Bought a used Electro Harmonix 720 looper. Instructions are not the most accurate but anyway figured out basic functions. I bought it really as a practice tool where I am the band in a box so to speak. For those who are experienced at this what is the best equipment/connection path to reduce muddiness especially when the loop and your live playing are at the lower strings/frets of the bass? I have a mixer which I'll play with to see if certain connections help it but yeah it's pretty muddy. Have a Ampeg Rocketbass RB 115 but also can use my Mark Bass/Genzler setup I am not sure that is the issue here. Thanks in advance.
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Noobie at the EH 720 Looper
- Thread starter LarryGK
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- eh 720 looper pedal
If you’re looping a bassline played on the lowest strings and frets try playing the next part higher on the fretboard and/or a higher string. Even just playing an octave up will help to avoid muddiness. Otherwise, you may need a high pass filter to tighten up the lows.
The lower you play, on any instrument or any combination of instruments, the muddier similar-sized intervals get. Pianists use increasingly more open voicings as the descend into the octaves below "middle C," with sevenths, octaves, and tenths gradually becoming the only ones that usually sound good. Go low enough, and really only an octave works well.
There's a reason jazz bassists can't stand it when a pianist plays too much and too low with the left hand, much below the octave or so below middle C. That's where the bass lives, and there isn't room for others to coexist sonically down there.
I'm guessing that you're experiencing that phenomenon. Once you've laid down a bass line, the other parts you add need to be in a higher register of the bass, and are no longer acting as part of a "bass" part. Think bass, then an accompanying part at least an octave above that, and then the melody or aolo part higher still.
I don't think what you're hearing is an electronic problem, nor will it have an electronic solution. It's an acoustic "problem," and musicians/composers voice accordingly.
There's a reason jazz bassists can't stand it when a pianist plays too much and too low with the left hand, much below the octave or so below middle C. That's where the bass lives, and there isn't room for others to coexist sonically down there.
I'm guessing that you're experiencing that phenomenon. Once you've laid down a bass line, the other parts you add need to be in a higher register of the bass, and are no longer acting as part of a "bass" part. Think bass, then an accompanying part at least an octave above that, and then the melody or aolo part higher still.
I don't think what you're hearing is an electronic problem, nor will it have an electronic solution. It's an acoustic "problem," and musicians/composers voice accordingly.
You're right in fact a simple 1-4-5 swing line all below 5th fret sounded OK so I like the unit. But I found myself acting like a guitar player up and 12 and above to accompany and make it sound good. You're right on all points. It's a good tool at this point in my learning, as I am not good enough to gig yet but pretty deeply jazz experienced (25 year trumpet player). I like this better than a iReal exercise as I have to do it all. And this slap thing......(how the heck do ya do that haha?).
