Summary
• Pros: The TC Electronic Ditto X2 sounds just as great as the original Ditto but with a few more features.
• Cons: Can only load one backing track at a time. No drum patterns or metronome.
• Overall: A fantastic sounding looper that is hard to beat in terms of simplicity. Improves over the original Ditto by adding a dedicated “Stop” footswitch, while still much smaller than the Ditto X4.
Compare Prices
• Amazon: TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
• zZounds: TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
Full Review
The original Ditto Looper was marketed as the guitarists looper for its high-quality sound output and its back-to-basics simplicity. Certainly, many other looper manufacturers have gone in the other direction. They pack their loopers with so many features that you practically need a degree in engineering to learn how to operate them using complex combinations of button taps and holds. It’s hard to make music when you are busy studying manuals. In this regard, many musicians saw the Ditto as a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, some musicians still found themselves wanting more.
If you loved the Ditto Looper but wanted a few more features, TC Electronic may have hit the nail on the head with the Ditto X2. It’s the same great sounding looper as the original Ditto, except it has two footswitches instead of one, lets you import and export loops and jamtracks to your computer, and gives you reverse and 1/2 speed effects. Just like the original Ditto, the Ditto X2 is easy to use right out of the box. It has all the features you need, and none of the fluff you may not.
Core Looping Functions of the Ditto X2
The Ditto X2’s two footswitches are labeled “Loop” and “FX.” The “Loop” footswitch operates as you might expect. Tap it once to begin recording a loop. The looper allows you to record for up to five minutes. While this is less than some loopers, it is more than enough for most people. Really, who needs to create a two-hour loop? When you tap the “Loop” footswitch a second time, the X2 will begin to play back your loop automatically. Successive single taps will toggle between overdub and play, allowing you add unlimited overdubs. For those who don’t know, overdubbing allows you to add more sounds to your existing loop.
Undo/Redo
If you press and hold the “Loop” footswitch, it will act as an Undo/Redo button. This allows you to subtract and add back your last overdub. It only works for your last overdub, however, so if you’ve built a loop with 4 overdubs, you can only Undo/Redo last portion you played.
Dedicated “Stop” Footswitch
Tapping the “Loop” footswitch twice will stop the loop from playing. On the original Ditto Looper, this was the only way to stop the loop from playing. On the Ditto X2, however, the additional “FX” footswitch can also act as a dedicated stop button with one press. This is a really nice improvement over the original Ditto because it allows more precise stopping. It can be hard to double tap a switch while playing the guitar. I’ve flubbed a stop more than once!
Finally, if you press and hold the “Loop” footswitch, it clears the loop so you can start a new recording.
Playing with FX on the Ditto X2
The “FX” switch lets you control three onboard effects: “Reverse,” “1/2 Speed” and “Stop.” You can toggle which effect the footswitch controls by setting the Selector just above the “FX” footswitch to one of the three positions. You can even combine the Reverse and 1/2 speed effects by assigning the Selector to the first effect and activating it by tapping the “FX” footswitch, then doing the same thing for the other effect. Alternatively, you could activate the first effect as just described, then double tap the “FX” footswitch to activate the other effect. To undo one of the effects, just move the Selector to that effect and tap the “FX” footswitch again.
When you assign the Selector switch to the Stop position, a single tap of the “FX” footswitch will stop your current loop. Pressing and holding the “FX” footswitch in this mode will clear the current loop.
Controlling Your Levels
You control both the volume of your current loop and the level of your backing track (if you’ve loaded one) using the Level knob. To set the volume of your loop, simply adjust the Level knob. If you’ve created a loop with successive overdubs, however, the knob won’t let you master your loop by controlling the volume of each overdub. So, you have to be sure to record your overdubs at the right volume. To control the level of your backing track, first pull the Selector switch on the left towards you to the “Backing Track Level” setting, then adjust the knob to the level you want.
Jamtracks
When I first started playing with the Ditto X2, I was initially disappointed because, although the marketing says the looper comes with jamtracks, I didn’t see any way to actually load them onto the unit. This is because the instructions that come with the Ditto X2 are only on a 5-inch piece of paper printed on one-side.
To my relief, I went online and there is a much more in depth Ditto X2 User Manual on TC Electronic’s web site. I eventually figured out how to load the backing tracks.
When you purchase a Ditto X2, you get 8 free backing tracks from jamtrackcentral.com. You can listen to what is available with the Ditto X2 here. To load the backing tracks, you need to sign up for an account with jamtrackcentral.com, then download the free backing tracks, connect the Ditto X2 to your computer with the included USB cable, and load them onto your Ditto X2.
When you connect the Ditto X2, your computer will recognize it as a USB storage device and it will show up as a drive called “Ditto.” On that drive will be a folder called “Track.” You can drag the backing tracks into the Track folder which loads them onto your Ditto X2. Unfortunately, the Ditto X2 will only use the last track added to the folder, so if you want to change the backing track, you have to connect the Ditto X2 to your computer again. You can also load your own MP3 files onto the the Ditto which is nice.
