Chewie Monsta Looper (Ed Sheeran custom )

Started by Headless68, August 11, 2015, 06:30:41 AM

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Headless68

https://reverb.com/news/ed-sheerans-chewie-looper-crashes-equipboard-gear-site




Interesting - having watched 'Bloodstream' live looped at the Brit awards & been quite impressed by the performance .....


Had a look for what Ed is using to loop (huge looper with screens)  - this is what I found.....

As looping is a crucial part of Ed Sheeran's performance, he and his guitar tech decided to upgrade to this custom built unit, which allows for better sound quality, better looping and better control of the sound at bigger venues. According to his guitar tech, Trevor Dawkins:

"We needed to source a pedal that had separate outputs for the guitar, percussion, and vocal elements of the loop, allowing for separate treatments (reverb, echo, harmonizer etc.) at the front of the house, Chris and I spent about 6 months contacting every pedal manufacture worldwide that we could think of to get someone to help us come up with a pedal that would be future proof and sonically superior to the RC. Although a couple of manufacturers were interested, no one had an existing product that really came close to what we wanted to do in terms of numbers of outputs and attainable loop lengths."

The "Chewie Monsta" is not an FX pedal, it's a sophisticated, unique pedalboard controller that Ed uses to manipulate a Roland FC300 MIDI Controller which is placed off-stage, described by his tech as the "brain behind the looping system." The pedal controls Ed's new looper: a Mobius 2 VST plug-in, hosted on Ableton Live. (For more info on Mobius, which is a FREE software, visit circularlabs.com)
The Monsta has four Roland double pedal-type switches as well as two video screens to monitor the program's record/overdub/playback functions as well as showing the time frame of the loop itself. The two far left switches (REC / STOP) are part of a Boss RC20 pedal, because Sheeran wanted to keep the same familiar feel. The remaining switches are taken from three Boss RE-20 pedals. Watch him using it at Glastonbury 2014:
"The pedal allows Ed to record, overdub, and play back on any one of four synchronized loops, each of which has its own output, allowing us to now have the guitars, percussion and vocals separately, which is invaluable in a live situation. Ed can also now mute the loops individually, allowing him to alternate between different sections, such as a verse/chorus scenario. We also have an undo function, which allows Ed to clear the last overdub on the selected channel, should he need to."

Live, besides his guitar, Sheeran also plugs a Sennheiser e945 to the controller, which is used to loop his vocals. At gigs, Ed uses two mics. The second one is not for looping, it's used just for a clear signal.


aliensporebomb

Very cool indeed.  Now bring that sucker to production for the world please!
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Hurricane

.

Ed Sheeran"s set up is what look's to be :

" The State Of The Looping Art's Leading Cutting Edge "
I know I as well as others have block diagrammed in our mind"s eye or on a simple blank paper this kind of looping functionality .

Betcha soon it's gonna pop out of one of the major players in looping technology that serve the live show performer .

Next step - live video multi camera mixing to stream live over social media and for sale @ Itunes - Bandcamp etcetera .


HR



Beirne

Actually simple and inexpensive IF you have a laptop.
Free Mobius looper plugin...or standalone.
Plogue biddle app (osx) for routing. And ANY usb midi multi footswitch, or midi bass pedal or midi pedal...and Mobius can be setup for mulltiple controllers.
www.intangiblesny.com
www.facebook.com/intangiblesband

Hurricane


.

Quote from: Beirne on February 14, 2017, 02:18:26 PM
Actually simple and inexpensive IF you have a laptop.
Free Mobius looper plugin...or standalone.
Plogue biddle app (osx) for routing. And ANY usb midi multi footswitch, or midi bass pedal or midi pedal...and Mobius can be setup for mulltiple controllers.


How would Mobius control it , via midi or USB ?

Would an unit like a Vocal Live 3/ Extreme be able to do that or a Boss type series looper ?

I down loaded Mobius already for my Window but yet to start into exploring it .

Thanks for the input .

HR

.

sixeight

It looks like the pedal board in this clip has different buttons. So there is progress on the chewie monsta:


Elantric

#7
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/ed-sheeran-loop-rig-w-pics.1795605/







Quote"We needed to source a pedal that had separate outputs for the guitar, percussion, and vocal elements of the loop, allowing for separate treatments (reverb, echo, harmonizer etc.) at the front of the house, Chris and I spent about 6 months contacting every pedal manufacture worldwide that we could think of to get someone to help us come up with a pedal that would be future proof and sonically superior to the RC. Although a couple of manufacturers were interested, no one had an existing product that really came close to what we wanted to do in terms of numbers of outputs and attainable loop lengths."

