IMPORTANT NOTE: the kit prices bought from Midiphy don't include additional components you need to buy for about 50 to 100 euros (depending on where you buy them and whether you buy in bulk)

@blenderbuch

3 жыл бұрын

Yea, thanks! Also wanted to mention this. Alone at Mouser its approx 100Eur parts and not all are in stock. So count more searching and and delivery costs. So that makes a builders job more relevant and we come to a more "in market" price. I just did all that with a TSynth (Open Source Teensy based 16 voice synth) just a month ago and even cutting down the price with my own case, 3d printed knobs and keycaps it was not "cheap" in the end. Other than that a fascinating product!

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

@@blenderbuch Mouser parts were just "fixed" with related versions, just would be missing the plastic nut that is anyway on the outside of the case, or use the red version.

@lutam921

3 жыл бұрын

I should have read this important note before ordering! I was too excited. Now with the price of the components added it is getting expensive "just" for midi signaling.

I can't believe they didn't call it Loopop

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

I know right? The perfect brand deal! Though, if that rule applies, your logo should be on every record button

Thanks so much for creating this and for your efforts spent on it , and also for the many cool improvement ideas you had! It was an honor to work with you on it and it is a really great review! Best regards, Peter from midiphy

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Totally my pleasure - this product as is, and the speed and extent with which you updated it over the past month is extremely impressive!

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

@@loopop I can jump in here and also say a huge thanks for the great review and new ideas you've brought forward. Enjoy the box!

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

...and we're sold out! This was not unexpected, but happened a lot quicker than expected! :) Thanks to every new LoopA user! We'll ship your orders as soon as possible - and should be restocked in January. Best regards! Peter

@GirlfightClub

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy looking forward to restock. Is there an email list I can subscribe to like Gecho has for restock?

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

@@GirlfightClub Cool! :) You can subscribe for back-in-stock email notifications on the product page in the shop. There should be a smaller batch restocked at the beginning of January and a bigger batch in February. Best regards! Peter

MIDI-phy offers another DIY kit, the MidiBox Sequencer V4+. There is very little information regarding this sequencer and those who have experience with it compare it to a Cirklon. Should it be possible for you to acquire the MB Seq V4+, I'm sure many of us would greatly appreciate to hear your thoughts regarding such a powerful hardware sequencer. Keep up the great work!

@BsYtHandle

2 жыл бұрын

A very advanced build indeed. Plus, just the kit alone costs a bomb.

@ZombieLincoln666

Ай бұрын

It’s based on the midibox project, which is very well documented

I have one. One thing not mentioned in this excellent review is something that amazed me: I can take say 20 synths and 4 drum machines I might use and make a simple text file listing them and their normal channel (all drum machines on midi 10, or all mono bass synths on channel x) waldorf on channel 9, shruthis 1-3 on 4,5,6, etc, put the file in the root of the camera card and my hardware library appears as options in the track menu ready for track assign, so I can grab any small combo of gear to go play a tabletop gig (pre-COVID) and know its listed in the sequencer's menu. You can do it with software synths as well. Extremely practical setup tool, took me 10 minutes to do once. I don't have anything else that does this. Brilliant. I also put the midi channel on a sticker on the right top of every item. Saves a lot of setup time.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm sure I missed other things but I actually did mention and show that feature

Love your vids Loopop, they are very handy and detailed. I have bought a few of the synths that you have demonstrated purely down to your hard work in research for the products. Thank you sir!

Great informative video with beautiful sounds! ❤️ Loopop always delivers!

Been wanting one of these so bad, and there's also a huge lack of videos on it. Thanks for making one!

Very thorough review, thank you. Interesting device!

That outro jam was beautiful! Those synths are so rich and warm sounding

looks like a great little device! and as always, amazing video

Bro, that jam! WOW! Brilliant! Massive!

Loopop you are awesome! Well done yet again😎

Loopop demo jams are the best! I think my favorite of all time is the Behringer K2 demo jam, but this one was pretty awesome too!

You are so gifted! Professional, Wow!

13:35 That little Sloe Gin improv' made my day ! Love it !

Great intro and outro as usual

Have not seen anything like this. The way you can overdub and compose or improvise with this thing intrigues me. Seems comprehensible and playable to. Hope and which someone make something like this for eurorack one day.

@rdean150

3 жыл бұрын

I believe the folks from Bastl instruments came out with a MIDI Looper earlier this year. It's also a set top box tho, which tbh is appropriate because how many of your eurorack modules speak to each other via MIDI? Just get a decent MIDI to CV module like FH-2, 1983, Polyend Poly, qMI2, or cv.ocd and you're good to go. But this Loopa looks MUCH more advanced (and more user friendly) than the Bastl one. It's also got the price tag to match.

@jonaseggen2230

3 жыл бұрын

@@rdean150 thanks. I'm eying the Noodle box sequencer atm, seems comprehensible and playable to.

Awesome jam.

