Loopers be Loopin

[Invisible Man]

The dream is a DL-4 in a 1590bb. Four switches on the face (2x2). Top jacks and power. A big knob on the top or side for mix/blend.

Or put the pcb in a long, skinny bypass strip. Just four switches.

Basically, strip that thing down only to the Looper. Keep four switches and a mix knob, put it in a small enclosure.

[frigid midget]

The dream is a DL-4 in a 1590bb. Four switches on the face (2x2). Top jacks and power. A big knob on the top or side for mix/blend.

Or put the pcb in a long, skinny bypass strip. Just four switches.

Basically, strip that thing down only to the Looper. Keep four switches and a mix knob, put it in a small enclosure.

dis

[Seedy]

I love looping. I use a Boss DD5, DD6, Line 6 M9, and a ditto. AND I had the M9 modified with a switch that triggers the midi command for continuous play.

I mean I love the DL4 and M9 (which are the same size btw). My favorite part is 'Play Once' but wished it could be used and then back into continuous play, uninterrupted. Well, JHV3 did that for me and the M9 is irreplaceable.

Always wanted a Boomerang though.

[ritz]

I run two loopers currently, a boomerang at the end the chain as the main looper, and a plain old ditto at the front of the chain. The ditto lets me loop a bit of input, freeing up my hands to tweak effects to where I want them, then I cut out the loop. In a two looper setup like that you can get away with one of them being pretty basic in terms of functionality

[Faldoe]

Dl-4's size isn't that bad - at least in terms of switch spacing. I think it's just right.

They should have made something in the same enclosure - like the JM-X or whatever it is - but with a sync feature to use with other DL-4s (or whatever the new model would be called), as well as MIDI I/O, and some loop slicing features like on the Eventide Timefactor, and Gibson Echoplex Digital Pro.

I don't get why Line 6 hasn't. They know people love the Dl-4 for looping. If they kept those key/core characteristics and expanded on them, it would do well.

[backwardsvoyager]

Dl-4's size isn't that bad - at least in terms of switch spacing. I think it's just right.

They should have made something in the same enclosure - like the JM-X or whatever it is - but with a sync feature to use with other DL-4s (or whatever the new model would be called), as well as MIDI I/O, and some loop slicing features like on the Eventide Timefactor, and Gibson Echoplex Digital Pro.

I don't get why Line 6 hasn't. They know people love the Dl-4 for looping. If they kept those key/core characteristics and expanded on them, it would do well.

+1

they won't though. nothing line 6 does makes any sense. they seem to be more interested in competing with axe-fx and making weird hi-fi style modeling amps (that still sound like shit). those series of pedals are oooold tech now, too.
maybe a company that actually listens to it's user base will do something like that. like Digitech, for example.

[Seedy]

Yeah that's what I thought the JM4 was gonna be instead of the weird band in a box that it is. i mean its a technical marvel but a musical fart.

[Inconuucl]

They haven't changed it because it's "their tubescreamer", that's their own words. I need to dig up the interview for source though.

[jrfox92]

Still shouldn't prevent them from making something like a pedal version of the Echo Pro (which is basically a rackmount DL4+more functions).

[echorec]

I'm bumping this, since there was some discussion of the SOS mode for the Tape Core. Apparently this is getting expanded. The regular model debuted at $100 on Amazon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsJaZkJXGyo

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KO ... ZYZWPO5UKH

[Benn Roe]

I mentioned this in one of the delay recommendation threads recently, but I just don't get why everyone loves the DL4 looper so much. I'll admit that the "loop once" feature is very cool, and I've had no issues with the DL4's timing (more than I can say for my old RC-20XL), but those seem like pretty low bars to clear. Don't get me wrong, I like my DL4 fine as a third delay, but it makes for a fairly clunky and inflexible looper. What am I missing?

[Faldoe]

Yeah that's what I thought the JM4 was gonna be instead of the weird band in a box that it is. i mean its a technical marvel but a musical fart.

Lol, yeah. They really went in a dumb direction like Digitech did with adding the drum sections on the jamman. Though the JM-4 seemed to go ever further in the stupid direction.

I mentioned this in one of the delay recommendation threads recently, but I just don't get why everyone loves the DL4 looper so much. I'll admit that the "loop once" feature is very cool, and I've had no issues with the DL4's timing (more than I can say for my old RC-20XL), but those seem like pretty low bars to clear. Don't get me wrong, I like my DL4 fine as a third delay, but it makes for a fairly clunky and inflexible looper. What am I missing?

The half speed feature as well as the ability to go straight to overdub after recording - or not. Minus the Bear and Tera Melos make good use of the DL-4.

To me it's a great tool because you can get a lot of added sounds/parts by using the half speed, or arming it prior to recording and then turning it off for double speed. A part you recorded and played along with can become a new part or texture by dropping or raising the pitch. Especially with raising it, it becomes a new rhythm too.

[manymanyhaha]

I've been having great fun with Circular Labs Mobius and Actition controllers (found on ebay). Totally customizable and not near as limited as the hardware loopers. I've used RC-20, RC-1, RC-50, RC-300, Jamman Express, Pigtronix Infinity, TC Ditto X4 and this is the first time I am looping the way I want.

Two problems with Mobius though: To do more complex things, you have to use scripts which can be trying at times (though I pretty much have it doing what I want now) and the sound of the pitch shifting (half, double etc) isn't great. Usable but not as good as the Ditto X4. Apparently the maker of Mobius had to use free software (Mobius is free) to implement the pitch shifting.

But there is no latency. It's pretty awesome.

[codetocontra]

I mentioned this in one of the delay recommendation threads recently, but I just don't get why everyone loves the DL4 looper so much. I'll admit that the "loop once" feature is very cool, and I've had no issues with the DL4's timing (more than I can say for my old RC-20XL), but those seem like pretty low bars to clear. Don't get me wrong, I like my DL4 fine as a third delay, but it makes for a fairly clunky and inflexible looper. What am I missing?

Faldoe is right. Being able to choose on the fly to end the first loop for instant playback or immediately go into overdub is understated. The Dittos X2 requires planning ahead to flip an internal switch, while other like the Headrush dont offer immediate overdubs. Plus the DL4 has the ability to record the speed changes, which makes octave jumps in a pseudo rhythm. Basically they are cheap and offer a lot of instant flexibility, which is why I own 3 right now. I would quit the DL4 if something else did what it does only better, and I've looked and owned many others. Well, there is the M9 and the Timeline with an extra footswitch, but both are too pricey for just the looper with similar functions.

[JonnyAngle]

I have an x2 at the end and a second one for "wherever." The one at the end is actually on my board and the other one floats around.

I wish I could synch them up, but I don't want to take up the x4 space

I like to play a loop, then mangle it with effects, and loop that on the second x2. Rinse and repeat.