LoopA V2 Introduction, Features & Support Thread

[Hawkeye]

Hola,  (some edits made in Nov 2019 on launchday

after about three four years in the pipeline, we are proud to announce the LoopA v2. Thanks to Andy, there are now PCBs - and we have also finished a DIY acrylic case. It is now publicly available in two variants, a caseless/barebones variant, and an acrylic case variant, over at the webshop on midiphy.com:

https://www.midiphy.com/en/shop-details/139/69/caseless-loopa-essential-kit
https://www.midiphy.com/en/shop-details/139/65/loopa-acrylic-case-essential-kit

Also, Adrian Hallik from Hallik Engineering is working on a new metal case, which should be available in early 2020. You can easily transplant the caseless LoopA in any case.

The LoopA will definitely not be a total beginner DIY project, as some SMD soldering and somewhat precise board interconnection work is needed, but a BOM and a full documentation about the build process are now released, so it should be doable :-). On the plus side you will receive a very compact unit (only 39mm height packing three stacked PCBs), a lot of MIDI interface functionality and a very responsive system that is designed to be “easy to use” and inspirational. Like not starting up your DAW and updating drivers but just sitting at your favourite synth and hacking in some lines!

Here are the main features:

* six polynote tracks linked to individual MIDI configurations
* six scenes, allowing for a total of 36 in-memory MIDI clips
* graphical note display on an OLED, that shows clip notes and also edit changes like transposition in realtime
* four MIDI OUT ports, two MIDI IN ports, one OUT port is configured as an optional BLM expansion port (later)
* non-step sequenced recording, clips can be dynamically requantized during live sessions
* note-editor for fixing recording errors
* transposition, scrolling and time-scaling of clips
* disk operations (full recall), storage to SD card
* BPM setting and MIDI sync from “upchain” devices like a master MBSEQ
(and many more, see second section in the handbook)

Here is a link to the user manual/the handbook:

https://www.midiphy.com/files/468/midiphy_LoopA_manual_v205.pdf

Here is a link to the current firmware - Version 2.05:

https://www.midiphy.com/files/31d/LoopA_firmware_v205.zip

Here are some photo session shots of the final unit in the case:

Here is the final build video tutorial:

[DIY] Building a midiphy LoopA MIDI sequencer (video tutorial)

Here is the “launch party” video showing a few features in a live context:

Hawkeye - Looped Happiness (midiphy LoopA launch demo)

And here is an introduction and “basic features” video:

midiphy LoopA - DIY MIDI Looper Introduction (MIDIbox platform)

 

In this thread, we will also inform you about software updates (a few new features are planned in addition to what is already available) - if you want to give us some feedback, or have feature requests, please post them here. But: we might not implement everything, as the idea is to keep the functionality really “slim” for easy use - for everything else there is the bigger brother, the MBSEQ!

BIG THANKS to TK. and Andy, it would have been impossible to do it without you guys!

Many greets,
Peter

 

[eptheca]

Congratulations! \o/

Very cool gadget. Looks super nice and “blingy”

[slo]

Very cool, great video and an amazing device!..well done.

[kmargos]

Show !!!

[Phatline]

woa geil!

[studiodc]

This is super, super cool. I’m interested!

[mongrol]

Looks awesome. Well done indeed.

[Hawkeye]

Thanks guys, the compliments go all to Andy and TK., who did most of the work, i just connected the bits they produced :).
We will keep you updated regarding further LoopA developments, build documentation and availability!

Many greets,
Peter

[Elektruck]

Yeah supercool, I want one!

 

[goyousalukis]

Beautiful - looking forward to Modular addict stocking the boards!

[Antichambre]

The software took a lot of time, no?
I really love the concept! Like when you move in the piano roll.
It’s me but this is a classic piano!?

[Hawkeye]

Thanks again, guys!
: the software was mostly written in a few evenings - oldschool C is very refreshing, so not really work but pure bliss and enjoyment!
Most of the engine is from TK., so that’s where the grunt work is being made, just added a few bells&whistles as usual :).

Yes, the piano is a classic piano (midified from yamaha, allows for silent playing and midi interfacing), 100% owned by the Nudelholz-swinging GF :). As a small kiddo i had to take a few years of classical piano training, did not enjoy it very much back then, now i am glad about it! Also, a hammer action keyboard at least for me feels much better than the very soft synth keys, but me cannot move the synths into the same room as the piano, otherwise, you know, i would feel the Nudelholz again, hehe!

