Best Looper Pedal Choices for Serious Musicians 2024

2024 sees the Boss RC-1 retaining its spot in this guide, the most affordable of the BOSS Loop Station series. It comes in Boss' simplistic single stompbox design, known for its tough reliability and durability. But even though it is an entry-level simple looper pedal, it has some extra features that make it stand out easily from other basic loopers.

The most noteworthy feature of the RC 1 Loop Station is its 24-segment LED indicator, which gives you visual feedback on your settings and can even show you where you are in each loop. This visual cue is excellent for timing loop controls, especially for novice musicians. This feature makes it an intuitive looper pedal that's great for beginners.

It can also hold up to 12 minutes of recording, more than most of its direct competition offer. In addition, this is a stereo looper pedal with stereo/mono connections, which makes it easy to integrate into complex gear setups.

Looper pedals Boss RC units continue to be the go-to for many guitarists. This is the best loop station for those planning on using something other than multiple loop tracks. And it is the only looper pedal you'll ever need in your signal chain. It's already cheap but can be more affordable if you get it from second-hand Looper pedal deals.

Specifications

• Total Loop Time: 12 Minutes
• Loop Tracks: 1
• Loop Memory Slot: Internal
• Audio Quality: Not Specified
• Input: 2 x 1/4" (Stereo)
• Output: 2 x 1/4" (Stereo)
• Power: DC Adapter (Optional) or 9V Battery
• Extra Feature: 24 Segment Loop Indicator, Stereo In/Out
• Dimensions: 2.375" x 5.125" x 2.875"
• Weight: 1 lb.

Demo

The TC Electronic Ditto Looper continues to be the go-to looper for those who want basic looping functionality in a compact pedal form factor.

This is a one-track looper with just one footswitch. Still, it is enough for all the basic controls, including record, playback, overdub, undo, and redo.

It will take some time to learn the different ways of stepping the footswitch to do the various functions, but it does get the job done. More importantly, it does so without taking up too much space and with less complications to your setup.

The only other control is the Loop Level knob, which lets you adjust the volume of the playback in relation to your dry signal.

But what makes the Ditto Looper a crowd favorite is its clean signal; the loops sound clean and transparent. You'll notice how cleaner it is than cheaper loopers or those built into cheap multi-effects and amps. Loops won't sound muddy, even with overdubs.

Given its compact size, the Ditto Looper is not meant for much other than basic looping functions. Its loop time is 5 minutes, which was long when it was first released but is now quite limited.

There are no memory slots for expanding its loop recording function. Another minor annoyance is the need to buy the power supply separately.

Still, the TC Electronic Ditto Looper is perfect for those who want a simple, compact, and high-quality looper. This is the best looper pedal to start your guitar looping journey.

Specifications

• Total Loop Time: 300 Seconds
• Loop Tracks: 1
• Loop Memory Slot: 1
• Audio Quality: 24-bit A/D/A
• Input: 1 x 1/4"
• Output: 1 x 1/4"
• Power: 9V DC Adapter (Sold Separately)
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 1.9" x 3.7”
• Weight: Less than 1 lb.

Demo

The Boomerang III is a multi-switch looper designed for "live" looping performances, with up to 4 tracks and 4 different play style options.

It does away with bells and whistles like extra effects, auto rhythm, and SD card storage; instead, it focuses on providing good sound quality and an intuitive workflow ideal for live use. This results in a looper that works and sounds natural, which appeals to experienced musicians.

This one strays from the usual LCD screen interface for a multitrack looper. Instead, it retains an old-school foot pedal style, just having footswitches, knobs, and buttons. This simplifies the interface and lets you focus on looping with minimal distractions.

The play style options open the unit to different approaches, from a more structured and synced serial mode to an accessible mode that allows you to craft and play tracks that are not synced. With this, you won't feel boxed into a particular way of looping.

This unit has a robust performance-ready form factor that organizes the footswitches and controls in an easier-to-access and look-at way. It also has a distinct footswitch design that operates quietly. It is necessary for guitar loopers who don't want unwanted noise creeping into their loops.

The main drawback of the Boomerang III is its inability to store loops for future use. If you're used to metal switches, you won't like how they feel.

The Boomerang III is a great looper pedal for live use. If you're looking for a looping machine with intuitive controls and enough complexity for advanced looping techniques, then this is the best looping pedal for you.

Specifications

• Total Loop Time: Up to 35 minutes (2100 Seconds)
• Loop Tracks: 4
• Loop Memory Slot: Up to 4
• Audio Quality: Output (24-bit / 48kHz)
• Input:2 x 1/4" (L/R), 1 x Rang Pedal Link
• Output: 2 x 1/4" (L/R), 1 x Rang Pedal Link
• USB: None
• Power: 9V DC Power Supply
• Dimensions:9” x 2” x 6”
• Weight: 3.59 lbs.

