Looper

[macoshark]

I like my Boss rc1. You can store about a 100 loops with it and it has a drum machine iwth 10 or so different beats. Once you lay down your rythym guitar you can go over that and do you leads. I does a lot more that I need to dicover. I see them here on Craigs for $100 usually and well worth it. get the instruction manual but it's probably online.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by macoshark

I like my Boss rc1. You can store about a 100 loops with it and it has a drum machine iwth 10 or so different beats. Once you lay down your rythym guitar you can go over that and do you leads. I does a lot more that I need to dicover. I see them here on Craigs for $100 usually and well worth it. get the instruction manual but it's probably online.

I had a RC-1 for a while. I've never seen one that had any ability to store loops other than the current one in use.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by macoshark

I like my Boss rc1. You can store about a 100 loops with it and it has a drum machine iwth 10 or so different beats. Once you lay down your rythym guitar you can go over that and do you leads. I does a lot more that I need to dicover. I see them here on Craigs for $100 usually and well worth it. get the instruction manual but it's probably online.

Originally Posted by Rudy4

I had a RC-1 for a while. I've never seen one that had any ability to store loops other than the current one in use.

Sounds like the RC3 or the newer RC5. The RC1 doesn't store loops. I had (still have, but not in use) an RC3 that did everything I needed and a LOT of stuff I didn't need. But it was pretty slow to navigate through the stored banks to either find a specific loop or to find the first empty slot to start recording into - by the time I found an empty bank, I'd often lost the rhythm I'd wanted to record into it. So I had a Ditto in front of it a an always empty loop to use spontaneously, and then I'd copy stuff I wanted to keep into an available bank on the RC3. AND I also had a double foot switch to get around the RC3 more easily. It worked for me, but all rather cumbersome. Tried the EHX 720 but the overall time wasn't enough and not enough loops - I ran up against it a number of times and initially couldn't figure out why it wouldn't record.

I recently got a Donner Circle looper that has 40 memory banks (I've never needed more than about 20-25 or so, so the 100 on the RC3 was way overkill). It also has a VERY fast and easy way to navigate between the banks. It has a much more powerful (or at least diverse) drummer setup than the RC3, which I never used before and after playing around with this one, still don't. It's got two buttons which I don't find much advantage to, but it's not a BAD thing. And it's got a fade out option, which I really like. So now, rather than three separate looper-related pedals on my board, I'm back to one slightly oversized one (but smaller than the 1440) - it does everything I want, some things I don't want, but it was a nice streamlining. Maybe someday I'll get around to selling the RC3 and Ditto...

-Ray

[Rudy4]

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the quick overview of the Donner Circle. It looks like they took a lot of the features of the EHX 1440 in their design. The Donner is certainly a lower cost option.

It looks similar in size, although that might not be the case.

One thing that all the manufacturers miss the mark on is the display size. They seem to forget that loopers are generally used several feet from the eyes of the user. For us "more distinguished" users those tiny little displays are hard to see!

The display size would be particularly easy for manufacturers to increase in products that use LCD screens. I recently purchased a Zoom Livetrak L-8 recorder and the most obvious drawback is the tiny display screen.

[Revy]

Sal,

I have an RC-1, RC-3, EHX 720, Ditto Jam 2X, and a Pigtronix Infinity. For your application I would highly recommend an RC-1 with an external FS-5U footswitch. The greatest thing about the RC-1, is that you can see where you are in a loop, all the time. That's a super nice feature. When you add the external footswitch, you don't have to double tap to stop. Tap the footswitch once to quit recording, stop the footswitch once to stop playing. If you need the ability to store loops, go with the RC-3. I download my drum tracks from my computer to my RC-3.
I use the EHX 720 on my electric board. But the footswitch is a little more touchy. Plus I didn't have it long and my selector switch failed. But I just use it as it is.
Good luck with your decision.
REV

[SalFromChatham]

Thanks all... I went with the RC-1. I wanted simplicity, and am just very comfortable with the Boss Brand (I have a BD-2, Compressor/Sustainer, and TU-3).

