Home Forums Ideas / Suggestions / Feedback 2880 needs an insert / send / return jack.

Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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  • #81418
    Bennett Williams
    Participant

    I just purchased a 2880, and it seems like a really cool pedal, except for one missing feature that I have not seen on any other looper. When I am playing back a loop, I would like to have to option to run the loop through an effect of some sort, and record the effected signal on a separate loop track at the same time. If there was an effects send/return insert on the looper, then I would be able to do this.

    I’m thinking that once I create a loop, I want to be able to play the loop back and then go over to my analog Bi-Filter, run the loop through it and create something completely weird, and step on the 2880 footswitch and record this weirdness onto a new loop track while it’s happening.

    I have looked at other loopers out there, and none of them have an insert jack, much less have the ability to work like a true multitrack machine that lets you play one track, run it through effects and record that new sound on another track simultaneously. If the 2880 is re-designed, I would love to see this feature added to it.

    #114532
    Cryabetes
    Participant

    you could do that with the panning though, as long as you aren’t trying to re-set the loop points at the same time [or don’t need stereo]. you’d need an A/B switch for the input and to be careful with the panning on the dry signal to avoid a straight-on feedback loop.
    example:
    initial recording, have the dry panning to left, loop 1 in center, loop 2 panned left. your guitar and the output of the BiFilter are on channels A and B, respectively, of the A/B switch. The left output is to the amp, the right is to the input of the BiFilter. A/B switch should be on ‘A’.
    Record your loop. stop recording, hit the next track button. Hit the A-B switch and the record switch. boom. you’ve got your effects loop.

    Quite honestly I’d like EHX and tascam to do a joint venture combining the 2880 and the Portastudio series. That would be a most impressive piece of equipment.

    #114544
    Bennett Williams
    Participant
    Quote:
    you could do that with the panning though, as long as you aren’t trying to re-set the loop points at the same time [or don’t need stereo]. you’d need an A/B switch for the input and to be careful with the panning on the dry signal to avoid a straight-on feedback loop.
    example:
    initial recording, have the dry panning to left, loop 1 in center, loop 2 panned left. your guitar and the output of the BiFilter are on channels A and B, respectively, of the A/B switch. The left output is to the amp, the right is to the input of the BiFilter. A/B switch should be on ‘A’.
    Record your loop. stop recording, hit the next track button. Hit the A-B switch and the record switch. boom. you’ve got your effects loop.

    Quite honestly I’d like EHX and tascam to do a joint venture combining the 2880 and the Portastudio series. That would be a most impressive piece of equipment.

    I think you’re onto something here with the panning. What I have is a saxophone and a theremin. I want to use both at the same time, so for our purposes they will be combined onto the same channel going into the looper. The other channel input of the looper will be the output of the Bi-Filter. The question is which input and output configuration of the looper to use.

    I agree with you on the Tascam idea. Not sure if there is a joint venture possibility, but the 2880 looper needs more multitrack recording and mixing capabilities.

    #114549
    Cryabetes
    Participant

    yeah I’m not really sure how the stereo ins behave if you aren’t looping in stereo so I would premix all that and input it as mono.

    #114643
    Bennett Williams
    Participant

    Bad news. I got my 2880 and began to try and make things work, but I ran into another problem. The 2880 was distorting when the loops began to add up, even with simple in-line operation without the aforementioned wiring I was talking about earlier. The sound to me was like digital distortion / clipping. My levels were set very low, and the input lights never lit to indicate clipping. Yet, as soon as a few loops got on board, I started to hear clipping and distortion. Not good. I can’t explain why, but I have a couple theories:

    1) Maybe the 2880 is meant only for guitar, and not exactly designed for line-level signals, maybe the theremin and saxophone were outside the bandwidth.

    2) Maybe the a/d & d/a converters should be 24 bit/196kHz instead of 16 bit/44.1kHz. I think I was simply exceeding the dynamic range.

    sadly, I sent the unit back. A Boomerang III is on the way.

    -B

    #114644
    Cryabetes
    Participant

    I can personally debunk #1; I use mine with synth, vocals, anything you can mic and everything else. I just run a mixer beforehand to keep an eye on levels.

    2 is more likely but a mixer beforehand would solve your problem.

    #114646
    Bennett Williams
    Participant
    Quote:
    I can personally debunk #1; I use mine with synth, vocals, anything you can mic and everything else. I just run a mixer beforehand to keep an eye on levels.

    2 is more likely but a mixer beforehand would solve your problem.

    I’m afraid I have to agree with you on #1. I thought that even though it is a “guitar pedal”, people use pedals all the time for all kinds of things, which is why I favor #2 – the quality of the converters, as the likely cause. I had not connected up the saxophone or looped the right channel back in the looper yet at all. It was only the theremin running mono, and when I began to build some loops the signal started to degrade and the distortion started to creep in. I even ran the theremin through some compression to be sure the dynamics were under control, same thing. What was most convincing to me was that it just sounded like bad converters. I have heard it before, and this just reminded me of that sound.

    I did like the 2880, but I think it needs some improvement. Personally I’d like to see EHX or some pro-audio company make a rack-mounted looping unit with class-A analog circuitry, 24bit/196kHz or DSD 1-bit/5.6 Mhz digital conversion, and of course an effects insert loop.

    #114648
    Cryabetes
    Participant

    you look at the looperlative at all?

    #114649
    Bennett Williams
    Participant
    Quote:
    you look at the looperlative at all?

    Never heard of it.. but I just google’d it… damn. Looks like it might be the ticket.

    #114650
    Cryabetes
    Participant

    i’m pretty sure that’s the only midiable hardware looper with more bells/whistles than the 2880. best of luck.

    #114651
    Bennett Williams
    Participant
    Quote:
    i’m pretty sure that’s the only midiable hardware looper with more bells/whistles than the 2880. best of luck.

    Thanks!

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