Sheeran Loopers Looper X Review: Create Your Own One Person Tour

Track mode lets you adjust the length of each track independently, and Band mode is a hybrid of Sync and Track. The last option, Free, leaves all four tracks unlinked, which is fun if you like to chase tons and go through space with layered sounds instead of normie tracks.

Three main views are available to help you monitor your workflow: Track, Wave, and Mixer. Your favorite view can serve as your home screen. Track displays each track’s loop level and input into a vertical bar that changes colors depending on its current state. Wave is the most useful of the three views in my opinion, showing a horizontal view and a cursor that tracks the progress of each loop in real time. The Mixer view is similar to Track, with “mute,” “solo,” and “FX” buttons available for each track, as well as a volume slider for each track. The mute and auto buttons both display a cut icon to add a song from the internal library, which you can load by transferring files using the USB-A connector to your computer or the SD card slot.

Akai offers free file editing software that offers drag-and-drop functionality to ensure your loops and tracks match the device’s required 16-bit 44.1 kHz WAV file. Anyone who has spent hours tearing their hair out while praying a Roland looper or sampler receives a given sample will appreciate this nice bonus.

The customization option is the most popular function, helping you to look at the device and customize it according to your needs, whether it’s a switch, a built-in tuner, a multiplier button, or not. Using it, you can specify what the eight buttons do when you press the Mode pedal. Settings are stored on a per-block basis rather than globally, meaning that each cycle can have its own settings and print one foot.

Is Looper X Necessary?

Photo: Pete Cottell

Considering its size and price, I expected the Looper X to have more output than the various stompboxes I would use for slow processing. Each track can have its own “rack”, with different hardware for drums, vocals, guitars, etc. A given rack consists of several pedals that are placed in an orderly, fixed position. Unfortunately, all of the results seemed out of date, and I wouldn’t recommend relying on them, except for occasional synths or sound effects on vocals or drums. You’re better off with an old Line 6 Floor Pod that you can find at Music Go Round or a pawn shop for $100 or more. You’re looking at at least $1,500 for the Looper X, including everything you need to get your gig ready.