Best Looper Pedal: Top 5 Picks To Record, Playback, And Overdub!

Welcome to my review of the 5 best looper pedals on the market. Here I’ll show you some of the most intuitive and best-equipped looper pedals to record and playback your loops.

I will help you get the right Looper Pedal for your effects chain while learning how to enjoy looping as you record, playback, and overdub.

Let’s go straight to the 5 best looper pedals to loop your sound!

Quick Overview

Our Top 3 Choices For Best Looper Pedals

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The 5 Best Looper Pedals to Loop Your Sound

#1. Boss RC-1 Loop Station

If you are looking for one of the best looper pedals on the market that is intuitive and easy to use, then look no further. The BOSS RC-1 has been called “Boss’ simplest and most user-friendly Loop Station ever.”

BOSS has been continually releasing new looping products since 2001, when the RC-20 Loop Station was first released.

The RC-1 is an excellent example of that BOSS’s classic quality and performance that is expected and enjoyed by musicians all around the world.

You can enjoy looping with this easy-to-operate looper pedal while you record, playback, overdub, and undo or redo loops.

Let’s mark some important points of this excellent looper pedal:

• The top panel features just a single-level control and a multi-segment circular indicator.
• The circular indicator consists of a 24-segment LED laid out in a circular pattern.
• It cycles in a clockwise direction: red when recording, red/green when overdubbing, and green when playing back.
• This looper pedal has a maximum of 12 minutes of recording time. It can catch any extended performance that you can create within 12 minutes of looping.
• It comes with a set of Press, Double Press, and Press/Hold commands to access play, overdub, stop, and clear functions.
• The undo/redo function can be accessed using the press/hold method while in overdub mode.

The BOSS RC-1 is the first Boss looper pedal that brings the new Loop Indicator. It has shown to be a powerful tool because it’s a totally brilliant idea. It must be only a question of time before this migrates across all models.

It has a single footswitch but allows you to plug in an additional footswitch to give you a dedicated one-touch operation if you find this a little tricky.

This pedal’s default setting is Record/Overdub/Play mode. But you can switch this order to Record/Play/Overdub by powering up the RC-1 while holding down the pedal.

The new 24-segment LED indicates the overall cycle loop length as soon as you’ve recorded a loop. This is a handy tool because it allows you to know exactly where you are in the cycle.

You’ll love this:

1. This looper pedal has two stop modes. By default, it stops the loop if you press the pedal while in play mode. The second stop mode is by pressing it twice quickly to stop at the end of the phrase.
2. The new 24-segment LED indicator displays the current loop mode (Rec/Overdub/Play).
3. It allows you to connect stereo instruments, such as synthesizers.
4. It can run from a 9V battery or with a DC adaptor power supply.
5. You get 12 minutes of stereo recording time.

You might not like this:

1. The single Level knob can create some operational limitations.

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#2. TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper Pedal

If you love the simplicity of the original TC Electronic Ditto Looper but want some more features, the Ditto X2 could be one of the best looper pedals for your taste.

Thanks to its high-quality sound output and its back-to-basic simplicity, the original Ditto Looper was marketed as the guitarist’s looper.

While many other looper manufacturers have produced loopers with difficult to use features, many guitar players see the Ditto as an easy-to-operate and useful tool.

The TC Electronic Ditto brings all the features you need. Nothing is superfluous, just like with the original Ditto Looper.

It has two footswitches, gives you reverse and 1/2 speed effects, and lets you import and export loops and jam tracks to your computer.

What you need to know to operate this Looper Pedal:

• The level knob allows you to control your current loop volume and the level of your backing track. Simply adjust the Level knob to set the volume of your loop.
• The Ditto has two footswitches labeled “Loop” and “FX.”
• Tap The “Loop” footswitch once to begin recording a loop. When you tap the “Loop” footswitch a second time, the X2 will start to play back your loop automatically.
• Pressing and holding the “Loop” footswitch will make it act as an Undo/Redo button allowing you to subtract and add back your last overdub.
• Tapping the “Loop” footswitch twice will stop it from playing. The additional “FX” footswitch can also act as a dedicated stop button with one press.
• If you press and hold the “Loop” footswitch, it will clear the recording so that you can start a new one.
• The “FX” switch lets you control three onboard effects: “Reverse,” “1/2 Speed,” and “Stop.” By setting the “FX” selector to one of the three positions, you can activate the first effect the footswitch controls.
• To activate the other effect, you must double-tap the “FX” footswitch. If you want to undo one of the effects, just move the Selector to that effect and tap the “FX” footswitch again.
• When the Selector switch is assigned to the Stop position, a single tap of the “FX” footswitch will stop your current loop.
• Pressing and holding the “FX” footswitch in this mode will clear the current loop.