This sounds almost as perfect setup brain, tbh. If you're a player and not just operator this thing is powerful

There were a few parts backordered at Mouser, so the part references were updated. The only thing missing is the 1/4" nut, which could be replaced by 568-NRJ-NUT-R. Or just wait for delivery as backordered parts often ship for free.

Nice jam.

Swish! I was just lamenting my lack of a midi looper. The universe manifests this. Yezzzz 😊

@bitspacemusic

3 жыл бұрын

They lost me at DIY. Whyyyyyyyyyy?!

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

@@bitspacemusic www.midiphy.com/en/builders/ offers options for you.

@rubymars_xyz

3 жыл бұрын

@@bitspacemusic Bastl also has a MIDI Looper

Dear @loopop, you need to clarify that the under €200 don’t get you the Loopa. You still need to buy not only the case but also a rather long list of components. So this will not work for probably anything under €350. It might be worth it for many. It still is a neat box, but some people might get unpleasantly surprised when they don’t get what they need to make it.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks - you're right, I added the clarification both as a pinned comment and to the description.

Great review of a very interesting concept! I am dying to find a straightforward MIDI looper (with unquantized recording option), and I stumbled across this, I am excited! A question: are you able to set different clip lengths for different tracks automatically? IOW: if I automatically record and loop a clip for a track, can I automatically record and loop a clip of different length and different tempo for another track as I would do in an audio looper?

would you think about doing a video on the sp 404? you're just so in depth and there's so much to learn with that machine.

Thanks!

Ooh exciting! Eagerly watching to see how it compares to Pyramid

@straighttalk2069

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately it will take a lot more features to compare to Pyramid.

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

It was designed to compliment other sequencers with functions that are not easily available there, e.g. the noteroll display for unquantized sequences, autoloop tempo detection and general "ease of use" - using it in conjunction with another sequencer is encouraged! We're also not trying to replicate all functions available on other sequencers. I am personally using it with the midiphy SEQ v4+ and enjoy the workflow of shared step sequencing and LoopA sequences. Best regards, Peter

Why is a live real time midi sequencer so friggin rare these days? Everything is based off a step sequencer which IMO gets old really fast. I want to record real melodies.

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

The LoopA could be a solution for you, then - exactly these thoughts were also a driving factor to start developing it ~ 5 years ago! Best regards, Peter

@straighttalk2069

3 жыл бұрын

Pyramid has this feature and much more.

@satyanpatel6403

3 жыл бұрын

Or the Bastl Midilooper. Simple but very effective.

@cs7160

3 жыл бұрын

Rare? You can record live midi on all the elektron and MPC boxes.

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

I thought live sequencing was exactly what “LOOPA” is about! Yes Loopop keeps stopping the sequence to explain stuff, but I’m under the impression its strength lies in its ability to do all this stuff and more in real time, without stopping

Thank you so much for the review. I've been eying one of these for almost a year.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure - there's nothing unneeded in my videos (well, except maybe the plant) - so yes, Bluebox has won a permanent place on my desk. I still wish it was an audio interface too though...

is it possible to record like an hour of simple piano playing (midi of course)? or is there a more simple tool for that somewhere (not a pc... and the least amounts of lights etc) ?

The extra charge for the builder includes the extra parts you need. €300 with case is not the full cost for the kit and all of the parts required.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks - you're right, I added the clarification both as a pinned comment and to the description.

@danielruizmunoz

3 жыл бұрын

Seems to messy. It’s ok to be sold as a kit to mount, but honestly looking in the site I even don’t know what to buy without leaving behind something necessary to build it...

@TheRealSasquatch

3 жыл бұрын

@@danielruizmunoz I think if you click on for example the Loopa (with acrylic case) essential kit then scroll down to the bottom (past the Bill of Materials / Placement Guide) there is a list of additional required items to be ordered from (in their case) Mouser

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

@@TheRealSasquatch Also, you don't necessarily have to order from Mouser, it is just extra convenience. Our motto is basically that you order one package from midiphy and one from Mouser (or elsewhere). So we go to the effort to provide "essential parts" like LEDs or similar. The savings are twofold: less time spent entering part numbers into an ordering system and money saved on multiple shipping.

muy bueno saludos desde TIJUANA

Only part of the way into this, but my first thought would be how interesting it could be to pair this with the NDLR. Edit: I really need to get myself a Bluebox as well. Would certainly save me a ton of desk space with my current mixer, which has multiple mic inputs I don't even use. Just wish they would finally be available somewhere...

Thanks for your channel. Your in-depth reviews are great. Are you planning to do a review of the new Audiothingies Micromonsta 2??

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure. I would like to get to it

@altor1964

3 жыл бұрын

@@loopop ...Not the most expensive musical box but a very powerful little ant, sure you'll want to keep it home and feed it everyday after your review ! ^^

Mechanical switches? Maybee Cherry's? That would be cool!! And as always: Good review!