The "Chewie Monsta" is not an FX pedal, it's a sophisticated, unique pedalboard controller that Ed uses to manipulate a Roland FC300 MIDI Controller which is placed off-stage, described by his tech as the "brain behind the looping system." The pedal controls Ed's new looper: a Mobius 2 VST plug-in, hosted on Ableton Live. (For more info on Mobius, which is a FREE software, visit circularlabs.com)

The Monsta has four Roland double pedal-type switches as well as two video screens to monitor the program's record/overdub/playback functions as well as showing the time frame of the loop itself. The two far left switches (REC / STOP) are part of a Boss RC20 pedal, because Sheeran wanted to keep the same familiar feel. The remaining switches are taken from three Boss RE-20 pedals. Watch him using it at Glastonbury 2014:
"The pedal allows Ed to record, overdub, and play back on any one of four synchronized loops, each of which has its own output, allowing us to now have the guitars, percussion and vocals separately, which is invaluable in a live situation. Ed can also now mute the loops individually, allowing him to alternate between different sections, such as a verse/chorus scenario. We also have an undo function, which allows Ed to clear the last overdub on the selected channel, should he need to.

Live, besides his guitar, Sheeran also plugs a Sennheiser e945 to the controller, which is used to loop his vocals. At gigs, Ed uses two mics. The second one is not for looping, it's used just for a clear signal."


http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=117050.0










http://www.diystompboxes.com/smfforum/index.php?topic=117050.msg1088750#msg1088750

Beirne

#8
If you download MOBIUS and try it out, its all really simple. They just stuck a display in a pedalboard. And wired up some footswitches into a FC300 midi controller (but almost ANY midi/usb controller switch will work with Mobius)
Package it in a nice n neat box.
Or go Hillbilly style ...old macbook, plywood, ductape, usb foorswitch.


Quote from: sixeight on February 15, 2017, 12:19:58 PM
It looks like the pedal board in this clip has different buttons. So there is progress on the chewie monsta:


www.intangiblesny.com
www.facebook.com/intangiblesband

sixeight

QuoteIf you download MOBIUS and try it out, its all really simple.

I wasn't really planning on building one. I think it is way too big. I am just suprised Ed is taking something user built on the road. Just wonder how reliable it will be, though I guess he has a backup...

Hurricane

,

Quote from: sixeight on February 16, 2017, 12:27:28 PM
I wasn't really planning on building one. I think it is way too big. I am just suprised Ed is taking something user built on the road. Just wonder how reliable it will be, though I guess he has a backup...

Interesting fellow Ed Sheeran . His multiple sold out stadium show audiences in big venues as a solo artist has made him branch out into producing .This guy is rolling in jack .

I'm totally sold on the looping experience .

I used to haul a Teac 10" Reel To Reel to do soloing gigs . I paid a really good guitarist ( who I hired many times for live duet and combo shows ) to record my backing tracks .

I got that Digitech to replace the Reel To Reel .

I didn't play guitar after I suffered a accident in 1962 that stopped my guitar playing for 36 years from 1962 to 1998 .

On Oct 12 1998 10:00 AM the last of many sharp milk bottle shards embedded into my left hand"s finger tips finally came out while typing at my local library learning about P.C.'s & the net, took a couple of months for the hole it left to heal so I  could restart my guitar interrupted life .

It's taken a little over 10 years to really get good at it once again ( not that I was a shredder at 12 when I suffered that milk bottle accident ) , when I did solo's I sang and blew harp , I have blown harps since 1954 - I'm 66 now . I gig with some heavy hitters too blowing harp in shows and session work blowing harp , I am now at this point surprising the musicians I used to hire ( guitarists and pianist ) when they see me playing guitar heh heh heh , life is good.   

EZ :
HR

.

danquinnband

#11
Hey guys, thought I'd chime in here as I've built a very similar system from off the shelf parts, so I was excited to see Ed's performance taking this concept to the mainstream with his Grammy performance. I'll even make the bold statement that my system is more flexible than Ed's, and more fit to be updated over time than his is.

In summary, anyone who wants to build this system really doesn't even need Mobius (quite a dated platform if you ask me).

You need:
-A decent laptop
-Ableton Live (the free lite version will do for most, but I'm crazy and use the suite)
-A good low latency audio interface (I use the Focusrite Clarett)
-A good MIDI controller (I personally love the RJM Mastermind GT22, but it isn't totally necessary)

I wrote some more details in a blog that you can check out here: http://www.danquinnband.com/single-post/2017/02/15/My-Version-of-Ed-Sheerans-Grammy-Performance--And-My-002-On-The-Chewie-II-Looping-System

Full video that shows how I use the system to play Ed's song "Shape of You" from the Grammy Performance:

I'm happy to chat with anyone on this matter. It's exciting stuff!

