• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Two looping problems - dry/mix effect outs / live loop tempo? Headrush content

bovine mind

bovine mind

Jun 17, 2008
928
6
San Francisco
#1
My current looping setup is effective but rudimentary. I use an Akai Headrush at the end of my effects chain for looping ambient/washy/textural phrases. I send the effect output to a Roland Jazz Chorus and send the clean output to my SVT-II. I do this so the loops remain unmuddied going through the Jazz Chorus and so that I can still play bass over it. This gives me a lot of clarity for both signals but I don't like that I can't adjust the tempo of the loops on the Headrush. Without tap tempo on the Akai I have a hard time keeping the loops in time with my drummer, so I'm limited to only looping phrases that aren't too melody based [ so basically really gazey ambient drones only ]. My band has been talking a lot about the beautiful phrase work of Phillip Glass and Steve Reich and how to bring some of those incredibly tight melodic loops into our sound, but it's been a nightmare so far without adjustable live tempo.

The boss RC-2 has tap tempo with the use of the extra footswitch but it doesn't have an effect out like the Headrush so I'd have to run both signals through my SVT-II rig and it'll sound like mush.

I should note I also have my effects running in Barge VFB-2, but I can't figure out how to route the Akai with it so that the loops won't end when I bypass the Barge.

Are there any loopers besides the Headrush that have a separate effect output?
 
#2
This is a little different approach, but you could try combining a mute switch with a tap tempo in a box. One switch would mute the signal going through it, and another switch would be attached to a jack for the tap tempo. This way you could establish your loop and then mute the signal going to your looper.

This would require a signal split before this box, or a circuit inside dividing your signal into a mutable and a non-mutable signal. The benefit is you could use any old looper you could get a hold of cheap. Sorry I don't know the nuances of many loop pedals to give you the answer you want.
 
#5
cheapbasslovin said:
This is a little different approach, but you could try combining a mute switch with a tap tempo in a box. One switch would mute the signal going through it, and another switch would be attached to a jack for the tap tempo. This way you could establish your loop and then mute the signal going to your looper.

This would require a signal split before this box, or a circuit inside dividing your signal into a mutable and a non-mutable signal. The benefit is you could use any old looper you could get a hold of cheap. Sorry I don't know the nuances of many loop pedals to give you the answer you want.
Click to expand...

That'd actually a really interesting approach. Are there are pedals that do this mute/tempo function already or am I looking at a custom build?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back