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

Matias quiet click mechanical switches with custom-made RGB backlit keycaps! :)

@alveydoug

3 жыл бұрын

Sort of a Gamer keyboard; fast, reliable, durable, but also able to program color grouping of dedicated keys (like the ASDW keys, when gaming - could be handy with drum triggers that are inconvenient on piano keys and with no-button euro rack modules). So much potential in one box.!

nice demo with some cool music being so small, it's a bit fiddly with many chordal key options, but if one is used to Elektron gear then key shortcuts aren't such a big deal :-)

Would love to see a musical side by side comparison of this and the Bastl midi looper.

@knobsstrings

3 жыл бұрын

My thoughts exactly!

@GirlfightClub

3 жыл бұрын

This does much much more than midi looper.

@Ratskank

3 жыл бұрын

@@GirlfightClub like?

Kinda surprising to see you using the Reface CP, I didn't expect that. A handy little keyboard that just lies around in my living room, always ready to play a tune whenever I like. My 1-yr old son loves the Analog/Digital delay ;) And it's pretty solid too: not a scratch despite my son handling it at least one hour per day over the last 6 months. I assume you are familiar with its easter egg, but in case you or someone else don't know: if you put the 'TYPE' dial exactly inbetween Rd1 and Rd2 (a bit fiddly, but doable) and power on the device, the CP turns into a grand piano! There are hacks available on KZread on how to replace the Toy piano with the Grand piano (still with some limitations), which will void your guarantee. For some reason Yamahs is reluctant to update the firmware to make the Grand piano standard available.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Why surprised? It’s great. and yes I’m familiar with the Easter egg but it’s always good to spread the word!

@brumd

3 жыл бұрын

@@loopop "Why surprised?" Because so far - and I haven't seen all your vids - I saw you using synths and sequencers. No judgement, just an observation ;). And yes, I love it!

Awesome, please add a transpose feature from an external keyboard.....

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion! It's noted on the wishlist for future firmware developments already, but i'll add another vote from you. Best regards! Peter

I may not have heard it, but did you mention that the kit does not include standard components? For 275€ you only get the bare PCBs, caps, housing. You still need to buy a ton of components according to the BOM. This will set you back also quiet a bit.... So the 300€ extra for a pre-built unit isn't that much considering that they need to buy a bunch of components.

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

Correct, the figure quoted would include components ordered e.g. from Mouser electronics with the midiphy BOM tool.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks - you're right, I added the clarification both as a pinned comment and to the description.

Is there any product like this that lets you also loop audio? I want to live loop guitar/bass tracks and also MIDI sequences to control a bass module, a beatbox (sampler something to make beats), and another synth for textures.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Maschine, MPC, Deluge, MC707

Why do so many MIDI centric devices not have USB host functionality? I'm covered in this area, but that would be a deal breaker on this device. Is it too expensive or difficult to implement?

@adriansmithmusic

3 жыл бұрын

The LoopA's brother, the MIDIbox SEQ V4+ has a USB host port, and is also available as a partial kit on the midiphy site.

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

Two main reasons for the LoopA: 1. Lack of rear-panel space 2. Uncertain reliability of USB host connections, class compliancy headaches etc.

@marantz1

3 жыл бұрын

Agree 100%

@a1o1

3 жыл бұрын

One CC per track ... that just doesn’t make sense for this device ... really hope they break open that aspect up - only thing holding me back - good thing is that it's 100% a software/firmware thing

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

You say lack of USB host functionality would be a deal-breaker for you. I say lack of DIN (or 3.5 mm) MIDI should be the real deal-breaker! I’m sorry if you have an investment in that kind of (USB-only) stuff, because it is usually cheap and designed to connect to computers, not other gear/instruments, Buy some pro stuff with actual MIDI ports and you won’t have to have such a long list of “deal breakers”.

With more CC-capabilities, this would be a real dream machine.

@Schneekardinal

3 жыл бұрын

Oh hey, looks like the SEQ V4 might be the dream come true.

would be good to have the Organelle with the wider display and multifunctional keys of the LoopA

I wonder how feasible it would be to daisy-chain several of those with clock and transport control sync.

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

You should be able to route the outputs and configure the sync options. I already know of someone who uses two, presumably with the clocks synced.

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

It works! We have a LoopA power-user that uses two of them in parallel for a total of 12 tracks! :)

@aswarmofdeadinsects

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy nice!

OMG, if they at least sold a full kit! Going through a bill of materials this large is overwhelming! And the built version seems super-expensive. Thanks Korg for the SQ-64. Why do sequencers have to stay a luxury? This little box looks very cute, though.

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! For ease of BOM shopping: we've created a Mouser BOM tool that facilitates getting required parts - you can just copy & paste a list of mouser-formatted part numbers into your Mouser import tool and they are in your Mouser cart within seconds. Best regards! Peter

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

It's easy, you order the kit of your choice and can save costs if you don't want the metal case or even any case at all. And then you copy+paste the Mouser parts into their BOM import and click order, voilà! Or, feel free to use the BOM/Mouser BOM and shop around for alternatives.

@WxkR

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy that is certainly helpful!

