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March 27, 2023 at 11:42 pm #338656
Could anyone suggest a fairly basic(beginner) loop pedal, in the $100-$150 range.
Thanks, Andrew -
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March 28, 2023 at 1:35 am #338658
Andrew
I have owned and used a Boss RC-1 looper for some time. It is the basic unit from Boss for loops and does what it says on the box. I recently upgraded to the much more expensive RC-10R and it is in a whole different league.
If you want a really good one I think the RC-10R will take a bit of beating it has a whole separate rhythm section with drums that can be set to intro to play one or two set rhythms and an outro you can also command fills at any point. Its sound quality is no different from your instrument and the drums etc come alive. It can also very importantly quantise and thus you can make really good quality reproductions. But it is simple to use once you get the form and will full proof your looper needs for a very long time and can be used in exactly the same way as the RC1 when simplicity is the order of the day save it is only mains powered and comes with the power supply.
I have no experience of the half way house which is the RC5. I have given my RC1 to a friend who is very appreciative of it but he notes the vast difference in quality and utility of the two.
You will find discussion on them all here in their product videos:-Boss Loopers
https://www.andertons.co.uk/search?search=loopers&facet=ads_f11006_ntk_cs%3A%22Boss%22and the RC-10R
https://www.andertons.co.uk/guitar-dept/guitar-pedals/looper-pedals/boss-rc-10r-loopstation -
March 28, 2023 at 9:59 am #338663
If you’re willing to consider more pricy pedals, have a look at the DigiTech Trio+.
It’s a loop pedal, but with a full rhythm section (drums and bass) in many different genres and styles. The pedal has a subset of Band In A Box inside.
It is very useful. -
March 28, 2023 at 2:59 pm #338669
I prefer loop pedals that have a separate foot switch for on and off. Otherwise it takes a double tap to stop your loop. Also, loop pedals that have built-in drum tracks will allow you to sync your on and off taps with the beat. Otherwise, if you don’t step on the switch at exactly the right moment, your loop will be out of sync with the beat. The basic Boss RC-3 will do it (as long as you use the optional extra foot switch), as will several other loopers. The Boss RC-30 has two switches built in. The RC-300 has 6 switches and dozens of drum tracks.
Sunjamr Steve
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March 28, 2023 at 7:42 pm #338676
Steve
Just to clarify the quantise point I made allows for a synchronous status and the display changes from Green and red to blue and red on the RC-10R and syncs the loop to the track. All very clever. You can of course support another foot switch on it too from the control port socket for a single tap stop and more. But once you have the hang of it it’s pretty straightforward to control.
JohnStrat-
March 29, 2023 at 3:55 pm #338711
Yeh, I think the RC-10R is the way to go for most people, but I still hate the double tap for stop. As the famous Sweet Brown once said, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”
Sunjamr Steve
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March 30, 2023 at 4:46 am #338730
On the Trio+ there’s only one switch but the pedal remembers what state it is in so you only need one foot tap. If you’re a few microseconds late, the embedded software will automatically adjust and sync. I am often suspicious of stuff that wants to be too clever, but in this case I have to admit it works very well.
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March 29, 2023 at 11:59 pm #338720
Thanks for the advice/information. I’m a little over my head on this stuff. It sounds like separate switches for on and off are the way to go, but are there any basic pedals with this feature, or do most pedals just have a single switch. Thanks Andrew
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March 30, 2023 at 7:06 am #338736
Andrew they are probably out there but I cant tell you which they are but what I will say is that you very soon get used to the arragnement of single or double taping and as Jean-Michel has noted the software sorts out the cut off time exactly so that is not a problem. Yes its a little puzzle to start with but very soon overcome. I know it is more than your budget indication but the RC-10R is a very worhtwhile unit whcih should future proof you fro quite a while, should you choose to go that way. Here is a link to PMT a British outlet with a video of an RC-5 v RC-10R v RC-500. You can currently, but it wont last long get the 500 for much the same price as the RC-10R as it has now been superceeded by the new RC-600 and stocks are being sold off to make way fro the later 600 version. So that might be soemthing to look out for if the pedal issue seems to be a stumbiling block.
Re complication of use, the thing is to learn to use it in stages so initially just use the basice loop to record yourself a simple part and then move on up the machine as you get the hang of it which will come quickly in my opinion. One point is the Boss instructions are not the most informative in the world but the kit is excellent and there is a mass of help for any of their products on the web as they are part of Roland PLC.
PMT video
Some user comment:-
https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/boss-rc-10r-vs-rc-5.2245890/
I hope that helps
JohnStrat
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March 30, 2023 at 11:48 pm #338776
Thanks for that John !
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April 11, 2023 at 7:53 pm #340545
Hello,
Finally got my first loop pedal.. It’s a TC Electronics Ditto stereo loop pedal. Super simple to use, can record I think 5 to 6 minutes plus add a lot of tracks, can connect to computer with usb jack. It is 24 bit cd quality compared to the Boss Rc1 16bit, the Ditto sound quality is better.
Under 200$ from Amazon, but you could probably find used?
Cheers.
Patrick -
May 20, 2023 at 9:25 am #343563
Andrew, I know this thread is sorta old but I bought a Lekato looper pedal for under $50 from Amazon. It has a single button which I got used to immediately since it was my first looper pedal.
It has 9 loops with I believe 10 minutes each and overdubbing. It has USB so I can download/upload mp3’s if I want to. No drums or anything else, just a looper. I figured it was so inexpensive I would buy another one if I needed more features…it’s still my only looper.
Did you ever wind up buying a looper and, if so, which did you get?
Joe
The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge
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