Best Cheap Guitar Looper (2024 Update)

There's a slight learning curve, and all the info isn't in the manual. You have to go to the website, for some things. Other than that, it works great, and the drums sound real, albeit, very loud.gtrman23

lame manual , you better read it 3 or 4 times to understand the china sentence structure… ie: manual better you 4 or 5 times read. understand manual for greater experiance. operation of pedal is show you in manual, please group all related functions to same thought in your mind , scattered thruout whole manual , the functions of pedal to answer all you question, two question dont ask manual.. ……ok ! now thus is an AWESOME pedal.. i love it. the dbl. tap on button to stop is tricky but , still a great buy. but seriously i advise to study the manual because this looper pedal is loaded with lots of great functions. it comes with the extra A/B switching pedalwalletmissing100bucks

Really recommended and the 24 bit gives you a clear transparent sound to what is recorded coming out to main speakers or even your amp speakers. Im a bass player and believe me it tracks very good the bass.omarbluerodz123_1

This pedal was fairly cheap, and it does work, so I dont want to knock that part of it. However, The sound quality is terrible. I saw one review that said, after three or four layers of sound it starts to sound muddy. I feel that was an understatement. A single play back loop sounds muddy to me. Ill still use it to practice with, but Im not very impressed. Save your money, and buy a better quality looper.guitarded5150

I have rarely relied on a loop machine in my 33+ years of performing music. I've had a DigiTec JamMan for a long time but found it too difficult to co-ordinate short phrases into a piece. I used it more with sampling of ambient sound than musical phrases. I've only had the Boss RC-500 for a short time but already find it much easier to use. I haven't even experimented with the percussion aspects but I can see great possibilities. I'm a great fan of Boss and Roland. They make quality , well thought out, aids for musical expression. What a creative company they are, indeed!Ralph

Have not used it live yet. Still getting friendly with it. There are a lot of rhythm patterns to choose from but many of them are very similar. Some of the functions I would have thought would be accessible through MIDI are not, but there are ways to work around most of them. Overall it seems like a great unit for a moderate price. The sound quality is very good. One disappointment is that I had the impression you could download rhythm patterns to replace the ones you don't care to use – you can't download them as rhythms, only as backing tracks. Look for the reference manual (not the owners manual) and study it before you buy if you have specific expectations.Glenn K

I decided to buy a looper last year to use primarily for practice, and for easily capturing ideas and riffs. I settled on the Boss RC-1 and it performed great. The biggest limitation was only being able to capture one idea at a time. I started looking around for something with more memory locations and I found the RC-5 as an upgrade. I am blown away by the included drums and the device's ability to determine the tempo. As a tool for capturing multiple ideas and being able to back them up to a PC, this is perfect. I haven't tested the midi capability yet. I could easily see using this in an actual performance in the future. It's pedalboard-friendly size makes it very easy to carry around.Joe G

Greta produc! well made, easy to use, good clean sound, the ability to overdus loop and store them in 3 banks makes this a great unit for the price!larryaikido

Sonicake is the real deal. These guys design and make solid, great sounding and well-thought-out equipment. This looper is easy to use, compact, and comes with the features youd expect from boxes costing maybe twice as much. Very happy with my purchase and will look to Sonicake for any future needs.jefrey1f

Very easy to use and built like a tank. I had to watch a few demo videos to learn how the controls worked and interacted but it didn't take but a few minutes. Playback quality is very good with tons of storage for created loops. My only issue is with what Boss calls "Drum Tracks". There's only 10 of them and their sound quality is piercing. You can load your own via the usb connection though. Also, it only stores wav files from external sources so converting songs you only have as mp3 etc. to wav is an extra step I could do without. I might just be nitpicking because otherwise it's a great looper with more features than most people will ever need. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.ethan1957

I bought this to compare to my ditto pedal. Its not nearly as simple to use, despite what people say. Okay, it might just be me, but the ditto is more intuitive to use. After you record the first loop, it automatically begins recording the overdub. With the ditto, it goes to pause when you complete a loop. So, yes, its a Boss pedal and built like a tank. But for me, its 50/50 with the ditto. You have to make your own decision about this one.jonaha650

