It's not in English but if you watch you'll get the idea.
I don't know how one would use it in a real time situation but it could be good for practicing. This player is amazing


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU9eOB7vqOI

I have very mixed feeling about loopers. You can use them to build up quite complex things, but that's also the downside... every complex thing needs slowly, part by part building. And music isn't generally ONE structure. So, with most loopers, to start a new section, you have to erase the previous one. So now, having played and built the second structure, you've got nothing to go back to!

TBH, these things are contributing towards how simple and unstructured much modern pop music is. Kids are writing songs on these things, and there goes the bridge, the pre-chorus and any other section not based around the same chords as the loop.

In arranger terms, I am far happier with the concept of the Chord Sequencer, which, although a loop of sorts, is a loop of ONLY the chords. The variation, fills and style can still be changed at will. Mind you, it might be interesting to combine the two approaches. But most of what I hear done on a looper leaves me wanting...

Wanting a bridge!

Diki you have nailed my own feelings about loopers.

But as Don mentioned they could well be a good practicing tool.

I have heard loopers used live but their use has to accomodate their shortcomings that you talk about, so is really just useable in a one off "gimmicky" musical presentation. It's not something you could really use more than once during a gig.

There are a LOT of guitarists using them round my area to 'capture' the rhythm guitar part during a verse or chorus, then they get to do a bit of a solo over them, then turn it off and go back to the bridge, or whatever section comes next, but few use them to build an entire piece, like this.

There's one very talented lady jazz singer/keyboardist that occasionally uses one to do some acappella things built up just using her voice... It's a very cool gimmick, but she only does it once or twice in a whole show.

There's a looper built into the new Roland V-Combo VR-09, so maybe this technology could get combined with the Chord Sequencer concept, and we get the best of both worlds... But I'm rather hoping that arrangers get a decent arpeggiator first!