The LoopMachine is a project I have been working on for the past 3 years, combining hardware and software to create a new form of highly portable loop station, which doubles as a music studio.
It’s sort of like a multi-instrumentalist musician, who has 20 hands, and can play anything you can play, while also acting like a DJ and cooking dinner.
The idea
I have always dreamt of walking in the woods, and hearing the sounds of nature magically come into sync, the birds start bobbing their heads and sing together with the creaking of the trees and the croaking of the frogs.
With the LoopMachine, this dream becomes reality. I combine these sounds with my voice, beatbox, instruments… To create musical soundscapes. And all this can be done from the woods or wherever I am; no need to go back home to some high-tech studio.
Also, I can play shows, where people from the audience can hear their own voice instantly turned into to music. Lots of fun!
The hardware
As much as possible, I try to use parts that people can themselves get, so they can build their own LoopMachine if they want.
After many complex iterations, I have simplified it down to a tripod combined with several well-adjusted camera parts, a selfie-stick, a portable power bank, an audio interface, some cables/adapters, and a pro microphone. Depending on what I’m recording, be it birdsongs, my voice, or the soothing repetitive sound of a washing machine, I can plug any adapted microphone to the LoopMachine, so it can be captured and turned to music.
The software
All this is possible thanks to an app that is changing the face of the musical Earth: Loopy Pro.
For the last year, I have been helping out the developer, Michael Tyson, the genius legend behind Audiobus and Loopy HD.
The app lets you build your own interface, to create music just the way you want. It can go from a simple practice looper, to a full professional live music performance tool and studio.
Working with Michael on Loopy Pro has changed my life. I remade everything from scratch using Loopy Pro and it has made my LoopMachine more powerful than ever before.
Loopy simple interface A virtual sample keyboard page I made inside Loopy Pro Example of an interface made inside Loopy
I am proud to say that, after all this work, Loopy Pro is now released! More info on the Loopy Pro website. If you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad), you can download it here on the app store.
Here is the video of DubFX (who also worked on it with Michael and I and the team) showing it off at launch:
The future is bright!
Music!
Yes, the goal is also to make music. All this is in constant evolution, as the LoopMachine is young, but here are a few improvised songs. I like to give myself challenges, so the songs are…
- Created entirely with the LoopMachine (inside Loopy)
- Entirely improvised
- With no editing after the recording (so they come with some imperfections, just like life)
- Most songs are made using only my voice, beatbox, and body percussion. But sometimes I use some random objects that make nice sound (like scissors), and some world instruments.
These songs are created as I create them in a live performance: I have fun with the audience to compose, on the fly, the songs they hear and dance/meditate to. Here are a few songs you can download for free. Enjoy!
