HELP ROLAND RC-20 VS. DIGITECH JAM MAN

[funkythumb]

Hi all,
Yes, I've used the search engine and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for so I'm starting a new thread.
I am sooo ready for a loop pedal. I'm starting to write again and will actually have some live applications for it in pro settings.
I'm considering either the Roland RC-20XL double pedal vs. the Digitech Jam Man.
I've always liked Roland products but the sales guy says he prefers the Jam Man. The Jam Man also comes with a USB hookup and a A/C power plug which the Roland does not come with. The Digi is about $50 more.
Any and all opinions regarding either of these products is welcomed. Tone is of most importance. I don't necessarily need drums tracks to play with.
thanks

[4Mal]

I've had both. Still have the Jam Man. Sound quality is about the same. The Jam Man is easier to use IME. I also have an Akai Headrush that is pretty cool. Limited loop time but it's way easy and for live performance - it's pretty cool. Mostly I have that in my guitar rig and for the most part it's for the delay - which is superb.

I would do the Jam Man.

[kesslari]

I'm just getting into looping. A good friend loops and tours worldwide, and produces looping festivals. He's been trying to get me into it.
He's also one of the designers (and NAMM performers) for Looperlative, which is the Rolls Royce of loopers, so I take his advice pretty seriously.
His strong advice for live looping (other than dropping $1500 on the Looperlative) - the Line 6 DL4.
I'm getting one based on that.


JK

[funkythumb]

I appreciate it :-)

[kesslari]

BTW, for a ton of great info (I'm still working my way through the site)

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

[jim primate]

i like the 20xl.

[funkythumb]

why do you like the 20XL?
I've been reading reviews on both pedals and the opinions are all over the place.

[bassteban]

I have an RC-20(not the XL)& unlike most Boss pedals, I like it. Not a quality issue, more personal tonal preferences. Between the Jamman & RC-20XL though I'd likely go Jamman for the longer loop time, USB thingie & AC cord.

[funkythumb]

The general concensus seems to be that they both sound about the same.
The Roland has the fade feature but the Digi has the longer loop time and USB. I've heard that the Digi tends to sound like a skipping record as it loops, is that true?

[Hotblack]

Originally Posted by funkythumb

The general concensus seems to be that they both sound about the same.
The Roland has the fade feature but the Digi has the longer loop time and USB. I've heard that the Digi tends to sound like a skipping record as it loops, is that true?

Nah.
Really consider what type of looping you will be doing. Will you be doing straight phrase sampling? Do you need tap tempo? How much loop time do you need? Will you be triggering samples? What feature set will you make the most use of? How much are you willing to spend?

It seems like nitpicking, but it's not so much about finding the right looper, but the right one for you. Try out all your options and see what you are the most comfortable with. You don't have to decide the first time you try them out in the store, take your time.

Personally, I have three different loopers, all with different features for different instruments and gigs.

[Swimming Bird]

+1 for feature set. I use an RC-20xl, RC-50 and Korg KP3 for live looping and love them all for their uses, but then I've never tried the Jamman.

IME USB interface hasn't proved especially useful and I realistically never need a loop longer than a minute which negates the Jamman's big advantages. I also use the fade out pretty often. Try them out and see which features you want/need most.

[cameric]

For me, the fade-out feature on RC-20xl is indispensable, as I like to do sampled noise. If you don't need that feature, the RC-2 is actually great, especially considering the size.

[winston]

Originally Posted by kesslari

I'm just getting into looping. A good friend loops and tours worldwide, and produces looping festivals. He's been trying to get me into it.
He's also one of the designers (and NAMM performers) for Looperlative, which is the Rolls Royce of loopers, so I take his advice pretty seriously.
His strong advice for live looping (other than dropping $1500 on the Looperlative) - the Line 6 DL4.
I'm getting one based on that.


JK

Just curious...is that Rick Walker? I saw him at a looping festival with Steve Lawson and Michael Manring years ago and was quite amazed.

I had a JamMan but have since sold it as I'm mainly looping on a computer now. The USB and card reader made the JamMan more attractive to me than the RC-20, especially as a portable sketchpad for song ideas that I can transfer easily to the computer.

The one thing I notice about the DL4 is that many people I've met who use them have had ongoing problems with the footswitches.

[kesslari]

Just curious...is that Rick Walker? I saw him at a looping festival with Steve Lawson and Michael Manring years ago and was quite amazed.

Yep, that's Rick.

The one thing I notice about the DL4 is that many people I've met who use them have had ongoing problems with the footswitches.

I have heard that. Guess I'll take the risk, and hope I'm a gentle stomper.

JK

[fretless_guy]

I'm curious about these two units as well. I agree that the 99 loop and up to 6.5 hours (with a 2 GB compact flash memory card) of looping time on the Jam Man are probably overkill, but the USB feature could be pretty useful. Does anyone know what format the JamMan stores loops in if you use the Compact Flash card? If it's a common format, the ability to create sounds on your computer, store them on a memory card and transfer them to the JamMan would be pretty cool.

My biggest concern is the sound quality. I have heard that the sound quality tends to get worse on some loopers as you start adding more loops.