

 

[Ed Seith]

Don't ask for permission. Ask for forgiveness.

Says the man never married...

But seriously, I *could* get one, and it wouldn't be an issue. The only issue is the cost, and I don't mean the purchase price. Not every cost is measured in dollars. And sometimes the ones that are... are doubled.

 

[William B.]

I think you can plug a microphone into the looper

 

[Rad Synner]

Says the man never married...

But seriously, I *could* get one, and it wouldn't be an issue. The only issue is the cost, and I don't mean the purchase price. Not every cost is measured in dollars. And sometimes the ones that are... are doubled.

Marriage? Never heard of that.

But just so I understand right, do you mean that for every axe fx you purchase, double the amount would then go into, let's say, shoes, handbags and other tings like that...? Just so I can get a good understanding of the married life. At worst, I'll keep officiating weddings and keep a vow of celibacy.

 

[Adin Shepherd]

Don't ask for permission. Ask for forgiveness.

This is what I am doing as soon as I can find a PS5............what could go wrong

 

[Ryan Vega]

Says the man never married...

But seriously, I *could* get one, and it wouldn't be an issue. The only issue is the cost, and I don't mean the purchase price. Not every cost is measured in dollars. And sometimes the ones that are... are doubled.

I couldn't afford it either but wanted something similar, I really enjoy my Line 6 POD HD500 you should check it out i'm so happy I bought one for now to have I get so many different tones and use it for recording/live all the time

 

[Rad Synner]

This is what I am doing as soon as I can find a PS5............what could go wrong

Hope your couch is comfortable!

 

[Ed Seith]

Marriage? Never heard of that.

But just so I understand right, do you mean that for every axe fx you purchase, double the amount would then go into, let's say, shoes, handbags and other tings like that...? Just so I can get a good understanding of the married life. At worst, I'll keep officiating weddings and keep a vow of celibacy.

Something like that. Keep the faith, brother!

 

[Ed Seith]

I couldn't afford it either but wanted something similar, I really enjoy my Line 6 POD HD500 you should check it out i'm so happy I bought one for now to have I get so many different tones and use it for recording/live all the time

My first modeler was a POD HD500. There are things (like pitch shifting) that it did WAY better than the AxeFXIIXL+, but in the end I felt the cab simulations were terrible quality and they didn't let you add aftermarket IRs. The cabs were probably great for most people, but with my unorthodox playing, there were a lot of artifacts. I got them on a lot of the Axe cabs, too, but not on Syn's pack.

 

[Adin Shepherd]

Hope your couch is comfortable!

Comfortable enough