Have been nothing but pleased with the Boss RC-1 loop pedal. I currently use it in conjunction with my Digitech RP1000 and it has really allowed me creative freedom while practicing. I bought this since the RP1000 only has a 20 second looping feature, while this one can go as long as I need. I like how you can easily layer riffs on top of one another, delete when you make mistakes, and stop altogether with just the stomp of the pedal. It's amazing. Nothing else to say. You will not be displeased.lmeach00

I'm a bassist so not huge into the whole pedal game– this little looper is wonderful to play around with. As some other reviews have said, you definitely lose a bit of tone going through it when you record and playback. The build quality is rock solid and feels great. I wouldn't gig with it due to the tone issues/ tinniness of the playback but for the price, it's a great practice tool to mess about with. I have been playing it through my Acoustic B100 amp with a MIM Mustang Bass with Split PJ pickups and the drop in sound quality vs going straight in is noticeable. Nevertheless, this will stay in play for bedroom jams for a great deal of time to come.Ryan

This looper is great for the price. I like how it has the three tracks to select from for pre-recorded looping. My biggest problem is that it doesn't seem to actually be "True Bypass." The level control still adjusts the clean volume even when not recording or playing back. I also feel that the recorded playback is always louder than my guitar input. I wish I didn't have to do a volume boost on my guitar or volume pedal just to match the playback volume. It results in more tap-dancing than I would prefer while playing and singing. I'll definitely use this for practice, but it probably won't be a permanent fixture on my live pedalboard.Cody

So far so good. A few strange things happening, but I think it was user error. It takes some getting used to, but not terribly complicated, just a little practice. This one had the most features in it's price range and sounds good. Would give it 5 stars, but haven't used it much. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to use a looper pedal, but don't want to spend a lot for their first one. You may find it the only one you need.JM

For a compact looper pedal this has, great features. The deal breaker is the circular led panel. While this pedal functions in a basic way the led tells you exactly what is happening and where you are in you loop. That knowledge makes me far more confident to use it live. You can end the playback and erase the loop silently or pause the playback and use it again – useful if a lead break is later in the song. You record the rhythm part, pause it and start it later on in the song. There options for adding extra pedal to control things but I found I got on OK without them. Basically a solid looper with a useful display that is, easy to read in a live situation. The trick to silently erase is to double tap and hold the second tap. Stops instantly and the erases a couple of seconds later – this isn't clear in the instructions.David M.

High value and quality! Maybe not for the touring professional who needs every bell and whistle, but for beginners or intermediates it's a really solid feature set and great quality at a price point that is just a hair over the price of some much more basic units. Spend the extra $20 and get a pedal you'll love! Loopers are super fun, this one is no exception. There is a learning curve but that's more on the player than the pedal. (If your timing/coordination are not on point, a looper, like any recording method, will really highlight that.) Would highly recommend to anyone interested in a looper for fun, creativity, practice, comping, improving over your own backing, even for pro use if you don't need the fanciest bells n' whistles.Steverino

Very easy to use and built like a tank. I had to watch a few demo videos to learn how the controls worked and interacted but it didn't take but a few minutes. Playback quality is very good with tons of storage for created loops. My only issue is with what Boss calls "Drum Tracks". There's only 10 of them and their sound quality is piercing. You can load your own via the usb connection though. Also, it only stores wav files from external sources so converting songs you only have as mp3 etc. to wav is an extra step I could do without. I might just be nitpicking because otherwise it's a great looper with more features than most people will ever need. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.ethan1957

I bought this to compare to my ditto pedal. Its not nearly as simple to use, despite what people say. Okay, it might just be me, but the ditto is more intuitive to use. After you record the first loop, it automatically begins recording the overdub. With the ditto, it goes to pause when you complete a loop. So, yes, its a Boss pedal and built like a tank. But for me, its 50/50 with the ditto. You have to make your own decision about this one.jonaha650

