midiphy LoopA

[latigid on]

We're happy to announce release of the midiphy LoopA

What is it? A compact six-track MIDI looper perfect for quick song and idea creation. It has a graphical noteroll UI and indicator LEDs to visualise playback. The timing is super tight of course and there are useful "effects" such as basic quantisation and note editing, to dynamic beat loops and transposition.

Basic usage here:
[video][/video]

Build tutorial here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Np1JAQpd ... e=emb_logo

Kits available now:
http://www.midiphy.com/en/shop/139/Loop ... ntial-Kits

User manual first attempt:
http://www.midiphy.com/files/468/midiph ... l_v205.pdf

Feel free to ask questions here or over at MIDIbox.

Have fun building!
Andy

[Funky40]

interesting !

so i had to buy the essential kit ( incl. case) plus all parts from the listed mouser Bom and -------> i have *everything* , all parts ?
( without buying the greyed out parts, listed as a own mouser BOM)


then:
The metal case seems to deliver a slight bit more height ....for a slighly easier build, but the metal case will take until early 2020 to be available ?


is this so correct ?

[latigid on]

Hi!

interesting !

so i had to buy the essential kit ( incl. case) plus all parts from the listed mouser Bom and -------> i have *everything* , all parts ?
( without buying the greyed out parts, listed as a own mouser BOM)

The essential kit contains PCBs and everything you can't buy from Mouser, so PCBs, keyswitches, keycaps, knobs, the MCU breakout board, LEDs, plus some hardware parts like M2 screws and standoffs. Then copy-paste the BOM text from the kit page into Mouser's tool and you have the remainder of the parts. You would also need a USB B cable and an SD card but I think that's it.

Of course, you might find a cheaper source or have some of the parts already, but we find this is a simple and convenient way to get everything nicely ordered with just a few clicks.

then:
The metal case seems to deliver a slight bit more height ....for a slighly easier build, but the metal case will take until early 2020 to be available ?

is this so correct ?

The overall height of the metal case might even be a bit slimmer, as the acrylic one is 3mm for strength. If you are interested in the metal case, we suggest to build the main unit and you can order the case separately when it's available. It would take a matter of minutes to swap/upgrade to the metal case from the acrylic one.

Also, the Swiss pay no EU VAT .

[Funky40]

........., as the acrylic one is 3mm for strength.

Also, the Swiss pay no EU VAT .

so we have 3mm from the pcb to the case for the solder joints/remaining legs of the parts after cutting ?
this sounds good enough that i don´t feel i had to worry

........no Vat for swiss: good to know !

but we find this is a simple and convenient way to get everything nicely ordered with just a few clicks.

Very important ! not only for me.


Thank you for caring ! much appreciated

[latigid on]

........., as the acrylic one is 3mm for strength.

Also, the Swiss pay no EU VAT .

so we have 3mm from the pcb to the case for the solder joints/remaining legs of the parts after cutting ?
this sounds good enough that i don´t feel i had to worry

It's not much, but it works! Edit: the clearance to the acrylic case is quite tight at 1.75mm so the pins must be cut. But the case is plastic and non-conductive, so no risk there, just as long as the pins don't flex the case bottom downwards.

........no Vat for swiss: good to know !

Well, you'll have to pay the Schweizerische MwSt, but probably it works out a bit cheaper.

but we find this is a simple and convenient way to get everything nicely ordered with just a few clicks.

Very important ! not only for me.


Thank you for caring ! much appreciated

No problem!

[latigid on]

Hello, we just launched the metal cases. Now with our custom L4 superellipse keycap design

Full essential kits are available https://www.midiphy.com/en/shop-details ... ox-stm32f4

Have fun building and stay well!

[latigid on]

On the turntable:

[TL072]

Having just come across this in the last couple of days and getting quite excited about it as a possible addition to the setup, after reading what I can about it I had a question which i could not find an answer to. In many ways, I think it is not a deal breaker but I wondered about how LoopA behaves when a new set is loaded while another set is playing. Is there a break in playing? Would it be seam-less enough to switch during an continuous performance? If there is a break, is there a plan in a future update to get it continuous? Many thanks!

[latigid on]

Yep, everything is in stock and ready to go. Some shipping is still a bit difficult at the moment but things are opening up slowly.

Having just come across this in the last couple of days and getting quite excited about it as a possible addition to the setup, after reading what I can about it I had a question which i could not find an answer to. In many ways, I think it is not a deal breaker but I wondered about how LoopA behaves when a new set is loaded while another set is playing. Is there a break in playing? Would it be seam-less enough to switch during an continuous performance? If there is a break, is there a plan in a future update to get it continuous? Many thanks!

Thanks for the question. Yes, the sequencer keeps running while a new session is loaded and the LoopA retains the sequence position when loading! So if you are at step 100 of 128 and load a new session while the sequencer is running, the sequencer will continue to play at step 101 after loading completes. This feature can be used to "hot-swap" sessions. It depends a bit on SD card speed -- there might be a minor interruption but the sequencer will try to stay on beat. This is also true for saving sessions where you can save while the sequencer is running. Here the impact is a bit more severe, as SD card write access takes a bit longer. But after writing is complete, the sequencer will catch up and try to stay in tempo.

Rather than switching sessions, it might be better to use the "scene memory" to swap in a new set of clips. Of course, some of the elements can be copied from the previous scenes and so you can create variations on a drumbeat, modulate to another key or add in a synth line etc. Just use the upper left knob to switch to a new scene and six new clips will be launched. The switch will be synchronised to a full measure and without any interruption -- here the sequencer is guaranteed to stay on beat.

Another variation trick is to switch between stored and actual parameters for transpose etc.

If you really need to beat-juggle two whole sessions, then get two LoopAs

[TL072]

Many thanks for taking the time to get to the very foundation of my questions!

