Buying a Looper?

[Dr. Ellwood]

I've never owned or used a looping device. What are the best loopers? any recommendations, pros/cons, recording time, stereo/mono?

[Corner Pocket]

I know several seriously talented guys who gig "guitaraoke style" with this:

 

http://www.digitech.com/products/JamMan/JamMan.htm

 

All of their backing tracks are on CF cards, they set up, sit down and play.

 

I'm looking into one myself.....

[Dr. Ellwood]

Now THAT is serious COOL!!!! I've got LOOP GAS!!

[Phil W]

I've heard nothing but good things about the old JamMan. I use a Line 6 DL4 which is excellent for the money.

 

here's a useful thread or two (check the threads linked therein)

[Dr. Ellwood]

Thanks Phil, I like the mike input on the JamMan,and the usb port.

[Xplorer]

I just got a Boss RC-2 Loop station. It's probubly not the ideal device for gigging, but you can use it to do some neat stuff. For instance, you can record up to 16min on 11 different internally stored tracks and set them to play one shot (instead of repeating). Kind of neat if you have, say, the bells from Hell's Bells or any other very memorable intro sounds that are hard to reproduce or set up for a live situation.

 

As a practice tool the RC-2 is soo much fun!! Lot's of great drum loops and all kinds of riff layering madness. I have attached a Boss FS-5U switch to make it a little easier to use.

 

If you want a decent looper for less $$ (I got mine for $170cad), the RC-2 is a good choice.

http://www.roland.co.uk/prodimages/rc2b.jpg

[Dr. Ellwood]

I just got a Boss RC-2 Loop station. It's probubly not the ideal device for gigging, but you can use it to do some neat stuff. For instance, you can record up to 16min on 11 different internally stored tracks and set them to play one shot (instead of repeating). Kind of neat if you have, say, the bells from Hell's Bells or any other very memorable intro sounds that are hard to reproduce or set up for a live situation.

 

As a practice tool the RC-2 is soo much fun!! Lot's of great drum loops and all kinds of riff layering madness. I have attached a Boss FS-5U switch to make it a little easier to use.

 

If you want a decent looper for less $$ (I got mine for $170cad), the RC-2 is a good choice.

http://www.roland.co.uk/prodimages/rc2b.jpg

 

Ok thanks, I will check that one out too!

[Phil W]

Here are the DL4 specs

 

http://line6.com/products/detail/31/

[Guitarzan]

I just got a Boss RC-2 Loop station. It's probubly not the ideal device for gigging, but you can use it to do some neat stuff. For instance, you can record up to 16min on 11 different internally stored tracks and set them to play one shot (instead of repeating). Kind of neat if you have, say, the bells from Hell's Bells or any other very memorable intro sounds that are hard to reproduce or set up for a live situation.

 

As a practice tool the RC-2 is soo much fun!! Lot's of great drum loops and all kinds of riff layering madness. I have attached a Boss FS-5U switch to make it a little easier to use.

 

If you want a decent looper for less $$ (I got mine for $170cad), the RC-2 is a good choice.

http://www.roland.co.uk/prodimages/rc2b.jpg

 

i have seen the vid for that. i seriously would love to get one of those.

[Phil W]

The top of the range option is the Looperlative:

http://www.looperlative.com/

 

Check out the Loopers Delight website

http://www.loopers-delight.com/loop.html

- a great resource

Also, the forum on looping-solo-bassist, Stevbe Lawson's website will give you good advice:

http://www.stevelawson.net/home.shtml

 

 

[MILLO]

I've read the Digitech JamMan has better sound quality than the smaller Boss Loop Stations and the Boomerang--that was about 2 yrs ago when I was considering it seriously. I think Keaggy uses the Boomerang, Line 6 DL-4 and old Lexicon JamMan rack unit (and/or Gibson/Maestro Echoplex?-can't remember). Boss also makes one bigger pedalboard looper. I don't know how things are now regarding sound quality and the progressive degradation/distortion of loops.

 

I recently ordered a new delay pedal by Eventide that is supposed to do some looping, it's called the TimeFactor. I still haven't gotten it but Sweetwater they would receive a new shipment Sept. 15th. I'll wait patiently.

[Fumblyfingers]

I need to look into this. I have been meaning to research looping live for a while.

 

It seems a great way to play for someone....you know someone asks you to play something at the house or wherever.

 

Which is the most popular with the pro's anyone know?

[caprae]

Speaking of: watch at about 1 hour 14 minutes of the Apple iPod Announcement and you'll see KT Tunstall using her looping machine.