Storing Loops
Data storage between your computer and the Ditto X2 Looper works in both directions. So, if you’ve just recorded an awesome loop that you want to save for later, you can store it by nudging the “Store / Backing Track Level” switch up on the Ditto X2. Then connect the Ditto X2 to your computer and drag the loop from the Track folder to your computer.
Other Bells and Whistles
The Ditto X2 also features true bypass with analog-dry-through so that the looper will not color your tone or add noise to your pedalboard while ensuring maximum signal integrity.
There are also stereo in/outs, which you can set up in a few different ways. For example, you could use the stereo outs to send a signal to two different amps. Using the stereo ins, you could even have two musicians plugged into the Ditto X2 at the same time with each instrument going to a separate amp. This setup would allow you to loop both instruments simultaneously.
Finally, the construction of the Ditto X2 is solid metal all around. Even at the battery compartment on the back is metal, so it’s built like a tank and won’t break. The unit can be powered using an AC adaptor or a 9V battery.
Is It the Ditto X2 the Perfect Looper?
Honestly, it’s pretty close. When I plugged it in for a sound check against my Boss RC-50, the audio quality of the Ditto X2 really stood out as superior to the Boss pedal. It should be noted, however, that when the Ditto X2 was released, the current line of Boss pedals only had 16-bit audio playback. Newer Boss pedals like the Boss RC-5, Boss RC-500 and Boss RC-600 now have 32-bit audio playback. This is as good or better than the Ditto X2, which has 24-bit audio. Nevertheless, TC Electronic was one of the first companies to raise the bar in terms of audio quality and 24-bit audio or above is now the current industry standard. Moreover, the difference between 24-bit and 32-bit audio is minimal. The point is, the Ditto X2 sounds fantastic. You can certainly use it either for live shows or recording.
A Few Missed Opportunities
For me, it would have been nice to have a built-in drum rhythms on the Ditto X2 rather than just the ability to load jam tracks. Competing pedals like the Boss RC-500 have onboard drum patterns which is really fun for simulating playing with a band.
Additionally, while you can certainly store loops on your computer with the Ditto X2, it would have been nice to have onboard memory storage locations. That way, you could quickly and easily call up loops you worked on previously. This is great for building a set list of loops, for example. In fact, TC Electronic has included more loop storage on their newer pedals like the Ditto+ Looper.
Lastly, I would also like to have seen complete MIDI sync capabilities on the X2. Nevertheless, I understand that adding these types of extra features would take away from the X2’s simplicity (Update: In January of 2016, TC Electronic released the Ditto X4 looper which does have MIDI sync).
In the end, however, the Ditto X2 should be judged by what it does offer, not what it doesn’t. It’s really is a great sounding, easy-to-use looper that has proven to be extremely popular with serious musicians. I can easily, highly recommend it.
Where to Buy the Ditto X2
• Amazon: TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
• zZounds: TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper
Ditto X2 Product Video
Is it worth it to upgrade from the first Ditto model?
I don’t think so. The extra footswitch is nice, but the original Ditto Looper has the same great sound quality and simplicity. I imagine you can live without reverse and 1/2 speed FX, and already have another way to practice with jam tracks when you want to. If I was buying a looper pedal for the first time, however, I would choose the X2 over the original Ditto, unless there wasn’t enough space on my pedalboard. In that case, the small size of the original Ditto might make that the choice. Bottom line: Keep your Ditto.
I did because of the stereo outputs
brought my Ditto back in short order as it was ridiculously useless .. doesn’t sync to a tempo, so looping .. REAL musical looping, is impossible. Bought a Jamman Express XT.. broke within 2 weeks . Got a Jamman Stereo (just TOO BIG for what it actually does) with the idea that I would bring it back when the store got in a Boss RC 30 (which was OK with them ).. finally got that yesterday and … it’s OK .. kinda .. but I would prefer if the Express just WORKED as it’s by far the superior design… ! Rats ! … I don’t know .. maybe I’ll risk it again .. my store will give me a return on it, no problems, if it screws up again .. but … too many others online with problems with it.. just not sure … kinda leaning toward trying it again … maybe get 3 in case one breaks on a gig … ??
3 of these Express DTs is the same price as ONE RC-30 and give you 3 loops, of course, instead of 2 .. if it doesn’t BREAK, of course !
What do you mean it doesn’t sync to a tempo? You mean you would like it to sync with a MIDI device or have a specific BPM setting? I’m able to record a rhythm and loop it at whatever tempo I play.
sorry, wrong choice of word.. quantize is what I mean .. it doesn’t quantize, so it’s impossible in all practicle ways, to make a loop in a live situation .. which is what it’s for, to me.
