Help a Noob with using Live 8 to Loop his guitar

[Faldoe]

I'm a looper fanatic. Up to this point I've been using hardware loopers; 2 Akai Headrushs and a Digitech Jamman. The Headrushes are great loopers but its hard to get them to sync with each other. I've heard people use Live to loop their guitars in real time with good results.

Heres what I got and what I want to do: Gatewayl Laptop; 1.6 GHZ AMD processor, 2gb ram 80Gb harddrive. M-Audio fast track pro interface. I haven't gotten an floor midi controller to use with live yet - that was going to be my next question...

What floor midi controller to get? I've heard people use the Behringer FCB1010 with good results though I've also heard they need the "Uno" mod/software thing.. Whats a good controller to use?

I'm using two amps would ideally like to be able to send certain loops to one amp or the other, all while being synced..can that be done?

Also, what I'd like to do that I haven't seen other loopers do is be able to maybe record a one bar loop and then make another loop over it that may be four bars and then have them play, while being synced. A lot of what I'll be doing will improve, jamming and writing with my drummer so I'd like to be able to edit - loop lengthen, etc. in real time while I'm playing...

Can all of this be done? If so it would be the answer to my prayers!!! I'm sooo ready to ditch the hardwire loopers and use software.

[BlackMath]

from what I know in order to play your loops through an amp you would have to RE-amp it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re-amp

[turrican]

I got the FCB and I like it especially in conjunction with a script (from a user called manuel) for Live which you can
use together with the sysex for the FCB to have access to great auto mapped function, without
assigning the midi messages again and again..
Heres the data and manual: http://bl0rg.net/~manuel/fcb1010-mappings

[Faldoe]

Thanks.

Bump for more info.

[LoopStationZebra]

What floor midi controller to get? I've heard people use the Behringer FCB1010 with good results though I've also heard they need the "Uno" mod/software thing.. Whats a good controller to use?

The FCB is perfect. You don't need the Uno mod.

I'm using two amps would ideally like to be able to send certain loops to one amp or the other, all while being synced..can that be done?

Yes indeed. I believe the Fast Track has 2 outputs? In Live you'll have a track for the first loop. Just set your output to 1 of the 2 on the FastTrack. Next track will be loop number 2, and you can set the output pref to the other FT output. I'd also junk that FastTrack and step it up to a Motu Ultralite or something, so that you'll have a lot more outputs. You'll also want to set up a separate input track for your guitar. Check out the video link below...

Also, what I'd like to do that I haven't seen other loopers do is be able to maybe record a one bar loop and then make another loop over it that may be four bars and then have them play, while being synced. A lot of what I'll be doing will improve, jamming and writing with my drummer so I'd like to be able to edit - loop lengthen, etc. in real time while I'm playing...

The Looper plugin that comes with Live will handle all of this for you.

Can all of this be done? If so it would be the answer to my prayers!!! I'm sooo ready to ditch the hardwire loopers and use software.

It can all be done and more, lol.

You absolutely NEED to watch this video. The great Christopher Willits runs through an Ableton setup. There are several more episodes that deal with Ableton setup and they are all priceless.

http://www.xlr8r.com/tv/42

[Faldoe]

What floor midi controller to get? I've heard people use the Behringer FCB1010 with good results though I've also heard they need the "Uno" mod/software thing.. Whats a good controller to use?

The FCB is perfect. You don't need the Uno mod.

I'm using two amps would ideally like to be able to send certain loops to one amp or the other, all while being synced..can that be done?

Yes indeed. I believe the Fast Track has 2 outputs? In Live you'll have a track for the first loop. Just set your output to 1 of the 2 on the FastTrack. Next track will be loop number 2, and you can set the output pref to the other FT output. I'd also junk that FastTrack and step it up to a Motu Ultralite or something, so that you'll have a lot more outputs. You'll also want to set up a separate input track for your guitar. Check out the video link below...

Also, what I'd like to do that I haven't seen other loopers do is be able to maybe record a one bar loop and then make another loop over it that may be four bars and then have them play, while being synced. A lot of what I'll be doing will improve, jamming and writing with my drummer so I'd like to be able to edit - loop lengthen, etc. in real time while I'm playing...

The Looper plugin that comes with Live will handle all of this for you.

Can all of this be done? If so it would be the answer to my prayers!!! I'm sooo ready to ditch the hardwire loopers and use software.

It can all be done and more, lol.

You absolutely NEED to watch this video. The great Christopher Willits runs through an Ableton setup. There are several more episodes that deal with Ableton setup and they are all priceless.

http://www.xlr8r.com/tv/42

Sweet!!! Thanks a lot. I've been looking for that video - I didn't know there was a series of them!!!

That Motu interface looks nice but its pricey - I got my FT for $90....Could I pull off what I want to do with the Fast Track?

[LoopStationZebra]

Could I pull off what I want to do with the Fast Track?

I believe so. You've got two outputs on that FT, correct?

Start saving up now. You'll soon enough need at least one more output when you start needing something for the synths and drums and vocals, lol.

[Jekblad]

the mod chip for FCB is like ten bucks or somethign. Eprom or whatever. If you serious i would DEF get it as it supports "stompbox" mode. shweet.

[Faldoe]

hmm, thanks.

[harlanlampert]

Another noob with an add on set of questions. Can the FCB accept a Pod XT Live set of line/stereo outputs?

I'm planning on getting a keyboard controller as well ... how can I conceptualize a total set up with guitar and keyboard and microphone as well. Guitar to Pod XT live to FCB to what? Keyboard to which devices? Mike to which device. And something to control the whole Live setup. I've done a lot of reading so far, but am somewhat not getting the big picture.

Any help would be great.

Harlan

[The Landwhale]

You may want to also check out the line 6 usb midi footcontrollers.
Usb powered, smaller than FCB, easy to program with the editor, etc.
Works great with Looper and anything else in Ableton. Of note (pun), these DO NOT send Midi Notes, they send CC and MMC.

http://line6.com/footcontrollers/fbvshortboardmkii.html

or

http://line6.com/footcontrollers/fbvexpressmkii.html

[Jekblad]

hey harlan!

You can use the XT as your mixer/interface

guitar into XT.
Mic into XT.
Buy an SL Remote 37 Keyboard, then keyboard midi into XT.
FCB midi into the keyboard midi (thus "daisy chaining". set the FCB to transmit on a different midi channel)
Use the control surface on the Remote SL to control live.

Use the stereo XLR outs on the XT to plug into a system.

Done.

[LoopStationZebra]

What Jekblad said. Be warned that as a soundcard the XT will be...eh....lacking. Good for lite noodling, but there's no substitute for a proper external soundcard like a Motu or something.

[UKRuss]

+1, feed the pod into a decent interface, then daisy chain the midi outs of your other kit into the interface midi in, then firewire the whole lot to your 'puter. (think about your audio signal path and midi path as different and separate)

Beware though, i find when daisy chaining the mid through the FCB I get some additional latency that is difficult to compensate for without affecting the latency of the other device. YMMV though.

Jeks set up orks for him as he described so it must be cool.

[Jekblad]

What Jekblad said. Be warned that as a soundcard the XT will be...eh....lacking. Good for lite noodling, but there's no substitute for a proper external soundcard like a Motu or something.

you'll have to be careful w/CPU usage etc

using the XT to process the guitar can help you avoid CPU hungry vst guitar rigs etc. also the XT gives you more "hands on" tone changing which is nice. You can set the FCB up to control Guitar rig of course but then you have one pedal doing tons of things verse two doing a few things.

get pluggin sir, and let us know how it goes.