Switch FX while looping?

[weitzhandler]

Hi folks,

 

Is there an outer looping mode or another way to switch around presets while looping/overdubbing?

 

Thanks!

[cristt]

You can always hit the mode/exit switch and get back to preset mode to change presets. If you need to change preset when in looper "view" (stomp mode) if you use the 6 switch looper I'd say that the only chance you have is to get an external double switch and set it to change presets. So, you may use the 1 switch looper and set the 4 switch optional in order to have on your left the two switches too change patch. Keep in mind that anyway the looper would stop if you change preset and in that preset there's no looper block. 

[weitzhandler]

Thanks for your reply.

Based on what I gathered, the Looper is considered as a block in the preset. So do you have to have to have this block in all presets you would like to use while looping? Unless I misunderstand something.

[cristt]

You are right. Looper is just a regular block. You need to have it on your signal chain for each preset where you need it.

[weitzhandler]

Fairly unproductive if you ask me.

 

Sounds like a good candidate for a feature suggestion, no? Is there a dedicated forum for that in here?

[cristt]

Yes it's already known to be a little akward.

You can submit product ideas here:

http://line6.ideascale.com/

[weitzhandler]

Thanks.

 

Posted here.

[grdGo33]

15 hours ago, weitzhandler said:

Fairly unproductive if you ask me.

 

 I'm currently using my Go's effect loop to use a "ammoon AP-09 Nano Loop", think I picked it up a couple yars back from from aliexpress at like US $30 shipped, and I set it up in effects loop as the last block of my Go, seems to work fairly well.  Not sure why, but another looper of mine doesn't work as well (akai) as its playback seems to clip.  But anyway, if you're interested in a looper and aren't using your Go's effect loop, might be worth to pick one up!  (cheap, tiny and works great!).  Or, if you're outputting to guitar cab, amp, etc., you could just set your looper between the Go & it, but I'm using headphone out to audio speakers so not really an option for me, I think...

[phil_m]

12 hours ago, weitzhandler said:

Thanks.

 

Posted here.

 

You can switch presets while looping, as mentioned above. You just have to have the same looper block in each preset.

 

With the POD HD series, the looper block was automatically in each preset, but the number one feature request from customers was to have the option to remove it... So Line 6 did that in the Helix and now the POD Go. Sometimes you can't please everyone, I guess.

[phil_m]

11 minutes ago, grdGo33 said:

Useless you mean?  I was going to say yes, but I think there's a distinction to be made here:  You can't switch patches while using the looper, but there are 2 kinds of loopers (4 if you consider stereo/mono);  a 1 and a 6 switch looper.

 

You can for sure switch presets while using the looper... It's even mentioned in the manual.

 

[grdGo33]

1 hour ago, phil_m said:

 

You can for sure switch presets while using the looper... It's even mentioned in the manual.

 

 

Ha!  Ok interesting!  So looper engaged, then to switch; hit mode twice, then select the other patch, then hit mode again to be back to your pedal board, and you can hit the dub/record of the looper to be back to your looper.  Hmm..  Not the most practical vs using an external looper but not so bad, thanks!

[voxman55]

I think the looper set-up in Pod Go is dreadful and next to useless - goodness knows what Line 6 was thinking here. I would be more than happy to see it removed in exchange for other features.  For those requiring a looper I think you would be much better off with an external controllable looper that meant you could easily and independently switch between any patches and effects in Pod Go and without having to lose an FX block and having to program the looper in the same way in each patch you want to use the looper - which might often mean losing an FX where your patch is using 4 FX blocks.   I think it's a no-brainer.  I used to have a Boss RC3 but sold it - I might look around for an inexpensive external looper.  

[silverhead]

6 minutes ago, voxman55 said:

I think the looper set-up in Pod Go is dreadful and next to useless - goodness knows what Line 6 was thinking here. I would be more than happy to see it removed in exchange for other features.  For those requiring a looper I think you would be much better off with an external controllable looper that meant you could easily and independently switch between any patches and effects in Pod Go and without having to lose an FX block and having to program the looper in the same way in each patch you want to use the looper - which might often mean losing an FX where your patch is using 4 FX blocks.   I think it's a no-brainer.  I used to have a Boss RC3 but sold it - I might look around for an inexpensive external looper.  

 

The POD Go (and Helix) Looper is useful and designed primarily for two things:

- tone creation when in pre- position. Create a loop and tweak the tone, hands free, while it is playing back.

- practicing solos when in post-position. Create a loop and solo over it during playback.