Really? You shouldn’t need this to quantize. If you can play in time you should be able to easily make a loop that is also in time.
live timing is tricky, I just get my foot close than step down quick. as most loopers do not quanitize
Will it let you record longer overdub loops than the first one you record? Say if i want to do some rhythmic chucking to keep tempo and maybe do some short overdubs that will loop forever, but then want to record a longer guitar lick over that, would it allow me to do that? Just curious how the phrase looping works and if those features are available.
I guess the obvious opposite questions would be, if I record a really long first loop, can my subsequent overdubs be shorter depending on when I decide to trigger and close the subsequent overdub?
Lastly, does the LED change colors to let you know what status the pedal is in (IE- does it toggle colors or shades of color between record mode, playback, overdub)?
That tool in the video just jams and doesnt show any functionality.
Thanks in advance for the answers!
Your first recording sets the length of the loop and overdubs will not loop at different loop lengths. So, for example, if you want to do some chucking to play 12 bar blues, you first have to chuck for 12 bars, then record your 12 bar rhythm, then you can solo, etc. If your overdub is shorter than 12 bars, the chucking will still loop for the full 12 bars with nothing over it. Basically, its a single loop looper. If you want to have different loops of different lengths and have them match up, you should check out the Pigtronix Infinity or the Boss RC-300. The Ditto X2 is really just a stripped down, simple, but great sounding looper.
Also, the LED is green when its playing, red when its recording, and blinking green when its stopped but still loaded with the last loop you recorded.
I wish they built in a degrading feature on subsequent loops like the behavior in the Line6 DL4, so as you move along in passes your previous work slides further and further into a haze.
Also, How well does it quantize? What I mean is, say if you decide you want to trigger an overdub, can you hit the loop footswitch a few seconds before the loop that is still playing and it will know when to start recording the overdub, or does your timing have to be impeccable with this pedal?
Because overdubs can sit anywhere on top of the loop, you have to record it where you want it. So, if you have recorded your base loop and hit the footswitch to record an overdub 3 seconds ahead of the next start of the loop, it’s going to start recording when you hit the footswitch – not wait for the beginning of the loop again. That said, your timing doesn’t need to be all that precise. I understand the problem you are worried about, but it only really arises when using a looper that can record two or more independent loops that need to work together. Because you can only record one loop with the X2 (and overdub on top of it), quantizing is not really an issue. Your timing can’t be that bad!
I’ve been exchanging emails with TCElectronics customer support related to the x2 Looper. They suggested I exchange it for another one through the place I purchased it.
Before sending it back, I’d like to find out if the problem I’m having is due to the design or a bad unit.
The problem is that I cannot store more than a ~2 minute sample. It will save internally up to 5 minutes, but will not store for transfer to a computer. Sometimes it will store a 2 to 3 minute sample, but never more than 3 minutes. The specs say it should store up to 5 minutes.
If someone can try this on another unit before I send this one back, please let me know. Steps are: power up, hit left button to record, wait 3 minutes or more, press right button to stop (make sure right toggle is set to stop mode), press left toggle up to store. Connect USB to computer, and open up the TRACK folder. When it fails, there is a D2_BUSY.HTM file that says there is an error. If it succeeded, the track file is stored there. I’ve tried this with extra wait times in between, and after power cycling, and after resetting. I’ve spent a lot of time trying sequences of various lengths and giving feedback to TC Electronics. Not much help from them.
I’ve had this exact same issue. Did trading for a new unit solve it?
I seem to have the same issue… Did you get this fixed?
I’ve tried 3 different units and always had the same issue and even with samples much shorter than 2 minutes.
I finally got a refund by my local dealer and bought a Boss RC3 instead.
TC Electronic support was very unhelpful, the only suggestion they gave to me was to “get a metronome”…
The sound quality is awesome. My solution for stopping the original Ditto pedal with one step at the end of a phrase or song at the precise right time, and for erasing the loop while inaudible offline, is to put the original Ditto pedal in another one button true-bypass loop. However it does involve more space on your pedal board for use of another somewhat expensive pedal. IMHO it seems to me that that the reverse and half speed FX functions on the newer X2 pedal are totally useless in a live performance. It would have been better to have the second button stop the loop by default. Quantization would be a plus. The toggle would be put to much better use if it enabled you to toggle among two or possibly more stored loops along with the one you might create on the fly.
Yeah, I don’t have a ton of use for the Reverse or Half-Speed effects either. I think the main improvement on the X2 was the second footswitch. You can set the “default” of the second footswitch to stop the loop by simply assigning the toggle switch to “Stop.” Of course, this pedal is designed for simplicity, so if you want more features like loop switching and quantization/metronome/drumbeats, you might check out the Boss and Digitech pedals.
My first impression: wow, really cool unit.
