Summary
• Pros: The Pigtronix Infinity has two ins and two outs, which work with two tracks allowing band members to sync loops perfectly. No perceptible lag or degradation in tone.
• Cons: A little expensive, doesn’t have a dedicated undo/redo switch unless you buy the additional remote switch.
• Overall: A fantastic looper for live musicians; offering something you can’t find anywhere else in a well-executed and sturdy package.
Check Current Price:
• Amazon: Pigtronix Infinity Looper
Full Review
Pigtronix didn’t pull any punches with the marketing of the Infinity Looper. They promised revolutionary new features for live musicians and a looper which doesn’t interfere with your tone. It generated a ton of anticipation from musicians. Although most guitarists assume these claims are about as reliable as a politician’s promise on election day, the Infinity actually backed it up. Released in 2012, the Infinity sent the bigger manufacturers like Boss and Digitech back to the drawing board.
The Pigtronix Infinity: A Looper for Bands!
Let me give you a scenario. Your bass player and a guitarist both want use loops in your upcoming live performance. Your drummer hangs his head, seriously considering joining a band that will be less embarrassing to play with on stage… like a Village People tribute act or Nickelback. Historically, it’s been hard enough the match time with one looper, never mind two. The problem is that it only takes a split second difference in timing to start a chaotic chain reaction stuffed with off-beats and instruments wailing at each other.
Your guitarist comes along with the Pigtronix Infinity, and your drummer perks up. Why? With the Infinity, your guitarist and bass player can both plug into the same looper and sync their loops together. What’s more, there are two outputs so they player can use different amps from the same unit. It’s like a two player looper.
Then your drummer spots an auxiliary output that can be used to place a stage monitor right next to him! He sighs with relief and starts to think this might actually be possible. He might actually be able to hear both loops well enough to play along with them, and he’s not going to be stuck trying to make sense of competing tempos throughout the gig. Wait, no one else is doing this! Our band is going to be groundbreaking! Well… the Infinity seems to be opening the door at least, and delivering on promises only made by other looper manufacturers.
MIDI sync that Doesn’t Suck
The Boss RC-50 promised a MIDI sync clock, but a quick internet search shows that it didn’t work so well. Sure, a few people may have pulled it off, but the majority of people who tried MIDI sync with the RC-50 ended up throwing their hands up in exasperation. In contrast, the Pigtronix Infinity works as a slave device when hooked up to an external MIDI clock, allowing you to start recording or playing, switch loops and stop playback in time with the measures. Likewise, you can stop, start and change preset locations remotely with the MIDI controller.
Side Note: Boss has since dialed in their MIDI sync capabilities, especially with their more recent loopers like the Boss RC-5, RC-500 and RC-600. Other manufacturers have also caught up with MIDI sync capabilities like TC Electronic with their Ditto X4 looper.
When would you use this? What excites me is the possibility of blending electronic music with live instruments. I’ve been an electronic music lover since the 90’s, and have always dreamed of bringing together live instrumental and DJ music. The Pigtronix Infinity makes that dream become a reality. For example, if you’re creating loops in a software program like Ableton Live and firing them off with your favorite MIDI controller, the Pigtronix Infinity provides sample-accurate MIDI sync. This means that you could theoretically use Ableton as your drummer and get some bass or guitar riffs perfectly synched up to it. This feature – combined with the parallel signal routing on the Infinity – lets fusion live/electronic bands do things they could never do before.
And It’s a Better Looper?
With the Infinity looper, there’s so much to get excited about that we haven’t even begun to discuss its core looping capabilities. The Infinity does everything you would expect from a looper, only better. It has two stereo loops, the length of which are only limited by the size of your SD card. Realistically, you can store hours upon hours worth of loops. You’re not going to run out of memory space unless you record everything you play and refuse to delete your creations like some type of sonic hoarder. Even then, you can connect to your computer using the USB port and save loops to your heart’s content. The only thing holding you back is the fact that you’re limited to nine memory slots on the unit itself. One of those is also impossible to overwrite – the “blank canvas” spot.
You’re basically getting two loopers in one. Along the bottom of the looper, there are three rugged, well-separated metallic footswitches. The middle and right ones control loops one and two (recording, playing and overdubbing). The one on the bottom left allows you to stop and clear your loops. Each stereo loop allows you to record, start, stop, overdub, undo and redo on it individually, like you’ve come to expect from your looper, except twice over. However, you can only undo and redo your loops (great for erasing mistakes and creating more dynamic compositions) if you buy the separate Remote Switch.
Multi-Sync Control on the Pigtronix Infinity
But does the Pigtronix Infinity offer anything new when it comes to plain old looping? Yup. Check out the Sync Multi control. Historically, and with other loopers, you had to make your first loop your longest loop. If you had other loops to program, you would have to match them to the length of your first loop or make them a precise fraction of the first loop so that you could blend the two together.
