Loopy: A Look at the Looper App for iOS

Loopy InterfaceI’ve discovered a great looper for the iPhone and iPad. Loopy (and Loopy HD) allows you to create and alter sophisticated loops without the need for a pedal or other hardware.

Loopy’s interface presents a series of circles, which become circular waveforms once you’ve started recording. The app offers great features, like pan, volume, timing adjustments, track merging, tempo adjustments and even MIDI over bluetooth or wifi, to sync up with other devices or apps.

Loopy even offers a metronome to keep you in time and allows for you to be counted in (handy for those of us that need our hands to play). If that isn’t enough, you can also import loops (which can be adapted to your current tempo), record you performance, export loops, upload to SoundCloud, post to social networks, email AAC files or transfer loops to your computer.

This app can get a little complicated, and there is a slight learning curve, but the included tutorials are presented well and should get you past any hurdles you may encounter.

Check out these demo videos:

Loopy Features:

Record and Layer:

  • Six, nine, or twelve beautifully rendered circular loops, with simple yet powerful controls (six only on iPhone).
  • Count-in, count-out and record chaining lets you keep your hands free to play an instrument.
  • MIDI control, to control Loopy via foot pedal or other controller.
  • Overdub, to build beautiful, complex soundscapes from many layers.
  • Support for tracks of any multiple or fraction of a beat, for flexible and expressive looping.
  • Sophisticated audio or visual metronome to keep you in time – no matter what time signature you choose.
  • Perfectly synchronized, low latency audio engine.

Import and Construct:

  • Import loops from your computer via iTunes, with support for AIFF, WAV, MP3, M4A, CAF and more.
  • Bring in audio from many other audio apps with integrated MAPI AudioPaste, with support for Intua general pasteboard format.
  • Imported loops are automatically fit to your beat, no matter what tempo.

Manipulate and Tweak:

  • Full stereo audio, with pan controls for each track to create custom stereoscapes.
  • Fix up timing by twisting tracks around to line up the beat, or make funky sound effects with dynamic time shifting.
  • Drag a track onto another track to merge tracks, and clear up a space.
  • Live, dynamic tempo adjustment to speed up or slow down your creations, without altering the pitch.
  • MIDI clock sync, to play in time with other MIDI-capable devices or apps.

Perform and Share:

  • Record whole performances with in-app session recording facilities.
  • Upload performances or single loops straight to SoundCloud, and post to Twitter or Facebook.
  • Email audio clips (with automatic conversion to compressed AAC audio).
  • Share audio with many other audio apps with MAPI AudioCopy.
  • Transfer loops or performances to your computer via iTunes.

Loopy is available for iPhone and iPod Touch for $2.99. Loopy HD is a universal app, available for $7.99 from the App Store. Note that the HD features are only accessible on the iPad (iPhone/iPod Touch users will see the iPhone version of the app). Only choose Loopy HD if you own an iPad.

Get daily bass updates.

Get the latest news, videos, lessons, and more in your inbox every morning.

Leave a Reply to Marc T. Lücke Cancel reply

  1. Philip Wain

    Now if we could combine this with an input app like the GK one or something…Still worthwhile without.

  2. Philip Wain

    Ah..no problem…I was able to play the bass into the phone through iRIg and loop. Felt a bit strange stomping (lightly) on the phone in my socks to trigger the loops. Here’s a (very basic) first go – http://soundcloud.com/philwbass/13-dec-2011-21-23.

  3. Very cool app indeed, lots of potential if effects can added as well !

  4. You made a mistake. I’m using Loopy on my iPhone and I can get 12 loops.

  5. Add Audiobus and Jamup XT. Then you can loop your bass, with some amazing sounding app models. Jamup XT is THE bass amp sim!! Forget all the hype about Amplitube. Jamup, Audiobus and Loopy is all you need!!

  6. Juan Pablo

    Does loopy work with and i Rig plug-in?

  7. Bigby Longshaft

    iRig BlueBoard work great in this setup!