@satyanpatel6403

3 жыл бұрын

If you want just a simple midi looper take a look at Bastl Midilooper. For less then 300 from Perfect Circuit using a coupon code when you register your email, it's really a nice device. It's like a tape recorder, but much more.

A great tool, a must have. Though, It's a bit confusing on the website - if you want to buy the metal case kit it's written that further common parts are required. How do you know how to order everything you need to have the device in the form you are demoing it?...

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Please email the company to make sure - I got a finished product from one of their builders

ooooh , interesting 🤔

Was looking for this a year ago but i went for the deluge instead, never looked back. Cost 500€ more, but adds more features and doesnt need anything else

Sure this has a gorgeous OLED screen and a few more features, but the ease, accessibility and pricing cannot be beat of the Bastl Midilooper. You can buy two of the Bastl Midiloopers for the price of this and less headache.

@blakecasimir

3 жыл бұрын

Nope. That product looks like it has a typical inscrutable "90s midi device" interface. I would not describe the Midi looper as being easily accessible compared to the vastly more approachable one of the Loopa. This is probably the best sequencer in this price range and form factor with this much connectivity and pattern storage. Oh and for some people actually sane program naming rather than inscrutable digits is worth paying for in itself.

See the Hydrasynth soon as the video starts. This should be good 😁

great presentation, thanks. This device is exacly what I'm looking for! The only but is: what kind of soldering skills are required tu put it together? Browsed their website for a while and its not clear. Would you need a 'proper' soldering station? Would not want to screw the pcb just because the temperature was too high using mediocre soldering station

@loopop

Ай бұрын

you should contact the company - I think pretty serious skills unless you hire one of their builders

Do any of those B Loop options amount to playback direction options? I e. Reverse, forward-reverse, etc? And you said it's global playback and not possible per track? And of course, I think a key detail to bear in mind is that this is a one-off live looper, right? As in, no saving patterns, and hence no pattern chaining or song mode. So a cool addition to a setup, but not attempting to be the central brain for creating entire tracks (unless one is specifically just going all in with the live looping approach). Oh one more question - with the MIDI routing, can a given signal be sent to multiple outputs? So you can route to instruments plus mult and merge all tracks as separate MIDI channels into a common output to the DAW to capture everything in a persistent form for future recall / manipulation

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

Beatloop mode has 14 different "timescanning" algorithms - it will basically scramble up your recording - these are global (for all tracks), as then there is guaranteed note-locality - i.e. a bassline you recorded aligned with a melody line will stay aligned - just the playback order will be scrambled. LoopA can save sessions to SD card and can recall them from there - you can also define session names, to be able to find them more easily in the future. Best regards! Peter

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

I'm not 100% sure on the actual beatloop algorithms myself. But feel free to request a feature, i.e. imagine if the beatloops were "slots" that could be swapped in using a menu option. Then in theory you could have reverse/pendulum/Brownian/Euclidean etc. as per your tastes. It wasn't featured much in the review, but you can save/load "sessions" comprising six tracks and six scenes. By advancing the scene position, you can swap out all six clips for new ones and hence have a song progression. You can store basically any number of sessions on the SD card. And a song mode is on the roadmap. Yes, the router is super flexible. Even only as a router it is almost worth the price of admission :). You have 16 router slots to use. And of course you can use it as a merger or splitter as you mention in your USB example. Just try not to merge conflicting channels together.

@rdean150

3 жыл бұрын

@@latigidon8226 awesome, thanks for the details! And Indeed, looks like there's lots to like about this device. The interface looks really great. Lots of rich details on the screen. Been putting up with the frustrating limitations of max 8 character labels on my sequencers and constantly having to decipher strings I personally wrote several weeks or months before. So this interface is def nice to see

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

@@rdean150 Also note that you can define "user instruments", meaning a given output port and channel can have a human-readable name. So you can simply flick through a list of synths in a large setup. Thanks for the kind comment!

In which use cases might one need LoopA, if one already has the Squarp Pyramid? Add they value in combination?

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Additional ports, controls and screen, but not sure it's worth it

@BXLrules

2 жыл бұрын

If you can afford it, then why not. I like the midiphy stuff, I learned a lot about electronics by building it, there is a lot of knowhow in there by some very bright people that have been working on it for years, it has another philosophy then the pyramid and its extendable by other midiphy products.

Missed opportunity not naming it Loopop!

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Welcome to Loopop's review of the Loopop Loopop

Jep, ihan siisti, hauska et se näyttää joltain vanhalta sairaala koneelta tms.

next review the matrix too please :)

If only the keyboard buttons played and it could send program change messages. And if it came ready made in that lovely steel case at a competitive price. It's so close..

Shame about the limits on the CC side of things, and I'm guessing one chan per track? was initially thinking it might be a nice non grid midi looper for an MPE controller, such as a linnstrument. I'll keep watching the skies.

