need delay/looper advise

varunkapahi · #1 05-14-2009, 12:54 PM

am really confused here.........
i have never bought or played with a delay or looper pedal before, but am thinking about buying one. never felt the "need" for one before but hearing/watching all these sample clips made me really interested in getting hold of one.

now the first issue is if i should buy just a looper or a delay with a looper. i really dont know if or how much i would be able to use delay on bass in a solo or band setting. i dont know if 20 seconds of loop time (on hardwire dl-8) would be enough for me or not.
the benifit of buying a dedicated looper like rc-2 is i get a lot of loop time but i dont get any delay effect then!

on the other hand DD-7 has 40seconds of loop time which i think would be a safe bet but i havent heard much good about it. on the other hand hardwire dl-8 sounds realy good but wouldnt 20seconds be too short for some fun looping?
anything around 150-160$ would be alright me, the cheaper the better!

i could be interested in EHX SMMWH if i find one used.
what other options i have for a delay/looper pedal in one?
what do you recommend?

BEFORE YOU REPLY, keep in mind that i'll be asking some one to get it to India from the US so i cant take chances at all.

rratajski · #2 05-14-2009, 01:05 PM

Weeeeeeeeell, unless your band is playing to a click or you have an insane, in-time drummer, you don't need 40 seconds of looping...or maybe you do...I don't know...

The Line 6 DL4 that I used to have, has 14 seconds and was more than enough time to loop a section. I currently own a Boss RC-2 looper. I play in a full, heavy band with a drummer who plays to a click and I still don't loop on the fly (or much at all). I have other stuff programmed into the looper. The parts I've done on the fly are little riffs to loop and play over or do feedback loops with...

I like the GGG Delay...Delay in general is fun and IMHO a useful effect, if used properly. It all depends on what kind of music you're playing and how you (and those g****rists) play your instrument. I just picked up an EHX Stereo Memory Man for delay, as I like presets and tap tempo (my Roland Space Echo didn't have the former).

varunkapahi · #3 05-14-2009, 01:12 PM

one situation i really want a looper is for is, when in the middle of a song there is some repetitive part, if i could loop one repetitive bass line and then play over it up an octave or something while the rest of the songs goes on as it is..... it would be awesome!

that would be mean i could fill but the empty spaces with fills and stuff and have the roots or a bass line pumping in the back ground! for this the pedal should be very easy to turn off as well.
rc-2 needs to clicks to shut off the looper, that wont work for me!

rratajski · #4 05-14-2009, 01:14 PM

Your foot will learn how to do it. Believe me.

Is your drummer able to drum in perfect timing or do you play to a click?
If you don't play to click, etc, having to cancel the loop and rerecord on the fly can be a little messy sometimes...

varunkapahi · #5 05-14-2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rratajski

Weeeeeeeeell, unless your band is playing to a click or you have an insane, in-time drummer, you don't need 40 seconds of looping...or maybe you do...I don't know...

The Line 6 DL4 that I used to have, has 14 seconds and was more than enough time to loop a section. I currently own a Boss RC-2 looper. I play in a full, heavy band with a drummer who plays to a click and I still don't loop on the fly (or much at all). I have other stuff programmed into the looper. The parts I've done on the fly are little riffs to loop and play over or do feedback loops with...

I like the GGG Delay...Delay in general is fun and IMHO a useful effect, if used properly. It all depends on what kind of music you're playing and how you (and those g****rists) play your instrument. I just picked up an EHX Stereo Memory Man for delay, as I like presets and tap tempo (my Roland Space Echo didn't have the former).

yeah i know what you mean by looping along with a drummer in a band situation, looks like a bad idea more or less. but more loop time would be awesome in solo wankery situations

will check out dl-4

varunkapahi · #6 05-14-2009, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rratajski

Your foot will learn how to do it. Believe me.

Is your drummer able to drum in perfect timing or do you play to a click?
If you don't play to click, etc, having to cancel the loop and rerecord on the fly can be a little messy sometimes...

neither the drummer can play in perfect timing nor we play to a click when in a band situation. but i dont think we ever speed up or down in just a 16 or 24 measure chorus or verse

rratajski · #7 05-14-2009, 01:26 PM

If your drummer doesn't play in 'perfect' timing, then you likely speed up for part of a measure or slow down very slightly. When you use a loop, the time is the time, period...It's hard to do for more than a measure...

varunkapahi · #8 05-14-2009, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rratajski

If your drummer doesn't play in 'perfect' timing, then you likely speed up for part of a measure or slow down very slightly. When you use a loop, the time is the time, period...It's hard to do for more than a measure...

hmmmmmmm very likely! so i can more or less forget about live in the song looping. anyway what are the recommendations?