BUT: if you delete a loop you have a slight cracking noise – a NO GO!
and the unit does not quantize – so it is useless for me as a live musician playing in a band.
any alternative units?
thanx
I can’t believe the lack of a quantize feature renders a looper ‘useless’. Is your timing really so show-stoppingly horrible that you need a piece of equipment to correct it? Some of you guys are missing the point of the overall design of this pedal. It’s not supposed to have drum tracks, metronomes, quantize, unlimited recording time, loops and overdubs of multiple lengths. Jeesh! It’s a simple looper, ok? Step on the thing to record, step on it again to play. Step on it again to overdub. Press the stop button to stop it. Hold the FX button to clear it. I don’t care about half speed and backwards crap, but a single button to stop is definitely worth it for me.
If you don’t like it, don’t buy it, but then again a Volkswagen isn’t a Mercedes and was never intended to be.
I faintly, and I mean very faintly hear a s l i g h t little ‘pop’ sometimes when I clear the loop. And it doesn’t happen every time. Certainly not loud or intrusive enough to call it a NO GO! If you’re playing something else while you clear the thing, there’s no way anyone is gonna hear it. If yours is extremely loud, you might need to adjust your level. I have mine set up at a nice, even volume, and I honestly don’t hear that sound, but maybe once every 8-10 times I clear it.
Are you using the FX button in stop mode? I haven’ tried to clear it by pressing the loop button twice and holding it, and I won’t ever have to, because I use the stop button exclusively.
I play solo acoustic, and all i need is something to step on while I’m playing a verse or a chorus, so i can play a lead over it. Therefore, this pedal has EXACTLY enough features and functionality for me. i don’t save or store anything, i don’t use any kind of pre-recorded tracks at all. Everything is done on the fly, and if that’s what you’re doing, it’s the perfect looper. Period.
Hi Enrico. If quantize is something you want or need, you should check out the newer pedals by Boss and Digitech. Specifically, the Boss RC-3, RC-30, and RC-300, or the Digitech Jamman Solo or Solo XT. Basically, if a looper has a built in metronome and/or drum patterns, the manufacturer usually includes quantization. As Edward commented, the Ditto and Ditto X2 are intentionally not feature-packed loopers. They are designed for musicians who just want to keep it simple. Hope this helps.
What a dead forum. Bummer!
Hey Edward. Sorry you feel that way. This is really more of a place for comments than a forum. Since there are getting to be hundreds of comments on this site though, I think you’re right that it would be good to add a forum section. I installed bbpress this afternoon, but it doesn’t seem to be compatible with this site’s theme, so I’ll have to keep tinkering. Stay tuned and thanks for your helpful comments. – Peter
I didn’t mean to sound real negative there. I have been looking for a place that discusses different loopers, and also techniques, tips, tricks, etc. Loopers are becoming huge and as a solo performer, I’d like to talk to others who use these gizmos live and compare notes as well as train wrecks! I like this site, and the reviews are thorough and actually quite helpful.
The ditto or the pigtronix infinity? The ditto is true bypass, the pigtronix if I am safe to assume is not. How much of a superior tone does the ditto have compared to the pigtronix?
That’s a little like apples and oranges, but if its pure sound quality you are after, have no fear of the Pigtronix Infinity. Similar to the Ditto X2, the Infinity records at 24 bits. It also has transparent analog bypass and sounds amazingly good. So, it really comes down to whether you want a simple, straight-forward single loop looper, or extra power under the hood for dual loop recording, routing multiple instruments to different amps, MIDI synch capabilities, etc. They’re both great loopers so there’s no bad choice.
Hi,
Very useful pague and reviews. Do you know what is the recording sampling for Digitech Jamman solo XT and Roland RC30?
Cheers,
Xavier
Those are 44.1 kHz 16-bit. Thanks!
I have seen that for Digitech Jamman the sampling rate is 44 kHz and 16 bit. For Boss RC-30 I was not able to find this out in internet.
I haven’t check them out yet, but I heard some videos in youtube and had the feeling that the sound quality of the Digitech is less than for the Ditto.
What do you think?
Again, thanks for the very useful page. You did a great work! 🙂
Yes, the Ditto X2 has better playback sound quality than both the Jamman Solo XT and RC-30. I noticed it right away. It’s subtle, but definitely better.
The Ditto and Ditto X2 are both capable of 24-bit uncompressed audio. See here:
http://cdn-downloads.tcelectronic.com/media/3400664/tc_ditto_x2_looper_manual_english.pdf
TC Electronic does admit that the sound quality can go down to 16-bit when importing/exporting loops from your computer, though.
