Frequently Asked Questions
Can the audio version of the looper do overdubbing?
No and yes. Let me explain: No it doesn’t allow overdubbing in the way you’re thinking of it – and in the way the stock Ableton looper does, and in the way a loop pedal would work. However, if you think about it differently, it does, and more powerfully: It’s lightweight enough that you can place it on multiple Ableton tracks without issue. That means you can think of each track in Ableton as a single layer of your overdub. Notice what’s happening at :30 in this video:
What’s happening there could be a single loop that has been overdubbed in a loop pedal on the floor. Instead, each layer is on its own track – allowing for volume and pan control, effects, etc… of each layer. It’s really powerful and there’s no way to have that much control with any other looper. When combined with something like the APC 40 midi controller, all that control is laid out physically in front of you – instead of one tiny button on the floor. See this page too…
Also, this video covers how to build a powerful looping template in Ableton.
Can I use this guitar looper with a live drummer?
Yes! In Ableton 11, there is a function called “Follow” which will follow a live drummer and adjust the BPM on the fly.
Can I use this setup with a guitar amp?
Absolutely. The audio signal from your audio interface can be sent to a PA, guitar amp, home stereo receiver, or straight to headphones.
Can I use this setup with a band / other musicians?
Yes. There are a couple ways to do this. You can using something called “Link” in Ableton if each musician has their own laptop. This requires all the computers and phones to be on the same wifi network. Having tried it, I’m not sure I would rely on this, but it does work.
The second method is to plug everyone into the same laptop using an audio interface that has enough inputs for the whole band.
How do I set this up?
Follow this step by step guide »
How is the Clip Slot Looper different that the Looper that comes with Ableton?
The Clip Slot Looper turns every clip slot in Ableton’s session view into a looper. This means that each slot becomes a looper. The stock looper that comes with Ableton can’t do this.