Have been nothing but pleased with the Boss RC-1 loop pedal. I currently use it in conjunction with my Digitech RP1000 and it has really allowed me creative freedom while practicing. I bought this since the RP1000 only has a 20 second looping feature, while this one can go as long as I need. I like how you can easily layer riffs on top of one another, delete when you make mistakes, and stop altogether with just the stomp of the pedal. It's amazing. Nothing else to say. You will not be displeased.lmeach00

me = 30+ years making music and 10+ years using hardware and software loopers this thing is fabulous! the ability to split output signal to guitar cab / full range for optimal sound quality is huge! I am running the loop channel of the RC-10R in the effect loop of my guitar amp and the rhythm channel out to a KC-600 keyboard amp. sounds good to me. nice layout, solid feel to the knobs, and the standard built-like-a-tank boss pedal construction. easy to navigate the relatively simple menu system plus easy to operate the pedal once you've spent a little time with it. the rhythm tracks sound good and perform as advertised. I dialed up a funky boogaloo rhythm, recorded a rhythm part loop, then lost myself in a lydian improv for about a half hour when I first got down with it. works for me! a review of the midi implementation shows that it will play well with my other midi gear or computer rig if I decide I want to go there with it. the ability to import my own loops will quickly have me jamming to tracks that are truly of my own taste and the included rhythm tracks are what they are expected to be: a simple and solid representation of many musical genres. I do have a wish-list item that could possibly be addressed in a software update: it would be nice to be able to choose whether sync'ed loop recording begins immediately after the count-in (this is how it behaves now) or waits for a pedal touch punch-in to begin recording the quantized loop (this would be nice). all-in-all I am very happy with this looper and am impressed by what roland and boss have been putting out recently. to me they've always been a company that really understands what musicians want and what I've seen lately across their product lines is really, really impressive. my compliments to all the good people at roland/boss that are making these cool products happen for us.MattD

This thing is great!! Syncs automatically with the push and hold of the rhythm switch! So easy to use. I don't know what these other reviews are doing but this thing is a God send for guitarist. So many beats to choose from. You can pick from 16 different drum kits to play them! 808+909 sounds too! Every a reverb for the drums. The looper is Boss. So you it's good. 6 hours is what you get. 99 slots to save loops. It has a 2 loop/rhythm function that makes it so you have a 2 part loop. More like a song then just a loop. The fills are a littler boring/mechanical. Only 2 per patch. Can use drum machine alone without a recorded loop. Just to jam. Or, just the loop for acoustic stuff etc…. I'm buying a second one for my electric board! Ditched my BB and Rc5. This Rc10r just syncs better then the bb and Rc5. It's a better package for me. Smaller too! I cant say enough about this thing. Buy one NOW!! You will become a better player GUARANTEED!!!William

Very intuitive to use, with lots of options to fine tune your recordings. Even though this is designed to be a tabletop looper, it works well for the guitarist or keyboard player who would rather have the looper off the floor and controllable with their hands. Adding a foot switch still allows for control from your pedalboard. Highly recommended.GregB

These units are getting a bad rap for the plastic construction, and rightfully so. But there are lots of great effects and options for creating loop projects. I have yet to discover everything I can do with the 505. Still, BOSS could have put it in a better casing and with better sliders. You feel like you're going to break it. And the digital effects are quite handy but may not be up to a lot of people's standards. Overall quite good, but is it worth $500? Yes, but be prepared for the learning curve. A lot of us would have traded some of the bells and whistles to have something a little more robust and gig ready.MC Chai Zee

Having owned other loopers, I have always been frustrated by how they make you conform artistically to what they want to do. Not so with the RC300. This baby is pretty much fully customisable so you're only limited by your creativity…rather than by the looper! It's not obvious from the write ups on it but you can unsynch all the tracks if you wish, so recording verses, choruses, middle 8s, etc of different measures is not a problem at all. That's what I struggled with before but not now. It is pricey but it is very well built and the sound quality is A1. I'm glad I made the leap of faith and bought it! Cheers!Joe H.