The Pigtronix Infinity is smarter than that. After you’ve laid down your first loop, your second loop can be anywhere from 1 to 6 times the length. You can play these loops in unison, or you can fire them off separately with the tap of your foot. This gives you the option of having an intro loop and a chorus loop, making it easier than ever to perform a full composition. And it all happens seamlessly.
Don’t Need All of the Above?
If this all sounds like too much firepower for one pedal, in 2020 Pigtronix released a scaled-down version of the Infinity Looper called the Pigtronix Infinity 2. They’ve also come out with a third version, the Pigtronix Infinity 3. Nevertheless, there’s still a lot to recommend about the original Infinity, even over its more recent iterations.
Conclusion
As usual, Pigtronix thought about what musicians really want and built it. There are some minor gripes such the lack of a dedicated undo/redo switch and the limited number of preset locations. Actually, since this review was first published, Pigtronix has released the remote switch, pictured above, which allows you to control the undo/redo function as long as you’re willing to shell out the extra bread. The Infinity is a little expensive, especially if you add the remote switch, but for live musicians it’s a groundbreaking looper.
Where to Buy the Pigtronix Infinity?
• Amazon: Pigtronix Infinity Looper
Pigtronix Infinity Product Video
The yutube video i just watched noticed that you play at one volume , but then the pedal reproduces the sound at a much lower volume, hope it´s just a matter of adjustment, because i woudn´t want to bend down to take care of it like you did.
If that´s not an issue i will get this pedal for sure, i think you guys did a awesome job with it !!
However 1 more loop woudn´t hurt, but i guess you will do that for the next pedal,,,,,
But if this pedal can sync to drums like the rc 50 said it could do, but only in Roland engineer´s dreams, then this pedal is probably the best looper out there, according to what i need anyway.
Congrats, you did an awesome job !!
Yep, you CAN change the volume of either loop.
yet another seductive hardware looper.Very tempting,as are all good effects pedals are they not? I have been using ableton for years and when their looper came in i was sold to that.Have as many loops open as your computer will allow,with all the important features you expect from a good looper(all midi foot controllable).Yes its software and the danger of crashing will never go away completely,but i can say with confidence i would use this live with no worries.I also use a looper in guitar rig,and transfer that onto live’s looper in real time.The only hardware loopers i use now are the 16 second delay(re-issue)and the clever strymon timeline(mainly for crazy delay settings),both are re-processed through ableton.So i think i’ll pass on this one.
PIGTRONIX INFINITY FIRMWARE UPDATE:
Please run the Infinity Looper firmware update process from the Looper Application TOOLS menu.
If you choose “automatic” the application will grab the update from the Pigtronix website and install it.
Once you do this, power cycle the pedal while holding down the INPUT SPLIT key. The display will show “F” and then reboot once updated.
This new firmware improves the MIDI functionality by causing the Beat Clock Counter to reset if no information is received after a period of time. This lets the unit start in sync with you DAW every time, even if you stopped in the middle of a bar.
The update also implements a ultra fast crossfade that helps eliminate the “click” that could happen if you don’t get your loop perfectly timed.
Great review. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. My priorities are two independent loops (mic and guitar) in sync, and sent to two different outputs, as to not swamp everything into the guitar amp. I think this nails it.
Two quick questions.
Has anyone tried putting a mic through this?
Are you able to add guitar to loop 1, vocals to loop 2, and then bring each one in and out of the loop (e.g) stop loop 1, leaving just vocal.
Any help would be great.
JD
Yes you can if your mic has a same switch as a guitar cable has.
“Yes you can if your mic has a same switch as a guitar cable has.” – I don’t understand this? I’ve not seen many guitar cables with switches. Can you plug a mic directly in to Infinity or not? Every video on the pigtronix website where an artist uses a mic has been filmed to NEVER show how they’ve plugged in a mic. Even doing a google search with “mic” in the sentence along with “infinity looper” yeilds no results. No youtube videos either. Basically as far as I know you need a separate preamp if you want to use a mic with infinity – that’s a preamp, with a power supply, with more cables………. Would be great if this was CLEARLY shown on the pigtronix website, rather than deliberately avoided.
Look at the spec. It takes instrument and line-level signals. There’s no mic preamp, and there’s no phantom power. There’s a fair bit of gain, so maybe you can plug an unbalanced dynamic or piezo mic and get passable results, but that’s obviously not what the Infinity is designed for, which is why you don’t see YouTube videos with people using microphones and Infinities. You don’t see sensible people plugging their mics into TC Electronic Dittos, either – they’re more likely using TC’s Ditto Mic Looper:
http://www.tc-helicon.com/en/products/ditto-mic-looper/
Using the device for its intended purpose is hardly the same as “deliberately avoiding” yours.