You can find the RC-30 Specs here (click on the Specs tab): http://www.bossus.com/gear/productdetails.php?ProductId=1160
Ho admin, great page, thanks to profi like you.. I just wanna ask, I have acoustic guitar, good guitar, I play fingerstyle + solo jam.. AMP is MArshall 50 AD. So, hard for me to choose the best looper for me. I am deceiding between BOSS RC30 and this Ditto. What do you think ? Sometimes I sing and maybe sound of voice would be perfect for jamming. Thanks
Hi Radovan. Thanks for your comment. I’m going to second what Edward said below. The two loopers you are considering are pretty different. For either the RC-30 or Ditto, it sounds like you don’t have much use for the built-in effects (neither do I). So, the biggest selling point for the RC-30 might be the ability to store tons of pre-recorded loops and the ability loop your voice via the XLR mic input. Then again, the Ditto X2 has slightly better sound quality and is just a straight-forward, simple-to-use, one-loop looper. The Ditto X2 is also a bit smaller and less expensive. They’re both great pedals so you can’t really go wrong.
If you want to loop your vocals as well as your guitar, then the Ditto is not an option. There is no XLR input on the Ditto. The Ditto doesn’t save loops, the BOSS saves a ton of them. These two particular loopers are miles apart in features and are clearly designed for very different purposes. If you want simple, on-the-fly looping, once and done, then the Ditto is awesome. If you need more than one loop, or you want to use pre-recorded loops, as well as the ability to loop vocals and harmonize with yourself, then the BOSS is obviously a better choice.
have been using this unit with my keyboard setup.. works great,keyboards are sent to ditto x2 through a submix on the mixer, can also send signal of boards on a aux send which i had set to post aux so i can use any effects. either way works great, haven’t tried it with the direct outs because i want the effects. .can also loop vocals etc, this way.. i have also used a IPAD with the usb and it seems to work flawlessly but there there are some minor clitches ,still have to work it out, not sure if it is my IPAD, but if i can get it to work then you could upload and down load sampled loops almost on the fly as long as the looper is not in use.i have used the jamman 2, a great unit but way to much stuff on it and the software is to slow/clumsy/quirky.its just as easy to send a rhythm track to the ditto 2 via usb and work off of that etc. very simple piece of equipment with out coloring the sound.. peace
I got around the lack of a mic input by using my Zoom A3 acoustic processor which has a mic input as well as a 1/4″. This way, I can have my percussionist record the first chorus along with me so that the rhythm is clear and easy to hear along with the rhythm guitar (I play 7-string, so the bass is important, but not as easy to hear once the band starts playing). In any case, the Ditto sounds really nice, is very easy to use, and works very well in live performance with my 6-piece African group.
What looper would you recommend for looping vocals and guitar? People have suggested both the Jamman solo xt and the Boss products – which would be better do you think?
Have you checked out the Boss RC-30? That would be a pretty good option.
I have! But some people have said its not so great for vocals and that a jamman would be a lot better??
Sound quality of my Ditto 1 is impressive, but I find the ‘double tap to stop’ frustratingly awkward and unreliable (for me at least) for live work. All I need is that stop button but the rest of the X2 does not attract me, and I’m reluctant to pay the xtra (as well as losing on the resale of my original unit) just for that button. Hmmm….Dilemma!
….and another thing. When I try to use overdrive pedals ahead of my Ditto 1 it affects the balance volume of the loop playback compared with the straight-thru volume. Don’t know why that should be. The balance is fine if I use my guitar straight in.
Thanks for all the info. I’m a Jamman user and was just wondering if I can SAVE loops live and then switch between them on this pedal. Something the Jamman does not do.
Also, is it possible to import drum loops via USB?
There is only one loop storage slot, so you can’t pre-record record multiple loops and switch between them on the fly onstage. You can load backing tracks via USB by connecting the pedal to your computer. The pedal only holds one backing track at a time. You can load any MP3 file, however, so that could be a full backing track or simply a drum beat.
I’ve had this pedal for a little more than a month now. I have been playing for 25 years and this pedal has changed my playing and opened up possibilities I had not considered before. The sound quality is top notch. My only gripe is the clicking of the switch when I turn it on/off. I recorded a few live gigs I did with my experimental jazz trio and you can really hear the switch every time I step on it.
Does anybody have a fix for this?
I have Ditto x2 for a few days, and since i have been using ditto 1 and was very satisfied with it I must say that I’m dissapointed with a new one. On my first ditto I was able to record a whole song that lasted for 3-4 minutes, and with new one I’m not. I use to record rhithm for a base loop in 3 min length, and then add base in the saim length but after I could add some riffs or solos in shorter sequences all over the main loop. I recorded that shorter riff and tapp the switch to stop overdubing, and repeat the procedure many times during that 3 min loop and it worked. Not with the new one. When I try to put some shorter overdubs over the main loop some error happens and loop is put back few beats or even starts from beguining or somethimes loops doesn’t overlap and are not sinchronized so you have rhithm and solo that is half beat late. I tried to install the uptade that is on TC’s pages but no use, tried to do factory reset but still no use. Have no reply from TC suport team. Any coment on this?