I see me just practicing with it at home, and not gigging with it.

[Pdfiddler]

Boss RC-3 with foot switch here.

[1stGuitar]

TC Electronic Looper Ditto 2x. Simple, lots of nice features, not a ton of money. Needs a 9v plug/power supply, but other than that a solid looper pedal.

[dnf777]

Originally Posted by letterk

I have a Ditto. Simple, works great. I prefer to use it over the looper in my Helix.

Same here. The ditto is kind of the original design for simple looping. One button and a volume knob. I also have a Boss RC-5, but rarely use anything except the one button and volume knob, so there ya go. (Im not capable of multiple and split layering of loops, that the extra buttons and knobs allow)

[upsidedown]

Originally Posted by dnf777

Same here. The ditto is kind of the original design for simple looping. One button and a volume knob. I also have a Boss RC-5, but rarely use anything except the one button and volume knob, so there ya go. (Im not capable of multiple and split layering of loops, that the extra buttons and knobs allow)

Beside the point, as the OP already chose a Boss, but my experience with Ditto is as follows; bought one in November for my son. Gave it to him at Xmas. He used it a few times, then forgot about it till a year or so later, at which time it no longer worked and was out of warranty.

Bought a Boss and never looked back.

[rockymtnguitar]

I just bought a Boss RC1. It seems reasonably straightforward to use, which is important to me. I'm happy with it.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by rockymtnguitar

I just bought a Boss RC1. It seems reasonably straightforward to use, which is important to me. I'm happy with it.

Good choice. I started with the RC1; it works well and will certainly provide you with a lot of good clean fun to decide if you really enjoy looping and want to move up the food chain. Probably the most often changed parameter for basic looper use is changing the order of looper operation when you step on your button. Many users prefer the looper to go from "record" to "play" instead of the factory order of "record" to "record new pass". This is in your manual and it's pretty easy to change the button action order to find what works best for you.

I used my RC1 for a few months and then moved on to an EHX-720 when I realized I really liked looping but would like to store several and not have to clear my previous work to do a new loop.

Later still I realized that the 10 storage slots and 12 minutes total loop time of the EHX-720 was still not quite enough. Luckily EHX released the EHX-1440 which gave me 23 minutes of loop time, 20 storage slots, adjustable fade times on each of the stored loops (a very nice feature) as well as an easier to use display and menu system.

The EHX-1440 does everything I need a looper to do and I've reached the point where I don't require any other additional features, storage slots, or loop time. I often use mine to "record" entire songs start to finish to play along to. That's a big advantage of having additional loop time available.

Enjoy your new toy!

[GoPappy]

Originally Posted by raysachs

. . .

I recently got a Donner Circle looper that has 40 memory banks (I've never needed more than about 20-25 or so, so the 100 on the RC3 was way overkill). It also has a VERY fast and easy way to navigate between the banks. It has a much more powerful (or at least diverse) drummer setup than the RC3, which I never used before and after playing around with this one, still don't. It's got two buttons which I don't find much advantage to, but it's not a BAD thing. And it's got a fade out option, which I really like. So now, rather than three separate looper-related pedals on my board, I'm back to one slightly oversized one (but smaller than the 1440) - it does everything I want, some things I don't want, but it was a nice streamlining. Maybe someday I'll get around to selling the RC3 and Ditto...

-Ray

Ray, how are you liking your Donner Circle? I'm thinking about getting one.

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by GoPappy

Ray, how are you liking your Donner Circle? I'm thinking about getting one.

I like it - it allowed me to consolidate my looper setup down to one medium size box. I never use the drum stuff, but the looper does everything I want it to. That said, I’m not playing much electric these days and neither of my acoustics have pickups, so I’m not putting it to that much use. But when I do, it does what I want it to…

-Ray

[GoPappy]

Thanks for the update. I'm seriously considering getting one. I've never used a looper, so I'm not sure I'd use the rhythm part very much but you never know. It doesn't hurt to have it.