Free Music Software: The free audio looping application Mobius, available for Mac and PC, has been updated to version 1.4.

Changes in Mobius v1.4

• The following features were added:
  • PACMANS ARE BACK!
  • Shuffle now supports complex patterns in scripts
• The following bugs were fixed:
  • Threshold recording broken, could never stop recording
  • loopCount variable always returns zero
  • script lines ignored if they didn’t end with a newline
  • VST edit window not remembering the last location

Description:

Mobius is based on hardware devices such as the Echoplex Digital Pro and the Electrix Repeater, and moves beyond these in many powerful exciting ways. You can think of Mobius as 8 synchronized stereo hardware loopers with with the ability to copy loops and timing between them. Extensive MIDI and computer keyboard control is available. Audio content may be saved to and loaded from files.

Download here.

Free Mac Music Software: Sorry, Windows-based musicians, but this freebie is just for Mac & Linux users.

SooperLooper is a live looping sampler capable of immediate loop recording, overdubbing, multiplying, reversing and more. It allows for multiple simultaneous multi-channel loops limited only by your computer’s available memory.

The application is a standalone JACK client with an engine controllable via OSC and MIDI. It also includes a GUI which communicates with the engine via OSC (even over a network) for user-friendly control on a desktop. However, this kind of live performance looping tool is most effectively used via hardware (midi footpedals, etc) and the engine can be run standalone on a computer without a monitor.

SooperLooper is currently supported on Linux and Mac OS X, and any other platforms that support JACK. The Mac OS X package is usable with at least the 0.6 release of JACK OS X. Note that for OS X Tiger, you’ll need to get at least version 0.7 of JACK-OSX. A Mac OS X Audio Unit version is included which does not require JACK to run.

See the SooperLooper site for details.

BOSS has introduced a twin-pedal stompbox for performing vocalists, the VE-20 Vocal Performer.

Features:

• Specialized effects for vocalists, including Harmony, Double-Track, Dynamics, Reverb, Delay, and more
• Create the total of 3-part harmonies and layers
• Realtime pitch-correction tools
• Special FX, including Distortion, Radio and Strobe
• Phrase Looper with 38 seconds (mono) of recording time
• Phantom power for condenser microphones
• Runs on six AA-batteries or AC adaptor (PSA)
• Easy operation, road-tough BOSS construction

Description:

The VE-20 is designed for all types of vocal expression, including traditional singing, narration, and beat boxing. With the click of a footswitch, lush vocal doubling and harmonies, real-time pitch correction, delay, reverb, limiting, and special effects — such as Distortion, Robot, Chromatic, Radio, and Strobe — can be added. Layers and loops can also be created in real time with the onboard Phrase Looper.

With stereo XLR outputs, ¼” and XLR inputs, and a simple user interface, the VE-20 is perfect for serious live-performance or recording.

“More and more bands are incorporating vocal effects into their live and studio performances,” says Paul Youngblood, President of BOSS. “We’re pleased to bring high quality BOSS effects to vocal performers everywhere.”

The VE-20 will be available in November 2009.

Imogen Heap rocks the monome, looper, laptop and piano in a very tasty solo arrangement of First Train Home on David Letterman.

Update: via Matthew Davidson:

I was able to pull up a video on youtube, and see what I believed to be the characteristic blinking of polygome 64 (Davidson’s app) on a quadrant of the 256. This really made my day.

via LateNight2015

Mobius is a free program for the real-time creation and manipulation of audio loops.

Description:

Mobius has functionality based on the Echoplex Digital Pro with Loop IV software. It is not a complete emulation, but it does implement many of the Loop IV features, as well as a number of useful new features.

Mobius is essentially 8 synchronized stereo EDP’s, with the ability to copy loops and timing between them. Extensive MIDI and computer keyboard control is available. Audio content may be saved to and loaded from files.

Mobius runs under Windows XP SP2 or Vista. A beta version for Mac OSX 10.4 or higher is also available.

Installers are available on the Download page.

Dub FX doing a live beatbox and looper performance on the street in Bristol, UK.

via AaronRutlege

Sunday Synth Jam: In this video, Motherbrain (AKA Marc Osborn) creates a complete track in Ableton Live – from a ringtone sample.

