Looper recommendations

[Invisible Man]

^^^Dude I wish. They're still releasing (prett recent) updates for the III--just talked to Mine at Boomerang a week or two ago, he didn't mention anything about a IV. I don't see what they'd improve on, minus loop saving.

Glad to see you here, too--you talked me into a DL4 a couple years ago on a much shittier forum. Loved it, too, but MIDI sync was calling my name, and a super cheap Rang came up on my local CL ($250, I think?).

I've never played a Timeline, though. Maybe that's the way to go. I just feel like it won't be fucked up sounding, and that's what I need in a delay.

[codetocontra]

Hey, thanks. I've lurked on and off around here for a long time, always felt I should have participated more here with people of my ilk rather than one particularly shitty forum.

I have a love/hate relationship with the DL4. I often gush about certain aspects of the DL4, while also shaming the competition for lack of innovation.

Boomerang is a great product but more options could be added beyond just storage, basically more ways to manipulate loops: Insert, Replace, Scatter, Glitch, Slicing, Varispeed control with or without pitch change, individual loop Fade In/Out, randomization of speed and direction. Those are just a few off the top of my head that are found in other rack looping devices (like the EDP) or weird semi-obscure pedals (like the Hexe Revolver). Personally I would love to see all that in one large box with plenty of footswitches, one for each control.

[PeteeBee]

I always thought the ditto and other equally limited loopers were pretty limited for anything other than at home stuff, but last night I saw The Velvet Teen and their second guitarist used one on song often. It was totally impressive and seemed so simple. He was constantly using his toe to fade in and out his loop with the one knob. It was great. I've had a X2 on my list for a while and now I think the regular might suffice.

[backwhenIwascool]

I've been thinking about getting a Bastl Microgranny and using it as a looper with a midi controller. Would be killer.

[Invisible Man]

Hey, thanks. I've lurked on and off around here for a long time, always felt I should have participated more here with people of my ilk rather than one particularly shitty forum.

I have a love/hate relationship with the DL4. I often gush about certain aspects of the DL4, while also shaming the competition for lack of innovation.

Boomerang is a great product but more options could be added beyond just storage, basically more ways to manipulate loops: Insert, Replace, Scatter, Glitch, Slicing, Varispeed control with or without pitch change, individual loop Fade In/Out, randomization of speed and direction. Those are just a few off the top of my head that are found in other rack looping devices (like the EDP) or weird semi-obscure pedals (like the Hexe Revolver). Personally I would love to see all that in one large box with plenty of footswitches, one for each control.

I still hang out there, too, because there's so much more content--things can be slow here. I, too, lurked for too long before finally deciding to get involved here.

You make good points about the Boomerang. While you and I would love to see those things implemented, I think that 95% of their customer base would be put off by them. That's why I say I'm not sure what else they could include that would make a new hardware release profitable. But...now that I think on it...maybe they could be talked into working up a software revision that would allow for some customizable bonus button assignments. I'm seeing threads with ideas like yours popping up a lot. The functions you mention would be awesome. And I think you might be able to do individual loop fade in/out already...

Maybe Mike at Boomerang could be convinced that there's a market for a couple updates. There's definitely hardware aplenty on the unit itself (a spare knob that worked as a varispeed control--or make it assignable to an expression pedal ).

For now, I'm using other pedals to accomplish the things you're talking about. CT5 for slicing/varispeed, Particle for glitch/scatter, Pitchfactor for stutter/glitch/mental illness. If Boomerang released an update with those functions, I'd likely sell all of that and just buy a Sidecar again. I'll petition him to see if it's possible.

[echodeluxe]

i love the dl4, i just with it had more tiiiiiiiiime. 16 seconds is usually enough but sometimes i need a tad more.

im only using mine for writing at this point, i dont loop live.

If you tap the 1/2 speed switch before looping, it gives you double the looping time.
Tap it again post-loop and to kick that loop into hi pitch/speed.
Then add a bassline. Hell yeah.

OH YEAH. damn dude youre a genius even though this is common knowledge. totally forgot.

[codetocontra]

I still hang out there, too, because there's so much more content--things can be slow here. I, too, lurked for too long before finally deciding to get involved here.