 

 

heres another version of the song:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6989780587571054207&q=bigblackhorse

[Fumblyfingers]

Ell I found this at GP magazine

 

http://wwww.guitarplayer.com/article/looping-pedal-roundup/may-06/20084

[Trucks]

I have seen a few people use the Boss RC-20 live, the big brother to the one Xp posted up.

 

Lots of info here;

 

http://www.loopers-delight.com/tools/RC20/boss-rc20.html

 

I have been interested in them for a little while, but more as a novelty.

 

I saw a guy on TV the other day, who built up a beat box drum beat and some sound effects with his mouth.. Some percussion on the guitar etc.. Then fired them off as and when required, while he played the melody and sang. It was cool, in a goofy "dude, you need to put that thing down and go outside, you spend too much time with it" kind of way.

 

I couldn't make out the pedal he was using, but it looked as if when he hit the triggers, the loop wouldnt kick in until the start of the next bar. Looked like a very cool feature, I guess the timing can be a bit of a nightmare if you make the slightest mistake, live... As the others I have seen will kick in immediately as you trigger, or start to record etc.

 

Anybody knows which looper offers this feature?.....

[Billster]

Trucks, I think that's the quantize feature on the RC-20

[Dr. Ellwood]

LOL!!! I could NOT WAIT!! I just came back with a Digi JamMan, now I'm tring to make my FIRST LOOP!! Ya'all can call em LOOPERMAN (but only for a day though!! ) anyway so far it's very cool, I got it for $285.00 and he threw in the extended warrenty for worth 39 bucks and waived the tax 17 bucks..so it looks like a pretty good deal! I've got the playback levels all set sounding good back through the amp now, I just did my first overdub and it sounds frigging great!!! THIS is gonna be FUN..thanks guys for all the comment and help and great links too!!

[JayViddler]

I have been using Electro Harmonix's 2880. It's amazing. here's a link

 

http://www.ehx.com/ehx2/Default.asp?q=f&f=%2FCatalog%2F01%5FNew%5FProducts%2F09%5F2880

 

It is basically a digital 4 Track with a foot controller. It runs on a cf card and the amount of time you have is based on the size of your cf card. It is a pricey unit (and i say unit because calling this a pedal would do it no justice) but well worth it if you ask me. The options are pretty limitless

[Trucks]

Trucks, I think that's the quantize feature on the RC-20

 

lol Doh.. Thanks Bill :-)

 

Nice one Ell, clips are expected... Of course :grin:

[JayViddler]

I guess you just got one. Anyway, enjoy they are a ton of fun

[Dr. Ellwood]

Trucks, I think that's the quantize feature on the RC-20

 

lol Doh.. Thanks Bill :-)

 

Nice one Ell, clips are expected... Of course :grin:

[caprae]

Local guy uses this big black box the size of a brief case. Said it is what Phil Keaggy used to use. I'll see what it is.

[Phil W]

Oh yeah, we want clips. Even some of my lousy ones are online (see my sig) - I think the very first is on there - out of time and all!

[Kramer Ferrington III.]

Ok, I see Lee has already made his choice, but... one thing I don't like about the RC20 (and I presume the RC2 has the same problem) is that you can only undo the LAST loop you added.

 

SO... say you've put down one part. You add a second and then a third. Or ten, twelve parts. Whatever. Anyway, you decide you want to change the FIRST part, but keep the rest.

 

Tough luck. You have to delete everything en route to deleting the first part. IMHO, that is a serious design flaw, which renders the unit a bit impractical.

[LeftyBlues]

Ellwood,

I've got an RC-2 that I don't use much, be glad to send it to you to try out. If you like it you can buy it, if not send it back to me. We'll work out a fair price if you like it. Let me know bro!

L.B.

[caprae]

This is the local guy's answer:

 

I have a very old (antique) rack-mounted Lexicon Jamman (made in the mid/early 90's). It only has 32 seconds of loop time. The new loopers have 5, 10, 20 minutes of loop time and are much more versatile. I've just used the old Lexicon for so long that I am used to it. If I were to go buy a looper today, I would probably get the new Boss RC-2 (about $190 new). It has lots of loop time, a storing feature, rhythm patterns that you can pull up, etc... and is affordable and Boss-reliable.

 

Music part of his website: http://www.jeffsoileau.com/music.html

[Xplorer]

Ok, I see Lee has already made his choice, but... one thing I don't like about the RC20 (and I presume the RC2 has the same problem) is that you can only undo the LAST loop you added.

 

SO... say you've put down one part. You add a second and then a third. Or ten, twelve parts. Whatever. Anyway, you decide you want to change the FIRST part, but keep the rest.

