First Looper Peddle

Hi Guys,

Looking to get my first looper peddle any ideas where to start and what is a good starter not looking to break the bank and are they a good idea?

welcome feedback

thanks

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Hi Amanda, yes getting a looper is a great idea. Without breaking the bank something like a Boss RC-1 or Ditto may be a good starter looper. I’m sure a few folk on here have used them and will give you better advice based on usage of them. It may help giving a budget as there may be ones slightly more expensive but give more value for money without breaking the bank.

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I was actually asking myself the same, so I am very curious for the answer! :smiley:

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Hi Amanda, hope all’s well!
I’ve got a TC Electronic Ditto+ which is very good. I’ve barely scratched the surface with it but now I’m through the blues module am planning on taking advantage much more with looping a blues progression and soloing over the top.
It’s got large memory bank, 99 tracks and unlimited overdubs, jargon that frankly doesn’t matter too much at my stage but for what I’ve used it for so far it’s been good!

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Thanks for the response, as to budget that’s a tricky question its chicken and egg not sure what they entry level is and what high end is but think is about 100 UKP maybe +/- 10/20 if something is just a bit better and worth the extra dont want to spend this sort of money and find out should have brought x for bit more :roll_eyes:

Thanks again

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I also have the Ditto. It works well and sounds good to me. Some people suggest getting the Ditto X2 which has two control buttons which they say makes it easier to start and stop playing and recording. I’ve found the single button fine, once you get the hang of it.

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Thanks Mark will take a look at this also :+1:

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2nd Part of my stupid questions does a looper peddle go between the amp and guitar or in the effects loop?

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When I read various reviews on loopers, it was a common theme that a looper with two buttons / pedals was a LOT easier to learn on, no double tapping as you have with a single button / pedal so I bought the Ditto+ and had no problem learning it and getting comfortable with it.

It was great for helping me work out the timing on a riff I was learning.

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Hard for me to comment as I learned on the single button Ditto and found it fairly straight-forward.

Note that the Ditto+ is the single button looper, the two button product is the Ditto X2.

I assume UKP is GBP. The basic single button loopers, eg Ditto+, Boss RC-1 come in under GBP100. The two button Ditto X2 is GBP159 at Anderton’s.

You could also consider a Boss RC-5 that adds some built in drum rhythms.

Beyond that you have loop stations that allow multiple loops to be started and stopped. The kind of thing somebody like Ed Sheeran might use.

As an aid to learning and fun, the single button looper will serve you well. If budget is not an issue then the two button Ditto worth thinking about. And many people do like the drum rhythms on a looper to aid in playing in time.

Questions are good questions, Amanda, not ‘stupid’.

Many people do recommend that the looper sits in the amp fx loop. Gives best control and options for tone control.

If you don’t have an fx loop then ideally you would want tone shaping pedals to place between the guitar and the looper, to aid in creating layers with more tonal texture and being able to play over the loop with a different tone.

Again depending on budget and what you are wanting to do, a multi fx pedal that comes with a built-in looper may be a good option.

In my case I have no fx loop and no pedals. But I can still get ok results by using my guitar to get different tones on the same amp settings. By changing pickup I use and guitar volume and tone controls I can get a relatively clean rhythm tone recorded in the looper and an ok lead tone to improv over the loop, which is what I use it for.

Hope that helps and keep on asking till you have all the answers and comfort you need and want

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My apologies, it’s the X2 I have.

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That is correct. Looking online Anderton’s is the cheapest and only one that seams to be stocking the Ditto’s. The Ditto + is £75 but you would need to add delivery charge. The Ditto X2 is £159 and next day delivery would be free (orders over £99). The boss RC-1 is £99 and RC-5 is £179. If I recall correctly the Ditto does not come with rhythm and drum machines, it keeps it simple?

If I recall correctly the Boss RC-1 is the same and doesn’t come with rhythm and drum machines and has 12 minutes of stereo recording time whereas the RC-5 I think comes with quite a few rhythm presets and a few different drum kits with a lot more recording time and phrase memories.

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Correct there James, there’s no built in drums or anything in the Ditto although you can upload a drum loop or backing track via USB.

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I’ll add my vote for the Boss RC-1.

Are they a good idea? If you want to practice some lead work and don’t have a practice buddy available, then you can use a looper to play a few bars of backing and then let it loop while you play along. So very useful.

(You can also use them to layer parts for a more coplex sound as well :wink: )

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Thank you all very much for this informative and useful information I will have a read up on the options then see what I would like as to compared what I could do with or afford.
I will keep you informed as to what I manged to purchase and then see what I can do with it lol

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And the benefits in being able to play those few bars with rock solid timing, plus starting and stopping the looper can’t be under estimated. It is not as easy as it sounds.

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I recently got the Boss RC-1 and I’m completely happy with it, very simple but you have a LED circle that lets you know I’m you’re recording and how long the loop goes, also it’s very sturdy, seems to be made to last long!

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Have a look at the Donnor Circle pedal. I have this one, although I haven’t used it much yet. The reviews that I saw were good and it is cheap for a two button pedal with the features it has. https://amzn.to/3ObzMGM

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The Donner circle is a decent well specified looper + drum machine, it would be very worthwhile looking at, plus if you have Amazon prime it’s free delivery.

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I agree about Boss having great products but really like my Ditto X2 by TC Electronics.