Cheers from Dallas,
Dan Quinn
--


My Version of Ed Sheeran's Grammy Performance- And My Approach To The "Chewie II" Looping System
February 15, 2017
|
DQ


If you saw the 2017 Grammy Awards on Sunday night, you probably noticed Ed Sheeran's performance in which he used a massive new looping system called the "Chewie II" (Chewie 2).

In what appears to be a nice upgrade from his previous "Chewie Monsta" system, I was excited to see live looping by a solo artist get such great exposure in the mainstream media spotlight.

As someone who has been performing with live loops for the past decade (holy cow, I can say that now), I got very excited about this, and apparently, so did many others.

Despite playing for audiences of vastly different sizes, Ed Sheeran and I have actually faced some of the exact same challenges in recent years. Why? Because we both felt the pain points that come with traditional looping systems and because we both believed there was a better way.

We each began our looping careers using traditional stompbox-style pedals. He was on the BOSS RC-20, and I was on the BOSS RC-50. These pedals are super fun and great for pub gigs or house parties, but lend themselves to so many challenges (mic bleed, analog power issues, signal routing, sound engineer control, real estate, tone degradation, etc.) whenever playing in a bigger room with more people. For Ed, that means huge theaters, arenas, and even stadiums. For me, that means corporate events at large clubs, weddings with hundreds of people on hand, or even outdoor festivals or fundraisers where I'm playing at a high volume. We even approached the same manufacturer about doing some custom work for us, and in the end, he turned us both down. It was time to build this thing ourselves!

What Does the Chewie II Really Do?

First of all, let's take a look at this overhead shot from Sunday night's Grammy performance:



At the base of the unit, you'll notice 4 sets of double pedals (8 total) labeled: Rec/Play, Stop, Undo, Mode, and 1, 2, 3, & 4.

These pedals are actually old gutted BOSS RC-20 components that were used in the design because Ed likes the feel of them. There's always something to be said for such a "human factor" in the design so while it may seem like an odd approach, I really can't blame him for it.

Each of these switches has actually been repurposed to trigger a MIDI note or CC that is sent to a computer that is off stage. His guitar and MIDI keyboard are also both sent straight to that computer, connecting through an audio interface that likely uses a low-latency thunderbolt connection.

The computer is running software called Ableton Live. I can't speak to the exact configuration of his software, though I know that in previous versions, he was running a plugin called Mobius- an open source looping package that could be used inside of the Ableton Live environment. With the recent addition of native looping capabilities into Ableton Live, I can't speak as to why Ed would need to be using Mobius anymore, unless he just really liked it.

Buttons 1, 2, 3, and 4 allow him to select one of 4 possible loop banks to work with. While these are all synchronized to the same clock through Ableton (which allows for a much tighter sound across the 4 loop banks), He can have a lot of fun with these. They can each overdub themselves as many times as possible (create as many layers as he wants on each bank), and stop or even clear individual loops as he works through the various sections of a song.

Two of the BIGGEST advantages that the Chewie II (Chewie 2) has over conventional looping systems are:​

Routing specific sound sources to specific loops

Conventional Looping systems allow you to record into any given loop bank from any given source. Sounds cool to have options, right? Well what happens when you're laying down that rhythym guitar loop in a loud room? The mic will bleed into the loop. Accidentally bump your guitar or cough while laying down a keyboard loop? More bleed. The Chewie (and Ableton Live) allow the user to determine specific signal routing so that only the guitar can be recorded into the guitar loop bank. No mic can record into the loops on any other bank than the one that is dedicated. It makes for a much cleaner sound, especially in large rooms with at high volumes. 

Separate output lines for all sound sources and loops

One of the biggest challenges that solo looping performers have is with their relationship to their sound engineer. It often involves sending a single channel to the front of house (FOH) which sounds easy, but can cause great difficulties. A good sound engineer needs to be able to control not only master levels and EQ, but needs to be able to do so on a per channel level. This means controlling the vocals, guitar, and keys, and each of the 4 banks of loops that he creates. There is not an off-the-shelf looper on the market that is capable of such an output configuration, especially with a channel count like this where Ed likely has 8 output channels (Mic 1, Mic 2, Guitar, Keys, and 4 loops).

The addition of LED displays allow him to monitor his overall loop position (small display on left) and individual loop levels (large display on right) throughout his performance. Kudos to his team for putting this system together. It's getting a lot of attention as it certainly should!


The DQB Approach to Live Looping

Last year I developed a software-defined looping system that I believe is not only more accessible to the general public than the Chewie 2, but actually more capable in many ways. Here's how I did it:

I knew that software was the way to go Ableton Live is a very powerful tool, so I got over the emotional hurdle of performing with a laptop nearby (I know the old guys and purists will mock me for this because they refuse to do it), started learning Ableton, and envisioning how this would all feel.