 

Tough luck. You have to delete everything en route to deleting the first part. IMHO, that is a serious design flaw, which renders the unit a bit impractical.

 

I agree that it is a hinderance, but I don't really consider it a design flaw. It's on par for the price of the unit. In a live situation the audience might get annoyed if you ask them to wait while you undo a loop before proceeding with a tune anyway. So, it is best to nail the loops at home and save them in a preset for a live situation.

 

It still can be a pain when jamming at home though. I would think that the lack of memory available for multiple undos would be a major deciding factor when looking at these units. I'm not sure how the Digitechs work, but if the RC-20 has the same issue as the RC-2 then I can't think why anyone would rather shell out the $$ for a RC-20. Using the RC-2 with an external momentary switch attached seems to work pretty good.

 

A friend of mine showed me his JamMan a few years back and it completly blew my mind. Granted, this guy is an amazing musician, but I still got infected with major GAS right then and there! I've been waiting a long time for a decent quality and affordable looper. I think the RC-2 is what I've been waiting for. But it is just a toy and a practice tool. I would not recommend it to the 'one man band' type performer.

[Dr. Ellwood]

Ok, I see Lee has already made his choice, but... one thing I don't like about the RC20 (and I presume the RC2 has the same problem) is that you can only undo the LAST loop you added.

 

SO... say you've put down one part. You add a second and then a third. Or ten, twelve parts. Whatever. Anyway, you decide you want to change the FIRST part, but keep the rest.

 

Tough luck. You have to delete everything en route to deleting the first part. IMHO, that is a serious design flaw, which renders the unit a bit impractical.

 

Right Vince, that would be a pain in the rear, see on the new JamMan you can only undo the last loop but the difference is that now there is a USB port on the JamMan and you can save as many loops as you want on your PC/Mac, so if you are doing someting that you consider to be worth saving, you send that particular loop off to the PC/Mac and if you want you can send it to it's own new loop and layer other loops onto it. I also REALLY like having the live mike input into the JamMan, in fact I already used that feature to put voice over a idea I have for a original song.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Lee- glad to see that you've gotten into the loop, so's to speak! Lots of fun, ain't it? Looks like you picked a good one ther, too.

 

"I have a very old (antique) rack-mounted Lexicon Jamman..."

 

Hehh-hehh... then waddya call my 1930s/'40s "The Radio Craftsmen"-brand 2x6V6 power-amp? (The original tubes in it were all metal, NOT GLASS!!) I must be gettin' into Indiana Jones territory there...

 

I know what you mean, concerning liking an older unit that's underwhelming in delay-time capacity yet chock-full o' personality and unique features. I've got a cantankerous "old" Lexicon Vortex that has rather limited maximum delay capacity- by current looping standards- but it does this wonderful sort of a 'sample-&-hold/repeat' looping program that pans in stereo with particularly warm, analog-sounding yet clear stereo modulation (somewhere between chorus and flange); the way I tweaked the patch, everything that you introduce to the loop- (I use an expression-pedal to go between no input to the loop on up to full input to control how long the previous loop-material repeats under the new material)- comes in at a different 'point' in the stereo field, panning back and forth cotinuously from there, while the repeating loop that was already there does the same, but out of sync as far as the panning goes- follow me?

 

In stereo, it sounds like each line I put in is chasing the other around, and on and so forth with each new addition to the loop. On top of that, the stereo modulation adds further tail-chasing dimension to each layer! Did I mention that the Vortex has full stereo ins and outs, too?...!! >sigh< If only I could do all that with the decidedly more usable long delay-times available on most newer loopers!

 

As a side note, I also lust for a Z. Vexx 'Lo-Fi Loop Junky' pedal; as the name implies, it's a very low-fidelity sounding looper (only the loop, not your straight signal), that sounds kinda like an old radio or victrola with a lot of warbly modulation available to further color the loop, as well. Lots of character, no "sound-on-sound" multi-loop layering, only one repeat/loop at a time, but it can be EXACTLY the thing for cool "character" parts that add a lot of vibe. Check out the Z. Vexx web-site's sample-clips, you'll hear just what I mean!

[WilliamWilson]

I don't think anyone has mentioned the Boomerang yet. I've used a Boomerang looper for years. It is probably the easiest looper to use in my experience, but it lacks a lot of features that the others have, like storing loops, undo, etc. It does have the ability to store two loops and switch back and forth between them which I like, and is really durable. On the downside it has a lot of hiss. I would recommend it for the technically challenged if they want a looper for live gigs. If I had to do it over again I'd get the Boss RC-20.

Don't get too loopy (I couldn't resist.)