The funny thing is that it is hard for me to imagine fully using all 36 scenes in many cases but I would like to start to do performances at some point and it seems crazy to buy multiple sequencers for that if it can be avoided. As an aside, every other month there seems to be a new take on a monophonic analogue synth yet it is surprising how few jam/performance friendly poly-phonic sequencers there are when you start looking. Thus, I think you guys have filled a very nice gap with what looks like a very nice little device which looks neither too complicated nor too simple.

[latigid on]

LoopA got a major software update and is possibly the most powerful MIDI looper available. Peter created a video that demonstrates many of the new features. Especially useful will be

longer clips (up to 1024 steps)
odd meters and time signatures
polyphonic step recording
single-clip scene progression (e.g. keep all melodies the same and add a drum pattern variation)

Enjoy!





And here is a cat enjoying the LoopA built for him (thanks Keelhauler!)

[DSC]

Have to admit, this last update might make me break down and get this little beast!

[dooj88]

what would the build cost for one of these little baddies run?

[latigid on]

Just checked: current Mouser parts come out at about 100€ (including EU VAT).

Also, yay, new metal cases are back in stock if you were waiting for one .

[Modulus]

I get the feeling that this is flying under most wiggler's radar. Watching the latest features video on youtube blew my mind. The workflow, UI, and features on this sequencer is seriously next level.

@Andy, can you tell me what uses are there for the gate input? Can it be used to reset & clock the sequencer or what else is possible?

[latigid on]

Thanks! Peter has done a really great job on the software.

If you have ideas for the gate input, let's compile a list and we can add it to a firmware release. Not quite at the moment because we're busy with the MatriX, but gate support must be added at some point. Normally if two or more requests for the same feature come in, Peter will bump the priority.

In essence any footswitch function (e.g. reset/JumpToStart; see user manual page 17) could also be assigned to a gate. Tap tempo/clocking is not quite in there but would be a nice feature.

https://www.midiphy.com/files/be6/midip ... _v207a.pdf

[Modulus]

Thanks! Peter has done a really great job on the software.

If you have ideas for the gate input, let's compile a list and we can add it to a firmware release. Not quite at the moment because we're busy with the MatriX, but gate support must be added at some point. Normally if two or more requests for the same feature come in, Peter will bump the priority.

In essence any footswitch function (e.g. reset/JumpToStart; see user manual page 17) could also be assigned to a gate. Tap tempo/clocking is not quite in there but would be a nice feature.

https://www.midiphy.com/files/be6/midip ... _v207a.pdf

Thanks Andy, Sounds great. I've actually got a loopa coming soon so the excitement is building.

I think I'll be able to get by using midi clock but will give it some thought. Any chance that it could accept a CV instead of just a gate? So for example CC values and other parameters could be modulated by an external envelope/lfo etc?

Also what can you tell me about the "big midiphy MatriX user interface extension"?

[latigid on]

Cool! The gate in is only a "dumb" digital input, so no real chance for CV sorry! Not even sure if there is enough memory to scan an ADC. Also, no op amp/scaling circuit for it... and the STM32F4 ADCs are notoriously bad/noisy.

We should get a *hopefully* "final" case top shortly. Then we'll be able to show you what it can do . I can tell you that you could connect the MatriX to two SEQs, two LoopAs or one of each and switch between with a dedicated button (LoopA integration would need to wait for a later software release). Then you get two MatriCes for the price of... well, a massive control surface with 289 mechanical keyswitches!

[dooj88]

Just checked: current Mouser parts come out at about 100€ (including EU VAT).

Also, yay, new metal cases are back in stock if you were waiting for one .

i suppose i could contact one of the builders mentioned on the page, but i'm not totally committed yet and was just hoping for a ballpark figure for a completed unit.

[Modulus]

Cool! The gate in is only a "dumb" digital input, so no real chance for CV sorry! Not even sure if there is enough memory to scan an ADC. Also, no op amp/scaling circuit for it... and the STM32F4 ADCs are notoriously bad/noisy.

We should get a *hopefully* "final" case top shortly. Then we'll be able to show you what it can do . I can tell you that you could connect the MatriX to two SEQs, two LoopAs or one of each and switch between with a dedicated button (LoopA integration would need to wait for a later software release). Then you get two MatriCes for the price of... well, a massive control surface with 289 mechanical keyswitches!

Sounds epic. Will look forward to seeing what you guys come up with.

Cheers

[dooj88]

Just checked: current Mouser parts come out at about 100€ (including EU VAT).

Also, yay, new metal cases are back in stock if you were waiting for one .

i suppose i could contact one of the builders mentioned on the page, but i'm not totally committed yet and was just hoping for a ballpark figure for a completed unit.

I get the feeling that this is flying under most wiggler's radar.

these just hit my radar, the new features are fantastic.

[Modulus]

Just checked: current Mouser parts come out at about 100€ (including EU VAT).

Also, yay, new metal cases are back in stock if you were waiting for one .

i suppose i could contact one of the builders mentioned on the page, but i'm not totally committed yet and was just hoping for a ballpark figure for a completed unit.

I went through a "trusted builder" in Canada and the total cost including labor and shipping(x2) was about 700$ USD. YMMV

[dooj88]

thanks Modulus! the price is definitely right for all these killer features!

[djthopa]

Hi!i just found this device:) congrats looks great!
One question, can i use it just for midi control change recording?
So i could have 6 tracks each with different cc waveshapes and cc numbers? Or this cc have to be linked to note data?
Sorry, need to read the manual in detail.
Thanks!

[latigid on]

Thank you! Yep, you can record (or generate!) arbitrary CC waveforms or steps in their own layer per track. No need to link them to notes .