Feedbacklooper

Feedbacklooper is a term used in audio processing to describe a device or software that creates a controlled feedback loop from an audio signal. By routing a portion of the output back into the input through delays, buffers, or multi-tap paths, it can produce evolving textures, sustained tones, and experimental timbres characteristic of feedback-based sound design.

In operation, an input signal is captured and stored in a buffer. A portion of the output is returned to the input with adjustable feedback gain, delay time, and filtering. The resulting loop can be real-time or offline, and may support multiple simultaneous loops, tempo sync, and modulation to shape the evolving sound.

Key design considerations include stability and safety to prevent runaway feedback. Most implementations include limits on feedback, gain control, and dynamic range processing such as soft clipping or compression. Additional controls may adjust loop length, stereo imaging, crossfading between layers, and phase or pitch modulation to keep sounds musical.

Variants span standalone hardware pedals, rack modules, and software plugins within digital audio workstations. Used for drones, textures, glitch effects, or rhythmic looping, feedbackloopers are common in experimental and electronic music workflows.

Context: The concept draws on electronic feedback phenomena and the legacy of tape loops and looper devices. Feedbacklooper is a descriptive term rather than a standardized product category, applied broadly to tools that emphasize recursive signal paths.