Which Looper/Delay pedal to buy

[jeremy_green]

Hey All,

 

I am about to buy a delay/looper pedal and am not sure which is the best. My main goal is a performance friendly pedal that I can use to build loops on the fly as well as a simple delay lead setting, maybe the odd special effect. My thing is keeping my signal chain clean. I really am a traditionalist with regards to tone and quite picky about it.

 

I have looked at (online) the electro Harmonix SMM w/hazarai, The Line6 DL4 (green thing I think that is the name) and the Boss one.

 

What do you guys think, I know there are more out there than that. Is there any one that blew the others away in your opinion?

 

Thanks all

[ChuckNorris1982]

The Line 6 has the best looper, the Electro Harmonix has the best delay sound quailty, and the Boss is probably the best all rounder.

 

Tough choice for what you want, but I'd be choosing between the EH and the Boss if I were you.

[King Loudness]

Eventide TimeFactor/

[ChuckNorris1982]

I'D SAY THAT'S DEFINITELY OVERKILL FOR WHAT THE op WANTS. pLUS, AM i CORRECT IN SAYING YOU CAN'T USE THE DELAY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE LOOPER?

[The Villano Dude]

try the akai headrush if you don't need too much recording time (40 secs...) it is really easy to use

[thebloodbrother]

if you want to go cheapish then get the dl-4. I've owned both the smmh and the dl-4 and the dl-4 had better looping, better sounding delays, and it's more user friendly then the smmh.

[rossowj]

how is the headrush's looper compared to the dl4?

[AaronF]

I like the Headrush's looper better than the DL4 in that it doesn't have that tiny lag between when you hit the pedal to start looping and when it actually starts. Also, you can control if you want the loops to be quieter than when you recorded them, or the same volume. It also has a switch for longer or shorter loops. KT Tunstall uses 2 Headrush pedals, I believe.

[SpectralJulian]

there is no lag on the SMMH. The light doesn't go solid, but it is recording as soon as you hit the switch

 

Oh wait you're talking about the DL4.

 

I like the SMMH looper because you can manipulate it a lot.

[rossowj]

yeah but you have to hold it down to record which is annoying.

 

Do you hold down the switch to record on the headrush? or just tap it?

 

can you loop in delay mode with the headrush, like the smmh, or is it like the dd-20 in that you have to be on sos mode?

 

and then what about the dl4? (both of those questions, thanks)

[SpectralJulian]

I don't find that holding down the switch is annoying, I find it more intuitive. Less foot movement to end the loop. I don't have to anticipate it as much.

 

Also it means that it only has to have two switches while maintaining true bypass and be able to record loops while in delay modes.

[ChuckNorris1982]

The DL4 has basic delay capabilities whilst looping, but not tap tempo or anything, and it's only the digital delay mode.

 

SMMH you can still use tap tempo whilst looping, and you can use any delay mode also.

[ChuckNorris1982]

What the {censored}?

[rossowj]

I don't find that holding down the switch is annoying, I find it more intuitive. Less foot movement to end the loop. I don't have to anticipate it as much. Also it means that it only has to have two switches while maintaining true bypass and be able to record loops while in delay modes.

 

 

hmm never really thought of it that way.

 

have you had any experience with the headrush?

[salo]

Smm/h-> you can record with any kind of delay, you can overdub with any other kind of delay, and you can manipulate it with nearly endless capabilities, and also the one best sounding digital delay,and it does great reverb, and chorus/flanger...etc etc:blah:

[hilikus8]

Smm/h-> you can record with any kind of delay, you can overdub with any other kind of delay, and you can manipulate it with nearly endless capabilities, and also the one best sounding digital delay,and it does great reverb, and chorus/flanger...etc etc:blah:

 

 

Can I power it with my One-spot powering another 4 pedals? (including two delays)

[SpectralJulian]

umm you can but it might be noisy, that's a lot of amperage getting shared.

[hilikus8]

umm you can but it might be noisy, that's a lot of amperage getting shared.

 

 

Oh ok, is it 9v? meaning can I power it with a regular boss or ibanez adapter?

[Belt]

I've owned the DD-20, headrush E2, DL4, and I have come to realize that I need a dedicated looper. I just got a Boss RC20XL and love it. I still have delay issues, but the looping is taken care of.

[dacama]

Dude don't get a SMMH...no presets = bad.

 

I have a dl4, dd20 and timefactor...and for what you want I'd say the DL-4. Fantastic pedal.

As far as my delay is concerned...I'm still debating on whether to buy a Memoryman now or the new XO ones.

[stevemcb]

The headrush can't loop and delay at the same time, and doesn't have a lot of the bells and whistles the others have as far as being a looper. There is a looper comparison chart out there somewhere on the net which someone here maintains and the OP might find helpful.

I love the looper in the Headrush E2, because it's simple, has no lag, does not require bending down/button pressing to change into looper mode (push both footswitches), sounds great and lets you do infinite overdubs, and cut back to just the original loop. All with 2 footswitches. And the delay sounds are nice.

Simplicity is the key for me, and I think it might suit the OP.

Steve

[Holey Lint Trap]

Dude don't get a SMMH...no presets = bad. I have a dl4, dd20 and timefactor...and for what you want I'd say the DL-4. Fantastic pedal. As far as my delay is concerned...I'm still debating on whether to buy a Memoryman now or the new XO ones.

 

 

I thought the SMMH has presets...am I mistaken?

[rossowj]

I thought the SMMH has presets...am I mistaken?

 

 

one and only one, for every mode

[MathiasWilliam]

I love the DL4,

What i love about it is the record and overdub is the same footswtich. So after recording your first loop you can overdub straight away, which you can't on the headrush as you have to press play first.

Love the DL4, love the sound, love the features, just an all round great pedal for looping and delay.

[drasp]

Almost worth owning the E2 & DL4 then keeping the one you like best. I've got both (actually 2x DL4s + 1x E2). Both have their benefits, but as someone pretty new to looping, I find myself using the DL4s a bit more often as I like the 1/2 speed + reverse stuff for building background textures. If you're more into the "one-man-band" stuff, the E2 might do a better job as it lets you strip all the overdubs away & be left with just the original loop which can be really cool. Of course, 2x DL4s also lets you do this. . .