@Paradiesgestalter

3 жыл бұрын

i am working on a couple of cc-loopers... check the midibox wiki: wiki.midibox.org/doku.php?id=phatline wiki.midibox.org/doku.php?id=msq-cc-bcr: the one for Ledring-Controllers, wiki.midibox.org/doku.php?id=cc-looper: the one for Ledring-Synths, wiki.midibox.org/doku.php?id=msq-cc-lre the one which is a Ledring-Controller itself. all of them can Record Motion Sequences on up to 32CCs @ a time (click) - but msq-cc-lre is i think the way to go, since it already has ledrings built in - and i dont use or develope the msq-cc-bcr (except there is some need)

Does LOOPA need to be the master, or will it sync to external MIDI clocks?

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

It will also sync to an external MIDI clock - as you know the MIDIbox SEQ, it has a similar base sequencer engine as the midiphy SEQ v4+. Best regards! Peter

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy Hey thanks Peter! I’ll definitely be building one of these in the new year. Have a great Christmas! (-“nebula”)

1:48 mmm...is possible convert blm port in a midi input 3 ? What is that adapter and where can you buy it? or scheme to build it pin by pin ?

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

Yes! see for example: midibox.org/forums/uploads/monthly_2015_12/BLM_DIN_expanded.thumb.png.0a179a28104eff67f7688a6db90c8b11.png MIDI OUT (Tx) is on the normal pins 4/5 and MIDI IN (Rx) on pins 1/3.

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

@@mortadelo I would suggest two possible approaches: 1. Make a "cross-over" MIDI cable with two male ends, with one end on 1/3 and the other on 4/5 to convert the BLM port into a MIDI in. 2. Make a "breakout" MIDI cable with 1x male end to 2x female sockets. Wire the two sockets as "normal" MIDI on pins 4/5. Then attach 1:1 DIN cables. The 0V also needs to be connected to pin 2 for the MIDI out end to complete the MIDI current loop. Note that we use a DIN8 socket to showyou it is different to normal MIDI, but a DIN5 cable will work just fine as several pins (8/7/6) are unused and the plug matches.

@mortadelo

3 жыл бұрын

@@latigidon8226 I tried option 1, the crossover cable but it doesn't seem to work, the loopa LED doesn't light up when I press the midi keyboard. There's something I'm not doing right. Male end 1/3 connected to loopa, male en 4/5 connected to midi controller. imgur.com/IYtTfy4

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

@@mortadelo You might have swapped a wire pair around? Also monitor the MIDI inputs to check things are coming in on the right port.

@mortadelo

3 жыл бұрын

@@latigidon8226 Sorry, it was a bad solder but now it seems to work, in monitor MIDI inputs says it is input IN4 when I press the midi controller (it should not be input IN3 ?). In TRACK SCREEN the input MIDI port default value of "All" recognizes input but cannot be set to IN4, it doesn't allow the option. It,s Firmware 2.07

Tasty bit of kit. Not sure I'd have the patience to solder that together.

@ArguZ72

3 жыл бұрын

There is the 600eu vs for that mindset

$500, build it myself, cant input midi on its own. SOLD!

@jorhay1

3 жыл бұрын

🤣

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

Valid point! :) There will be a "virtual keyboard" in a future firmware revision - the keys on the LoopA have been arranged to allow for a single octave of note input and the value encoder can choose the octave. Best regards, Peter

Why isn’t there a MIDI sequencer with an interface like a 4 track recorder?

@nicolasjonasson4820

3 жыл бұрын

How do you imagine this? I'm curious. Because the way I see it a 4-track recorder is more of a little mixer. Thats audio territory, not MIDI. Let me know what you mean please.

@livekaos

3 жыл бұрын

@@nicolasjonasson4820 happy new year. The way I see it is a device that looks like a 4 track but where the track are MIDI. Imagine a small device with a screen where you see the tracks like you see in a daw, basically and hardware daw ... if it makes sense. I’ll draw this

@nicolasjonasson4820

3 жыл бұрын

@@livekaos Wouldn't it look more like a sequencer then, with a mixer section (faders for the channels)?

@livekaos

3 жыл бұрын

@@nicolasjonasson4820 I went back to the video to look at LOOPA again (that I think is already very good indeed) and organized my ideas, my point is to find the best user interface for live looping without the trouble of getting a PC so it would be nice to be able to see more than 1 track ( at least the drum, bass and harmony), dedicated transport and loop buttons and faders or knobs so that you can at least change the volume or the pan in real time (or you can add the option to connect an external controller like the NanoKorg).

Hey, that's how I pronounce Loopop!

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

The second P is not silent!

How does this compare with the Squarp Pyramid?

@straighttalk2069

3 жыл бұрын

The Pyramid is more like a hardware Midi DAW, capable of midi looping with 64 tracks, not 6 like this, and many more features.

Mind if I ask what firmware version is this?

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

a beta of the upcoming 2.08

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

Rick - v2.08 is out now. Happy holidays! :) Best regards, Peter

As usual very good work, but may be too much 'moving hands' ... which may be interpreted differently according the culture.