Great review! My question is, can you record a guitar loop on one channel and then another on channel two from the same guitar and then send that to a second output? Basically recording a rhythm guitar into one amp and then a second loop into another amp.
From the manual:
Out 1: Main pass-through/loop output, uses a standard (TS) 1/4” instrument cable. Amp, mixer, or DI goes here.
Out 2: Second pass-through/loop output, for use when you’re using stereo inputs, or two instruments, or want to split your output signal (one to an amp, one to a recording unit, for example).
So, yeah, you’re good.
How good us this looper with a mix of acoustic and electronic instruments: guitar, Mandola, violin and keyboards?
It’s fine, as long as your levels are appropriate. Hot line-level signals may need to be attenuated. Instrument-level signals work fine. My acoustic guitar’s wired up with a multi-piezo system (LR Baggs or something, I don’t remember), and it sounds terrific. I’ll often have the guitar on one channel and the modular in the other.
I have a couple gripes with the Infinity – its timing is ever so slightly off when you’re opening and closing the loop, and while that’s not a big deal for my own uses, I can see it being a problem for someone who’s really concerned about tight rhythms. It’s also too easy to loose your work. I’ve lost a lot of good, mulitracked loops because I pressed an encoder when I should have held it, or vice versa. Honestly, it turned me off from using it for a while.
Any guidance on the virtues of this looper with acoustic instruments
As asked above, “has anyone used this with acoustic instruments”? I do a live acoustic gig, and wish to get into looping for solo purposes. I’m really looking for a true bypass unit, as well as something with mucho recording time. Anyone??
Jimmy, the sonic fidelity on this unit is so spectacular, I’m really not sure the overly hyped term “true bypass” really applies here. This is not really a “stomp box”, it’s more like an inline multi-track recorder. I have a critical ear and what goes in is what comes out. For most people the 24bit 48kHz fidelity most likely exceeds the cables or equipment they own and since it’s active, the adjustable signal can greatly reduce your signal to noise ratio compared to a passive device on the same length of cable. I have this unit wired in stereo off of the back of my effects processor with the return running to my stereo tube power amp. I don’t notice any difference in the tone when compared to running the output of my effects processor directly to my amp. I have not done any spectral analysis but super great is good enough for me in this case. If you are just running your guitar directly into it, and then to your amp you might notice a different feel or reactive response from a tube amp, but that would be true with almost any device. If you are going to a direct box, board, or solid state amp, that won’t be an issue but I think it’s better placed in an effects loop, or between the preamp and the amp (if you have that capability).
The recording time is pretty massive on this unit. The total recording time with a 8gb card is 2 hours. With a 32gb card it’s 6 hours. In the manual there is a chart showing exactly how much time can be recorded on each loop depending on the total # of presets used and overdubs/layers to each preset.
Great, so all you can do with these loopers is play along with one chord. For God’s sake, change chords already! Or is that beyond the capacity of this looper?
I’m not sure where you’re getting that idea, but you can record anything and loop it. For example, you could record an 8-bar chord progression on one loop, a different 8-bar chord progression on the second loop, then switch between the loops while playing over the top of it. In fact you could loop an entire song and play over it. You can also make your loops more complex with overdubs and/or store and load different loops in the 9 different memory slots.
WOW !
Great input guys. I have been researching reviews all over the internet for a week straight now to determine which looper will give me my monies worth for years to come. I have not tried any loopers yet so I had figured I would rely on the reviews from the seasoned users. If there is one thing more critical as far as how something works then it can only be my ole lady. I have no issues with how much a looper costs just that it will perform as it says and has the ability to update so I don’t have to run out and buy one every couple of years. One way I did attempt to discern the good from the bad was to see what was on the market used for resale at guitar center website. You will find Digitech’s new stereo looper and a few RC-3’s so those are out of the question. This one sounds great for the most part but the criticisms are far beyond my current capacity.
Can you hit the 2nd loop button and have the transition delayed until the end of the 1st loop (for synced serial loops) so I don’t have to think about being exact when I am performing with pre-made loops?
whats the best sounding, and easiest to work the boomerang, or the pigtronix or the ditto.
As far as ease of use, it doesn’t get much simpler than the Ditto. You only get one loop that you can start and stop with the only footswitch. The Boomerang III and Infinity have more bells and whistles. All 3 pedals sound pretty great though. The Ditto and Infinity have 24-bit sample rates, while the Boomerang III has a 20-bit sample rate with 24-bit play through sample rate, which is pretty comparable. A lot of the older looper pedals used 16-bit sampling, which sounds pretty bad in comparison.
I have ditto, and it is awesome for what it is. Looking to move on to something more versatile for playing live (boomerang vs Infinity), but the Ditto is a great pedal!!
Can you synch this with Digitech’s new Trio Band Creator ? I would like to have the band-in-box capability + looper = base + drums + rhythm guitar, then play lead over all that.
