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I have one, like it. But I use my Boss RC-2 more, because of the 16 minute length. -jan > >Hey fellow Loopists..... > >Recently I posted some questions pertaining to the > Zvex LoFi Junky Looper. Between the responses > (thank you all very much...), and some further > research, I decided to toss caution to the wind and > just buy one. It arrived Tuesday and I have been > puttin' it thru the paces and thought I would > share.... > >(I guess maybe I should try to post this to the LD > site as well..... since ther eis precious little > info there on this box.) > > > >It is pretty damn cool. It is also quite > small---which is nice. And, it is built very well > (like a tank). The switches and knobs are top notch > and the inside assembly is very thorough and clean > (remarkable attention to detail there) and the > components are all very high quality. It may be > "lo-fi" but it is not cheaply made (nor cheaply > priced). > > > >So, first off what it doesn't do: No overdubs, > layers, replace, reverse or other loop > manipulations...and no MIDI! It is a one-shot 20 > sec max. analog looper. > > > >It also doesn't do pristine, hi-fi sound quality. > And, it certainly is NOT for everybody.... > > > >But what is does do is quite cool. More than > anything it adds a certain "je nais se quoi"; a > vibe, an atmosphere to the loopage . Kinda like > playing thru an old Supro amp or something; yes, it > is a bit noisy and less than "perfect" in sound > quality, but there is something very inviting and > comfortable about that. Being analog (and lo-fi) it > can hiss (and careful setting of the levels helps > keep this in order), but the hiss and noise is > strikingly different that the hiss and noise found > in digital devices....and what hiss there is seems > to be masked by the playing to the loop (in fact it > sort of melts into the music itself...). > > > >For this feature alone, to me, it is worth every > dime. It injects something quite human, something > quite blemished, worn and imperfect to my looping. > AS for the shortcoming of layers (or lack thereof), > It is quite easy to re-sample the LoFi into a bigger > more full featured looping device..... > > > >It does have true bypass and the instrument preamp > which drives the unlooped signal is of exceptional > quality: a very high impedence (>5megOhm)input which > insures there is no loading or degradation of your > signal (the looper section does enough of that!!). > > > >It has a single passive tone control which is > useful both for tone variations and controlling > hiss. It has no freq response above 2.6kHz. This > seems like a somewhat severe limitation, but > actually it helps produce a sound wholly different > than other loopers...and quite different than the > source sound fed into it (but drastically > different....different in what to my ears is a good > way.......) > > > >The input/rec level is adjustable (as is the > output) and the recording section can even be > overdriven. The result is a very pleasing driven > sound VERY different from the digital clipping other > machines produce when hit too hard. In fact, on my > basses, the distortion produced here is very cool. > > > >It also has a cool vibrato circuit which can give > anything from a warped LP kind of warble to a psuedo > Leslie spin to some rather jiggly modulations. Of > course, I am using this with bass and the effect is > somewhat understated...but for my purposes that is > perfect as I do not need to get to heavy handed with > modulations. It is more subtle than other fx, but it > is also quite present and noticeable. > > > >The behavior of this vibrato circuit is somewhat > unpredictable as well. Which I find very appealing. > It is something of a loose cannon, unpredictable yet > still quite musical and useful. It does > shimmer...but not like other modulation effects. And > since the controls (rate and depth) are interactive > you're never quite sure jsut where the effect is > gonna land........pretty neat. > > > >All in all I am very pleased. I have some other > looping devices (modded Lexicon JamMan, EDP, > Headrush, DL4), but this is quickly becoming my > favorite---it seems especially geared towards my > direction in looping in which the looping is not so > much a feature in itself, but rather a necessary and > integral part of the compositions and performances, > and as such is somewhat stealthy in its > appearance--never static and not always present--, > and usually neither dense nor drone-y. > > > >I am sure the limitations of this little box make > it "less than ideal" for a great number of loopists, > yet for me it does something special...and that is > quite inspiring. > > > >I have a solo show next week...and the LoFi will > definitely get some game-time. > > > >Max ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