Back in the 90's we thought 'finally - large screens AND plenty of real time controls' - what happened?!

@Claidheambmor

3 жыл бұрын

We decided painting the house through the letterbox was far more fun!

@synthnseq

3 жыл бұрын

@@Claidheambmor Thought those days were gone (I blame Elektron)!

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

One key factor to start work on the LoopA a few years ago, was that it should be sequencer, that is easy and intuitive to use, a device that intentionally has a limited user interface and a limited (but nice) screen, while offering all essential functions. It should adhere to the 80/20 rule: implement the most important tasks while focusing on the user experience - it should be fun to use, first and foremost - and if that leads to a spark of creativity while recording sequences, its job was successful.

@straighttalk2069

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy This has so much in common with my Beta BlueARP MD MK1.

Are those DSA keycaps?

@andydalebrook9917

3 жыл бұрын

Indeed they are :)

@MrBratkenSolov

3 жыл бұрын

@@andydalebrook9917 hehe :D smart move

The concept reminds me of the poly sequencers in ancient instruments like the Yamaha CS70M or the DKI Synergy. So nothing really new there. The fact that it automatically creates a tempo and bar grid is however very cool. This way the very first idea / improvisation can be the direct basis for further development. Kudo's for that. I do however wonder how intelligent it is. What for instance happens if your intial pattern qualifies as, let say, a 7/8 th pattern?

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

If you set the time signature correctly before in LoopAs tempo screen (~30 time signatures, including 7/8 are available), it will work well most of the time - tested this a lot :) Best regards, Peter

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

Salut Marc, you can set an meter (time signature) in advance and it should still work :). The Alesis MMT-8 was certainly an inspiration, I myself only remembered pain with corrupt floppy disks on 80's sequencers...!

@marcbrasse747

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy Yeah, but that then is a bit against the concept of the idea coming first and the analysis later. I would then have decide in advance in which meter /tempo I play. What I like is the idea of just playing what stream out of your fingers and work on from that. Also see my comment about the Korg SQ-64. My approach is based on improvisation and not on function management.

@marcbrasse747

3 жыл бұрын

​@@latigidon8226 See my comment to Hawkeye. The MMT8 is a true classic. At the time I however used a Roalnd W30 which contained an MC sequencer. After not recording on MIDI for years I have started using the Kawai Q80. As a sort of "Last Of The Mohicans" it provides up to 32 tracks and can record 16 tracks in one take. I use it to record Poly AT improvisations like this one: kzread.info/dash/bejne/dmaut5Jqd7fPmto.html . I can then develop them further into full compositions. What by the way about this question I put to Loopop about how the SQ64 reacts to polyphonic transposition demands. How does the Loopa handle that?

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

@@marcbrasse747 depending on the notes, it is very hard to detect this reliably - i've spent the better part of the last month researching this - a simple example would be that you can play 48 steps either as 3 measures in 4/4 meter or 4 measures in 3/4 meter with a similar "drum pattern". But - this may not be necessary at all: LoopA allows you to record clips of arbitrary length, so it is not necessary to predefine or even think in terms of meters. Polyphonic transposition should work nicely.

The kit cost 600 Euros now! 😮

Hello. How can I gat one - where can I order?

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Link in description

Looks like a cool idea. Shame they only sell half a product.

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

You can ask a Trusted Builder to build one for you, if DIY is not an option: www.midiphy.com/en/builders/

@Gainn

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy it's an interesting idea and all, but I'll wait till I can buy one ready made direct. The workflow looks incredible for 'happy accident' moments. hopefully it does well enough to be viable to produce as a finished unit.

Shame it’s DIY / Builder love it. What other similar MIDI Loopers are about.

About time for a review of the mighty MIDIBOX SEQUENCER V4+ from midiphy www.midiphy.com/en/mbseq-v4- I am building one , let me know if you want to borrow it :)

Midiphy Loopa is 279€. Infinite Looper is 9€ (of course you need an Ipad + 15€ Midi cable). Have fun !

@gctechs

3 жыл бұрын

Oh the privilege of not having to use crapple products.

@adriansmithmusic

3 жыл бұрын

I own both the LoopA and the Infinite Looper app on iOS. Since building the LoopA I never use infinite Looper anymore. The tactile nature and instant workflow of the LoopA is far more appealing to me. You also need to include the cost of the iPad and Camera Connection Kit and it gets higher then the LoopA! I bought 2 Chinese USB to MIDI cables and cannot recommend them, they are badly made and in my case when playing chords some of the notes never sent! They actually lack an optocoupler component which is meant to be installed on the circuit board inside! ;)

@rdean150

3 жыл бұрын

And a USB hub or MIDI router or thru + merge boxes in order to use it with multiple devices.

