The Boss RC-50 looper permits three independent loop phrases. The problem to solve is ensuring each phrase has the same tempo. The problem I have been having is that the tempo would change for no apparent reason when I switched from one phrase to another.
The fast answer is that the GUIDE has to be on at all times. While I am using a Boss DR-880 for the drum patterns, it is still necessary for the drum GUIDE on the RC-50 to be active. The reason is that the RC-50 will use some type of algorithm to calculate the tempo if you turn off the GUIDE and you may (i.e. probably) won't like what it does.
To solve the problem altogether, set the GUIDE volume to anything but zero and then send the output to SUB. That will segregate the RC-50 drum pattern from whatever you're playing and it doesn't matter if you plug SUB into anything because you don't want to hear it anyway. (MAIN identifies the output ports for your main speakers and SUB identifies the ports for a sub-woofer / sub-channel. All are quarter-inch connectors on the back panel.)
For all phrases in your patch, set TEMPO SYNC to ON. There is one exception as perhaps you don't want one of the phrases at the same tempo as the rest of the patch. In which case, turn off TEMPO SYNC for that phrase and set the tempo to whatever you like. I haven't tried this yet and there may yet be time to do it today.
Update: Nope, that does not work for setting a different tempo for the third phrase. It may be that I have to stop recording, turn off GUIDE, and then record the third phrase.
Note: all of this will probably apply to the Boss RC-300 as well. I didn't see anything radically different about it.
Note 2: The 'time to play' factor for any song in performance will go through the roof with this. It takes quite a while to build up a phrase anyway but multiply that by two to do some or all of it in another key as another phrase ... and then add some more for some dream sequence at 40 bpm. That's a very long time. For really elaborate stuff, I may have to compromise on Everything Has to Be Live just because it takes so damn long to build it. More to come on that.
The fast answer is that the GUIDE has to be on at all times. While I am using a Boss DR-880 for the drum patterns, it is still necessary for the drum GUIDE on the RC-50 to be active. The reason is that the RC-50 will use some type of algorithm to calculate the tempo if you turn off the GUIDE and you may (i.e. probably) won't like what it does.
To solve the problem altogether, set the GUIDE volume to anything but zero and then send the output to SUB. That will segregate the RC-50 drum pattern from whatever you're playing and it doesn't matter if you plug SUB into anything because you don't want to hear it anyway. (MAIN identifies the output ports for your main speakers and SUB identifies the ports for a sub-woofer / sub-channel. All are quarter-inch connectors on the back panel.)
For all phrases in your patch, set TEMPO SYNC to ON. There is one exception as perhaps you don't want one of the phrases at the same tempo as the rest of the patch. In which case, turn off TEMPO SYNC for that phrase and set the tempo to whatever you like. I haven't tried this yet and there may yet be time to do it today.
Update: Nope, that does not work for setting a different tempo for the third phrase. It may be that I have to stop recording, turn off GUIDE, and then record the third phrase.
Note: all of this will probably apply to the Boss RC-300 as well. I didn't see anything radically different about it.
Note 2: The 'time to play' factor for any song in performance will go through the roof with this. It takes quite a while to build up a phrase anyway but multiply that by two to do some or all of it in another key as another phrase ... and then add some more for some dream sequence at 40 bpm. That's a very long time. For really elaborate stuff, I may have to compromise on Everything Has to Be Live just because it takes so damn long to build it. More to come on that.
No comments:
Post a Comment