[LAU] composing live w/ loops

[Danni Coy]

On Fri, 1 May 2009 06:49:41 am Josh Lawrence wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 3:39 PM, Peter Plessas <plessas at mur.at> wrote:
> > Hi, did you look at freewheelin(g) yet?
>
> I looked at it some time ago, but became frustrated at my inability to
> figure out the user interface.  Since there were no obvious menus, I
> gave up.  I shall look at it again.

Freewheeling is designed as a keyboard/ external device controlled program. 
The best thing to do is to look at the video tutorials on the freewheeling 
website. But the basic premise is really simple. 

1) Setup your inputs and outputs using patchage or qjack ctl. 

2)  Use the keyboard  or an external device to trigger loops. On the keyboard 
for example the first press of a trigger (most keys on the keyboard) starts 
recording a loop. the second press ends recording and starts playback.
further presses of the same trigger switch the loop on and off.

3)  Midi Keyboards, Mixers like the BCF2000 or joysticks can be used as 
trigger devices (I have both a dancemat and a custom built stomp box from a 
converted cheap usb joystick).

4) here are a few of the more important keyboard combinations.

F1 - sync to loop. Use this will make sure that all future loops will be 
recorded as multiples of the most recently recorded loop. This can help if you 
are not able to keep everything in sync manually.

F7 - save loops to disk. also saves your set so you can get back to working on 
the same session.

? -  a list of all keyboard bindings.

TAB - switch the displayed trigger device.

Pause/Break - make freewheeling full screen.

printscreen  - save an audio stream of everything that is happening.

Spacebar + loop trigger - erase loop

ALT + Spacebar - clear all loops 

5) everything is configured by editing a bunch of xml files in a folder called 
.fweelin in your home folder. the most interesting settings to begin with 
are in basics.xml.... But it is possible using this to write a screen layout 
for a new device and configure exactly how that device interacts with 
freewheeling.

-- 
I was working on a case.  It had to be a case, because I couldn't afford a
desk.  Then I saw her.  This tall blond lady.  She must have been tall
because I was on the third floor.  She rolled her deep blue eyes towards
me.  I picked them up and rolled them back.  We kissed.  She screamed.  I
took the cigarette from my mouth and kissed her again.