Demo

After a few months of exposure to live looping, my curiosity got better - I went straight for a multitrack and multi-switch pedal with stereo loops, the Boss RC-300. It quickly became central to my acoustic and live looping sets. The RC-300 was the flagship Boss Loop Station model for many years and was widely considered the best looping pedal.

It was beyond being just a looper pedal, with expanded looping and input/output options for crafting complex loop sequences. With a Boss stereo looper engine and recording time of up to 10,800 seconds (3 hours), this loop pedal has many things to do. This powerful looper pedal also can record, play, and overdub 3 simultaneous tracks with dedicated start and stop controls.

To do all this, it follows the typical guitar processor template, with multiple footswitches, an expression pedal, and expanded input/output options. In addition to its looper function, it has built-in effects and drum loops for accompaniment. I've listed its detailed specifications below.

Although the RC-300 was the line's flagship model, Boss has since released the RC-600, a more expensive looper with six simultaneous tracks, up to 13 hours of recording time, and other improved features. However, it is getting some flak due to bugs, so it hasn't replaced the RC 300 as the best looper pedal yet.

After years of use, still looks and works nicely [Click to Expand]

Loopers are mini-recorders that give instant playback, overdub, and stop control, meaning that audio quality is paramount. Thankfully, the Boss RC-300 is not lacking in this department, with its 16-bit A/DA conversion at 44.1 kHz sample rate is CD-quality audio. This is widely considered the best audio quality that our ears can perceive. Some even consider higher sampling rates to be a waste of memory space.

Still, manufacturers upped their game, including Boss, which now utilizes 32-bit audio in the new RC-600. The lucky ones who have already tried newer loopers report improved sound quality and headroom, which makes them better at retaining sound fidelity when doing multiple overdubs. But wait to count out the RC-300 because it is still a great-sounding looper—to my ears, it reproduces the sound and nuances of my acoustics and voice really well, even when doing multiple overdubs.

Using the unit's built-in direct audio recording feature, I've uploaded audio samples in my extended review of the Boss RC-300.

[Click to Expand]

Given its big frame, the Boss RC-300 provides generous control over loops. It has two dedicated footswitches per track, one for rec/overdub/play and the other for stop and delete. It also has a dedicated footswitch for starting and stopping all three tracks, and another one can be assigned to engage effects and other functions. I use the assignable switch as a "Mic Mute" control to record guitar parts without sound from the mic bleeding in. The built-in expression pedal is also assignable, but I use it primarily for volume control, be it as a whole or for controlling the volume of tracks or drum loops.

In addition to footswitches, the RC-300 comes with multiple knobs for master and rhythm volume adjustment and for tweaking input levels (aux, guitar, and mic). It also houses various buttons along with a compact display unit, which is valuable for changing settings and parameters, which should ideally be done before performing live. The buttons are self-explanatory and can assign lengths for each track, adjust drum loop settings, and tweak effects.

Boss even made it possible to rename presets by selecting the letters through the unit's central rotary knob. It also has 3 fader knobs that provide tactile independent control over the volume of each of the 3 tracks. For live performances and practicing, the controls are satisfactory in getting the job done, so much so that I have yet to have the itch to upgrade to a newer model until the RC-600 is locally available.

[Intuitive Footswitches - Click to Expand]

The footswitches on the RC-300 have a simple yet effective configuration, similar to having 3 loopers positioned side-by-side. Once I got the hang of the timing of the footswitches, using them efficiently quickly became second nature. And I still prefer its format over newer loopers. But it's only sometimes rainbows and butterflies because the menu system requires much time and effort to properly utilize. The RC-300's input and output flexibility requires diving into menus for essential parameters like track level, recording level, and output.

There are also plenty of loop-related settings, including play modes, stop modes, loop sync, and many more. Effects assignment and parameters are also hidden in the menu, and the same goes for assigning different actions to the Loop FX switch and the expression pedal. For consistent volume and control between presets, I duplicate presets I am happy with and use them as a base template for other songs. This way, I save more time setting up presets every time I start working on a song.

The RC-300 has stereo inputs, an XLR input with phantom power, and an Aux input for playing with backing tracks to accommodate different instruments and sound sources. Each one comes with dedicated input level knobs that can be blended to taste. Unfortunately, the looper considers all these input ports as a single input signal. It doesn't allow the routing of different inputs into dedicated tracks. This is a big letdown because sometimes I need to loop my vocals and guitars separately, much like it's done in recording. Thankfully, there are workarounds like using compact mixers and signal switchers on the input. If I want to record the guitar part while singing, I turn off the looped mic signal and use a second mic that goes straight to PA. Still, these workarounds could be better and often require more rounds of loop building - which ultimately prolongs song buildup.

