Looper as
instrument in its
own right
Some adventurous guitarists, upon diving down the looping rabbit hole,
have found a veritable wonderland of creative and expressive possibilities
within. These artists often get so deeply into looping that the looper begins
to function as an instrument unto itself, rather than a simple digital recording
and playback machine. One such guitarist is David Torn, who is widely known
for his deftness and artistry with his rack of looping devices, both on his
records and in live performances. Torn twists and manipulates loops beyond
recognition, applying fuzz, pitch-shifting, massive reverbs, and other effects
until they no longer resemble anything guitar-like. In the studio he might build
a song around these loops, and in live situations he often creates them on the
spot to function as harmonic and rhythmic beds for his remarkably musical
and dramatic improvisations.
Get a looper!
Every electric guitarist owes it to themselves and their art to explore the
possibilities of digital looping devices. A looper can function as an easily
manipulated, rock-steady bandmate that doesn’t take up much space
and doesn’t create any weird smells in the tour van, but even if you don’t
want to get into live looping, these devices are invaluable to us as practice
companions and songwriting partners. The market is full of loopers from
several different companies, varying from extremely powerful devices with
tons of storage and inputs for an entire band’s worth of instruments, to minipedal sized boxes perfect for the casual loopist. They’re inexpensive and you
can get one just about anywhere, so get one already!
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TONE TALK //
4 Ways a Looper will Change your Life