t
very good - just not perfect
Pros:
- looks great, good quality finish, the unit appears to be sturdy and robust
- does it's job with or without power (battery or external power needed only for LED indication).
Cons:
- not completely audio transparent (see below)
- not silent switching. My unit at least pops a little on switching the loops. This is probably "LED pop" as it doesn't seem to be an issue when power for the LED indication is removed.
- just a note. If only one of the LEDs comes on when you have both loops switched in, the unit isn't broken. It's just that the battery supply voltage is a little low. Replace the battery and all will be well again.
Details:
- Reliability-wise it's likely that the "generic" 3PDT switches will give out first. I've had no issues up to now.
- When I first got the unit I thought that the unit provided the proverbial "blanket" over my tone - reducing the high-end shimmer and sparkle. Even in full bypassed mode. This turned out to be my fault ( a faulty screen connection on a high-end, dual core audio cable that I had made up myself). But until I got there I did some investigations. I thought of modding the HB Loop Switch. However looking inside I see well designed PCBs and ribbon cable connections between them. Ok so I'm not going to touch that (I was expecting that it might be point to point wiring). I then modified an old ABY switcher I had - everything ordered from Thomann except the 3PDT switches which Thomann doesn't stock (a shame). I made my own 2 channel Loop Switcher but using point to point wiring and all signal traces at 90 degrees to each other at crossing points.
So what did all of this get me? It put me in a position to directly compare the two loop switchers with each other. In terms of capacitance and resistance the 2 units (HB and home made) were very similar. In terms of audio my unit was a little more transparent, I wouldn't say that the HB rolled off highs but there was a little "funkiness" in the high frequency response - sounded a little like some little phasing issue (capacitative or inductive crosstalk maybe?). The good news is that this effect was only really noticeable when A/Bing the pedals side by side (even though I could hear the effect "blind"). This was in a home studio situation. In a live situation or with a few fx either in the loops or before or after the device NOBODY would be able to hear or tell the difference. So really a non-issue and just noted here as a point of fact.
So in conclusion: great looking, working device at a good price point. I don't see that toggle switch that others have commented on as being the main point of annoyance, but potentially that switching pop. Seems to me to be a small price to pay. Recommended.
- looks great, good quality finish, the unit appears to be sturdy and robust
- does it's job with or without power (battery or external power needed only for LED indication).
Cons:
- not completely audio transparent (see below)
- not silent switching. My unit at least pops a little on switching the loops. This is probably "LED pop" as it doesn't seem to be an issue when power for the LED indication is removed.
- just a note. If only one of the LEDs comes on when you have both loops switched in, the unit isn't broken. It's just that the battery supply voltage is a little low. Replace the battery and all will be well again.
Details:
- Reliability-wise it's likely that the "generic" 3PDT switches will give out first. I've had no issues up to now.
- When I first got the unit I thought that the unit provided the proverbial "blanket" over my tone - reducing the high-end shimmer and sparkle. Even in full bypassed mode. This turned out to be my fault ( a faulty screen connection on a high-end, dual core audio cable that I had made up myself). But until I got there I did some investigations. I thought of modding the HB Loop Switch. However looking inside I see well designed PCBs and ribbon cable connections between them. Ok so I'm not going to touch that (I was expecting that it might be point to point wiring). I then modified an old ABY switcher I had - everything ordered from Thomann except the 3PDT switches which Thomann doesn't stock (a shame). I made my own 2 channel Loop Switcher but using point to point wiring and all signal traces at 90 degrees to each other at crossing points.
So what did all of this get me? It put me in a position to directly compare the two loop switchers with each other. In terms of capacitance and resistance the 2 units (HB and home made) were very similar. In terms of audio my unit was a little more transparent, I wouldn't say that the HB rolled off highs but there was a little "funkiness" in the high frequency response - sounded a little like some little phasing issue (capacitative or inductive crosstalk maybe?). The good news is that this effect was only really noticeable when A/Bing the pedals side by side (even though I could hear the effect "blind"). This was in a home studio situation. In a live situation or with a few fx either in the loops or before or after the device NOBODY would be able to hear or tell the difference. So really a non-issue and just noted here as a point of fact.
So in conclusion: great looking, working device at a good price point. I don't see that toggle switch that others have commented on as being the main point of annoyance, but potentially that switching pop. Seems to me to be a small price to pay. Recommended.
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r
Extremely useful
This is definitely the most functional accessory on my pedalboard. As a bass player, consistency is key when switching between effects to avoid volume drops. I use one loop for my filters and one loop for my fuzz/distortion circuit. This switcher allows me to quickly move between two entirely different sounds (from four different pedals) with just one stomp. Both switches are close enough to eachother to allow turning on/off both loops at once. The enclosure is sturdy enough to withstand heavy gigging. One minor gripe is that a misplaced foot can easily hit the A/B/A+B switch, suddenly turning on (or off) both loops accidentally. The switch can be removed easily, or in my case, taped upwards to avoid this. All in all, an extremely useful piece of gear at a fraction of the price of other loop switches.
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