I’m having the same problem -can’t even record a three minute song. Pretty useless if this persists!
Hi !
I just bought a looper x2 and I noticed the same problem a some users which is the little “pop” when I press record or when I delete a loop. Is this problem presents on all units or just a few ones ?
Thanks
I don’t have that problem on mine.
I am having some trouble with my ditto looper x2 wich is brand new. When I play my recording, it pauses before playing, it has some kind of delay before it starts of 1 or 2 seconds. I would like to know how can I fix this. I’ve already tried to update the software, but it doesn’t work. Is this normal?
That’s not normal. I have a Ditto X2 on my board right now and it starts looping immediately, with no delay. I don’t know if your unit is defective, but you should probably contact TCE and/or the retailer where you bought it.
I just received an x2 used from Amazon.com. I tried to clear it out per tc electronic’s support page and it will not clear. I tried to undo per the manual’s instructions and it will not undo. Anyone have any suggestions?
It sounds like you bought a defective unit. I would just exchange/return it.
Does anyone have any experience using this pedal with a microphone? Is that even possible or a good idea? (This pedal looks awesome, but I’m a percussionist.)
Yes, see TRS’s comment below.
I sometimes run my ditto using the aux send from my mixer as then return using another channel if I want to loop with acoustic instruments or voice. It works quite well, plus any other inputs on your mix can be sent as well using the aux send on their respective channel.
I use the ditto 1 looper with a mic and it works great. I am a latin/flamenco guitar player and use a Bartlett clip-on condenser mic (clipped on in the soundhole of the guitar). I record some parts to solo over and I also record percussive beat with some flamenco rhythms by beating on my guitar.
It needs phantom power so I connect the mic (XLR) to a phantom power source and from there I have a XLR-to-jack cable into the looper and a normal jack cable from the looper’s output to my mixer.
I would like to upgrade to the ditto X2 just for the stop button option because it enables me to stop more accurately. The only downside is that I do notice a little pop when I stop the loop but it doesn’t bother me (it’s no show stopper) and the sound quality is really good so that compensates for that I guess…
Any idea what happens when you press STOP (dedicated button) in the middle of recording? Does it cancel the recording process?
If you tap the the “FX” (or dedicated stop) footswitch while recording a loop, the pedal will stop recording the loop at that point, although you can continue playing and the pedal will not play back the loop until you tap the “Loop” footswitch. The LED above the “Loop” footswitch will change from red (showing that the pedal is recording) to blinking green (showing a loop is stored and ready to play). Good question! I had to try it to find out.
Thanks. That’s a good feature that doesn’t get mentioned. Not even in the manual.
So in other words you can record a loop and keep it for playback later in the song.
Has anyone had a problem when over dubing with this pedal, the pedal sometimes automatically starts playing the over dub before I click the button to end the over dub.
I haven’t had that problem. One thing to consider is that your overdub can only be as long as the loop. So, for example, if you record a 4 bar loop, you can’t lay a 6 bar overdub on top of it. I suspect that if you try to record an overdub longer than the loop, it starts playing the overdub once the loop starts over. I’ll try to give this a test later.
Once i have ‘stored’ my loop/jam for the computer with the toggle switch, i cant seem to clear the original loop at all, to make a new one. I have followed the manual instruction. the only way to erase it is to delete the stored loop. i am i am doing some thing wrong?
I was hoping the unit could store a number of different loop jams, or is it only one?
I think it may be faulty?
Your looper is fine. It can only store one loop at a time though.
I have some weird issues and its really killing it for me. I never have luck with these things.. When i tap the looper it records my loop, but when i go to stop the recording process and let the loop play (or add to it ) the loop stops and the light just blink. and then i have trouble finding the loop.
I am in desperate need of a new looper and have been pretty set on the Ditto X2. My question is about quantization/ syncing. I want to make sure my loops sync up with samples I am playing with a sp404, I have tried the 2880 midi sync and it just doesn’t cut it. My plan has been to find a unit in which I could store empty loops of the same length as my samples (or just same bpm) and simply start the sample then start the loop and they should theoretically sync up. Is this possible with the Ditto X2? Is there any latency that might cause the loop (from x2) and the sample (from sampler) to become out of sync?
I am aware the ditto x2 can only store one loop at a time but I was hoping to use this feature as “proof of concept” behind this idea of syncing before investing in a unit that stores multiple loops. (At this point the ditto x2 would be a backup, gotta have a backup!! 😉
Or… would I be better of with a looped that can quantize to particular bpm?
Thanks for the opinions and awesome looper site!
I think you’re going to be better off with a looper that has MIDI sync capabilities. Even if your timing in creating a loop on the Ditto X2 was a fraction of a second off, that gap would get larger with each subsequent loop. The X2 doesn’t even quantize.