The Ditto X2 gives you up to five minutes of recording time. You get unlimited overdubs, analog dry-through, 24-bit audio, and notably faithful sound reproduction.

You get 8 free backing tracks from jamtrackcentral.com when you purchase a Ditto. To load the backing tracks, sign up for an account at jamtrackcentral.com.

To download the free backing tracks, connect your Ditto to your computer and load them onto your Ditto with the included USB cable.

If you want to save some recorded loops for later use, you just need to store them by pushing the “Store / Backing Track Level” switch up on the Ditto. Then connect it to your computer and drag your loop from the track folder to another folder.

You’ll love this:

1. The Ditto features true bypass with analog-dry-through. The looper will not add any noise to your pedalboard while securing signal high quality.
2. It has stereo inputs and outputs, which can be set up in a few different ways. For example, you could use the stereo outs to send a signal to two different amps.
3. It can run from a 9V battery or with a DC adaptor power supply.

You might not like this:

1. It would be nice to have a built-in metronome or drum.

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#3. Boss RC-300 Loop Station

If you want a Loop Station with everything you could really need, you better check the Boss RC-300. This little monster of 21 inches wide and 9 inches from front to back is stuffed with familiar looper pedal features.

It also includes great innovations like standard 99 internal memory locations, with three tracks stored in each.

It also features sample-like play, reverses playback, tempo-shifting functions, auxiliary inputs, different stop modes, rhythm tracks, and undo/redo functionality.

The RC-300 brings different outputs for subs and guitar amps. It will let you prepare a great variety of loops and then easily manipulate the loops on stage.

Let’s see some of the most interesting innovations of this Station:

• The RC-300 internal memory offers enough space for 3 hours of stereo recording, and it can also be connected to your computer via a USB cable.
• The huge internal memory allows you to export your entire loop collection to your computer.
• The station houses eight-foot pedals and an expression pedal, all in a rugged metal station construction.
• It has made it easy to switch between tracks by giving each one a dedicated “Record/Play/Overdub” and “Stop” pedal.
• There is also a single pedal you can use to start and stop playback of all three tracks simultaneously.
• Another most notable addition is its built-in effects. It allows you to add effects like flanger, phaser, pitch-bend, chorus, tremolo, distortion, and delay to your recordings.

The RC-300 has a transpose function, enabling you to alter the recordings’ pitch without changing the tempo.

The effects on this station can be set up for use with any of the three available tracks. So, when you activate an effect, the effect will only apply to the specified track.

The station comes stocked with 23 rhythm backing tracks available for 4/4 time, including rock, funk, swing, R & B, and some other musical styles.

You’ll love this:

1. The station offers many features, options, effects, plenty of rhythm support, and useful tools.
2. It will let you prepare a variety of loops and then easily manipulate them on stage.
3. It delivers maximum sound quality and zero artificial audio.
4. The options for output imply that you can get a real full band sound.
5. The large memory signifies that you can store more than enough data on it.

You might not like this:

1. Despite the multitude of pedals on the unit, some things still require your fingers to operate.
2. To master the RC-300, you will need to study its manual.

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#4. Pigtronix Infinity Looper Pedal

The Pigtronix Infinity Looper Pedal may be the best choice for live performances, especially bands with more than one looper.

A guitarist and a bass player can use both plugs into the same looper and sync their loops together. This looper seems to be a very innovative product only promised by other looper manufacturers.

The Infinity is like a two-player looper. There are two outputs so that both players can use different amps from the same unit.

The drummer can use the auxiliary output to connect a monitor. We can say that Pigtronix had a complete band in mind when they designed the Infinity Looper Pedal.

Let’s see some of the innovations that the Infinity Looper Pedal has to show:

• At the bottom of the Infinity, there are three strong metallic footswitches. The middle and right ones control loops one and two, and the left allows you to stop and clear your loops.
• Each stereo loop allows you to individually record, start, stop, overdub, undo and redo.
• Each loop has independent volume control via a pair of knobs, and you can control overall volume by plugging in an expression pedal.
• The Infinity can work connected to an external MIDI clock, allowing you to start recording or playing, switch loops, and stop playback in time. Moreover, you can manage it remotely with the MIDI controller.
• It enables the possibility of blending electronic music with live instruments. So, if you’re creating loops in a software program, the Pigtronix Infinity provides sample-accurate MIDI sync.
• It has two stereo loops, the length of which is only limited by the size of your SD card. So you can store numerous hours of stereo recording time.
• You’re limited to nine save slots, one of which, the Blank Canvas, is impossible to overwrite.

With other loopers, you usually had to make your first loop your longest loop. If you had other loops to program, you would have to match them to the length of your first loop.

But with the Pigtronix Infinity, your second loop can be anywhere from 1 to 6 times the length of your first loop.

You can also set up these loops to play sequentially or control which loops play with a pedal tap. Pigtronix has released a remote switch that allows you to control the undo/redo function.

