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So, I know loopers have already been the topic of much discussion, so I'll be really quick and specific about my inquiry.
Looking for a looper that has at least 2 independent loops. Specifically: can play and loop part A, while A is looping play and record part B, be able to layer the loops together or play them independently, then erase and record over them on the fly.
Which loopers on the market can accomplish this?
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12-27-2012 11:20 PM
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Boss RC-300 does all that and more. It takes some time to learn how to take advantage of all the features. If you ate willing to put the time in, it is a terrific looper.
Keith
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RC300 and Boomerang, for sure. The Vox VDL-1 looper is limited in other features, but states "Infinite recording time using two independent loops (combined loop length up to 90 seconds)".
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Thanks, guys. Any word on the Boss RC-30? Looks like a streamlined version, but similar to the RC-300, with 2 independent loops instead of 3.
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I haven't tried the RC-30, but I just downloaded the user manual to see how the two tracks can be used. This would probably be a nice looper for practice or live single track looping, but I think it would be challenging to move between the two tracks on the fly while playing live. It sounds like you have to press and hold a footswitch to change tracks. In my experience, any time you have to "press and hold" it is hard to do things in time. The RC-300 on the other hand, has three sets of "record/play" and "stop" footswitches, laid out like just three separate loopers. These can be set to play simultaneously for "layering", but I set it so the three tracks are completely independent from each other for live looping. This way, it is just like having three separate loopers on stage and you can move from one to the other effortlessly (Note: you can still overdub on each of the three tracks in this mode if you want). This gives you all kinds of flexibility and it is very easy to use while performing without any complicated switching required. When playing live with a looper, one of the biggest challenges is to stay in time, so I don't want any delayed responses due to "press and hold" or "press twice" etc. I use a looper for solo and duo gigs all the time. I have had a bunch of different loopers over the years and the RC-300 is my favorite so far.
Originally Posted by amusiathread
Keith
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Thanks for the valuable insight, Kieth. You've been a big help! The RC-300 is a little more than I had initially wanted to spend, but it appears that any of the loopers on the lower tiers would be a disappointment, a headache, or both.
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I've got the TC Electronics Jamman stereo.
Which is also a very nice device.
I have recorded part A, sent A in loop and recorded several parts on top of A. I think that if you do that, different parts are mixed together so you cannot run them independently afterwords.
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I know the RC-300 is a little pricey, but if you plan to gig with a looper, it will pay for itself in just a few gigs. Not everyone gigs with them, but these days I am finding that there is a lot more work for singles and duos and not as much opportunity for a "real" band. The looper opened up a lot of new opportunities for me, so buying the best one was a good investment that continues to pay back over and over. I love to play with a trio or quartet whenever I can, but I actually enjoy doing looper gigs too. It is really fun to create the loops on the fly, but I also use some saved loops on solo gigs, and the RC-300 has lots of space as well as the ability to name your saved loops. I never record anything but my own guitar on the pre-recorded loops, so when you are playing background music in restaurants etc. the looper is not that noticeable. Originally Posted by amusiathread
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Do you mean the digitech JamMan Stereo? Originally Posted by Jazz_175
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Yes, it's made by Digitech, not Tc Electronics.....
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I used the pevious model of the JamMan for a few years before buying my RC-300 (still have my JamMan as a backup). Very nice Looper. The memory card slot is a great feature (you can save 99 loops on a card). I was going to buy the newer stereo version, but when it first came out the JamManager software was not available for Mac, so I couldn't backup the saved loops to my computer. They eventually released a Mac version of the software, but I didn't wait. I actually preferred the way you backed up the previous JamMan - it just showed up as an external drive whenever it was connected to your computer (PC or Mac). The Boss loopers are like that as well. Originally Posted by Jazz_175
Keith
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over and over. over and over. over and over. over and over. Originally Posted by floatingpickup
Ha, sorry
I have a Boss RC 30xl, now discontinued. A very simple to use on the fly and I think you can use external pedals to step up or down on 11 separate channels. I've a few tunes logged on a few channels for goofing around with. Good though it is I think it's better used as a different texture for a pedal set up or a practise tool. When I have coin I will trade up for the RC 30 as it has more features.
