Anyone have a delay/looper they like? I'm hoping for something fairly easy to use, in the $200-$500ish range. No specific purpose in mind, just something to play around with in between gigs or at ambient open jams.
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Delay/Looper reviews wanted.
- Thread starter Rusty the Scoob
- Start date
RC-50. If you're talking ambient, then its ability to run three independent loops or samples is super awesome. Can't go wrong with a DL4 though.
Roland GR 88
Commercial User
I have a TC Flashback X4 and the Strymon Timeline . The TC is straight up simple clean delays and the looper is easy to use. The Timeline does the same but it's really the Swiss Army knife of pedals.
I run keys, drums and anything else worth mangling through it. If you like to turn knobs and find unique sounds it can't be beat.
I run keys, drums and anything else worth mangling through it. If you like to turn knobs and find unique sounds it can't be beat.
Its older, but the Hardwire DL8 is pretty awesome. Not a very long loop though. The DL4 would probably be better. Or the Zoom B1Xon. That one has all kinds of cool stuff on it. Then you have what's been suggested so far which is all good.
The Dl4 is prettty hard to beat at its price point.
As a delay is good not great IMHOP. Some of the emulations are better than others, but all are passable. Some are great. It's not on my main board cause I get a little confused by multifunction digital pedals, but you can set presets.
As a looper it's really fun and interactive for stuff on the fly. There are better loopers if you want to do complex compositional work, but no other looper under $200 let's you half or double time, reverse, stop/start, overdub, and stutter start without taking your hands off the instrument.
As a delay is good not great IMHOP. Some of the emulations are better than others, but all are passable. Some are great. It's not on my main board cause I get a little confused by multifunction digital pedals, but you can set presets.
As a looper it's really fun and interactive for stuff on the fly. There are better loopers if you want to do complex compositional work, but no other looper under $200 let's you half or double time, reverse, stop/start, overdub, and stutter start without taking your hands off the instrument.
I have 2 ditto 2X loopers. Both of them had issues. One just stopped working, the other worked intermittently. I just got them back from repair man, so it remains to be seen if the work reliably. I wound up buying a Digitech JamMan. It works perfectly, but doesn't have as many features.
Ive been using the line 6 m5 for delays lately and the original ditto for looping at home. Paid about $100 for both used.
The m5 is a nice Swiss Army knife type pedal. I have a sans amp, darkglass b7k ultra, darkglass duality, and a dedicated compressor. Which I do like a lot more than the dirt and compressors in the m5 but the delays, reverbs , and octaves in it are very usable. I particularly like playing two hand tapping with the digital delay with mod model. The Octo reverb is also nice to start off a loop with because you can get that shimmer reverb pad type of sound.
The ditto works for basic looping but I wouldn't do a live looping gig with it. It's served me well for messing around at home but the one footswitch functionality can be annoying. Don't get me wrong it's a great simple pedal if you've never used a looper before but I really want the ditto x4 for its ability to do two loops and various effects.
The m5 is a nice Swiss Army knife type pedal. I have a sans amp, darkglass b7k ultra, darkglass duality, and a dedicated compressor. Which I do like a lot more than the dirt and compressors in the m5 but the delays, reverbs , and octaves in it are very usable. I particularly like playing two hand tapping with the digital delay with mod model. The Octo reverb is also nice to start off a loop with because you can get that shimmer reverb pad type of sound.
The ditto works for basic looping but I wouldn't do a live looping gig with it. It's served me well for messing around at home but the one footswitch functionality can be annoying. Don't get me wrong it's a great simple pedal if you've never used a looper before but I really want the ditto x4 for its ability to do two loops and various effects.
I use the Vox Joe Satriani Time Machine delay.
I like the way it sounds, it has simple controls, with plenty of room for experimenting with the hifi/lofi switch.
sounds great with so many sources, I've used it on vox, bass, keys, guitar, even used it on the xylophone as an effects send. Not sure if they are made anymore, but I have used many delays, like Line6, Boomerang, etc., and this is my favorite by far.
I like the way it sounds, it has simple controls, with plenty of room for experimenting with the hifi/lofi switch.
sounds great with so many sources, I've used it on vox, bass, keys, guitar, even used it on the xylophone as an effects send. Not sure if they are made anymore, but I have used many delays, like Line6, Boomerang, etc., and this is my favorite by far.
There isn't a single looper I'm aware off that does it all. Sometimes you just get the limitations after buying one:
Shortcomings:
- No midi time clock
- the first loop sets the lenght of the entire loop (you can't play an eight bar bass hook and improvise about it for minutes AND record it)
- After recording a loop and improvise over it, you can't change the balance in volume between the two parts and you can't go back to the origin and re-record the second loop...
The best looper (for my purposes) is the EHX 45000. But it is expensive if you buy the footcontroler and you have to.
It's a kind of digital four-track recorder besides being just a looper and it has midi and it has four separate tracks. But still the lenght of the first track sets the lenght of the entire track...
EHX has a newer model that allows different track lenght (multiplying the lenght of the first track), but NO midi...
Out of the budget loopers I really like the Digitech Stereo Jamman (< 200,-). The handling is easy and it has a mic-preamp.
But again: if you buy a looper, set your priorities and make sure it does what you want it too - and don't suppose it will do it anyway 'cause it is self-evident. It isn't.
Shortcomings:
- No midi time clock
- the first loop sets the lenght of the entire loop (you can't play an eight bar bass hook and improvise about it for minutes AND record it)
- After recording a loop and improvise over it, you can't change the balance in volume between the two parts and you can't go back to the origin and re-record the second loop...
The best looper (for my purposes) is the EHX 45000. But it is expensive if you buy the footcontroler and you have to.
It's a kind of digital four-track recorder besides being just a looper and it has midi and it has four separate tracks. But still the lenght of the first track sets the lenght of the entire track...
EHX has a newer model that allows different track lenght (multiplying the lenght of the first track), but NO midi...
Out of the budget loopers I really like the Digitech Stereo Jamman (< 200,-). The handling is easy and it has a mic-preamp.
But again: if you buy a looper, set your priorities and make sure it does what you want it too - and don't suppose it will do it anyway 'cause it is self-evident. It isn't.
Adamixoye
A PT Pro is cool for worship, right?
- Apr 9, 2012
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For me MIDI clock was a huge priority. The Infinity does this, really only the Boomerang and the top-level Boss units do as well that I am aware of.
If you're looking for a straight up looper for live work then the Boomerang III is (IMO) hands down the finest one available. You have 3 loops straight out the box, you can get a fourth if required and you can have the loops synced or independent of one another.
If you want delay capabilities as well I really enjoyed the Boss DD20 I had before it went out on permanent loan to a friend. Not had it very long but the Strymon El Capistan is impressing me as well, the Sound on Sound works very nicely.
If you want delay capabilities as well I really enjoyed the Boss DD20 I had before it went out on permanent loan to a friend. Not had it very long but the Strymon El Capistan is impressing me as well, the Sound on Sound works very nicely.
For a seriously simple, tiny jam-worthy looper (not sure I'd use it extensively in a live situation, but only because I haven't tried that yet) the Hotone Wally is nice. Cheap too.
i love my ditto stereo looper. super simple, great sound quality, and you can save and export/import loops.
Does nobody like the Empress Tape Delay Superdelay, Strymon El Capistan, or EQD Disaster Transport?