No canned loops (except the ringtone of course) were harmed in the creation of this track, it’s all improvised live looping in Ableton Live. The Live template starts completely blank.

via motherbrain2000:

Using:
Ableton live 7
Steinberg Hypersonic for Bass, Rhodes, Drums, and Pad
Ableton ‘Sampler’ for blips and stabs (custom patches)
Native Instruments Pro-53 for lead synth
CamelSpace for processing
Ableton Live’s included effects ‘AutoFilter’ and ‘FilterDelay’
MAudio Keystation 88es
Presonus Firepod (audio interface)
Zoom H4 (to record the output- it’s clearly clipping. I cranked the main volume without thinking)
custom painted qwerty keyboard

yes there are 3 seconds or so in the begining edited out while I adjusted the loop borders for the ringtone, then 4 bars in the middle of the jam and 2 or so bars near the end.

The music in Fredo Viola’s Wood Smoke is a 3 minute edit of a 12 minute voice improvisation, created using 4 channels of infinite repeat.

The video was shot using a point-and-shoot camera at the very start of summer, just as the trees were flowering.

The final version of the video, which can be turned with a click of any of it’s panels, can be seen on theturn.tv

This is another demo of the Looper in Ableton Live 8.

via DubSpot

This video captures a demo of the new Looper in Ableton Live 8.

via nicoluminous

Robosquirt demonstrates Ableton Live 8’s Looper, using it to lay down a rhythm guitar track.

Using the overdub function and the FCB to switch between Guitar Rig presets, you can build layers and harmony on the fly.

This video looks at warping audio in Ableton Live 8.

Click here to view the embedded video.

via medwaystudios:

Things might seem a little backwards compared to earlier versions. This video tries to help make working with 8 a little smoother.

Ableton lead clinician Huston Singletary shows how to use Live 8’s new Looper with a footswitch.

Guitarists, watch this movie!

via AbletonInc

If you’re not familiar with the Hang drum, it’s steel percussion instrument, similar in sound to a steel drum, that is typically played using the hands and fingers while it rests in the musician’s lap. It was developed in Switzerland in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer. There are currently 5 generation models.

OddTunes: Hang is styled after a first generation Hang drum, in Aeolian tuning with a D3 central note and a A3 C4 D4 E4 F4 G4 A4 tone loop. The eight notes are arranged in a ‘Tone Circle’ that zig-zag from low to high and are harmonically tuned around the low ‘Ding’ note in the center.

OddTunes:Hang adds some interesting features, beyond just replaying samples, including looping, roughly modelled after the Gibson / Oberheim Echoplex Digital Pro.

Wired talks with Avant-garde cellist Zoe Keating who demonstrates her intricately layered loop-based compositions.

Keating has been described as a one woman string quartet. Keating uses live electronic sampling and looping to layer the sound of her cello, creating rhythmically dense musical structures.

UK looping beatboxer Beardyman improvises a bit of 303 gabba.

via beardyman:

Be careful what you suggest, I suggest.

Beardyman improvises from suggestions from a small audience invited to bring their own props. Props.

Edit by mr_hopkinson

http://www.beardyman.co.uk

Beatboxing looper artist Beardyman improvises The Oompa Loompa Blues, from suggestions from a small audience invited to bring their own props.

Beardyman layers beatboxing and vocals with loopers to create complete arrangements.

via beardyman

UK beatboxing/looping guru Beardyman does something a bit different with Clouds – a commission by OOXXOO. 

Beardyman was asked to produce an audio piece on the theme of synesthesia. This was the result. Its all live looped vocals. It was produced live. No post production of any kind was involved. It was made in the same time it takes to listen to it.

A while back, we featured a video of Beardyman doing Monkey Jazz, noting that “he uses live looping technology to make synthesizers, drum machines and other musicians obsolete.”

This is a chance to see all the camera angles, unedited, from the original Monkey Jazz video sessions.

Monkey Jazz combines the talents of 2 times UK Beatbox Champion Beardyman [ http://www.beardyman.co.uk ]and master of the edit mr_hopkinson [ http://davidhopkinson.org ],

This is a one take performance by Beardyman using live looping technology, visually explained and augmented by mr_hopkinson’s edit and animation.