I’m confused on the number of preset loops you can save.
If I’m not getting confused with different bits of info from different online sources, you either get 9, 50, or 100 presets !
Was it originally 9 presets, and subsequent update/downloads/improvements have increased it to 100 presets ?
So, how many presets can you create and save ?
I wish to use Loop One for guitar (into a Fender amp), and Loop Two for an e.piano (into a keyboard amp, or PA) – for live solo gigs, switching back and forth between guitar and piano.
Trouble is, for some songs, I may find I want to start (ie. Loop One) on piano, instead of guitar – so would have to reverse both input jacks and both output jacks to do that, yes ?
I’ve just started with loopers recently – with a TC Electronics Ditto – but want to be able to do more.
I think I have just found the answer to the number of presets !
An update expanded the number of presets to FIFTY.
As each presets saves two loops (Loop 1 + Loop 2), then that is technically 100 loops you can save.
It’s 50 presets though.
Is that correct ???
Will any (or at least some) dual footswitch pedal work with the Infinity, or does it need to be the Infinity one ??
Another question !!
I plan to plug my guitar in Loop 1’s channel, and my e.piano into Loop 2’s channel.
If I start by recording a verse on guitar (on Loop 1), and press Loop2’s button let play back that verse while I switch over to piano. Then I start to record a one verse piano loop on Loop 2 (same length of loop).
By this point I have backing tracks for guitar and piano.
Question is this – without any further overdubs, can I halt either of the loops to play a solo live, then bring back in the backing loop. I’m thinking that with piano, the backing track would be played on both L+R hands. If I want to do a piano solo, I’ll be playing both hands again – and don’t want the backing track, until I finish my solo, and bring the piano backing loop back in.
On the same song, I’d like to be able to do the same with the guitar if and when I choose.
So, the Stop button, or halt or something – can I halt and then bring back in a loop, for any channel I choose, but also be able to do the same for the other loop channel, or will I only be able to do it with one channel at most ?
I want the other of the two loops to still carry on playing while I switch the first loop off temporarily, to play a “live” solo on that instrument, then bring that backing loop back in !
hi! I am a bit confused about preset change…is it only possilbe via rotary encoder or (dedicated) MIDI controller?
I am using a Jamman Stereo now…and I can scroll presets (99) without issue only using onboard dedicated footswitch… I think Pigtroni looper is less useful in this function..not?
Thanks for this review; it. along with the demonstration videos on the Pigtronix site, makes this look like a really compelling solution. Man, if you had two of these, you’d have a seriously powerful, if pricy, performance rig. I have follow-up questions, and would be grateful for anyone’s answers:
1. Early adopters: how has this held up since 2012? Have your opinions changed? Does it still feel like a viable choice in 2016?
2. Can the inputs handle line-level audio, or would I have to reamp my synths? I couldn’t find an answer to this on the Pigtronix website. I guess I can ask them, but question #1 still applies 😉
I had this unit and liked a lot about it but found a little delay in the recording of loops. In the Ditto 2 for instance, RIGHT when you press the switch the loop records or cuts. This means if you are on time all is good in the loop. I found the Infinity had a very small delay that really threw my loops off (been looping live for 10 years). I did a firmware update hoping to fix this issue but sadly it didnt, and I returned the Infinity. I really wanted it to work for me. The search continues.
Hang on a minute, loopers that midi sync have been around since the last century. Lexicon JamMan was probably the first. EDP also had that, and is the only device so far that seriously addressed the problems overdubbing while synced to midi.
(er, and Boomerang also has it now)
Problem is that midi clock itself isn’t “sample accurate”, really to get it right that has to be taken into consideration.
Another observation I’d like to make is that Ableton users have been live looping in Ableton itself, sometime with additional loop plugins for many years, so maybe talk about any advantages of using an external hardware looper rather than claim it enables something otherwise impossible.
As to using loops in a band, I did that many times just with my regular amp, and having the band set up carefully so they could actually hear each other. If you need special monitoring then as you say the Infinity helps with it’s aux o/p (although Pigs aren’t innovators in that case either).
I generally prefer to make beats in Ableton, then jam over the top of it. I personally don’t like to fuss too much with the computer if I don’t have to. To be honest, I’m still getting the hang of Ableton though. Anyhow, you make some valid points. I’d love to hear how you use looping in your live band. Have any recordings online? Cheers
Is the infinity loop 1 limited in regard to the length or number of measures you can record making a song before its full?
The only limit is the size of the memory card. 331 seconds in each of 10 slots with the included 8 gig card. quadruple that if you upgrade the card to 32.
Has anyone found a way of effectively recording 3 loops for a verse/chorus/bridge structured song?
BTW, this is 7 years old now. I wonder when they’re going to put out a new model.