Looping stuff with a synth.

DeadMoney

Hey, am pretty new to synths and am just playing around with a friends at the moment which does not have any built in loop feature (don't know if any actually do). Anyway am just wondering what do people use to loop stuff on a synthesizer? Say for example, I want to play a counter melody and then let it run while switching to a different patch and playing a melody. I was thinking of buying a Boss RC-2 Loop station or a line 6 DL-4 delay modular as it has a multiple loop thing but is more for guitars I think and has a shorter loop feature. Anyone have any recommendations or what do you use?
Thanks

madtheory

You use a sequencer. Some synths have them built in, but most people use a computer based sequencer. Cubase, Logic, Reason, Fruity Loops, Garageband etc. are all sequencers. You connect the synth to the computer via MIDI, or USB, depending on the synth.

There's a lot more to it of course, but that answers your question.

Robbie444

Do you have to pay for all these sequencer software programmes such as the ones mentioned above? Say you just want to have a few things pre recorded on a computer so that you can play them back while you jam over them, would you need one of these software programmes for this or is there a more simple method?
ty

kfoltman

Try Audacity. It's free and open source. It's also quite buggy and awkward, at least the versions I've tried. Still, good first try.

If it doesnt work for you, try Reaper. It's not free, but fairly cheap and the evaluation version is not crippled. Lots of features, MIDI, bundled plugins, very useful but probably most difficult to learn due to sheer number of features.

Or, if you're using MacOS X or Linux, try Ardour. It's donationware and open source. Comparing to Reaper, it has no MIDI and the interface is less "polished". But there are a couple of commercial studios that use it, so it can't be all bad.

madtheory

Robbie444 wrote: »

Do you have to pay for all these sequencer software programmes such as the ones mentioned above? Say you just want to have a few things pre recorded on a computer so that you can play them back while you jam over them, would you need one of these software programmes for this or is there a more simple method?
ty

If you want to record your jamming then yes, you need a sequencer. In this case, you're not using the sequencing functions, you're using it as a multitrack recorder.

To add to what kfoltmann said- Garageband is free with any new Apple Mac. Audacity is rather awkward to use for multitracking, I wouldn't recommend it. It is worth having for the outlandish effects though.

Reaper is very good, it's only $50, the demo is fully functional, so if you're poor or mean, you need never pay. You will need to sit down with the tutorial to get it working. That's true of all sequencers. Garageband is much easier to learn.

Some of the other ones I mentioned are often bundled at a greatly discounted price with an audio interface.

I guess a better term is Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that neatly covers the multifunctionality of all the programs.

gsparx

Are you sure the synth doesn't have a built-in sequencer? Many do so it could be that you're not looking in the right place.
What synth is it?

DeadMoney

Microkorg so no built in sequencer as far as I know. Just want to be able to play back some recorded bits when playing live. Totally new to synths so bit clueless.
thanks

madtheory

Well the Korg has a neat little step sequencer, you use the 8 patch select buttons, and they light up, it's cool.

DeadMoney

madtheory wrote: »

Well the Korg has a neat little step sequencer, you use the 8 patch select buttons, and they light up, it's cool.

sorry how does this work? You mean I can loop things on the microkorg without using a software sequencer?

gsparx

DeadMoney wrote: »

Microkorg so no built in sequencer as far as I know. Just want to be able to play back some recorded bits when playing live. Totally new to synths so bit clueless.
thanks

If it's for live use then it seems to me you could get a laptop going (with sequencer software obviously) or a looping stomp box type thing like you mentioned earlier.
To answer your original question about what people use I would say it's split between people using Ableton Live on a laptop, using the actual built-in sequencer on the synth and those stomp boxes. I've seen those pedals used in really creative ways but this option is more limiting (this can be a good thing sometimes!)

I suppose it depends on how serious you are about it but the laptop/ software route is really the way to go.
Best of luck with it....

DeadMoney

gsparx wrote: »

If it's for live use then it seems to me you could get a laptop going (with sequencer software obviously) or a looping stomp box type thing like you mentioned earlier.
To answer your original question about what people use I would say it's split between people using Ableton Live on a laptop, using the actual built-in sequencer on the synth and those stomp boxes. I've seen those pedals used in really creative ways but this option is more limiting (this can be a good thing sometimes!)

I suppose it depends on how serious you are about it but the laptop/ software route is really the way to go.
Best of luck with it....

If I was using ableton live on a laptop how do you control when the pre recorded bits are played? Do you just have the laptop beside your synth and click to start and stop them. Sorry sounds like a dumb question. I was thinking with the loop pedals I could play something, then have it play back with them pedal while I switch to different patches on the synth. Perhaps the laptop would be a more professional way to go though.

jiltloop

With ableton live you can have any number of clips or loops and they can all be triggered individually with the click of a mouse, they also will always be automatically synchronised to the tempo you set in ableton. I think for what you want to do you are better off using a laptop with ableton or another software program. The only trouble is that means spending money on a laptop if you don't already have one and also you will need to purchase the software and an audio interface that allows you to record audio and possibly control your synth through midi.

gsparx

Yeah the laptop you would control with your hands, just like you would if you had a sequencer on the synth.
Ableton is set up very well for live use (hence the name!) in that everything happens in real time and the results are instant and synched to a tempo.
It can be as simple or complex as you like.
You can set it up so that one or two clicks will record your loops on the fly.

DeadMoney

gsparx wrote: »

Yeah the laptop you would control with your hands, just like you would if you had a sequencer on the synth.
Ableton is set up very well for live use (hence the name!) in that everything happens in real time and the results are instant and synched to a tempo.
It can be as simple or complex as you like.
You can set it up so that one or two clicks will record your loops on the fly.

I don't have a laptop but would have easy access to one for live use as the guys I play with all have macs and one of them already has ableton on his. I use a home desk top though but I could get it for that as I would be mostly setting up stuff at home and I could use the laptop live. Can you transfer stuff from one computer to another then?

gsparx

DeadMoney wrote: »

I don't have a laptop but would have easy access to one for live use as the guys I play with all have macs and one of them already has ableton on his. I use a home desk top though but I could get it for that as I would be mostly setting up stuff at home and I could use the laptop live. Can you transfer stuff from one computer to another then?

As long as you both have the same version of the software, files can be easily exchanged.
If you have a lot of pre-recorded audio files you'd have to figure out how to transport them over as recorded audio is large in size but nothing that an external hard drive / USB key couldn't handle. Are you on a mac too?

DeadMoney

gsparx wrote: »

As long as you both have the same version of the software, files can be easily exchanged.
If you have a lot of pre-recorded audio files you'd have to figure out how to transport them over as recorded audio is large in size but nothing that an external hard drive / USB key couldn't handle. Are you on a mac too?

No on a PC.

gsparx

Well as far as the Ableton files are concerned there's no issue and with a decent size USB key you can transfer the audio.