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You may find a used, now obsloete, RC-50 for a good price on ebay etc. It has the much same functionality as the RC-300, but with a much smaller memory. However, I have never managed to fill the memory on mine and should be enough for a live performance unless you intend to do a whole set on the looper. Originally Posted by amusiathread
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That's a good suggestion. A used RC-50 would still be a better looper than many of the others out there. Originally Posted by newsense
Keith
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After doing some research, it looks like with the RC-30, you can switch between different loops on the fly, but they have to be the same in length. That sure seems like a limiting factor. I also read that the Boss RC-50 hav about 1/4 second delay after hitting the switch before the loop plays. Does the RC-300 have this problem?
I'm starting to think that for my particular application, I may be better off getting 2 older RC-2 models. Since I won't be working with pre-recorded samples, I don't need hours of memory.
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This was only a problem with the early firmware. If the RC-50 has the later firmware upgrades (easily downloaded and installed), this is not a problem - or at least it isn't with mine. Originally Posted by amusiathread
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The JamMan Solo will layer as well.
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I've owned a number of loopers: RC-50, Boomerang+, Boomerang III, Looperlative LP1, and a bunch of delay and modeling pedals that had a rudimentary (i.e. single-loop) looper built in.
By far the best - both in terms of playability and audio quality - is the Boomerang III. The Sidecar further expands the control possibilities and is (IMO) well worth the extra money.
The only downside of the Boomerang III is that it doesn't (yet) do MIDI sync (which you don't need unless you're synchronizing with backing tracks). That feature is reportedly in the works, but the actual (as opposed to anticipated) release date is anyone's guess. One thing I'll say about the company is that they don't ship anything until it's actually completed, fully functional, and stable.Last edited by TieDyedDevil; 01-02-2013 at 02:50 PM.
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Two dijitech jamman XT synchronized together will do the trick
So will the pigtronic infinity (which I never tested)
The cool point about dijitech XT is that if you need a third independent loop you can add a third pedal and synch it too... ad libitum
I have one single Jamman XT and I am struggling with the manual (but I am slightly retarded ^^)
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This. This. A thousand times this. Loopers are an area of intense interest for me both creatively and for practice and I have literally owned them all (with a few exceptions). Every one had some thing that was weird or broken about it. The Boomerang III is the one i've owned the longest (and haven't sold and rebought!) and stopped my search. They have added MIDI sync and it is available currently as a beta to current Boomerang customers via email. Originally Posted by TieDyedDevil
I like it for a few reasons: audio quality is stellar, the working modes make it perfect for layered noodling or practice, and it is a single compact unit with the switches on the actual device.
The operating modes are a big deal because you can have it store 3 (or 4 if you want to sacrafice a "bonus effect") loops in a series so you can lay down an A, B, C section of a song. When you press 2, it will play after 1 is finished, pressing 1 plays after 2 is finished etc. The free sync allows you to set a master loop which you can sync 2 other loops to, and you can turn them all on or off, or you can have 3 totally independent "free" loops which can drift out of time if they are different lengths.
It is a really powerful, sounds great, is easy to use, and is worth the asking price.
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I'll add that there's a new pedal forthcoming for those of you with simpler looping needs:
Ditto Looper - Intuitive looper made by guitarists for guitarists | TC Electronic
This was formally announced today (January 9th). So far as I've been able to tell, MAP will be US$130 and it'll start shipping sometime in March.
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got an old 'rang+ .... its great
the buttons are good , which is important , no undo / redo tho
I expect the new rangs have that
that ditto looks too small , might fall over when you hoof it
I love loopers , really great for practicing they help you play in time too ,
I look at it as a glorified metronome
I can't be doing with all that recording and sequencing bolx ...
take too long ........... and the muse is gone ... gone
(hey that's not bad)
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One button? Sign me up! Originally Posted by TieDyedDevil
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one button looping sounds good, but in my experience, you need at least two dedicated buttons for looping: play/stop and erase.
double clicks and holds are really difficult when playing and looping - more than you'd think.
...love my 'Rang III
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