Curious how synth players use a looper. I mean, since it only loops audio, you can’t manipulate the synth’s parameters after you’ve finished the loop, like you can in, say, Ableton when you loop a vst synth. With a looper you’re stuck with what you input into it. Do people mainly use it for things like bass lines?
It would mainly be for guitar in my case, but yeah bass-lines (probably using my HD500X’s octaver with guitar), percussion from Wavedrum etc. Source loop material would be static, but phasers, or other LFO driven effects would add modulation.
The reason I probably wouldn’t use the Octatrack, is that I’d be wanting to set up quite long loops of sound-scape with guitar and then improvising over the top. I could slow the OT’s tempo, but would potentially also want to sync a drum machine or use OT for percussion too.
I own and am happy with both. It’s true that the OT + pedal + some settings can somewhat replace a looper, but the one reason I will likely never part with my 505 is that it’s the perfect tool to come up with new compositions (for any genre). Its immediacy and simple layout let’s you focus 100% of your resources on what matters: creativity.
For me ‘live looping’ is guitar, cable, OT and 10 button pedal board performing to an audience of myself to create new grooves & tune ideas and to jam away infinitely on a layered multi-track riff.
I was interested in the RC505 but prefer the OT as once I have either pickup machines or flex recorders set up to loop (using hold setting) then I feel like I have far more post-recording options to use my recorded audio for other purposes within the OT than if it were in the RC505. Furthermore I already have an OT and the RC505 would be yet another (bulky) piece of gear.
The main advantage of the RC insofar as I can see is that if I were performing in front of an audience it is possibly far less finnicky than the OT, with its big buttons and user interface - unless you are well practiced in using the OT and your pedal board.
All-in-all if you already have an OT, you don’t ‘need’ an RC505 to get a lot of mileage for loop studio work and subsequent chopping, editing and mangling … but for live work, the RC505 may be a more comforting & immediate experience
And as jaschar says, the RC505 is a dedicated looper, just switch on and go … dammit, you’ve re-kindled my rc505 interest!
I have OT + Rc 202. Had Rc 50, Rc300, Rc 505.
My favorite Rc is still the Rc 505. Up to 5 x 3 hours recordings !
Forget Rc 50, not paractical, Rc 300 is master clock only with crap fx.
Rc 202 is ok, nice form factor with OT but I miss faders, more loop sync options, and more midi control assignments.
The main thing is you just have to trust yourself and have good rhythm with the loops you so. It’s possible to do a while track starting with bass then a beat then perc then synth etc … it’s almost more fun because the it’s less robotic and capture the human element