live solo/looper setup

[CDT]

I'm not sure if I should get one of the loop boxes (custom A/B/Y type) or go with a mixer. here's what I want to do:

I have a boomerang looper pedal. I have some guitar pedal effects that will be before the 'rang in an effects loop. I want to loop an acoustic guitar and 2 vocal mics.

I have an (A) acoustic guitar (taylor with a lr baggs M1, 1/4" instrument) , (B) Shure green bullet vocal mic (1/4" instrument) and a (C) shure beta 58 vocal mic (I can get an impedance adapter or use a preamp if needed).

I'd like individual inputs for A, B & C. One effects loop that can be used with A, B, & C; together or independent. Individual outputs for A, B & C. I want the A, B & C outputs to always be on, whether the effects loop is on or off for that input. i.e, the only selecting is whether the effects loop is on for inputs A, B and/or C. otherwise it's a bypass box.

this is for live performance to either a small mixer to powered speakers or a 3ch acoustic/vocal amp....DI for each channel to the FOH board, so without another mixer I'm not sure how to obtain the ease of selection a switcher pedal would give me.

any advice is appreciated, right now I can perform with the effects on all three inputs at once thru an effects loop of an acoustic amp...but to turn the effects loop on and off for each input would be great.

I emailed looper.com, who build custom effects loop pedals to see if they have any ideas...haven't heard back, it's been a few days.

Thanks, Chris

[Harry]

I would use a little mixer...like a Mackie

Aux out>Rang input>Rang Out > channel on the mixer.


I think that's how they do it in Margaritaville:)

[thunderboy]

I'd like individual inputs for A, B & C.

Sounds like you need a small mixer.

One effects loop that can be used with A, B, & C; together or independent.

A small mixer with at least one aux send.

Individual outputs for A, B & C.

A small mixer with at least one aux send and an alt out of some kind.

I want the A, B & C outputs to always be on, whether the effects loop is on or off for that input. i.e, the only selecting is whether the effects loop is on for inputs A, B and/or C. otherwise it's a bypass box.

I'd use a Mackie 1202 or similar. However, I get the feeling that you want to turn the loop function of each source on and off with a footswitch. In that case, a 1202 and three ABY switches...hmm. Has to be a more elegant solution.

jt

[CDT]

I get the feeling that you want to turn the loop function of each source on and off with a footswitch

yeah that's the biggest problem. I have everything hooked up to a yamaha mg mixer right now and I can route and control everything by hand...but this defeats the purpose because I can't play guitar, sing and have an extra hand to control the effects loop or aux send/return..I'm a spontaneous performer and without fluid control over the three inputs I'm not going to be happy..

the looper pedal guys have been no help BTW.

I have posted this problem on a few boards I frequent and so far this is proving to be more of an issue than I originally thought when i came up with this idea.

thanks, chris

[Harry]

I get the feeling that you want to turn the loop function of each source on and off with a footswitch

yeah that's the biggest problem. I have everything hooked up to a yamaha mg mixer right now and I can route and control everything by hand...but this defeats the purpose because I can't play guitar, sing and have an extra hand to control the effects loop or aux send/return..I'm a spontaneous performer and without fluid control over the three inputs I'm not going to be happy..

the looper pedal guys have been no help BTW.

I have posted this problem on a few boards I frequent and so far this is proving to be more of an issue than I originally thought when i came up with this idea.

thanks, chris

One way to do it is to get 2 or even 3 loopers going at once.. (that sounds like fun:) $pendy though

[austingreen]

I don't think this is really your solution but have you looked at the EHX 2880? It has two inputs, two outputs and 4 tracks of loops. The four tracks have pan so you can send each track to either side, same with your dry signal. But it doesn't have three inputs or outputs, maybe have a a/b switch on one input. I also use the 2880 with Boss RC20XL with great results, the Boss has had some noise issues I think related to use with OneSpot adapter.

One thing I love about 2880 is it's use of Compact Flash, if I like something, instantly throw into my card reader on my printer and save loops. Also the reverse button, tempo slider, I don't know if it does all you need it to but this thing is fun.

[CDT]

the 2880 is a cool unit, I'll read up on it a bit more. I really have grown to love my 'rang though...it's seamless in my performance after 3 years with it.

thanks

[Marc Alan Goodman]

Does the mixer have knobs or faders? You could always get 3 of those third hand things and connect them to the mixer volumes if they're knobs... Plus you'd have separate volume controls for each source.

[CDT]

it's a yamaha mg 12/4

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/Con ... 900&LGFL=Y

You could always get 3 of those third hand things and connect them to the mixer volumes if they're knobs... Plus you'd have separate volume controls for each source.

not sure what you're talking about here...

thanks, chris

[joninc]

what about using a jam man? isn't that what guys like joseph arthur use? running multiple separate loops live and triggering em on and off?

[Brian Brock]

I've experimented with a lot of different setups along these lines.

The Boomerang is a really cool looper, although there are a few others that are good too - I still haven't seen anything widely available that duplicates the awesome features of an Echoplex Digitial Pro, or whatever it's called - it's this:
http://www.loopersdelight.com/tools/ech ... oplex.html

How much have you practiced with just using your hands on a mixer? You can go pretty far with that...

To a certain extent, I got diminishing returns the more elements I added to try to attain the ideal looping setup. You can get those Boss AB pedals, here:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AB2/
They have little latching grooves on the sides so they can be combined into one big pedal.
Then you would need a mixer with six inputs (two for each AB pedal) and an effects return. I think the little Peavey one is pretty good:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PV6/
But this is assuming that your signals are all unbalanced line levels for the AB. So you would need some kind of mixer with direct outs, or a couple of those ART cheapo mic preamps...

ok ramble off

[CDT]

with the mixer set up I can perform ok, because I'm playing guitar while singing it's a pain to control the effects per input by hand sometimes...but not terribly so if I'm singing over loops...I just want a very flexible rig to spark ideas and let me make the noise I want to....I can adjust for hand selection on a mixer but I really wanted to get a foot controlled thing going. the pv6 does look like a nice mini mixer, might even go for the usb version.

on the other loopers, jamman, ecoplex, the ehx 2880...I'm trying to assemble something with the 'rang because I'm so used to it it's just an extension of my playing now.

I'm reading up on mobius with foot controller now..might just go laptop and midi foot controller...

[comfortstarr]

It would be cool for TapeOp to do an article on Martin Dosh and get him to explain how the heck he does this.

I'm curious if that new Gio thingy from apogee (http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/gio.php) could be used with Logic to great loopiness.

Has anyone ever heard of Paul Dresher? I saw him ages and ages ago at the Walker Art Center and he had an 8-track reel-to-reel with the arms extended out about four feet on each side. He had a cannibalized set of organ pedals which he used to trigger tracks on and off. It was spectacular stuff.

[Brian Brock]

I'm reading up on mobius with foot controller now..might just go laptop and midi foot controller...

That's the software that basically emulates an Oberheim Echoplex, I think. I played with it a little.

If you're going to go computer then I would think it's Max/MSP all the way. That's what Pauline Oliveros was using at one point, and for that matter huge numbers of other people.

[Brian Brock]

Martin Dosh

That's good stuff - kind of like an easy-to-listen-to Nobukazu Takemura