Three-button pedal and Loopy — how do you use it?

mistercharlie

I have a three-button midi footswitch I can use with Loopy. I will use several Loopy tracks — more than 1, less than 5-6. I’d like some suggestions on how to bind these switches.

They can do CC or PC, and I believe I can do both short and long presses on each switch.

I’m accustomed to guitar looper pedals too.

Any tips?

Hmtx

I have a setup that is plenty fun, can easily be done on three foot switches.

I set up my pedal to do momentary CC for switch 1 and 2. toggle for switch 3.
Switch 1 on cc102 will record, loop, and select the next track.
Switch 2 on cc103 will record, then overdub.
Switch 3 on cc110 for stop/ restart.
Since you only have 3 switches, the "reset session" binding has to be a "hold" binding so that it can be the long press on switch 1 or 2.

My last binding on the list "toggle record, mute, then select next" is on a 4th switch, but its not necessary.

This is a basic setup. It doesn't provide for foot control of muting/unmuting specific tracks. I have to do that on-screen.

Also, disclaimer: this is how my mind works with Loopy, not in any way an attempt to copy the way a hardware loop pedal works.

mistercharlie

I like how your setup works for any number of tracks too.

As I’ll have the iPad in front of me, I can operate some of the controls on-screen. To that end, I’d like a way to “prime” a track for recording by touching it, instead of the touch triggering a recording immediately.

mistercharlie

I see two main approaches.

1. A separate button for each track that will trigger record/mute/unmute for that track. Plus a long-press to clear/undo the track.
2. A single record/mute/unmute button that can apply to any track, and another button to switch tracks.

The second approach could also have separate record, stop, and others, but the principle is the same: dedicated buttons per channel, and "floating" controls.

matte

My 11yo daughter busks with a flute and Loopy, we worked up a setup she's pretty comfortable with using a cheap 4 button "ActitioN" footswitch I found on ebay.

Setup is

1. select previous track
2. toggle record, then overdub (selected track)
3. select next track
4. toggle mute (selected track)

The usual workflow is to beatbox in a beat, tap the start/end with switch 2. Once that loop and length is defined she can overdub high-hat sounds, claps etc, tap switch 2 again to mark that loop done.
Tap 3 to move to the next loop, 2 to arm, record in a bass line. 2 again to turn off recording.
Tap 3 to move to next loop, record in part one of the chords, then overdub parts 2 and 3.
Tap 2 to disable recording.

At this point she might merge those parts via the ipad directly, mute them, then repeat the process for the B part of the song.

Now she has 3 loops on screen, the beat, part A, part B. She'll have the beat and part A active, play the verse melody, then tap 4 to mute the verse, tap 3 to move cursor to the chorus, 4 to enable the chorus. Play the chorus melody, at the end 4 to toggle mute, 1 to move back to part A, 4 to toggle mute.

Took a few months practice for the quick tap-tap-tap to mute, move, un-mute, but she does it now without thinking, and is now getting fancier in the loop interactions. I keep asking if she wants to change the layout, or move this or that, she always refuses, pretty comfortable with that setup.

Hope that helps.

-matt

mistercharlie

@matte said:
My 11yo daughter busks with a flute and Loopy, we worked up a setup she's pretty comfortable with using a cheap 4 button "ActitioN" footswitch I found on ebay.

Setup is

1. select previous track
2. toggle record, then overdub (selected track)
3. select next track
4. toggle mute (selected track)

The usual workflow is to beatbox in a beat, tap the start/end with switch 2. Once that loop and length is defined she can overdub high-hat sounds, claps etc, tap switch 2 again to mark that loop done.
Tap 3 to move to the next loop, 2 to arm, record in a bass line. 2 again to turn off recording.
Tap 3 to move to next loop, record in part one of the chords, then overdub parts 2 and 3.
Tap 2 to disable recording.

At this point she might merge those parts via the ipad directly, mute them, then repeat the process for the B part of the song.

Now she has 3 loops on screen, the beat, part A, part B. She'll have the beat and part A active, play the verse melody, then tap 4 to mute the verse, tap 3 to move cursor to the chorus, 4 to enable the chorus. Play the chorus melody, at the end 4 to toggle mute, 1 to move back to part A, 4 to toggle mute.

Took a few months practice for the quick tap-tap-tap to mute, move, un-mute, but she does it now without thinking, and is now getting fancier in the loop interactions. I keep asking if she wants to change the layout, or move this or that, she always refuses, pretty comfortable with that setup.

Hope that helps.

-matt

Yes. That helps a lot. I like that she uses two buttons to move back and forth between tracks. I shall try this, only with the 2. toggle record, then overdub (selected track) section replaced with the mute button, which toggles mute, but will record when on an empty track.

stemshade

@matte said:
My 11yo daughter busks with a flute and Loopy, we worked up a setup she's pretty comfortable with using a cheap 4 button "ActitioN" footswitch I found on ebay.

Setup is

1. select previous track
2. toggle record, then overdub (selected track)
3. select next track
4. toggle mute (selected track)

The usual workflow is to beatbox in a beat, tap the start/end with switch 2. Once that loop and length is defined she can overdub high-hat sounds, claps etc, tap switch 2 again to mark that loop done.
Tap 3 to move to the next loop, 2 to arm, record in a bass line. 2 again to turn off recording.
Tap 3 to move to next loop, record in part one of the chords, then overdub parts 2 and 3.
Tap 2 to disable recording.

At this point she might merge those parts via the ipad directly, mute them, then repeat the process for the B part of the song.

Now she has 3 loops on screen, the beat, part A, part B. She'll have the beat and part A active, play the verse melody, then tap 4 to mute the verse, tap 3 to move cursor to the chorus, 4 to enable the chorus. Play the chorus melody, at the end 4 to toggle mute, 1 to move back to part A, 4 to toggle mute.

Took a few months practice for the quick tap-tap-tap to mute, move, un-mute, but she does it now without thinking, and is now getting fancier in the loop interactions. I keep asking if she wants to change the layout, or move this or that, she always refuses, pretty comfortable with that setup.

Hope that helps.

Wow. So impressed. I keep trying to interest my kids and they want nothing to do with music. My daughter is 10. Any videos?

matte

Check your inbox...

Hmtx

@matte said:
1. select previous track
2. toggle record, then overdub (selected track)
3. select next track
4. toggle mute (selected track)

I like the simplicity of that setup.

@mistercharlie only has 3 pedal switches, but with Loopy set to 6 tracks you could eliminate the “previous track” binding and just use “select next track” to cycle through all the tracks.