Know of a good looper?

[kiramdear]

Hi Mike and friends,

I'm eager to try out and maybe invest in a looper pedal. Which ones are the best to choose from?

Thanks in advance.

[jps]

Our lead guitarist uses this for lots of things in our band.

[kiramdear]

Thanks, Jeff! That one really has all the bells and whistles, it seems.

[jps]

It is pretty amazing what Brian has done with it, for things like the Pink Floyd, Who and Snow Patrol songs we do, along with a lot of personal songs he records on it. Highly recommended.

[winston]

What an amazing rig...............I could become completely absorbed for weeks with that baby.

[jps]

Here is an excellent primer on looping, Kira:

[kiramdear]

Haha, cool one, Jeff. I like Michael Manring and I get his little videos on my facebook. Hadn't seen this one, though. I tried to figure how many loops he has going here - at least four or five at a time, don't you think? He's got some complicated looper there. Very creative player, I like watching his vids.

[jps]

I have seen Michael a few times, great fun to see what goodies he comes up with. Last time was at NAMM in January. Here are a couple photos of him at the Markbass booth:

[kiramdear]

Nice shots. What bass is that?

Well so far it looks like some serious money to get loopy with my sessions. I was hoping to ante in a bit cheaper.

[jps]

That is one of Michael's Zon Sonus Hyperbasses.

There are less expensive versions, it all depends on what you want out of a looper.

Check these out:

http://www.sweetwater.com/c978--Loopers

[kiramdear]

Cool stuff, thanks for your help, Jeff.

[whojamfan]

Kira,
I just got a Boss RC-20 a few months ago, and it really does a great job. Basically, I use it to harmonize lead lines, and continue with rhythm when I take a solo. This box will allow me to duplicate the stuff I record live without needing more guitar players, for the most part anyways. It's the cheapest of the Boss Looping lot, is the size of their standard pedal, and you can plug additional footswitches into it for better live control.
Jeffs suggestion is definitely the Cadillac of the line, with the ability to send the loops to seperate amps and a bazillion storage and trigger options, but it is absolutely far more than I'd ever be able to use. I would imagine it to be perfect for those multilayered guitar lines found on Boston and Queen records, or other applications that require massive looping and synching capabilities. I'd love to check your band out and see someone really use that bad boy!

[kiramdear]

Thanks, Mike, that sounds like what I need. I'm going to keep my eyes open for a good price on one.

[kiramdear]

Digging up this ancient thread because I just bought a Boss RC-2. Simpler than the RC-20, I also got a really good deal on it ($129.99) so I figured it's a nice introduction to the world of looping. If I get really crazy about it I can upgrade to a fancier model, while this one still looks to have plenty of features to keep me busy for a while. Still don't have the foggiest how it works yet - the manual appears clear enough so I just need to jump in and start thrashing about with it, I guess. I'll report back after I've gotten some results ...

[jps]

Got a handle on it yet, Kira? It has been almost an hour, now.