This is by far the most useful looper I've ever owned. It's big, but it's very sturdy and it's pretty easy to get the basics down. I'm glad I bought and I have been gigging with it a lot so I haven't felt any buyer's remorse yet. You can also pretty much customize this thing to make it do exactly what you want it to do. I would've given this 4 1/2 stars if that were an option. I hesitated to give it 5 just because it was so expensive and also because the GUITAR>BASS function is complete and total garbage. I was really hoping to use this to add basslines to my loops but it just ain't gonna happen. Those are the only cons I have ran into so far. This is much smoother and easier to use than the RC20XL and The older boss single pedal I used to have ( i cant remember the model right off) It's an excellent tool for writing and jamming at home. It's got lots of drumbeats and what not to jam to. Most are too cheesy to use live but they are fun at home. There's still lots to learn for me but I love it so far. Gator makes a bag that MF carries thats about thirty large that this thing fits in nicely. I bought it after a guy on youtube recommended for this pedal and he was right. You will definitely wants something to carry this thing in. It's big, heavy and expensive.JC

I'm having the time of my life with this looper. AWESOME for solo performances and buskers (need access to area power supply when busking, doesn't run on batteries)randifishenfeld

I've watched the evolution of the Boomerang looper from its initial large footprint to the smaller Rang III. After purchasing and using mini dittos, ditto X4, BOSS RC-50, Flashbacks, JamMan, etc., I finally decided to go with the Boomerang system because I simply grew tired of dealing with malfunctions during a public performance. Not to say that there aren't quirks about the Boomerang too, but in comparison the Boomerang phrase sampler, thus far, has proven itself to be far superior to these other loopers. There is an initial steep learning curve (it took me three days of concentrated effort to get the hang of the Rang), but now I've worked out my looper routine such that I can now comfortably manipulate composing four-voice loops which can sound convincing and stimulates my creative juices. I also picked up the Side Car and the E-155 chorus/delay pedal, which rounds out the system beautifully. What strikes me is the clear 48k audio output quality. What also floors me is to be able to solo in reverse (also a feature on the E-155). Looping is an art and I have a ways to go as I adapt to the Boomerang system, but I can see a bright future of creative growth ahead for me. The only drag is that you can't save those multi-loops, for the Boomerang is a live performance tool.But, really, I'm not bothered too much by that fact. I also have a BOSS RC-3 looper pedal with 99 patches filled to round out my expressive potential when I perform solo. Another kool thing about the Rang III is that you can plug a TS cable microphone or synth mono line out into the RIGHT stereo input which expands your input capacity. I still need to get comfortable with stacking and serial-syncing, but I'm quite surprised and satisfied with what I can create on the fly with the Rang III system. Just like with Pro Tools or any other routine which requires some study and practice, operating the Boomerang becomes second nature as you grow with it. If you can take on the initial learning curve I would strongly recommend looping with Boomerang. Just download the owners manual off the Boomerang website and get started!04fenderbenda

Bought this Joyo D seed delay and on first impressions it seems quite good, a few too many options for my liking but I'm sure I'll be able to work 'em out as they say. Solid unit, appears to be well made, time will tell, can't complain for the price.royg2005blue

My first loop pedal, so I can't really compare the Nux with others, but it seems pretty good to me. It could use more foot pedals so that some of the push-button functionality could manipulated while you're playing, but there's an option to connect another pedal anyway, so that's covered really. Pretty easy to use. Seems solid. Has a pretty good sound quality. Only thing I dislike would be the simplicity of the drum tracks, but I didn't really buy it for that. In all it's pretty great value. I did a lot of searching, and this has a lot for the price. Especially like the enormous record capacity with 99 presents you can save to. I'd recommend it.jamesingl0

This is heaps of fun to use – easy, foot switch is very fast (microswitch), sturdy casing – I wouldn't stomp on it too hard because I reckon the microswitch could wear eventually, but it's definitely a quick pedal. Came with a battery so you can try it out straight away. Nice and tidy, I really like this pedal. I don't regret it at all. Time for some fun!psylink2008

I did not utilize it to its full power but what I did use so far works good. It's a must have item if you mostly play alone.elic3000