 

It is not designed to compete with fully featured looper devices like the RC3. And you're right about using it for live performances: " For those requiring a looper I think you would be much better off with an external controllable looper ...".

[phil_m]

23 minutes ago, voxman55 said:

I think the looper set-up in Pod Go is dreadful and next to useless - goodness knows what Line 6 was thinking here. I would be more than happy to see it removed in exchange for other features.  For those requiring a looper I think you would be much better off with an external controllable looper that meant you could easily and independently switch between any patches and effects in Pod Go and without having to lose an FX block and having to program the looper in the same way in each patch you want to use the looper - which might often mean losing an FX where your patch is using 4 FX blocks.   I think it's a no-brainer.  I used to have a Boss RC3 but sold it - I might look around for an inexpensive external looper.  

The POD Go looper is essentially a copy of what’s probably the most ubiquitous and probably still one of the most used looping devices around - the DL4. It’s a phrase looper. It’s not going to be useful if you’re looking from full-blown multi-track looping, but it’s hardly useless. To this day, the majority of live looping I’ve seen has been done with the DL4.

 

Why would you want it removed? You don’t have to use it at all if you don’t want to. Pretend it’s not there if it makes you happier.

[voxman55]

2 hours ago, silverhead said:

 

The POD Go (and Helix) Looper is useful and designed primarily for two things:

- tone creation when in pre- position. Create a loop and tweak the tone, hands free, while it is playing back.

- practicing solos when in post-position. Create a loop and solo over it during playback.

 

It is not designed to compete with fully featured looper devices like the RC3. And you're right about using it for live performances: " For those requiring a looper I think you would be much better off with an external controllable looper ...".

 

I think that's a fair point @silverhead  - when I think of a looper, I think of it for live use.

 

2 hours ago, phil_m said:

The POD Go looper is essentially a copy of what’s probably the most ubiquitous and probably still one of the most used looping devices around - the DL4. It’s a phrase looper. It’s not going to be useful if you’re looking from full-blown multi-track looping, but it’s hardly useless. To this day, the majority of live looping I’ve seen has been done with the DL4.

 

Why would you want it removed? You don’t have to use it at all if you don’t want to. Pretend it’s not there if it makes you happier.

 

Based on @silverhead comment above, I can understand how it might be used. But whenever I've tried to use it I've found it far too limiting.  As you rightly say, it doesn't bother me it's there but I was simply thinking about freeing up that section in Pod Go that might then give room for things like Snap and multi-switch naming (probably the most requested feature request from Pod Go users), ability to see F7/F8 on screen or using F7/F8 for patch up/down control when you are in 6-stomp mode.  But if the looper was put in to meet customer demand/feedback, then I understand. 

 

But I think your reference to the DL4 (which I've used) is a little over-simplistic, because it isn't a copy of the DL4 from a functionality perspective. To clarify, the thing about the DL4  is it's purpose designed to be used externally - the problem with the way the looper functionality has been built into Pod Go makes it very unuser friendly.  Even for the uses highlighted by @silverhead you have to specifically program it into each patch, it uses up a valuable FX block, and you can't do things with it that you can with the DL4.  So yes, the DL4 is a proper looper - but although the looper in Pod Go might be based on it, it can't be used like a DL4.  When I had a Zoom G5, one of its advantages over the G5n was that you could use the looper globally and it would let you change patches and switch on/off effects from any patch which made it so much easier to use.  So, in my view the Pod Go looper is a half-way house and I suspect most users would  likely have expected it to be more flexible than it actually is. I love the Pod Go, but I dislike its limited and clumsy looper functionality - YMMV of course. 

[phil_m]

23 minutes ago, voxman55 said:

 

I think that's a fair point @silverhead  - when I think of a looper, I think of it for live use.

 

 

Based on @silverhead comment above, I can understand how it might be used. But whenever I've tried to use it I've found it far too limiting.  As you rightly say, it doesn't bother me it's there but I was simply thinking about freeing up that section in Pod Go that might then give room for things like Snap and multi-switch naming (probably the most requested feature request from Pod Go users), ability to see F7/F8 on screen or using F7/F8 for patch up/down control when you are in 6-stomp mode.  But if the looper was put in to meet customer demand/feedback, then I understand. 