You make good points about the Boomerang. While you and I would love to see those things implemented, I think that 95% of their customer base would be put off by them. That's why I say I'm not sure what else they could include that would make a new hardware release profitable. But...now that I think on it...maybe they could be talked into working up a software revision that would allow for some customizable bonus button assignments. I'm seeing threads with ideas like yours popping up a lot. The functions you mention would be awesome. And I think you might be able to do individual loop fade in/out already...

Maybe Mike at Boomerang could be convinced that there's a market for a couple updates. There's definitely hardware aplenty on the unit itself (a spare knob that worked as a varispeed control--or make it assignable to an expression pedal ).

For now, I'm using other pedals to accomplish the things you're talking about. CT5 for slicing/varispeed, Particle for glitch/scatter, Pitchfactor for stutter/glitch/mental illness. If Boomerang released an update with those functions, I'd likely sell all of that and just buy a Sidecar again. I'll petition him to see if it's possible.

I emailed Mike the other night too. Doesn't sound like a Rang IV is in the works anytime soon because his partner and electronic engineer passed away. He is open to suggestions for further updates on the BIII so I will be sending him my ideas. I don't expect results necessarily, but I have to try to do something other than bitch on forums.

My problem is that I basically want one looping pedal to rule them all. It doesn't really exist. The optimistic view is probably looking at a number of individual pedals and use their strengths. I am admittedly stubborn and often pessimistic.

I have chosen to not get a Timeline, more than I want to spend for just the looper and the delays do not entice me (I have owned one too). So I may pick up another used DL4 from a friend or go with the BIII and Sidecar.

[Invisible Man]

I emailed Mike the other night too. Doesn't sound like a Rang IV is in the works anytime soon because his partner and electronic engineer passed away. He is open to suggestions for further updates on the BIII so I will be sending him my ideas. I don't expect results necessarily, but I have to try to do something other than bitch on forums.

My problem is that I basically want one looping pedal to rule them all. It doesn't really exist. The optimistic view is probably looking at a number of individual pedals and use their strengths. I am admittedly stubborn and often pessimistic.

I have chosen to not get a Timeline, more than I want to spend for just the looper and the delays do not entice me (I have owned one too). So I may pick up another used DL4 from a friend or go with the BIII and Sidecar.

Here's Mike's response to my message (it has many of your ideas). His writing is in bold.

I spoke with you a couple of weeks ago about the Rang III powering a splitter via MIDI phantom power. Still
working on that issue, and I'll let you know how it goes, but I have another concern:

Do you think that there's potential for software updates that incorporate different loop functions? Things
like loop slicing, or continuous varispeed control, replace, scatter, glitch,
loop degradation, an insert function, granular processing, randomization of speed and direction...

The only one of these we currently support is "replace". If Decay Rate is set to max, then stacking will completely replace material in a loop.
We probably won't add the others on your list though I can see that it would be fun to mess with them.

I still think you guys have the best product on the market. Still, there's a lot of buzz about people using
software loopers. Though I don't care for those, there are functions that--if incorporated--would make the
Boomerang that much more indispensable in the world of hardware.

We're currently working on a function that drops the pitch of a loop one octave without altering the tempo - not an easy task. It's possible that moving a loop to other pitches without altering tempo MAY come out of that research.
Following that we may begin to add remote MIDI control.

You might already be thinking of this; forgive me is this is presumptuous. I'd love to see this stuff
implemented, and I know there are many others thinking along those lines. I'm happy to do some digging, and to
post up a number of threads on the forums for your perusal. Or to be in touch with the community, and to see
if there's any support for this stuff. Just curious to know if it's even possible.

One of the primary problems we have with adding features is the limited interface of the III. While there are a lot of controls, they all do 1 or 2 things already, and there is no text display.
Thanks for taking the time to write.

***
I want a super looper, too. The Rang is the closest thing we have, I think, particularly if you want to sync it to other stuff (via MIDI). I'm adopting the same strategy that you mentioned--looping, plus other weird stuff to mess up the loops. It's pretty fun. Really, I have 95% of the stuff I could ever want, and I'm obsessing over the final 5%. But I'm stuck at work, and this is more fun than other things I could/should be doing.

[codetocontra]

I haven't heard back from Mike after sending him a long list and descriptions of additional ideas.

Can the BIII do individual fade in/out now? If so, that would be great as I hated the all or nothing fade out.

Can it record octave changes during the first loop? I can't remember but I do that all the time on the DL4 to create a weird glitchy loop as a base loop. Then all the speed changes for future looping are not as abrupt, as there are always a few notes that sound normal.