Ive used a good few lopper pedals before and this thing does it all with alot more style. The visual feed back Im getting form this looper is incredible it totally changes the looper pedal game. I noticed even with the stage fog on at fullblast I can see the screen very well. The color coding makes it easy to follow what Im doing at each moment. The screen is what allows the Aeros to combine paralel and sequential looping styles so well so its a huge plus. Using 6×6 mode is like having 6 loopers synced together all in one. Dont even get me started with the hands-free mixing, its a dream!BandGuy4ever

I've have a few different loopers but this unit is like a recording studio that can quickly and easily recreate tracks that are in perfect sync. I have the Beat Buddy (drum pedal) that works in lock step with the Aeros. Can't say enough about this unit and the sound quality is excellent.Ger

This looper is incredible. I have it with the Beatbuddy, and I am basically a one-man-band now. Extremely intuitive and customizable. Would recommend to any serious musicianJoseph

I used this at home with 10 other effect pedals. I really liked the sound quality and ease of use. I was very disappointed when the footswitch broke after about a year or so. Read online this brand has an issue with the switches so that's a deal breaker for me. I went with an MXR delay to replace it because I've had several MXR pedals for many years with great sound and no trouble.Scott

Perfect for practicing. Lay down a simple rhythm loop then you can practice over the top – it's like having an inexhaustible rhythm guitarist jamming with you. Easy overdubs & undos means you can also build up interesting sounds with lots of depth and different sounds. (tip: play your progression through, then without stopping hit the button on the 'one' beat to start recording, then hit it again on another 'one' beat to stop recording/start playing the loop. can be as many bars long as you like – 5 min recording time is way more than I'd ever need!) With only one button and one volume knob it's very simple to use. Many other loopers are so complicated (boss rc-3 I'm looking at you), they take the fun out of just plugging in and jamming. Of course if you need the complication of a drum machine built in to your looper pedal then this one isn't for you). The sound out of this thing is perfect. I use it with many pedals and they all sound great recorded and played back (an analog delay, a few fuzzes, metal zone, overdrive, distortion, phaser, big muffs, small clone, tube screamer) – just be sure to put the looper last in your pedal chain. I'd highly recommended this to anyone thinking about getting a looper. The build quality is great, the button feels sturdy & it's very small. The only thing I'd change about it would be to add the ability to export your recorded loop via the usb, but on this model the usb is only for updating it's firmware. I think the more expensive ditto loopers have this function… but overall I think it's the best pedal I've ever owned!girlbefore

I used this at home with 10 other effect pedals. I really liked the sound quality and ease of use. I was very disappointed when the footswitch broke after about a year or so. Read online this brand has an issue with the switches so that's a deal breaker for me. I went with an MXR delay to replace it because I've had several MXR pedals for many years with great sound and no trouble.Scott

Perfect for practicing. Lay down a simple rhythm loop then you can practice over the top – it's like having an inexhaustible rhythm guitarist jamming with you. Easy overdubs & undos means you can also build up interesting sounds with lots of depth and different sounds. (tip: play your progression through, then without stopping hit the button on the 'one' beat to start recording, then hit it again on another 'one' beat to stop recording/start playing the loop. can be as many bars long as you like – 5 min recording time is way more than I'd ever need!) With only one button and one volume knob it's very simple to use. Many other loopers are so complicated (boss rc-3 I'm looking at you), they take the fun out of just plugging in and jamming. Of course if you need the complication of a drum machine built in to your looper pedal then this one isn't for you). The sound out of this thing is perfect. I use it with many pedals and they all sound great recorded and played back (an analog delay, a few fuzzes, metal zone, overdrive, distortion, phaser, big muffs, small clone, tube screamer) – just be sure to put the looper last in your pedal chain. I'd highly recommended this to anyone thinking about getting a looper. The build quality is great, the button feels sturdy & it's very small. The only thing I'd change about it would be to add the ability to export your recorded loop via the usb, but on this model the usb is only for updating it's firmware. I think the more expensive ditto loopers have this function… but overall I think it's the best pedal I've ever owned!girlbefore