I needed a good way to communicate with Ableton using my feet (my hands are busy playing guitar), and I wasn't necessarily tied to the BOSS RC-50 feel. So after shopping around and some meetings at the 2016 NAMM show, I decided that the RJM Music Technology Mastermind GT22 (pictured below) was the perfect tool for the job. This beast of a MIDI controller is a blank slate and allows the user to programmatically define the behavior and appearance of each of it's 22 buttons- and to do so page after page with more options that I could imagine at the time.

I connected my wireless guitar and mic systems through a low latency audio interface, setup some basic synth sounds with my Novation Launchkey 49, and the workflow started coming together pretty nicely.

On the GT22, I put START and STOP buttons right where I could easily reach them, named my 5 custom loop banks (Guitar, Bass, Oontz, Keys, Vocals) on the 2nd row (less time critical to tap, so farther away), and then added my more time critical buttons (Rec/Play, Stop, Clear, etc) to the first row. Each one of my loop banks is represented by a different page on the GT22, so I'm still tapping the same position each time I want to record, play, stop, undo, or clear- regardless of which page I'm on.

The real estate of the GT22 even allowed me to add some global (present on all pages) buttons for the most common guitar effects that I use- octave, overdrive, and delay- which I definie in software using Guitar Rig from Native Instruments.

I finished out the top row with controls for my tempo, click track (something I highly recommend for super tight loops), and a "NUKE" function to stop my clock and wipe all of the loops out at once- likely the same behavior as the Chewie's CLEAR button.

Then it got really fun. Without purchasing any additional plugins, I was able to add all kinds of new "DJ Style" effects that I could never dream of with a conventional looping system- beat repeat sequences and filter sweeps suddenly added a whole new dimension to my live shows. I was suddenly walking the line between "solo acoustic performer" and "electronic music artist" with the ability to play anywhere along that musical spectrum at any given event. In party environments, I can even trigger quantized drum loops with the push of a button for that dramatic "drop" feel that can get the beats pumping even more quickly after a build. I must say that with Ed's lyrical references to clubs and raves that I bet he would have a crazy amount of fun with this!

This took some re-training for me. There's a different mindset that a live looper needs to have when moving to a software defined system. While at first I met so many hurdles to the migration, I'm so glad that I stuck with it and built this system. It's so incredibly powerful and flexible, and I'm convinced that this approach will ultimately replace traditional looping systems which are already starting to be phased out.

Summary of System Benefits:
Unlimited Number of Loop Banks
Unlimited Number of Loop Layers on Each Bank
Unlimited Synth Sounds using countless VST plugins
Unlimited Guitar Sounds without having to add additional pedals
Ability to Integrate with Electronic Music Components over MIDI
Ability to play along with a click track for tighter loops and integration with other musicians
Simpler, Cleaner Power Scheme with Less Room for Noise
Cleaner Guitar tones from digital approach that avoids tone degrading analog components.
Quicker Setup Time
Addition of electronic "DJ-Style" effects such as beat repeats, filter sweeps, etc.
Ability to Expand Future Functionality without hardware redesign
Better control for a FOH sound engineer to control live sound and recorded loops individually.


I've been using this new system for a few months now, specifically for events such as weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, and private parties. I've also been receiving quite a few inquiries locally (in the Dallas area) and through social media (Facebook and Instagram) about my approach to this system.

For all inquiries related to booking or consulting, I may be contacted directly by email: dan@danquinnband.com.


Hurricane

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Quote from: danquinnband on February 20, 2017, 08:22:37 PM
Hey guys, thought I'd chime in here as I've built a very similar system from off the shelf parts, so I was excited to see Ed's performance taking this concept to the mainstream with his Grammy performance. I'll even make the bold statement that my system is more flexible than Ed's, and more fit to be updated over time than his is.

In summary, anyone who wants to build this system really doesn't even need Mobius (quite a dated platform if you ask me).

You need:
-A decent laptop
-Ableton Live (the free lite version will do for most, but I'm crazy and use the suite)
-A good low latency audio interface (I use the Focusrite Clarett)
-A good MIDI controller (I personally love the RJM Mastermind GT22, but it isn't totally necessary)

I wrote some more details in a blog that you can check out here:

Cheers from Dallas,
Dan Quinn


Nice stuff man , I'm checking out your website .
Thanks for the info .

EZ :


HR :)

.

admin


admin

#14


Coming Soon!! The new Sonnit Pedal inspired by Ed Sheerans Chewie Monst Pedal.  For more information please email info@sonnit.co.uk. To keep updated please subscribe and check out our instagram @edsonnit.