Loops.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

What do you personally use to make them? I'm curious and I guess we could all benefit from the input and advice from some of you on here...

[Zugzwang Productions]

For a while I used a Boss RC-50. Pretty big and a bit clunky, but I love having three loops, with possibility to sync them, or record them all at a different length. Now I'm going full caveman style and starting using tape loops, with a 4-track recorder with the erase head off. Unreliable as fuck but a lot funnier.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

I've been trying to build my own looped tapes in order to go the primitive way as well but it hasn't worked well so far. I guess I'm too clumsy. I'll keep trying though!

[Zugzwang Productions]

Building tape loops can definitely be infuriating. Have you used this page : http://www.cementimental.com/tapeloop.html

My advice would be to dig a big on the side of your shell, to have the tape run out of it, go around a circular like a bottle, and then back into the shell. This way you don't have to worry about figuring the exact length for the tape, you can move the bottle to adjust the tension. It looks something like this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK-xXWFYht0

Some downsides to this technique though : you need a tape player where the tape can go out of the shell without bruising too much, the tape is always dangling from the shell so it can wear faster depending on how you store it, and the tape can be misaligned with the head with this technique, resulting in little to no sound sometimes.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

Building tape loops can definitely be infuriating. Have you used this page : http://www.cementimental.com/tapeloop.html

I didn't, but I looked at some tutorials on Youtube instead. Most of the time, the tape ended up breaking after a few spins. The link you posted is very interesting and different from what I had seen before so I'll try to follow it.

Your method to build tape loops sounds difficult though, I'm quite clumsy...

Anyway, thank you for your advice and input. Hopefully more people will make recommendations and post in the thread.

[tinnitustimulus]

I use splicing tape, they have it in cassette width. Other types of tape can be too stiff or weak, or gunk it up.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

I use splicing tape, they have it in cassette width. Other types of tape can be too stiff or weak, or gunk it up.

Do you have any particular tips about the way you do it, etc?

[tinnitustimulus]

I usually have tape prerecorded, to avoid gaps.

I curse a lot while doing it, it seems to help.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

I curse a lot while doing it, it seems to help.

Very good piece of advice, I'll remember that one, thank you.

[Cementimental]

make diagonal splices. it's (even!) more fiddly but makes for less of an audible dropout/bump at the join

[Zugzwang Productions]

For joining the two ends of the loop : after you have put the adhesive on one end of the loop, lay the magnetic tape on its edge, standing like a "fence", curled in its natural curve. This way you will have a better control over the junction of the loop, pushing the two ends slowly together.

Also remember to use very little adhesive (like 3/4 of the magnetic tape width for the width), as tinnitusstimulus said, too much of it can make the junction of the loop too stiff.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I won't be fighting against the tape loops at all. But it's one of the things I prefer to do with loop pedal.
I'm not fully comfortable with LOOP STATION, but as I'm not hoarder of equipment, that's what I bought and that's what I use. Possibilities to make loops of various lengths as well as make layers of several loops. I have yet to look into possibilities of adjusting volume of specific loop or stopping/erasing loops with other ones still going. Not sure if possible.

I have sometimes used delay pedal loop function, but due short length it allows and I generally dislike "stutter-loops", I don't use that too much.

For live situations, when playing pre-recorded loops, it's basically discussion about samplers rather than loops.

Some may underline that loop pedal ain't the same as actual tape loop. Especially if one looks to celebrate "imperfections" a'la odd drop-outs etc. But I think it's good in different ways. Good quality loop pedal is just digital CD quality loop. Still if this loop pedal is somewhere in middle of the chain-of-effects, it allows good amount of modulation and layering happening where loop is not just utterly mathematical computer editing thing, but blends into noise well.

Only advice for loop pedal would be: avoid anything less than CD quality digital gadgets.

[Euro Trash Bazooka]

Thanks for the input, Mikko.

[Zugzwang Productions]

I have yet to look into possibilities of adjusting volume of specific loop or stopping/erasing loops with other ones still going. Not sure if possible.

I have a BOSS RC-50 and it can do all that, a really great piece of gear. It can also change the speed of loops during playback, but this speed change affects every loops, you can't select which one to want to change speed.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Functions seems good, but small Loop Station pedal has advantage of being size of regular distortion pedal. Bigger pedals don't interest me so much as main function would be for live purposes. Already as it is, I've been on maximum limits of what to carry to gigs.