Many greets,
Peter

[Antichambre]

On 07/05/2018 at 11:22 PM, Hawkeye said:

The LoopA will definitely not be a beginner DIY project

Even if. The little that I saw lets me think that this build is going to be a best seller!
Small and efficient. The UI and the software sound amazing and seem promising, you push graphics at new level
Good video too, simple and understandable. We will know ‘how to’ before getting it in hands!
 

33 minutes ago, Hawkeye said:

As a small kiddo i had to take a few years of classical piano training

Lucky boy! I would have liked, despite two grand-father musician, drummer and clarinettist, my parents did not think it could be a good idea, I may have declared this craze for music maybe too late and on a computer ;). I would have preferred to do less football!
 

1 hour ago, Hawkeye said:

100% owned by the Nudelholz-swinging GF

For me, the Nudelholz is something roaming only around YOUR head  but I like the word itself… for sure I’m not able to say it correctly but it’s sounds for me like a name for a loud and swinging Bass Synth !
 

1 hour ago, Hawkeye said:

but me cannot move the synths into the same room as the piano, otherwise, you know

You may be able to put wheels on the piano if the Nudelholz is stored in its drawer. And push the piano into the studio! Just remember that a Nudelholz is not dangerous unless a GF is behind

Good night!
Bruno
 

 

[Altitude]

awesome to see this done!

[T.K]

Really well done Peter and Andy!

For me it’s always a great honor when people pick up the MIOS32 code basis, and make something new out of it.
Especially when it’s useful for myself - I definitely need one!

Best Regards, Thorsten.

[Smithy]

Amazing work guys! This idea was born when I was complaining about the lack of an existance of a  MIDI looper  which was easy to use and had deidcated controls,  I wished something like a Korg Kaoss Pad for MIDI looping existed.
After discussing this with Hawkeye (and later with TK and Andy in Munich), Hawkeye started quietly developing the code for such a device.

I had no other input into this project apart from the moaning and looks now like all the moaning payed off!.. With Hawkeye and Andy’s hard work of course! 
The project really has come a long way from the first version Hawkeye developed, pre-defining the clip length seems much more convenient than having to stop the recording after the desired length like in the old version, (like you do on a kaoss pad)
 

[techdemo] DIY MBLoopA V1 Voxelspace MIDI Looper Vs Alesis Andromeda

And Andy’s hardware skills means we get some really nice mechancial RGB coloured switches in a compact design.
If I remember correctly Hawkeye you’re responsible for the lovely case design, maybe with some help from Andy?

Its really beautiful and sleek considering you don’t have much experience at creating cases!

And also the note grabbing feature is genius, something I havent really seen in hardware before!

I have to have this too and I think i’ve just realized the perfect use for it in my studio:

 

Since the hardware shelves are divided into 2 halves with a 4 octave keyboard each, I can have the MIDIbox SEQ V4+ on the left hand side for me to use (in place of where the black Kordbot is now)
and the MIDIbox LoopA could be used by a guest on the right hand side as it has less of a learning curve (in place of where the Roland TB-3 is now).

Allowing us to jam dawlessly with each keyboard with the aid of MIDI looping from both devices!

 

[latigid_on]

This was a great project to do, as Peter had a clear concept in mind from the start from his previous prototypes. We spent several weeks discussing the possible hardware features and figuring out how we’d source the parts. The hardware design took about a month or so, sped up by the fact that I was reusing some of the SEQ hardware elements. The initial tests were fine, although getting the boards stacked was a puzzle of headers! All sorted now.

Peter is one of the nicest and most enthusiastic people I know. He’s being modest (as usual). The case design he did  himself 100%, I even made him extract the SVGs from the PCB gerbers! The software, although built on a very solid base provided by TK., took lots of extra work, especially coding the display, various bug squashing etc. 

Good work all around! 

[Smithy]

Looks like another MIDI looper popped up on my YouTube feed just now which was shown at Superbooth recently, however it’s a far more minimal design than the LoopA v2. 

Superbooth 2018: Simple but Fiendishly Clever MIDI Looper from Future Artists

Interestingly enough it almost looks like a MIDbox project with the use of the ALBS knobs!

 

I have Gaz - (the guy who interviewed them) added on Facebook so will show him the LoopA V2 to see what he thinks.

[slo]

Here’s another a guy on Facebook/Hardware Sequencers is developing

Looper

[jojjelito]

Ah well, the other guys are trying but I trust MIDIbox, TK, Andy and Peter so a LoopA Will definitely fins its way into the workflow AroundMe these parts 

Well done!