Looking for the best compact looper pedal? Pedalboard real estate is an important consideration when you are choosing a looper pedal. The following list of looper pedals are in the compact/micro looper category so they don’t take up much space and are easy to take on out to a gig or show, led by the ultra micro Hotone Wally! Compact/micro loopers may not have all the features of the massive Boss RC-300 Loop Station, but many musicians would rather keep things simple anyway.
- Outlaw Effects Lasso Looper Review
There are two extremes when it comes to looper pedals. On one side, you have things like the Boss RC-300, which cram as much functionality in as possible with the aim of providing every feature you could possibly need in a single (often obnoxiously large) unit. On the other, you have pedals like the Ditto from TC Electronic, which scale things back to the key offering, in the name of reducing the footprint of the pedal (not to mention the price) while still providing the core functionality you’re looking for. Check Amazon Price - Acoustic Loop1 Review
You don’t need a vast array of buttons and 15 footswitches to produce a truly amazing looper pedal. From the very simple options like the TC Electronic Ditto to the more complex but still compact options like the RC-3 from Boss, there are plenty of looper pedals out there that provide excellent performance while still keeping the footprint small and the operation intuitive and simple. This is a specific market, though – some guitarists who like loopers need something multi-track and with a dizzying array of footswitches and dials. Check Guitar Center Price - Boss RC-1 Loop Station Review
For a while, it seemed like Boss and Digitech were competing to make the most complicated looper on the planet. Stripped-down, simple-to-use looper pedals are becoming more popular, however. Loopers like the Ditto, JamMan Express XT, and the Nano 360 offer back-to-basics functionality. While Boss is no stranger to compact loopers, options like the RC-2, RC-3, and RC-5, are so loaded with features that you really need an external footswitch to control them. With the RC-1, Boss has ventured into minimalist territory. But in this crowded market of back-to-basics loopers, does the RC-1 really stand out from the competition?Check Amazon Price - Electro-Harmonix Nano Looper 360 Review
Tiny loopers are all the rage these days, and after Electro-Harmonix’s multi-track 2880 and 45000 offerings, they’ve decided to get a piece of the action too. The Nano Looper 360 is a tiny unit, immediately opening up comparisons with pedals like the JamMan Express and the TC Electronic Ditto (and Ditto X2). These are primarily aimed at those new to looping, wanting something to improve their jam sessions or just have a bit of fun with without paying the big bucks to get their hands on a larger, more feature-laden unit. However, does the simplicity work in its favor, or will you just be left wanting more? Check Amazon Price - NUX Loop Core Review
The NUX Loop Core is a clone of the Boss RC-3 Loop Station, and is basically just as good. The only reservation I might have is when it comes to quality control in manufacturing and customer support, but I’m just speculating. Honestly, the Loop Core is pretty great. You’ll notice the solid metal body construction, except for the battery compartment which is plastic. Like the Boss RC-3, it has all the essentials that I look for in a looper including a built-in selection of drum patterns, the ability to store multiple phrases, USB connectivity, stereo ins/outs, and the option to add external footswitches. Check Amazon Price - Hotone Wally Looper Review
The Wally Looper seems to be aimed at musicians who want a looper that just loops, and not much more. For years, it seemed that all the major looper manufacturers were competing to pack more and more features into their loopers, like backing tracks, metronome and drum beats, quantization, on-board effects, and unnecessarily long recording times. The problem was that these units get pretty difficult to use out of the box, and a good percentage of musicians have no need for that many bells and whistles.Check Amazon Price - Digitech Jamman Express XT Review
DigiTech’s famous JamMan series of loopers has a new addition. The Express XT is a stripped-down looper, a simplistic model more easily comparable to the TC Ditto than to any previous stompbox-size JamMan models. For devout DigiTech supporters, the ability to connect multiple Express XTs together for multi-track looping may be a big selling point. Although the feature was also included on the Solo XT, the Express is cheaper, so it has the potential to be the first real taste of this feature for many loopers. Check Amazon Price - TC Electronic Ditto Looper Review
When you’re shopping around for loopers, you’ll undoubtedly see models with as many dials as the interior of a space shuttle. In that respect, the TC Electronic Ditto Looper is a breath of fresh air. It features only one dial and one footswitch, stripping down the overly techy looper layout to its bare minimum functions. You might be worried about lost functionality, but simple design and great sound quality still makes it an extremely appealing option. But can it really compete with the technological might of other, bigger loopers on the market?Check Amazon Price
If you haven’t found quite what you’re looking for here, we also have selections for the Best Looper Pedals, Best Cheap Looper Pedals, and Best Voice Looper Pedals.