http://www.quantiloop.com./quantiloopbb.png
Hope the advertising doesn’t offend anybody…
Thanks. Looking forward to it.
I’ve had the chance to beta test a lot of these features and the integration is amazing. Stephan took the feedback from myself and others and really put together something quite awesome.
For example, you can now select your songs from within Quantiloop, you can select the drumkit, set the tempo and even volume. All of this without having to bend over and configure the beatbuddy.
The auto transition and auto fill just make a lot of sense and are super handy. Normally, when recording some loops you’ll do some tap dancing to change the loop track, throw in a fill or transition all while trying to play and sing. Do this live and you’re likely to fail.
Auto transition binds a track loop to a BeatBuddy Part; e.g. Track 1 will always transition to Part 1, Track 2 will go to Part 2 etc.
Auto fill will throw in a fill on the last measure when you either Stop a loop or just as you queue one to play.
There’s a heap more useful things in this update and I strongly recommend checking out this looper. Without doubt it’s light years ahead of even the most expensive hardware loopers on the market and getting better with every update.
I agree, this thing is top of its class. I sold all my hardware loopers, this thing smokes them all. Not even close. Quantiloop makes the hardware loopers look like they should stay in the box. I have been using this software for a short time now and the updates just keep blowing you away. Folks if you need a looper sell your stuff, get it, you wont look back. It works perfect with the BeatBuddy.
The new version of Quantiloop is great. Just add iRig’s Blueboard and you’re set. It syncs perfectly with the Beatbuddy. The new volume controls are a great feature. I’m looking forward to digging in deeper with the auto transition and auto fill. Quantiloop is well worth the price!
I hope Singular Sound (SS) is reading this. I love SS and their BB hardware solution. I am a huge fan. I also know being tethered to an IPAD is not for everyone- so for those people, take my thoughts with a grain of salt. In my humble opinion, in my case, the flexibility and power of IOS software solutions (like the Quantiloop) in a live setting is the future. I feel these IOS apps will eventually disrupt the traditional hardware marketplace. In fact, do I dare say it. I see no reason why we need the BeatBuddy only available as a hardware foot pedal solution. I can visualize it someday perhaps living in an IOS APP format. I for one trigger almost everything via midi from external midi foot controllers anyhow. I also use Onsong to start and stop the beatbuddy so I do not even use the actual pedal- but it sits on my board taking up valuable power and space. Also - I am a big drums and bass user. How nice would it be to “not” have to go to a separate computer to use a DAW to edit all the bass/drum/instrument notes and then import it to Beatbuddy. How nice would it be to have a daw integrated into an IOS Beatbuddy APP so I can easily import an entire midi song right from the web and it the app auto maps the midi notes to just play the instruments with no manipulation etc… and to simply align it to different bass/drum/instrument drum kits. I think the Beatbuddy hardware pedal faces competition in the future from any app developer that can do what the beatbuddy does now but allows for users to more easily incorporate bass and other instruments from importing typical midi files. While I am happy with beatbuddy and used to my cumbersome workflow for getting bass and drum songs onto my SD card, I often find myself looking in the app store for new solutions to see if someone has gotten closer to provide us will a drum/bass/instrument APP that does all of this as described. That is how I found Quantiloop for example. Because of QL I have now sold all my hardware loopers. There are so many good sounding IOS drum apps out there already so IMHO it is just a matter of time before someone figures this out- hopefully it will be SS. In no way am I suggesting the IOS path is for everyone and in every live situation- I realize hardware drum machines, traditional foot pedal guitar effects, and hardware loopers have a place. In no way am I complaining about Singular Sound’s awesome Beatbuddy solution. I am a huge fan! It is just exciting for me to see IOS developers like Quantiloop offering users different types of IOS solutions that match or surpass the features as compared to traditional hardware solutions. Singular please do not kick me off of the board for my thoughts- I am a huge fan!