I don’t know much about the sp404, but I just read something that said it can only act as a MIDI slave, not a master. So, you’ll need a looper that can act as the master. The Boss RC-300 comes to mind. Or you could potentially have the sp404 and a looper like the Pigtronix Infinity both slaved to ProTools, or another DAW/Sequencer that outputs MIDI. I like where your head’s at. Be sure to share a video once you get it all sorted!
I have tried to post this already a few times so I hope it actually works this time, lol
Experiment idea… Store a one measure 80bpm click track on the Ditto X2 (probably best created in a recording program like reason).. play the loop on the Ditto X2 and start a metronome at 80bpm.
Do the click track and metronome beats become further apart or out of phase? If not then theoretically you just synced two devices midi free! If they do become out of sync then the looper likely has some playback latency on all stored loops.
Yeah, most samples don’t work well with midi clock signals unless they have an internal midi clock. The best midi sync setup I’ve had was a 2880 with a roland juno di where either one could be master or slave. It was pretty cool because I could loop with the drum tracks on the keyboard and loop along with it. But on the down the loop length did not always match up and the quantize feature was buggy and didn’t always work. I also tried the setup live one and nothing worked and ended up looping midi free and some on a dl4. I thought midi sync would be so cool, and it is but the technology still has room for improvement.
Thanks again for your help!
I bought this pedal and haven’t used it. The main reason I bought was to sample from my computer and it doesn’t do that, plus the instructions are crap. It will be on Ebay shortly.
My problem with the Ditto 2 is that playback does not work reliably. I record the basic track and then hit the button so it will play back and I can start playing over it — sometimes it plays back, and sometimes it just stops and gives me silence. Am I doing something wrong?
I replaced a Boomerang+ with this as I was tired of the size and noise issues of the ‘Rang. This was the only pedal I could find in this price range that had reverse, which is a must-have for me. After several months, I constantly find myself wishing I had the ‘rang back. The ease of use of the ‘rang can’t be beat, even with a unit as simple as the Ditto. I use it in a live setting with bass, and since I use reverse a lot, I can’t set the 2nd button to be the stop function. That little tiny switch is awful hard to control with your foot in the middle of a jam. So I also don’t like having to hold the button to stop the loop. But what I dislike the most is that there is no way to make the loops fade out over time or as new loops are recorded. So everything quickly becomes a big mush.
I actually sold the DittoX2 yesterday because I just didn’t enjoy using it. Now to recover my Boomerang. (On that note I think they overcomplicated the new Rang III. I just want the simplicity of the original.)
My ditto x2 makes a loud “helicopter” like sound on occasion when I press the record button. If I press it a second time, the noise stops. This just recently started. Don’t want to throw this thing away and look for a different looper if I don have to. This happened on 2 different gigs, really loud & annoying. Anyone else had this issue? , need help before my next gig.
I was reading as many post as I could and then skipped to the end. I have the original ditto and I am sitting in a bar at the moment drinking a beer before performing. I have my all my instruments (fiddle, guitar, mic)going through a little 12 channel behringer mixer and then out to my ditto then gfs tuner then power amp to speakers. My ditto loops everything very well as long as I am good and the mix is good. the only thing I hate is the double tap to stop the loop, at times I just step on the tuner to cut off the loop but this results in an abrupt ending. I also activate my tuner when clearing the loop. Peace.
I’m planning on getting this pedal, but I plan to feed it from my mixer (bass, guit, synth, drum synth in freq of use order). Regarding that, is this “mono” and “stereo” i/o two truly separated channels ? i.e. can I trust the “mono” in will always feed the “mono” out and the same for “stereo” ?
nvm, in case anyone is wondering as I was, this is possible per page 9 of the manual
http://cdn-downloads.tcelectronic.com/media/3400664/tc_ditto_x2_looper_manual_english.pdf
Great review – really helped me understand the Ditto X2. Is there a looper that comes with more than 5 minutes & allows you to export your tracks onto the computer? But is a similar size or smaller to the X2?
Sure, the Boss RC-3 has 3 hours of recording time, a small foot print, and allows you to export via USB 2.0.
Does anyone else have issues with the sound quality when you transfer your loop to your computer. Whenever I save a loop it sounds great playing back but when transferred the quality playback on my computer is absolutely horrible doesn’t even sound the same at all!
Yeah, the Ditto X2 is capable of 24-bit uncompressed audio, but sound quality can go down to 16-bit when importing/exporting loops from your computer.
Can you use the “nudge” the store backing track button to save multiple loops and then dump them into your computer later? Another way to phrase this is, can you save more than one loop you’ve created on the Ditto without having to back them up each time? Thanks!
No, you can only store one loop at a time on the X2.
thanks Peter for clarifying this. I have the Ditto (mono/original) and I’m getting the Infinity Looper so if anyone has any questions about setups or features let me know. I’m happy to experiment and give you feedback.
what’s up with give away?