varunkapahi · #9 05-14-2009, 01:39 PM

also i was wondering how usable are the modulations on some of these delay/loopers? DL-8 and SMMWH surely have some of these features, dunno about dd-7 but i'd love a usable chorus sound since i dont want a dedicated chorus pedal.
also i'd want to limit myself to those pedals which i can daisy chain along with rest of them

varunkapahi · #10 05-14-2009, 02:18 PM

i am going nuts already! found a very good deal for the rc-2 but wouldnt i need a delay?

coreyfyfe · #11 05-14-2009, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rratajski

If your drummer doesn't play in 'perfect' timing, then you likely speed up for part of a measure or slow down very slightly. When you use a loop, the time is the time, period...It's hard to do for more than a measure...

This is part of the reason I stick with my DL4. The loop time is short, and you can't store loops, but it has the "Play Once" option which is both fun and functional. In the case of falling out of time with the loop you just hit the play once on the 1 and you're good to go (assuming the loop easily lines up with the rest of the music). Not sure what other loopers can do this, I'm sure there are some, but I got comfortable with the DL4 and haven't had a need to change it.

RickenBoogie · #12 05-14-2009, 02:41 PM

It seems your set on having both a looper and a delay, so just focus on pedals that do both. But realise, a delay pedal that also loops generally won't have alot of loop time, and usually nothing more than a single track, whereas a dedicated looper will have much more in the way of features. By what you've said so far, it seems the SMMw/H is your best bet, and it is a great pedal. Lots of very cool delay features.

Jared Lash · #13 05-14-2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickenBoogie

It seems your set on having both a looper and a delay, so just focus on pedals that do both.

Here's the issue I've always had - there are loopers that do delay and there are delays that do looping. That's the way I see it. Every pedal is better at one aspect than the other. So my feeling is to figure out which of those two functions is more vital to you and then go from there.

For instance, the SMM w/H is a very good and very feature packed delay. But if I was doing serious looping, I wouldn't have it as a contender.

The pedal that IMO does the best job of both functions is the DL4.

Personally, having a good, simple looper was more important to me than the delay side so I went with the AKAI Headrush. But the delay on it does sound pretty good and it is tap tempo so I'm happy.

varunkapahi · #14 05-15-2009, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBigO

Here's the issue I've always had - there are loopers that do delay and there are delays that do looping. That's the way I see it. Every pedal is better at one aspect than the other. So my feeling is to figure out which of those two functions is more vital to you and then go from there.

For instance, the SMM w/H is a very good and very feature packed delay. But if I was doing serious looping, I wouldn't have it as a contender.

The pedal that IMO does the best job of both functions is the DL4.

Personally, having a good, simple looper was more important to me than the delay side so I went with the AKAI Headrush. But the delay on it does sound pretty good and it is tap tempo so I'm happy.

what are loopers which do delay?? i dont think i can get hold of an AKAI at all

varunkapahi · #15 05-15-2009, 12:11 AM

i think it boils down to BOSS DD-7 v/s HARDWIRE DL-8 for me!
DD-7 has longer loop time
DL-8 has a better bypass
DL-8 has supposedly a "better sound" and lower noise

skulletwhip · #16 05-15-2009, 12:15 AM

AKAI HEADRUSH YO.

varunkapahi · #17 05-15-2009, 12:32 AM

woah! is this the one everyone is a fan of?
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...dal?sku=153058
maybe i can get hold of it ..... its 200$ though

edit: and i read bad reviews all over that page!

skulletwhip · #18 05-15-2009, 12:39 AM

Save up. Worth it.

varunkapahi · #19 05-15-2009, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skulletwhip

Save up. Worth it.

some guys are really complaining about some serious noise/hiss on it

Sorefinger · #20 05-15-2009, 01:26 AM

I have both the Boss DD-7 and the Akai Headrush. Both units get thumbs up from me, but I have to add that I bought the Akai brand new for 99 bucks. For 199 I´d get something else.

DD-7: Very versatile delay. "Modulation" mode can approximate reverb- and chorus-like sounds but won´t sound like the real thing. "Reverse" mode can do some crazy stuff, and self-oscillation works a treat. Looper mode is very basic but a cool extra. No noise.

Cons: Tap tempo is a bit clumsy to activate.

Headrush: Nice, very tweakable delay modes, tap tempo button, good looper (while the DD-7 is either on or off, the E2 allows you erase all the overdubs with a single click while keeping the first "basic" track. You can also stop and re-start the loop). No noise. (Edit: Forgot to mention that it doesn´t do batteries but comes with a Boss-standard power supply.)

Cons: Big and heavy compared to Boss-style pedals.

What both pedals can´t do is store loops. If that´s what you´re after, you´ll need a dedicated loop station. Hope this helps.