You’ll love this:

1. Two stereo inputs and outputs allow band members to sync loops perfectly.
2. It’s a well-stocked looper without lag and degradation in tone.
3. Nine preset slots provide easy access to your loops or transfer audio files.
4. The Infinity does everything you would expect from a looper.
5. Loops length is limited only by the SD card size.

You might not like this:

1. You need the additional remote switch to undo/redo, despite the ample space on the pedal.

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#5. Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper Pedal

The Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper Pedal may be the perfect option for those guitar players migrating from large, multi-track looping options.

It is a powerful and complete looper pedal built in a compact box of 4.75 inches (121 mm) length from top to bottom and 4 inches (102 mm) width.

The 720’s layout is formed by the footswitches occupying the bottom half of the pedal and dials and buttons along the top half.

It has a basic display screen in the top right and a “Level” and “Mode/Loop” dial. It also brings a “Stop/FX” footswitch in addition to the core “Loop” footswitch.

Under the dials, there are two push-buttons with red LED lights, which allow activating the reverse and half-speed effects.

Let’s see the procedure to record and play a loop with this pedal:

1. You first select an empty memory location.
2. Hit the “Loop” footswitch to start recording.
3. Play the first loop that you’ll build the rest on, like a riff or chord progression.
4. After that, hit “Loop” again when you’re done to start playback.
5. Then repeat the process for any overdubs.

The 720 lets you record as many overdubs as you like as with most loopers. It allows you to set it up to go directly into overdub mode when you hit the footswitch for the second time.

The main footswitch controls the essential undo/redo function on the looper, which allows you to erase and bring back your last overdub layer.

You can activate this by pressing the “Loop” footswitch and holding it down for two seconds while your loop is playing back.

The second footswitch controls STP and FX (onboard effects) depending on your setting. You can stop playback with a double-tap of the main “Loop” footswitch, but the “Stop” footswitch does it with a single press.

If you double-tap the second footswitch, it will pause your loop’s playback so you can resume (by pressing the “Loop” footswitch) from where you left off.

You’ll love this:

1. The Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper offers a bit more than older models, with more functionality and user-friendliness.
2. It is one of the most simple and compact loopers on the market.
3. You get a lot of variety in a small package.

You might not like this:

1. Live players probably need something richer in features.

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Best Looper Pedals Most Asked Questions

What is the easiest looper pedal to use?

The easiest looper pedal to use may be the Boss RC-1 Loop Station. Thanks to its simple control layout, it is a simple looper that is easy to operate.

With the easy-to-operate controls, you can enjoy looping while you record, playback, overdub, and undo or redo loops.

This pedal holds the BOSS quality and performance that musicians expect. It is really intuitive to operate thanks to its indicator on the top panel.

This consists of a 24-segment LED laid out in a circular pattern that will enable you to quickly and easily determine the Rec/Overdub/Play modes’ current status.

What looper pedal does Ed Sheeran use?

Ed Sheeran uses the BOSS RC-30 Looping Pedal in most of his live performances, and he’s probably the most recognized BOSS RC-30 user right now.

The BOSS RC-30 became an essential on-stage tool for Ed. It is a fantastic tool for any singer-songwriter who wants to enrich his performance.

Roland themselves believes that he is “A master of looping on the cusp of greatness.” Ed moved into more complex looping fields after many years touring with a huge custom pedalboard called “The Chewie Monsta.”

This is not an FX pedal. It is more like a pedalboard controller that Ed uses to manipulate a Roland FC300 MIDI-Controller, which is placed off-stage. His crew describes this as the “brain behind the looping system.”

What is the best cheap loop pedal?

The best cheap loop pedal may be the Looper from Lekato. With a price of approx $50-60, this is probably the best value for money you can find on the market.

The Lekato Looper has a solid aluminum alloy construction that affirms the durability of the device. It is a supermini size pedal with a versatile and easy-to-use design.

It provides uncompressed high-quality performance and produces 24-bit loops. The Analog-Dry-Through design also makes the dry sound pass-through and remains purely unchanged.

It has only one on/off knob beside the ‘level’ knob. The sound quality beats any other cheap looper found under such a price range.

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Top Picks

Welcome to my Top Picks section. Here I’ll show you my selection of the best looper pedals available today. I’ll choose three looper pedals that have shown to be the most prominent ones according to my taste.

3rd Place: Boss RC-300 Loop Station

2nd Place: TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper

Winner: Boss RC-1 Loop Station

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Conclusion

In this article, I have shown you my analysis of 5 outstanding Looper Pedals from a great variety to help you get the right Looper Pedal for you.

You could see how entertaining it can be to Record, Overdub, and Play with one of these little marvels.

I hope you have enjoyed this article where I tried to show you the most important aspect of these effect pedals. Now you can choose the best looper pedal according to your needs.