I bought a Ditto X2 about a year ago. At first I didn’t use it much, only at home to practice, but it changed when I switched from “duo” to solo gigs. The nightmare began when I started gigging with it. I never knew when I started a song if it was going to record or not, playback or not, stop or not ! After multiple resets, a firmware upgrade and contacts with TC Electronic support, I gave up. Support said it is a hardware problem that will be fixed under the 2 year warranty. Good, I am bringing it back to the shop, get it repaired or exchanged and sell the damn thing that almost ruined a few of my solo gigs. I am now using a Boss RC-3 coupled with a FS -6U switch. Contrary to the Ditto: it works and it is reliable. I am really disappointed, TC Electronic meant quality to me. Not anymore.
I have a Ditto x2 and I get a hum when it is on. I do think that I need a cleaner power supply though because I am chaining it with a couple of other pedals. Has anyone else seen issues with hum and power?
hello i use this pedal for just one day and after one hour overdubs Played with the scratches sound.
and when i record an empty loop after playing ، it play the last loop i recorded ، even after deleted thousand times.
and It does appear as an external removable disk but Computer can not show the disk.
and when i formated ، And an error was shown like this ‘windows was unable to Complete the format’.
now it is useless.
what can i do?
Under warranty? If yes, bring it back to the shop, most of the times they will not repair it but give you a new one in exchange. Sell the Ditto X2 and buy another brand’s looper (any brand but TC !). I did that after a few nightmare gigs because of the X2 malfunctions (noise, switches malfunction, erratic behavior….). Now I can gig using loops without any problems…. I am very disappointed with TC Electronic, they are supposed to be a quality brand….
thak you but i call the support team and they say i should do the hard reset for bringing back to the factory setting and it does work and pedal is work so good.
Can anyone offer some advice. For years I have just been stomping with my foot to add a beat to my guitar playing but my old bones ache now after a few tunes. Could I use a looper just record a simple thud on my guitar top to give a basic beat?
You can most definitely create your percussion sound by hitting the guitar and recording it, in that way, once you get good at it, you only have to record 1 measure and it will loop for the entire length of the song. If you mute the strings and strum, you can get even more high-pitched percussive sounds on top of the basic thump.
Can this do vocals? I see that it has two inputs and outputs, so can they both be used at the same time?
yes and yes. Both inputs can and must be used simultaneously. The way to use with vocals would be to get a small mixer with and aux send. Plug your mic into the mixer, take a cable from the aux send and plug it into the looper. Your guitar or other instrument could still be plugged direct to the looper, or maybe first into a fx/preamp then into the looper. Connect the outputs from the looper into your mixer. For most flexibilty plus each output from the looper into it’s own separate channel. Be sure the aux send on those channels is all the way down otherwise you create a feedback loop. Can be fun if intentional. The reason I suggest returning the looper out to separate channels is that allows you to EQ and Pan each of the looper channels separately, and even mute one of the other. I use a Mackie Mix 8, but there’s also a Behringer 10B (5 stereos paired channels) that would work great for this purpose. Another advantage with this setup if you haven’t already noticed is you could record a guitar loop while singing yet not record the vocals on that pass if you don’t bring up the send on the vocal channel. You can focus on creating the guitar loop for example, and then add vocal loops, or vice versa, Plus, if the mixer has two aux sends per channel or more, you can add effects post loop, meaning effects on the loop playback but not getting recorded, which adds to even more creative options.
Thanks for the answer. That seems pretty sweet. I want to do some looping like Ed Sheeran does. That would work pretty good. Again, Thanks.
When are you guys doing a review on the new Ditto Looper X4 ?
Funny you mention that… I just ordered a Ditto X4 and will be posting my review after I get it. Cheers
how do i record something on my ditto x2 looper, nothing is clear. i just purchase a ditto x2 looper
I am new to loopers and only know what folks are writing about them. The TCE Ditto 2 won out by making the stop switch one click over its predecessor and overall seemed worth the extra money. I then saw the X4 on YouTube and was impressed with the additional features. The one thing that took me aback was they appear to have reverted back to the double click stop button. Is this correct?
Thanks for the review.
I recently bought a Ditto X2 Looper and the problem that I have got is that, after I finish playing a section that I want to loop and press the button, there is a time lag before the track I just recorded starts playing instead of starting right away.
I even used an external metronome to ensure I would start playing the track (after first pressing the button so the light becomes red) and stop right on time at the end of the phrase. However, it still took few seconds for the pedal to start playing what I had just recorded.
Any help with this would be really appreciated.
There shouldn’t be a time lag of a few seconds if it’s working properly. I would recommend going to the TC Electronics web site and following the instructions to update the firmware on the looper to the latest version. If that doesn’t fix the problem, then I’d contact TC tech support or bring it back to where you bought it for a refund/exchange if the unit is defective.