How many are using external loopers w/ Fractal?

Do you use an external looper?

  • Total voters
    101
Our show is automated via Ableton LIVE, which provides click, cues, teleprompter, lights, drum samples, guitar and bass FX automation/fades/cross-fades, quantized Loopers, plus vocal FX.

With regards to the Looper Plugin, it is set to record and auto-switch to overdub over a Session Looped section via a MIDI track, then set to play via MIDI from the FM3. When the tune is over the MIDI track clears the Looper Plugin's buffer. With this setup the Looper Plugin records at exactly the right time (beat), for exactly the right duration (number of beats or bars), with everything staying perfectly in sync, and all I have to do is to hit a FM3 footswitch to stop overdubbing and switch to play as everything else is automated.

For the Session Loop, it's controlled via MIDI from the FM3 to loop intros, solos, out choruses, or the live looping etc.
 
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DJD100 said:
Our show is automated via Ableton LIVE, which provides click, cues, teleprompter, lights, drum samples, guitar and bass FX automation/fades/cross-fades, quantized Loopers, plus vocal FX.

With regards to the Looper Plugin, it is set to record and auto-switch to overdub over a Session Looped section via a MIDI track, then set to play via MIDI from the FM3. When the tune is over the MIDI track clears the Looper Plugin's buffer. With this setup the Looper Plugin records at exactly the right time (beat), for exactly the right duration (number of beats or bars), with everything staying perfectly in sync, and all I have to do is to hit a FM3 footswitch to stop overdubbing and switch to play as everything else is automated.

For the Session Loop, it's controlled via MIDI from the FM3 to loop intros, solos, out choruses, or the live looping etc.
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I haven't had a chance to mess around in Ableton yet but I've read varying comments on loop length/bar limitations? is this still an issue? perhaps the comments were referring to older versions of Live.
 
I use the FM3 looper for acoustic duo gigs. I've got a few ambient/sound on sound patches on the Axe that are fun to use with the reverse/half speed functions on the looper

Microcosm is it's own little universe. Very fun pedal. Eventide Rose isn't technically a looper but it is great for really long delays that you can time stretch.
 
i'v been looping since 1999. i'm currently using expert sleepers augustus looper as a basic tape looper hosted in ableton, as part of a huge live set containing multiple granular and delay plugins controlled by lemur running on an ipad. i also run borderlands granular on an ipad as well. sometimes i use circular labs mobius hosted in ableton, but not so much now. i've used and abused the original lexicon jamman, tc d-2, electrix repeater, looperlative lp-1, the akai headrush, the eventide h3000, the eventide eclipse and probably some others i can't remember now.
 
Chewie5150 said:
I haven't had a chance to mess around in Ableton yet but I've read varying comments on loop length/bar limitations? is this still an issue? perhaps the comments were referring to older versions of Live.
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The only limitation I have found is with LIVE's Session Loop, of which there can only be one iteration without custom scripting/plugins.

I use LIVE's Looper Plugin to do live layering over vamps that I can ultimately solo over after switching it to play, so typically 4 bar loops for me in conjunction with the Session Loop looping the whole session.

https://www.ableton.com/en/manual/live-audio-effect-reference/#looper
 
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Currently a Boss RC-600 and I think it's working out for me.

Also have a Boomerang III which apart from save & sync limitations still seems most intuitive.

Previously.... Headrush Looperboard which promised the world but delivered an attractive oversized door-stop. Much improved firmware but some timing anomalies remain that are musically catastrophic....

I probably should use Live but as soon as I power up a DAW my creatively ****s off stage left (think I worked with IT too long).
I would be keen to try any looper - use case and preferences are all.
 
2112 said:
@simeon I'd love to see a "rig rundown" style video of your setup and how you use it!
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would people be interested in that, do you think?
i love that axe makes it so easy to interface with other bits of gear. i can use one usb cable to the macbook, or even use a usb plus the camera connector straight to the ipad. i can also use the macbook and the ipad at the same time, so it's kinda modular.
ok, i'll have a think and try and figure out an interesting way to do it.
 
simeon said:
would people be interested in that, do you think?
i love that axe makes it so easy to interface with other bits of gear. i can use one usb cable to the macbook, or even use a usb plus the camera connector straight to the ipad. i can also use the macbook and the ipad at the same time, so it's kinda modular.
ok, i'll have a think and try and figure out an interesting way to do it.
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I certainely would
Thanks in advance !
 