You make a great point emacnevin, Singular Sound, IOS should be the next step. I too am a huge fan of the BB, but If i go could get the same features and knowing future updates are only a download away on a Ipad I would jump all over it. The Quantiloop developer has proven that a Software Looper can destroy any Hardware looper on the market for features. For one, the updates alone that has been added by the developer for what the Quantiloop does is mind blowing.That is not possible with a hardware looper.
Singular Sound if I was you I, in my opinion, i would contact the Developer of the Quantiloop and see if he would be interested in getting started on a BeatBuudy IOS. This guy is the top of his class. Secondly he has made the Quantiloop to work specifically with the BeatBuddy, two items I love and use weekly. Well just my 2 cents worth anyway.
We will never kick anyone off for sharing their thoughts, we love the feedback and we take everyone’s feedback very seriously. After all, YOU guys are the reason we exist. I have taken notice to this feedback, and I will make sure that David sees it as well, so we can continue molding ourselves to fit your needs. Thank you so much for the feedback. 
I’d like to add my two cents…
First, I love the bb. I also love pushing its limits… after Stew learned how to do bass, I had help from Aashi and away I went… Love OPB. … but as good as the bb is, it’s already old tech. I’ve discussed this with a lot of musicians, pro through hobbyist/amateurs like me… an iPad app is the way to go. Gets rid of a lot of the hassle. Software updates can be done on the fly (as with most apps) … it’s a better business model… yes, it’s a cheaper product, but SS will sell so many more w/o hardware and production costs.
Look, I’ve sold my looper, my harmonizer, a few other odd pedals and am moving to Amplitude etc… it would be nice to get rid of the physical bb pedal. Just think… first a basic app, maybe only to handle complete songs, like those offered by bb. Then an add-on app for a DAW, then another one for handling shows, like On-Song or SETLIST maker. Adding for different sound sets, I’d., horns, woodwinds etc etc. Just think of the full integration.
Frankly, the more I think of it, the more I wonder why SS isn’t currently working on this? (Or maybe they are… we can hope).
Phil
…oh, I forgot… for the rest of the forum users… what do you think??. Read this thread and reply.
Phil
Absuluty sounds like what the future of BB should aim for.
I’ve wondered about this for some time. There is already a virtual pedal in BBM. Why not expand that into an app and/or a PC/Mac application? I’ve assumed that Singular didn’t do that because they have a significant investment in the hardware pedal. But, look at what Antares did with Autotune. It was a hardware unit, and then was moved into software, and the software has to be a whole lot more profitable. Plus, a software BB could also be made to use waves instead of, or better yet, in addition to midis, and then we would really have something special. The only downside I see is the limited space available on non-expandable iPads.
Yep, sign me up for a BB iPad app. Plus, a BB Manager on steroids PC version would be great - with full midi clock sync standalone mode + a way of integrating with DAWs (VST?).
Agree with the thoughts above that Beat Buddy should evolve into an app, I’m fairly sure I’ve suggested as much to Singular Sound before. I’m happy to pay a premium for a good app and I think most musicians would agree - we already spend a fortune on equipment and think nothing of it (as long as the wife doesn’t find out!).
Quantiloop is $10 right now which I think is insane. For me to even buy the cheapest looper would cost $100 or more. For something with some similar features would cost about $1000.
I don’t think I’d have a problem with paying $50 -$100 for either Quantiloop or a Beat Buddy app. And maybe if Singular Sound can see that there’s demand for this kind of thing and it’s financial viable, they may be more inclined to move in this direction.
I got the BeatBuddy as a treat to myself for finishing a big project, while it was still a kickstarter thing.
