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Looper's Delight
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Lots of talk about the Boomerang recently--here's what Guitar Player had to say about it: from Guitar Player, 10/96 The Boomerang Phrase Sampler by Joe Gore Not long ago loop-crazed guitarists bled top dollar for discontinued devices like the Electro-Harmonix 16-Second Delay or hotrodded Lexicon PCM-42s. Then Lexicon and Oberheim filled the long-delay void with, respectively the JamMan and the Echoplex Digital Pro, rack mountable units that offer formidable looping features at prices far below those of more elaborate signal processors from the like likes of T.C. Electronic and Eventide. The Echoplex is definitely the deeper of the units, though it costs almost twice as much as the nifty-in-its-own-right JamMan. And now thereÕs a third contender: the Boomerang Phrase Sampler. It may be the price/performance winner--if its simplified but stage-friendly features fulfill your sampling/looping needs. (If youÕre unclear whether you have sampling and looping needs, see last monthÕs issue [8/96], in which loop addict David Torn discusses the technique and analyzes its attendant hardware. First, the BoomerangÕs limitations: None of the devices in question remembers your loops after power-down, but the Echoplex and JamMan allow you to select between multiple loops during recording and playback. The Boomerang is strictly a one-shot device, though it too allows infinite overdubs. Its maximum sample rate is 16kHz, lower than the Lexicon or Oberheim, albeit perfectly adequate for most electric guitar applications, especially live ones. The Boomerang lacks spiffy features like the OberheimÕs undo operation and ability to craft overdubs longer than the initial loop, the LexiconÕs tap-tempo delay, or either deviceÕs MIDI sync capabilities. The BoomerangÕs strength is simplicity. Unlike its two competitors, itÕs a self contained floor unit--no rack stuff, no remote pedals. The 5.5Óx17.5Ó metal housing seems genuinely roadworthy, though the wall-wart adaptor is a bummer. Five sturdy foot switches trigger most functions, which are illuminated by big LEDs. Like the other boxes, you can select between infinite looping and single playback. As on the Oberheim, you can reverse any loop (the Lexicon only reverses in single-playback mode). The Boomerang also does a few tricks neither competitor can boast. A Òthru muteÓ foot switch removes your direct signal form the outputs, so you can silently initiate a loop for subsequent unleashing. With thru mute engaged, you can literally create backwards guitar is real time. A half-speed option lets you replay your samples an octave down, or record them slow and then shift into double-time--handy for learning and transcribing. (Low speed doubles your total sampling time, but at a halved sampling rate--i.e., with noticeable loss of high-end definition.) One particularly inspired feature is an output-level Òfoot roller,Ó a big potentiometer with a textured rubber surface readily regulated by toe. You can fade any sample in or out--way smart. Of the current looper-samplers, the Boomerang is the easiest to use. If you plan to manipulate just one loop at a time and donÕt seek pristine sonic results when applying the device to sources that withstand relatively low sample rates less readily than do electric guitars (acoustic guitars, voices, pianos, the sound of wall-warts being hurled through plate glass windows), this may be the top pick. It lists for $459, the same as the JamMan. At that price, the Boomerang offers 30 seconds of sampling at workable sound quality (60 seconds at lo-fi slow speed), as opposed to the JamManÕs superb-sounding eight seconds. (For about $140 more, you can expand to 120/240 seconds. The JamMan expands to 32 seconds for about the same price. The Echoplex delivers 12.5 hi-fi seconds at its $879 base price, or 50 seconds for $1,295.) The Boomerang is neither the deepest nor the best-sounding option, but, depending on your needs, it may be the smartest one.