Another loop pedal question

Bjazzman · #1 01-20-2009, 08:12 PM

are there any loop pedals where you can set a specific tempo instead of a tap tempo?

Bjazzman · #2 01-23-2009, 08:03 PM

anyone?

Bjazzman · #3 01-23-2009, 10:40 PM

and also i want to know if it has a tempo readout like in led or some form so you can see what tempo the loop is in.

Kelly Coyle · #4 01-23-2009, 11:19 PM

The only pedal I know of that is even close to that is the Boss DD-20 which isn't really a looper although you can fake it. A couple of pedals offer MIDI sync, which means you could get them to do something like that, but with external equipment. The BOSS RC-50 has a quantize (maybe the other Bosses do as well), which means again that you can fake it. Perhaps the old Repeater or Lexicon Jamman could act that way, but I don't think so.

The TC D-Two can do what you can describe, but you have to set it up right with an external foot pedal. And even then, it will act more or less like a DD-20.

Kid Beyond uses Ableton Live to do what you are describing. You can google him.

Bjazzman · #5 01-24-2009, 08:57 AM

i checked on the dd-20 but i couldn't find anything like putting in a specific tempo like 120bpm.

It doesn't matter if the looper has multiple loops or not since i generally only play one loop.

I also was thinking something like the x-tempo pak but im more into the simplicity of one pedal.

Is there anything out there with a bpm readout?

Swimming Bird · #6 01-24-2009, 10:16 AM

RC-50 lets you set a specific BPM, down to a hundredth, if I remember right. The only ones that will do this well (if at all) are pedals with screen readouts, so yes, all of the Boss pedals with LCD displays should do this (perhaps including the multis with looper functions?).

A Korg KP3 will also do this, but I dunno if that's practical for your uses. Beyond that I have no specific knowledge.

Kelly Coyle · #7 01-24-2009, 10:20 AM

Ah, sorry. The DD-20 lets you set a specific delay time which is just a different way of expressing BPM, if you look at it that way. I thought that was what you meant, though. Ignore me!

bigchiefbc · #8 01-24-2009, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelly Coyle

Ah, sorry. The DD-20 lets you set a specific delay time which is just a different way of expressing BPM, if you look at it that way. I thought that was what you meant, though. Ignore me!

You can change the display of the DD-20 to display BPM instead of ms during all of the delay modes. However, the sound-on-sound (looper) mode only displays the percentage of the 23 seconds you have left to record.

Bjazzman · #9 01-24-2009, 05:39 PM

is there a way to get the boss loopers not to quantize your loop even though i want a specific bpm?

Bjazzman · #10 01-24-2009, 05:59 PM

i also thought about the slicer since i think you can twist the tempo up or down to your liking with the loop.

in all reality though im not just going to be looping my bass. it will include my sax and vibes as well. are the boss loopers good enough for those applications as well? At least with the delay, that would be cool with the sax but im not sure if you can adjust the tempo of the recorded loop?

agreatheight · #11 01-24-2009, 06:07 PM

This is a big deal for me too. After trying several foot loopers, I have moved on to the PC route. There are 2 reasons for this, 1) I want to enter bpm with synching to external devices as it doesn't always work easily, or well 2) I want to be able to send different tracks to different outs, so I / my band can play to the click in out monitors only and not have it appear in the mains. I am in the middle of putting my rig together, if you want me to keep you updated on how it goes, drop me an IM.

Bjazzman · #12 01-24-2009, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

You can change the display of the DD-20 to display BPM instead of ms during all of the delay modes. However, the sound-on-sound (looper) mode only displays the percentage of the 23 seconds you have left to record.

even though you can't see the bpm while in sound on sound mode, can you still set a bpm? And in sound on sound mode, can you manipulate the tempo up or down with the twist of a knob?

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #13 01-24-2009, 06:18 PM

What's the main purpose for the BPM for you if you're not hooking up to a secondary instrument that puts out a steady BPM?

Bjazzman · #14 01-24-2009, 06:26 PM

because our drummer uses computer based drums and i'd like to set the same tempo he does

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #15 01-24-2009, 06:30 PM

What you need is a pedal with MIDI sync then, and you'll need to connect your looper to his drum set or a MIDI processor. Having the ability to program the same BPM on your looper won't make the two play at the same BPM unless they are synced, and if his drums are used as the MIDI clock master and you get a looper with MIDI sync, you won't need an adjustable BPM as it will automatically be set to what his BPM are.

Bjazzman · #16 01-24-2009, 06:34 PM

any suggestions on which ones would do that? im thinking boss is probably one of my only options

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #17 01-24-2009, 06:40 PM

The Boss RC-50 is supposed to have it, although I've never tried it so I have no idea how well it works. I can't think of any of the other pedal-based loopers that have it. MIDI implementation is usually on the more expensive loopers. It's actually a bit complex to get looping to sync with other devices.

Bjazzman · #18 01-24-2009, 06:42 PM

the boss slicer i think has midi in. would this be a good suggestion? i could get both the slicer and dd-20 for the price of a rc-50.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #19 01-24-2009, 06:49 PM

I've never tried the Slicer, although I know it can MIDI sync. You'll need to find out if you can MIDI sync the loop record function and not just the rate of the slice.

Bjazzman · #20 01-25-2009, 09:09 AM

anyone know if this is possible with the slicer?