NUX Loop Core Deluxe Review

Summary

• Pros: The NUX Loop Core Deluxe has improved sound quality, an included external footswitch, and a good feature set.
• Cons: Improvements are kind of surface level. The pedal is largely the same as the original Loop Core, and the external footswitch could work better.
• Overall: It’s great for all of the reasons the original was, and certainly cheaper than buying a Boss pedal. They could have made it even better though.

Check Current Prices

• Amazon: NUX Loop Core Deluxe

Full Review

The original NUX Loop Core did a good job as a looper, especially considering it was a clone of the Boss RC-3. There were a few sticking points, particularly the sound quality, but overall the Loop Core offered everything you could need from a looper for less money than Boss’s pedal. The people at NUX obviously recognize a good thing when they have it, and so they’ve decided to come out with the Deluxe version of the same pedal. The Deluxe improves on what the original had to offer and comes with an extra footswitch as standard. So is it worth buying, or is it just an attempt to cash in again on basically the same pedal?

If It Isn’t Broken…

Ultimately the NUX Loop Core Deluxe is very much the same pedal as the original Loop Core. You can see this easily if you compare the two pedals side-by-side. The layouts are absolutely identical in terms of the buttons, dials, LEDs, display screens and the connections. It should go without saying that the majority of the features are the same too.

This means in terms of recording a loop, saving a loop and most other features, it works exactly the same as the original version. You tap the footswitch once to record, again to start playback, then again to enter overdubbing mode. All of the little extras like the two-part control on the dial (e.g., turn the inner part of the dial for the rhythm, and the outer part for your loop volume), the tap tempo option and more are exactly the same.

This isn’t a complaint because the old version worked great. There’s no point in messing with a working formula. If you already have the Loop Core, you pretty much have the same pedal. Unless you’re very specific about what you want this Deluxe version, it’s unlikely the Deluxe is your best upgrade. However, if you didn’t pick up the original but you’re still interested, there are many advantages to the newer version.

What They’ve Improved

The improvements to the original Loop Core aren’t huge, but they do solve some small issues. The most important is the sound quality. The original Loop Core recorded in 16-bit, but the Deluxe records in 24-bit. Admittedly, this isn’t going to be something you’re likely to be too bothered about if you’re just a casual at-home looper. It’s certainly noticeable but, if you’re just practicing, you’ll probably be more concerned with your playing than audio fidelity. That said, the 24-bit audio quality is a substantial improvement and does bring the looper back in line with the new industry standard. You won’t find any 16-bit loopers being released these days.

The next most important change is the improvement to the drum machine. They’ve improved the sound to make the backings sound more realistic. Genuinely, they’ve done a decent job with it. There are still 40 options, 30 in 4/4 and 10 in 3/4, but the quality is better and it sounds more like a real drummer and less like a set of electronic samples. The actual beats are still a little lacking in terms of complexity, but for something to jam to, they’re more than good enough.

NUX has also increased the recording time the Loop Core Deluxe. The original version offered 6 hours, but the Deluxe version boosts this to 8 hours. This is definitely an area where (for me, at least) the improvement is good, but not exactly something I was screaming out for with the original. Even if you’re the type to save every loop you put together, you could export your files via USB anyway so the limit would never have been a huge deal.

The External Footswitch Is Nice, But …

The fact that NUX has included an external footswitch is pretty sweet. When you get a stompbox-size looper you know what you’re getting into – all the tap-dancing to access certain features. An external footswitch makes accessing these features much more easy.

The footswitch itself has two switches, which you can either use to switch between recording phrases. So, for example, you can have separate phrases for your intro, verse, and chorus. Then you can switch between them using your foot to compose a whole song. Alternatively, you can use the footswitch to control the stopping and clearing functions. To do this, though, you need to have the footswitch plugged into a different jack. So, you can’t use the footswitch to move between phrases AND control the stopping and clearing functions. I feel like they could have used this a little better – being able to at least assign functions would have been nice. Nevertheless, as an included extra, the footswitch is definitely nothing to complain about.

Is the NUX Loop Core Deluxe Worth It?

On the whole, the improvements to the previous version are tend to be limited, while still offering advantages. It’s more like a bunch of stuff they should have done the first time around rather than a “deluxe” package in the traditional sense of the word. It’s not that there is anything to complain about as such, but it definitely feels like they’ve slapped a few minor improvements on to the original rather than expanding the horizons of what the pedal can actually do.

Problems still exist with the pedal – for example, you have to stop playback to save your loops so you can’t do it “on the fly” without a small period of silence – and if you were hoping for more substantial fixes, you’re probably out of luck. The improved sound quality is nice, and the extra couple of hours of recording time might be useful if you want to hoard your loops on the pedal and six hours just isn’t enough for you, but overall there are missed opportunities.

The major saving grace, aside from everything that was good about the original version, is the still-low price. For the money, you get a pretty capable looper pedal and the extra footswitch to help you in live situations. And for all the minor gripes in this review, the main pedal is still a solid performer. It’s just not too different from the original and feels like they’re trying to sell a minor upgrade as a “premium” version.

Of course, it’s not worth buying if you have the original, but if you haven’t, it definitely has some advantages. It’s a great choice if you’re on a budget and don’t want to cough up for the Boss RC-3.

Where to Buy the NUX Loop Core Deluxe?

• Amazon: NUX Loop Core Deluxe

NUX Loop Core Deluxe Product Video