@fcf8269

3 жыл бұрын

I can see how both are useful. I already have an ipad, so to me, the cost is close to irrelevant. But at the same time; it works for me because I also own an iConnect device, which allow me to connect all the midi devices to my ipad without the need to get an adapter (and bonus point for having the whole system connected to my pc/DAW, so can work both with and without the computer on). Although having a tactile device is a completely different thing. I found myself enjoying more and more the actual hardware, with the constrain of the space I have available of course. With that said, I like this device, because of the form factor and how the UI works, although there is value here only if you build it yourself, and even so, the margin compared to a mass produced device, is not that much. You get only the headaches of having to put it together and have to fit it in a case made for this device, that sadly was not made big enough to actually fit the boards you build, so you have to be very careful about sandwich everything together. It is for the real DIYers out there, which will love this product. For everyone else that want something they can just use and enjoy; the market has alternatives that remove the uncertainty of DIY products, ad a reasonable cost

@FastRCToys

3 жыл бұрын

@@rdean150 I have all the Kenton Family, very happy...

Anyone have leads on a provider, builder?

@loopop

11 ай бұрын

email the company?

Have song mode?

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

Not yet, but it is definitely on the development list - and it's a commonly requested feature! We'll add it in a future firmware release. Best regards! Peter

@juanjimenez7676

3 жыл бұрын

@@midiphy thank you for the info I'm very interested to get one

Would be nice to see how to build one.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

they have a full build video on their site (see link in description)

@kosmikmusa

3 жыл бұрын

Nice one. Thank you.

13:53 so that’s how you feel about your audience 😂

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

That’s silly but if anything it’s not pointed at the audience

@BritoWorx

3 жыл бұрын

@@loopop I know man just joking.

Is building this from the kit something a novice could do?

3 updates within a month? I cant find any newer than august.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

It’s the 2.08 beta. Hopefully they’ll release it soon...

@compfox

3 жыл бұрын

@@loopop kzread.info/dash/bejne/X2mdk8WDedqrZ7A.html

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

@@compfox ha I think you'll find it's worth the slight wait longer

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

v2.08 with all the new features has just been released - sorry for the delay - we've been packing parcels until recently :) Look here for the download and the new handbook: www.midiphy.com/en/loopa-v2/

А где же Пупа?

Thanks Loopop! I found this a few months back when I bought a Midi Looper from Bastl Instruments. bastl-instruments.com/instruments/midilooper I'm wondering if you've seen this device and would be interested in reviewing it? I'd be happy to send you mine to borrow for the review.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks very much for offering! I'm not that interested in that one (I was til I heard of this), there's something about it that's "opaque" where as with this LoopA it's pretty clear what's going on, and LoopA can also double as a sequencer

@blakecasimir

3 жыл бұрын

Let's be honest, the interface of that product looks vastly less approachable by comparison. Though at least it is cheaper.

@defjeff2907

3 жыл бұрын

The interface is quite intuitive. So much so that I don't even need to look at now. It's more about improvising than composing. More like a loop pedal than a sequencer. I love it, use it almost everyday.

@kolvis6626

2 жыл бұрын

@@blakecasimir sometimes when it comes to user interfaces, they can look better or worse than they actually are to use. the real test is actually *using* it.

Why not looping with the "Pyramid", instead?

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Pyramid is more expensive, but does way more

@kisho2679

3 жыл бұрын

@@loopop yes, but unfortunately Pyramid does not start recording when you hit the first note remotely from the external keyboard (at least as far as i know)

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

Interesting - I wouldn’t be surprised if they added that if you said that’s what would make the difference…

Dear Santa, I've been mostly good this year. Can your helpers make me a Reface SY99 please? Give 'em lots of Glühwein so it can get nice 'n gritty too. Thanks matey 👍🏼

With "Midi 2"? ^^,

@Claidheambmor

3 жыл бұрын

Look it up bro, it's been in the works for a while now. Was announced within the last year as the official replacement for MIDI.

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

@@Claidheambmor ... which in no way guarantees it will ever catch on.

I never thought the BLM movement would have their own output standard! XD ok, no more youtube comments for me.

Пупа и Лупа пошли за зарплатой

500 Euro is not 500 dollars! It currently $610 and climbing.

@loopop

3 жыл бұрын

True, but you need to deduct VAT from the list price if you're ordering from outside of Europe, so effectively it's the same thing for people actually using dollars

ЗаLOOPA🙂

275 euro plus 100 euros for extra components; add shipping and taxes and the total is close to 450-500 dollars. This is before you even put it together. Saw the build video and it is not exactly what I call a kit. It is more of a DIY like the midibox or Sammich/Sammich FM; which means if you plan to put this together yourself, you need to have very good grasp of how to solder SMD components, and how to optimize space, because the metal case is so cramped that makes you wonder why they didn't add few more inches to not have to bend backwards to fit everything in it (it is a DIY after all, they designed everything). Of course you can save yourself headaches and have it without a case, or you can print your own 3d case or make it with whatever you like. Pre-built is in the 650 range plus taxes and shipping; really too much for a DIY device in my opinion; that is territory for professionally mass built products; and even if you want to get the kit, you are few hundred dollars from a used sequencer; so this is really for very few people. Nice, but very exclusive device. Maybe one day, this company will be able to hire an electronic engineer that can make a single PCB; and sell that with the SMD components already on it; so users just need to put the throughhole components on the board, and not fiddle with anything unnecessary.