Early days but, so far, I love it. I already have a Ditto Stereo, so I knew what to expect. This was really bought for the 'stop' and 'fade' functions for live performance, but I really like the ways that the two loop functions can be used together. The real test will be when I get a chance to use it for a gig.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Like said in a previous review, right out of the box there's a good chance this won't do much for you. Being able to use the TonePrint feature is vital to making this pedal sing, but once you find that one you need, you'll be in heaven. I play rhythm guitar in an alternative rock band that would basically sound cheesy with a chorus pedal, for the most part, but there is one song that needs the brightness and body offered by a chorus. The default chorus here is either too light or too heavy for my style, it's really impossible to dial in to my sound, but I started messing around with the TonePrints on the app. The first one that caught my ear was a reproduction of the Boss CE-2, and dang, the pure analog chorus sound was breathtaking. Airy if you want it to be, soaking wet if you want that too. The three knobs here on this pedal are really all you could want, and are perfect for dialing in just the right kind of effect to start with, then laying in how much of that effect you want to lay over your dry sound. I really liked the CE-2 copy sound, but I kept trying more TonePrints, and finally found the Brian May one. This was the ticket. Just transparent enough for me at almost any setting, and also brought along that brightness that Brian is known for. The TonePrint app allows me to keep both in my favorites to use at a moment's notice, but I have to say that I keep mine on the Brian May "Chorus1" Print almost all the time. There's so many different Prints though… there's the TriChorus available in a few different versions which is way too thick for what I want, but I imagine it would make a heavily distorted guitar sound really work in a chorusy way, plus tons of other artist Prints. If I found what I needed, I'm sure you can find what will work for you too. I stuck with the Mini just because if I had the full size Corona, I'd stay on the TonePrint switch all the time, which this pedal already basically does. Great value for exactly what I want.SteeringWheelSpotlight

In the past I had had a SCF+ Chorus, and that pedal is perfect. I sold it to a friend before I moved to the US and, because I was missing a chorus in my pedalboard (and I also liked the Flashback Delay), I decided to give Corona a try. I bought this pedal with a discount coupon plus some Backstage Points. Well, unfortunatelly, the Corona disappointed me. Ok, it's well built, it has a good cost-benefit ratio, the option for dual or tri-chorus makes a difference on the "detune" effect, and there are some Toneprint adjusts that can help you to shape your tone… but I think I set the bar too high, thinking that I would get different chorus/flanger/vibrato sounds on it. I wouldn't. I spent some time with the Toneprint Editor, trying to tweak Corona in order to discover new sounds. All the modulations have a similar sound, and the vibrato and flanger doesn't remember the SCF at all. I understand if Corona had offering all modulations in full mode, there would be no reason for other models (Shaker and Vortex), but even the chorus sounds aren't so diverse. You can use speed and depth, and there is a nice hi-pass filter, but if you think Toneprint has many different chorus sounds, maybe you should test that pedal before buying. Also, Corona delivers a specific medium-high frequency (not noticeable on the original SCF+) that shaped the tone a little bit, taking out some of the transparency I expected. TC could fix that EQ issue inserting a multi-band EQ inside the editor. Finishing, don't take me wrong: Corona is a nice pedal, maybe the best option among other chorus pedals with the same price. The technology within allows TC to improve user experience. But don't expect too much.Victor

I haven't managed to go through every setting on this, due to me finding a few happy spots quickly and very easily. I really appreciate the mash switch and ability to load presets. This pedal is a lot of bang for your buck.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

As far as options and sounds go, it's a fantastic pedal, especially at that price point. The toneprint app isn't the easiest to use, especially through a USB connection to an android device, but then again it is a great option that most pedals don't offer. My issues with this pedal are that it's unreliable; mine turns off, or turns on the effect, without any input from the user. Right in the middle of playing, randomly, it will shut off, or turn on! You can see how this is a problem ! Like I mentioned the problem is pretty random. Sometimes it goes weeks without issuues, other times it will do it several times during the day. In hindsight, I would have purchased something else.MV