Line 6, Digitech, Boss, Akai, and boutique pedal makers such as Zvex all make loop pedals or stations. I know EHX has made some in the past, but I have never found a looping pedal that I liked.

Most are over-engineered with canned “jam sessions”, unnecessary drum “beats”, and are prohibitively expensive. All that is needed is a simple layout, perhaps 4 stomp-switches with the following functions, and a record time of 10-20 minutes total.

Record
Overdub
Undo
Clear All
Half Speed
Reverse
Stop/Start
Save Phrase (add to some kind of memory library, maybe up to 10 saves)
Select Phrase (I.e. change between user-recorded phrases)

Volume Knob, knob for selecting phrases (a switch for that would be better)

1/4 inch IN and OUT
XLR IN
Aux 1/4 inch IN
Expression pedal IN (for volume control)

9 functions, with record and overdub being essentially the same function, divided between 4 switches. Simple, easy layout for live or home use, with good recording time. If you can make it cheaper than say a Line 6 DL4 (cheapest with only 14 seconds of loop!),
you will sell millions and win millions of hearts and minds with a reasonable, quality product without the pretentious, useless functions of your competitors.

I don’t care if Eric Clapton recorded layla as a preset “jam”. I’d like to record my own jams.

Thanks, Love EHX! (proud owner of Big Muff, Dr. Q, and Switchblade)

^note: the 10-20 minutes is based on typical record times for competing products. The DL4 only has 14 seconds and is probably the closest to what I’m describing. If this had even a full minute per track it would be a blessing. Heck, even four to ten tracks of one minute each, like the 2880, but more useable live. Mixdown isn’t what I’m looking for, I need something that can be used primarily with the feet.

not to forget - stereo!!!

Hello All,

A possibility would be the 2880 with a footboard to do all the things that live looping requires. I’m not sure what the total recording time on the 2880 is but I’m sure it’s up there in the clouds. I believe the new Boomerang is stereo but I don’t know enough about it to know how it works for live work. I subscribe to a looper email group & I rarely hear anyone mention the Boomerang. I also think that if the EHX brainiacs put their brainy heads together they could come up with the best looping pedal setup ever. My main hope would be a pedal with room enough for us big feet people ( 13 EEEE for me ). I always have trouble hitting the right switch without involving several other due to the real estate on the soles of my shoes. An LED showing exactly what is going on while looping would be nice too, but that may be asking for too much.

crazy! I hadn’t seen this topic and was gonna post the same thing

but I just want a simple looper pulled straight from the memory man w/ hazarai.

bypass switch record/start switch ability to slow down/speed up to different pitches to do bass lines.

nothing to fancy enough to get the job done on a budget.

LPJunior - 11 March 2010 04:41 PM

crazy! I hadn’t seen this topic and was gonna post the same thing

but I just want a simple looper pulled straight from the memory man w/ hazarai.

bypass switch record/start switch ability to slow down/speed up to different pitches to do bass lines.

nothing to fancy enough to get the job done on a budget.

The SMM does all these things, so you got your wish!

Folkstone57 - 11 March 2010 06:15 PM

LPJunior - 11 March 2010 04:41 PM

crazy! I hadn’t seen this topic and was gonna post the same thing

but I just want a simple looper pulled straight from the memory man w/ hazarai.

bypass switch record/start switch ability to slow down/speed up to different pitches to do bass lines.

nothing to fancy enough to get the job done on a budget.

The SMM does all these things, so you got your wish!

yeah, but JUST the looper, but I know I’m being picky, definatley gonna pick up a hazarai, when I have some more money,

just bought a cathedral and loving it.

@OP- you know the 2880 does pretty much everything you described right? I mean, the only thing it doesn’t do is the expression pedal for volume [although you can fake it with a volume pedal and a little creative panning/pre-planning]

I wish EHX would have made L/R channel muting [or even track selectable muting] part of the foot controller though- the octave/reverse stuff isn’t really usable outside of a studio setting.

since they made the iron lung from the v256, i think they can make a simple nano 2880. maybe a 28.80

and it can take floppy discs instead of CF cards

i havent even seen a floppy disk in the past year let alone think about one

I have a floppy-midi-player, to run drumcomputers and such^^

Who ever KNOWS about a 2880 that despite “knowing” how good is, they’d settle with DigiKord

OP: it’s almost like you’ve posted your concept without ever hearing of EHX’s 2880 Multi-Track Looper?
EHX does make a Looper pedal, and trust me, the 2880 absolutely crushes all of the other manufacturers models you referenced to.  I have compared them all (owning most) and NOTHING compares to the 2880 in regards to intuitiveness, sound quality, build quality and creative companionship.  They only thing it is lacking is an internal memory bank for songs…. but unlike the other models you mentioned, the 2880 accommodates up to 2GB CF cards which is like hours of recording.  Then, you can pull them right out and back them up on your computer, not to mention be listening to WAV file Mix down files of the loops you created (my iTunes has about 100 songs from my 2880 on it).  I wouldn’t trade the removable memory concept for any other and assume it was a decision to use CF with better judgment.

I’m sorry for sounding so harsh, but I wouldn’t even spit on the other models you mentioned after using the 2880 for a while now.  I own the Zvex Loop Junky which is a brilliant pedal for what it does, but really it’s a niche, gimmick pedal that specializes in degrading the signal to lo-fi.

I would summarize by saying…. yeah, you had a nice conceptual checklist going, but have apparently, completely overlooked the 2880.

I’ve been live looping with various pieces of gear over the past 5 years. Just thought I’d let ya know that you can half the DL4 before recording your first loop to get 28 secs. But at half quality;)

I’ve tried the boss pedals, but low end models lack midi, and the flagship only records at 44.1. I would love to say I settled on the 2880, but in the end I went with Ableton Live 8, and an Audio Kontrol soundcard from Native Instruments. This gives me 2 ins (vox/gtr) and 4 outs (tracks, IEM, gtr, and vocoder carrier witch feeds my VoiceBox).

Check out http://www.reverbnation.com/theghostmachina for some audio demos of my live looping.. All songs recorded live, no overdubs. Unfortunetly, these songs were recorded before I replaced my Boss pedals with EHX. I’ll be re-recording newer versions, with video, very soon. Just waiting on my HOG to arrive!

Hope this helps.

Matt (The Ghost Machina)

Ernie Ball Stereo Volume Pedal
Dunlop DimeBag Signature CryBaby
Marshall Guv’ner
EHX Lil Big Muff Pi
EHX Micro Metal Muff
EHX Dr. Q
EHX POG2
Digitech Whammy
EHX Deluxe Memory Boy w/expression
MXR Phase 90
Boss DD-3
Boss Giga Delay DD-20
EHX VoiceBox

i think it would be great if ehx could make a simpler looper, that is more practical to bring around to gigs. It may not have as much to offer as the 2880, but an ehx performance looper would be awesome! im thinking something like the looper on the line 6 dl4, but with more loop recording time. There would be a button for rec/overdub and a play/stop button and maybe a reverse and all that kind of unnessisary stuff