I've been using loopers since the early 90s, among others Lexicon JamMan, Electrix Repeater, Echoplex, Looperlative and currently the Soma Cosmos and the Glou-Glou Loupé which are both great...
 
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simeon said:
would people be interested in that, do you think?
i love that axe makes it so easy to interface with other bits of gear. i can use one usb cable to the macbook, or even use a usb plus the camera connector straight to the ipad. i can also use the macbook and the ipad at the same time, so it's kinda modular.
ok, i'll have a think and try and figure out an interesting way to do it.
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Definitely!
 
I'm looking to upgrade from my headrush.... but a "must have" is the ability to speed up or slow down the loop to a tap tempo (without changing pitch). Not sure if that even exists. I have an electrix repeater but it is on it's last legs.
 
MicroMort said:
I'm looking to upgrade from my headrush.... but a "must have" is the ability to speed up or slow down the loop to a tap tempo (without changing pitch). Not sure if that even exists. I have an electrix repeater but it is on it's last legs.
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the repeater is the only looper i've come across with the ability to do that. i loved mine and wish i'd never sold it. i loved the artefacts it generated at the extremes of speed and pitch manipulation. you using version 2 of the firmware? it's a massive step up if not. hit me up for the zip if you don't have it and you can check the manual. maybe some of the new loopers might be worth checking out, like the Loupe. Andre LaFosse has been making some great vids on the youtubes and he's tried a ton of the new ones. might be worth having a chat with him.
 
simeon said:
the repeater is the only looper i've come across with the ability to do that. i loved mine and wish i'd never sold it. i loved the artefacts it generated at the extremes of speed and pitch manipulation. you using version 2 of the firmware? it's a massive step up if not. hit me up for the zip if you don't have it and you can check the manual. maybe some of the new loopers might be worth checking out, like the Loupe. Andre LaFosse has been making some great vids on the youtubes and he's tried a ton of the new ones. might be worth having a chat with him.
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I'll check it out.. not sure what firmware I'm on. I tried using it with just the 3 footswitches and couldn't really get what I needed out of it. Maybe I have to really get into it with MIDI. I do have the 2.1 firmware saved somewhere. Maybe this month I'll hook it up again and see if it can be used.

Thanks for the Andre LaFosse recommendation! I think he may have even found me my next looper with this video:


Looks like the Boss RC500 might be able to do the tap tempo changes.
 
MicroMort said:
I'll check it out.. not sure what firmware I'm on. I tried using it with just the 3 footswitches and couldn't really get what I needed out of it. Maybe I have to really get into it with MIDI. I do have the 2.1 firmware saved somewhere. Maybe this month I'll hook it up again and see if it can be used.

Thanks for the Andre LaFosse recommendation! I think he may have even found me my next looper with this video:


Looks like the Boss RC500 might be able to do the tap tempo changes.
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I will be trying out Ableton Live first as I won't have to purchase anything...'use what I already have' but as @sb-SG mentioned the factor of firing up a DAW kind of saps your creative moments so having a quick access to pedal would be great...in which case I've sort of narrowed it down to the Boss RC-500. Feature set/form factor it would do more than I need. I could also use my Xsonic Airstep to expand the Rc-500. Could be slick
 
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simeon said:
would people be interested in that, do you think?
i love that axe makes it so easy to interface with other bits of gear. i can use one usb cable to the macbook, or even use a usb plus the camera connector straight to the ipad. i can also use the macbook and the ipad at the same time, so it's kinda modular.
ok, i'll have a think and try and figure out an interesting way to do it.
Click to expand...

Even if you showed us in a boring way I’d be interested. I think a lot of folks would be. I’d love to see/hear how you loop granular stuff with it.
 
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