Re: Beginner - what should I buy?

["Ben M" <fantasydate@gmail.com>]

I love my Repeater more than I think is entirely necessary or legal!

 

I used a boomerang (nightmare for me!) before that and also the Boss RC-20.  I guess yours is always kind of a hard question to answer, because the type of looper(s) you should buy really depends on what kind of performing you're wanting to do, and that's something you can never really know until you get one and start fooling around with it. 

 

The good news is that the trade on e-bay for looping boxes is pretty high, so the worst case scenario is that you buy one, you hate it, sell it for a little less than what you bought it for, and move on :-)

 

In the three that I've used, I've found that the Repeater has the "truest" (I don't know what word to use here hahaha) sound.  There are some hum/clicking issues with the Repeater from time to time, and it is a tempermental box to be sure.  But, unlike the 'Rang and the Boss RC-20, there is less of a tendency to compress or distort the quality of tracks the more you overdub (layer new tracks on top of existing tracks).  Then again, for some people (like violinist Andrew Bird), the particular sound of the RC-20 really fits right in with his whole musical aesthetic.

 

If you are a beginner, then I don't think there's a need to go plunk $1500 on a Looperlative.  Find something to get your feet wet, see what kind of sounds come out of you, and go from there.

 

I hope this poorly worded e-mail and my dead brain's inability to find the right jargon have been helpful!  Good luck! 

 

Best wishes,

Ben