To me, the BB is a number of things:
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It’s a handy flexible versatile way to add percussion sounds to your musical setup, whatever that is. This is what Singular originally intended it to be, and midi was just a ways to the means. Once you learn a few things about how to use it, it’s great at this!
a) It’s an accompaniment device. By addressing a few limitations we were able to allow it to play drums and then bass and other instruments, largely in longer clips such as “verse”, “chorus”, etc, or entire songs end to end. I never really liked the OPB ones, because you are stuck with a pre-made arrangement (ala karaoke). I liked my intro/loop/end or intro/verse/chorus/outro, with the ability to add in a solo if you want, etc. In order for these types of instruments, the “non-percussion” feature had to be added so that notes could sound, then stop. The quality of these types of “songs” was always limited by the small size of drumkits, because they couldn’t be layered like how well the BB can really sound.
b) As an alternate type of accompaniment device, I made it do loop samples, perfect for rappers. I made songs that you rap over like “Fight the Power” and “Regulate” with the real loops. I created a few Mellotron “kits” so you could do a realistic “Strawberry Fields” intro. I wanted to do Genesis “Watcher of the Skies” but never got to it. I think one of the most fun ones like that was the one I did which was just the rain and thunder effects for Riders on the Storm!
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It is a limited midi controller at your feet. By that, it can send a few simple sync, start, stop commands, and a few other things. Other types of midi controllers are far more flexible, cheap, and powerful, so the BB does not need to pursue this, just be compatible. If they make one, I’d definitely check it out, though.
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It is a midi sequencer – THE FIRST MIDI SEQUENCER EVER AT THE FOOT OF A GUITARIST (maybe excluding the ridiculously expensive Roland midi guitar thing). However, the midi implementation is crippled and limited. If the BB could do full midi, I as band leader could select the next song on the fly using my ipad, and it would:
a) set up my guitar rig’s configuration
b) pull up the correct song on not only my tablet, but every other bandmate’s tablet
c) set up and trigger the light show for this song
d) set the tempo or any setting on any of the band’s delays, or whatever
e) ANYTHING ELSE MIDI CAN DO.
It wouldn’t be difficult for a hardware or software version to do this. -
If a simple audio->midi note converter was added, the pedal could easily a song/loop/beat builder, where you do a drum or bass part, where it plays bass or drum notes, then piano or organ part by converting guitar to those midi notes, etc, and looping them. This kind of thing would take much more work, but future hardware/software could allow for live one man bands to make much more interesting shows that with current loopers than only record sound.
If the hardware or software version could do 1-4, and I know it wouldn’t take much effort to get there, it would be the heart of my rig, and completely revolutionize my band’s stage show, shortening annoying downtime between songs.
I would LOVE to see an ‘official’ answer from SS on what is holding things up with new software version… AND… why is the pedal needed at all? The hardware seems superfluous. (Oh well, my ass is now grass!)
Hi Guys, thanks so much for the useful feedback. We’ve been debating the hardware vs software question since we launched and it’s always great to get more information so we can make better decisions. We have found that there are different segments of the market that want different things… some people (like most of you guys) love software solutions, while others absolutely hate it and prefer a dedicated hardware solution. The challenge is figuring out which products are wise investments (always a difficult thing).
Our plans are somewhat a mix of the two approaches: We are currently working out some challenging bugs from our new version of the BB Manager which we really hope to release soon as a beta for you guys to play with. We’re working on a hardware MIDI controller that I think will blow all the other available MIDI controllers away with ease of use and we are very strongly considering making the BB as an app that can be controlled by this MIDI controller.
We are also brainstorming about other potential software and hardware products – so it’s always great to hear your ideas. Keep them coming! 
Regarding a BB software app… I think this would be a great option. The part I am not quite understanding is how the proponents of this idea see it being controlled? I envision a foot pedal as one way of controlling it. So keep the BB-pedal but allow an iPad app interface as a selectable option. MIDI from the pedal can work similar to the BB now (i.e., changing parts, start/stop, etc), but with the app. I am not seeing this app idea without having some kind of foot based controller. Enlighten me please.
I envisioned the app giving the user the ability to program a song / BEAT to play out as they want and once setup it would then be full automated to play as it was programmed with out the need for pressing pedals
I was envisioning some sort of foot pedal to control the app. Maybe Singular’s new under development pedal, maybe and FCB 1010, maybe an iRig Blueboard.