[Boss RC-300 Input/Output Ports - Click to Expand]

What the RC-300 lacks in input options, it makes up for with its four assignable output ports. Each of the three loop tracks has its own output route setting, allowing each one to have its dedicated output port. This setup requires more cables and mixer space, but it will enable the sound engineer to mix the sound on a per-track basis—too bad input routing is not as good as this. Finally, it also has a headphone output for quiet practice.

See the rest of the review plus get audio samples and a video demonstration. Note that newer Boss Loop Stations are now available, but there are still a few Boss RC-300 units from major retailers.

The RC-202 is a tabletop Boss looper for those who want to use their hands when triggering loops. Tabletop loopers are ideal for DJs and electronic musicians. Still, they are also quickly becoming a
staple for home studio use.

It sports a colorful interface similar to the bigger RC-505. It is more compact and has enough controls for 2 simultaneous tracks.

Its colorful buttons and big knobs make it easily blend with other DJ decks and mixers - both in terms of looks and workflow.

The looper controls follow the same design but are bigger, making them pop out prominently when looking at the interface as a whole. Each track has a big switch that triggers record, play, and overdub, while the smaller switch triggers stop, undo, and erase.

The apparent downside to its tabletop design is that it's meant for something other than guitarists who prefer hands-free foot control over looping. However, since many guitarists have adapted to desktop home studio setups, the RC-202 can still be a good looper choice.

This 2-track looper gives you a lot of memory to play with loops, up to 3 hours, to be exact. You can then save the loops that you create into any of its 64 phrase memories.

And given its Boss DNA, the RC-202 lets you use four input and four-track effects simultaneously, expanding the sonic palette you can use as you loop.

It also has a foot controller input and MIDI In/Out, allowing hands-free control via outboard gear.

The Boss RC-202 is a great tabletop looper for those who want to incorporate 2-track looping into their performances.

Specifications

• Total Loop Time: Up to 3 Hours
• Simultaneous Loop Tracks: 2
• Loop Memory Slot: 64 Phrase Memories
• Audio Quality: 16-bit A/D/A - 44.1 kHz Sample Rate
• Input: 1 x XLR (Mic), 2 x 1/4" (Instrument: L / Mono, R), 1 x 1/8" TRS (Aux), 1 x 1/4" (Footswitch/Expression Pedal)
• Output: 2 x 1/4" (Line Out), 1 x 1/8" Headphones,
• USB: Type B (DAW integration, Import/Export WAV)
• MIDI: In/Out
• Power: AC Adapter (Included)
• Extra Feature: Built-in Effects, 17 Rhythm Patterns
• Dimensions: 9.44" x 2.19” x 6.94”
• Weight: 2.125 lbs.

Demo

Complex live looping routines are incredible to watch, requiring high-tech equipment matching the musician's creativity and skill. This is precisely what flagship loopers like the RC-505 MkII are meant to provide: multitrack looping with a slew of functions for deep control over each loop.

The Boss RC-505 MkII has superseded the original RC-505 with longer recording time, better audio quality, enhanced effects, more input and output options, improved routing, and expanded controls.

Speaking of control options, the fader is noticeably more significant than the original, and there are more ways to apply effects and EQ on individual tracks. The overall workflow is improved to allow for more looping possibilities. The screen size is also a bit bigger, which works well with its expanded controls. Another new feature, called Mark, lets you "mark" and revert your overdubs to a particular "marked" overdub.

Like the original, it gives you five loop tracks to play with, 99 phrase memories, and it has built-in drum kits and rhythm patterns. These features allow many ways to build loops, which you can't get from other looper hardware.

If five tracks are not enough, the MkII now has "bounce," which combines the sound of two tracks, freeing up one track to add another loop layer. By using bounce, you can have virtually limitless track space.

As expected, the Mk2 has a longer list of Boss digital effects that can be implemented in more ways.

Finally, it can provide phantom power to mics that need it and has MIDI and USB connectivity. The downside with all these features and improvements is that the MkII is more extensive and heavier.

The Boss RC-505 MkII is the most feature-packed tabletop looper currently available. It is well worth investing in if you need a hand-controlled looper. The RC-505 MkII is easily one of the best looper pedals Boss has produced to date.

Specifications

• Total Loop Time: Up to 13 Hours
• Simultaneous Loop Tracks: 5
• Loop Memory Slot: 99 Presets
• Audio Quality: 32-bit A/D/A - 44.1 kHz Sample Rate
• Input: 2 x XLR (Balanced, Phantom power), 4 x 1/4" (Stereo Instrument: L / Mono, R)
• Output: 2 x 1/4" (L / Mono, R), 4 x 1/4" (Sub Out 1/2: L / Mono, R), 1 x 1/4" Headphones,
• USB: Type B
• Power: AC Adapter (Included)
• Extra Feature: Built-in Effects, 85 Rhythm Patterns
• Dimensions: 16.53" x 2.63” x 9.21”
• Weight: 4 lbs.

Demo