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Permalink Reply by Samuel Sutter on September 7, 2010 at 6:17pm

i have tried something like that - without much luck - i found that it was tough to use it easily without having a click track going too.

www.suttersaga.com

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Permalink Reply by SeraphimRenegade on September 8, 2010 at 2:42am

We used to have a worship leader that recorded everything prior and just pulled out music parts as the musicians came to play. It was basically like playing Sunday morning worship with a cd every song, every week. Not a fan. But if you're doing it for parts throughout the song, it might sound okay. But I've just found that it works best for the congregation at the church I attend when I stop trying to make the worship team sound more full and do more to keep the songs simple and God-focused. The more you can put distractions aside and worship God, the more others can join you. If you're too focused on getting the loops just right, it gets distracting and the congregation can sense that, which will hinder your effectiveness. My advice: Don't be afraid to try it out, but don't let it become a distraction if it becomes a regular part of your Sunday morning worship.

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Permalink Reply by Wulf Forrester-Barker on September 8, 2010 at 7:14am

Brilliant little tools (I use a Line6 DL-4). However, although great for practise and solo performance it gets trickier when you add other people into the mix. I know a number of musicians who make very successful use of loopers in group settings but that is playing with other musicians who are similarly (for want of a better word) loopy! (eg. Steve Lawson).

You might carry a congregation if you had a rhythm section that was disciplined enough to follow the loop but the problem is that the loop hasn't got ears and can't adjust to subtle shifts in tempo.

Wulf

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Permalink Reply by Stevo on September 8, 2010 at 6:57pm

Yes, a loop station is invaluable on stage when you want to get something started and then move off into something else.

That being said, the one you're showing would be way too complex for me to use on stage.

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Permalink Reply by Nigel Wiggins on September 10, 2010 at 1:13pm

Thanks to everyone for the comments :-)

I've got the pedalboard now and will be spending some time over the next few weeks exploring the possibilities. I spent about 30 minutes using it last night and was really pleased with it. It's going to be a great practice tool. I also see the danger in allowing these loops to become a distraction and that they don't automatically pickup on the worship leaders change in timing / direction.

A great feature of this product is having three separate loops which are assigned to three different pedals. This could allow chorus/verse/bridge loops to be recorded and played "on-demand" - handy for vocalists during rehearsals?

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Permalink Reply by Al Hilgendorf on September 11, 2010 at 8:17am

I recently purchased a Digitech Jamman and it's great for solo work and backing tracks, but I haven't used it with other musicians yet. I will eventually use it to add percussion loops to some of our songs, but the key is that everyone will have to be able to hear it well and follow it. The RC50 looks like it has a lot of capability.

al
www.everydaypraise.com

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Read on July 30, 2017 at 1:08pm

I just got a "Ditto" Looper by TC Electronic for my birthday.  This seems to be as simple as loop pedals get, it has only two controls: a volume control and a single click switch which manages everything from record, start, stop, and undo / redo, depending on how you tap it.  I'm using it with my acoustic guitar.

Basically, I think this is great fun, and early experiments suggest I can use this in worship, especially in a small group or when leading on my own.  Two uses for today were:

1) A song sung in the round.  I was able to play the three parts into the box, and then let people pick and choose which part they sung.

2) At the end of a quiet song at the end of the service, I just played the chorus chords and then let them loop away with a bit of an overdub.  I sang a bit over them, and played a bit over them, and then just left them going while I packed up the rest of my kit and people were being prayed for!

Essentially, I think the thing to do is to keep it simple... but it can free you up as a leader. Having layed down a loop I could let it play, while I spoke to the congregation, without having to think about playing and speaking at the same time (something I always find difficult).  Some planning ahead is needed, and you need to be crisp with your timing (there is no click track, so the loop time is set by stamping on the pedal... easiest to do with slow quiet songs.

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