Looper and MIDI Clock

gdgross

Experienced
Hi all -

I've never experimented with MIDI clock and time syncing effects before, so I'm diving in over my head for sure with this question, but if the answer is "yes" i'm gonna be super pumped.

Can I input an external MIDI clock to the AX8 and slave the looper to the MIDI clock? Ideally I'd like it to quantize my on/off stomps to the clock. (But i'll be happy with a mode that, say, records and plays back a couple of bars automatically.)

The idea being that I'd like to play live to a click, use the looper at the beginning of the song, and have it perfectly in sync with the click 5 minutes later. Is this possible or am I dreaming? (or course assuming a constant tempo for the duration of the song)
 
The answer is "Yes" but some of this will depend upon how you are generating the click and the MIDI. I've not used MIDI Time Clock in particular.

Currently, I play to a click using Set List Maker (SLM) for the iPad. Initially, in my DAW I create an audio file that contains the click. I also create a MIDI file along side it that contains Control Change messages (CC#) that will turn the looper on and off in sync with the click. SLM will play back both the audio file click and midi file in sync for each song you set up. The CC#'s for the looper are on page 95 of the manual.

I also expand this to changing scenes and presets and turning effects on or off automatically throughout a song for my band mates pedals and devices as well. We even go as far as controlling our own lights using another app called Luminaire that runs on the same iPad and receives MIDI from the same MIDI file.

Mike
 
wow, thanks Mike - I'm gonna check SLM out...

does it stay in sync well? ie, can you make it to the end of a 5 minute song without too much drift between the click and the loop? I suppose I could set up midi ccs tt restart the loop every several bars or so...
 
wow, thanks Mike - I'm gonna check SLM out...

does it stay in sync well? ie, can you make it to the end of a 5 minute song without too much drift between the click and the loop? I suppose I could set up midi ccs tt restart the loop every several bars or so...
FYI I have this crazy idea for a live vid for my band, starting with a percussion loop, which I'll need to record withe a mic/preamp and run into the axe8.

Suppose I'll have to make a special preset with loop all left and guitar all right for this one...unless there's another looper pedal out there that accepts midi CCs and mas a mic input...
 
wow, thanks Mike - I'm gonna check SLM out...

does it stay in sync well? ie, can you make it to the end of a 5 minute song without too much drift between the click and the loop? I suppose I could set up midi ccs tt restart the loop every several bars or so...

The loop will stay in sync indefinitely if you've recorded it to the click.
Am I correct in thinking that you'd like to begin a song that has a click and then turn on the loop record and grab x amount of bars and then turn off the looper and have that loop keep playing until you turn it off?
 
Am I correct in thinking that you'd like to begin a song that has a click and then turn on the loop record and grab x amount of bars and then turn off the looper and have that loop keep playing until you turn it off?

Exactly right.

Although I suppose if i have the flexibility of midi turning the looper on/off, then I may actually have a few bars where I stop the loop...we'll see I may just keep it simple too
 
Actually, i probably don't need SLM at all, since I'm just wanting to record this live, probably can just do it all in pro tools.
 
I see. What will be generating your click?

Well, now that I realize it can be synced, i'll probably just use the click in protools!

I seriously excited about this, Mike - really appreciate hearing from someone who's done this. And curious about SLM now too for shows haha
 
Thanks to both of you!
I have read your thread and have learned about the looper just from following you guys.
I have wondered about this very subject and did not no the answer....Thanks :):guitar:
 
I set up a test session with a midi track in PT last night and was easily able to trigger the looper function in my AX8 via midi over USB, no special cables needed.

I'm actually going to use the looper to record a percussion loop with a mic, rather than a guitar loop, so I'll need a small external preamp, as well as panning the guitar Left and the looper right in the preset, to record 2 channels of audio (live guitar + percussion loop). I have a preset set up for this, though I haven't tested it yet, with the FX loop feeding the looper block.

Thanks again Mike. You've changed my life!

I'll post the vid here when it's done, it better be by apr 15 since we are planning on entering it in to the NPR tiny desk contest this year, hah.
 
That's great! Can't wait to see the video as I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what you're actually doing! LOL
 
I set up a test session with a midi track in PT last night and was easily able to trigger the looper function in my AX8 via midi over USB, no special cables needed.

I'm actually going to use the looper to record a percussion loop with a mic, rather than a guitar loop, so I'll need a small external preamp, as well as panning the guitar Left and the looper right in the preset, to record 2 channels of audio (live guitar + percussion loop). I have a preset set up for this, though I haven't tested it yet, with the FX loop feeding the looper block.

Thanks again Mike. You've changed my life!

I'll post the vid here when it's done, it better be by apr 15 since we are planning on entering it in to the NPR tiny desk contest this year, hah.
Ok so I have never used midi nor do I know how you would make say a keyboard track start playing when it is supposed too I am a complete newbie to that.
So any information is good information...:)
 
That's great! Can't wait to see the video as I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around what you're actually doing! LOL
lol, not too complicated, just looping some percussion rather than guitar bits, so i need to use a mic/preamp and the FX loop (input 2) in the ax8. I'll also be playing guitar, so I'll pan the guitar left and the loop right for two mono channels rather than one stereo.
 
Aaaaaannnndddd here's the result. Worked like a charm.

Sm57 -> external preamp -> FX loop return panned hard right -> looper block -> protools.

Left side of everything was reserved for the guitar ;-)

 
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