@latigidon8226

3 жыл бұрын

Don't forget to remove VAT (19% from 2021) if ordering from outside the EU.

@fcf8269

3 жыл бұрын

​@@latigidon8226 Nice, that is about 52 euro less, so it goes down to 225 euro (275 USD) plus shipping (I assume to US should be about 20-30 dollars or so), plus the ~100 USD for the extra parts.

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

There is a great deal of satisfaction that comes with building something like this yourself. Once you’ve put together 1 or 2 kits, the experience and knowledge you gain is a lot more valuable than a few hundred bucks! Suddenly you will have the confidence to do a little basic troubleshooting and repair of your existing gear, make cables and adapters from schematics, and solve little electronic problems without needing to buy stuff or pay a technician.

@fcf8269

3 жыл бұрын

@@infindebula That is a way to see it. I am a software engineer and I have a decent amount of familiarity with hardware; up to SMD; and yet, I prefer to pay someone that does this for a living, if I need to troubleshoot something that goes beyond the basics. Building something like this is not something I would do, unless I have plenty of time at hand (which I don't), because I need to account for the fact that something can go wrong. I am more comfortable writing drivers and software for the hardware; or program things like microcontrollers, compared to solder components, but that's me. It is nice to be able to do certain things, but for sure, building a kit does not replace a 4+ year degree and years of experiences as hardware technician. There is a reason why some categories are paid a lot of money; it is not because they like to rip off others; but because there is a big deal of training and knowledge, beside put together a kit with pre-set components.

@BXLrules

2 жыл бұрын

@@infindebula exactly. Plus these guys have been working on this for years, it's a great community. I just ordered the kit because of this, the amount you learn by building is invaluable and you end up understanding the machine at another level.

a 3rd generation ipad, an ipad compatible midi interface, and any of 20 apps do what this does and more. For about the same price. Plus the ipad has porn.

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

What apps might those be?

@midiphy

3 жыл бұрын

The porn is definitely a convincing argument! :-) But you are right, I have tried a few apps and some are indeed awesome! I can highly recommend Infinite Looper on iOS for example - the developer is cool and responded quickly to feature requests and it's a lot of fun to use! The LoopA development was started because i missed the hands-on workflow with touchable high-quality keys and encoders, and MIDI connectivity was limited. LoopA therefore has a total of 7 MIDI ports (including BLM), directly driven from the microcontroller (without USB "in the middle"). It's using RTOS as a powerful realtime operating system, resulting in minimal latencies and jitter. But the app software solutions are very cool and powerful, too and the MIDI stack implementation is excellent on iOS! With all sequencers, i never think in terms of competion, but how they can be used best together with your gear or workflow, LoopA wants to play together with other sequencers and i think it makes as much sense to "collect" different sequencers as you'd collect different synths over the years - they should be a source of inspiration! Sorry for the long text! :) Best regards and have happy holidays! Peter

One thing we all learned a long time ago was "don't buy vapour". One thing I see a lot on these reviews is "here's some vapour." My instinct is that the old truth is still the truth. Is this music space much more reliable at delivering on vapour than I expect? If it were my review it would run more like "Here's a glaring feature omission. I asked the manufacturer and they said that the feature is not there." Then I wouldn't say anything else. I don't think vapour should be promoted. If you're selling a Foo and I receive a Foo, then I'm reviewing a Foo, even if you tell me "no no no, it's Foobar." What I'm reviewing is Foo. Two reasons : vapour needs to be punished; integrity. Dan'l Boone kilt him a bar when he was only four.

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

From the sidelines (here in Canada) I’ve watched this little product develop over several years. Search for yourself, @Hawkeye has posted numerous vids of this product at various stages of its development. This is relevant because it is the result of years of dedicated, passionate work. I would say any feature promise is more likely to be fulfilled in this instance than a mass-produced product from a corporation with a salaried development team working on 15 different products that they don’t really care about!

loopah or loohpa

would be interesting to see this compared with the "MIDI PLATFORM" future-artist.com/#midiplatform

It's SUPER weird that aren't any vsts that are able to do this 😅

@rdean150

3 жыл бұрын

I think MIDI looping is sorta one of those "core" features of Ableton Live. Its what Clip View is all about. Of course, that didn't stop them from adding a dedicated Looper device for live looping audio, so they seem to acknowledge that clip view alone is generally not ideal for live looping.

@Kungsgeten

3 жыл бұрын

Take a look at Loomer Architect if you want crazy midi sequencing in a VST.

@infindebula

3 жыл бұрын

VSTs? Any decent DAW should have sufficient MIDI capabilities to do this stuff without needing plugins. I think the point here is the editing power you get in a small, easy, inexpensive purpose-built device.

Contact me and we can do a group buy. I can build a couple of these for cheap (maybe 100 bucks each) if we can get 5 or more units.