 

But I think your reference to the DL4 (which I've used) is a little over-simplistic, because it isn't a copy of the DL4 from a functionality perspective. To clarify, the thing about the DL4  is it's purpose designed to be used externally - the problem with the way the looper functionality has been built into Pod Go makes it very unuser friendly.  Even for the uses highlighted by @silverhead you have to specifically program it into each patch, it uses up a valuable FX block, and you can't do things with it that you can with the DL4.  So yes, the DL4 is a proper looper - but although the looper in Pod Go might be based on it, it can't be used like a DL4.  When I had a Zoom G5, one of its advantages over the G5n was that you could use the looper globally and it would let you change patches and switch on/off effects from any patch which made it so much easier to use.  So, in my view the Pod Go looper is a half-way house and I suspect most users would  likely have expected it to be more flexible than it actually is. I love the Pod Go, but I dislike its limited and clumsy looper functionality - YMMV of course. 

Name something you can do with the DL4 looper you can’t do with the POD Go looper... The POD Go actually has an Undo function, which the DL4 doesn’t. You can build the signal chain around the looper block however you want... I used a DL4 and then an M13 for many years. Functionally, there’s not really a difference. I mean, I get that the looper doesn’t have every feature a dedicated looper pedal would have, but it’s certainly not unusable.

[weitzhandler]

On 9/14/2020 at 10:59 AM, weitzhandler said:

Posted here.

 

Guys I opened a feature request, even you use a looper for practicing (which isn't enough, I would expect the looper for accomodate for live performance too, at least basic scenarios), switching FX in between is an elementary requirement and the looper shouldn't suck up an FX block anyways.

Please vote and comment in here. I hope the staff at Line 6 read those requests.

 

Thanks

[voxman55]

2 hours ago, weitzhandler said:

 

Guys I opened a feature request, even you use a looper for practicing (which isn't enough, I would expect the looper for accomodate for live performance too, at least basic scenarios), switching FX in between is an elementary requirement and the looper shouldn't suck up an FX block anyways.

Please vote and comment in here. I hope the staff at Line 6 read those requests.

 

Thanks

QED...I fully agree.

[phil_m]

The problem with adding a global looper after the fact is that it would likely break some existing presets. The looper doesn’t use a lot of DDP, but it may be enough the push some presets that are close to the DSP limit over the edge. People always seem to think that these are things the designers didn’t talk about during the time when the product was being developed.

[voxman55]

1 hour ago, phil_m said:

The problem with adding a global looper after the fact is that it would likely break some existing presets. The looper doesn’t use a lot of DDP, but it may be enough the push some presets that are close to the DSP limit over the edge. People always seem to think that these are things the designers didn’t talk about during the time when the product was being developed.

Possibly. But in my opinion you either include a more practical functional looper that would do what most folk would reasonably expect from a looper, or drop it. For me personally this halfway house looper is near useless and although I tried it, I won't use it. 

[silverhead]

I like practicing with the looper. I would not like to see it go.

[weitzhandler]

7 hours ago, voxman55 said:

Possibly. But in my opinion you either include a more practical functional looper that would do what most folk would reasonably expect from a looper, or drop it. For me personally this halfway house looper is near useless and although I tried it, I won't use it. 

 

I'd still want the looper externally having it engaged only when actually looping, and for that edge case that while looper is active I'm trying to switch to a preset that is overloaded with DSP usage it should then show an error and abort switching to that preset.

But anyway, having the looper as a block is super counterproductive and misdesigned. I see it as barely useful as it is if you can't switch presets. Adding looper as a block to all those presets is silly to me.

 

  

1 hour ago, silverhead said:

I like practicing with the looper. I would not like to see it go.

 

Of course not. I'd like to see it improved tho. Hence my feature suggestion.

[christian_watzke]

I am using a External looper and connect it to the fx loop Block. So far so good, but if I change the preset the fx loop is off a short time. So the sound interrupts. So I think it is not ussable for live performance. Any ideas for solving this issue?

[ibalashov]

For those opting out for external looper, just an obvious remark that you need to have an external output device, compared to headphone output of Pod Go. I was quite dumbfounded having Pod Go + external looper at hand, and still not being able to loop conveniently without Yamaha THR (small practice amp) which I use just as a socket to headphones, how silly is that..

 

ps. What an implementation of the looper in Pod Go! There is a looper, but sometimes you cannot use it just because there are no more slots in the preset. Even if you're in luck, and there is a free pedal, you have to add it manually. Wow. Ok. That reminds of an old engineering joke, if you have a hammer at hand everything looks like a nail. If you have already "block" available in your design, let's model everything like one. 

 

pps. Is there a way to rearrange pedals between footswitches, so that the mighty looper would stay at the bottom line of the foots witches? (Is it in the manual?) Ok, found the way to do it in the manual.

 

ppps. If only there was a screen available to display the current playing position within the loop. Or even blink some LED. Maybe we can add another block, loop position ;-)