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Re: Zvex LoFi Junky Looper
I'm new to looping (and the list) and I have a severe crush on the ZVex box. Your review may turn it from a crush to an all-out stalking -- I hope Zachary doesn't get a restraining order...
If only it did sound-on-sound, I'd be happy to sell my Boomerang and my Filter Eko II. Even so -- battery power and true bypass (are there ANY other TB loopers?) make this super tempting. Other than a looper, I'm a guitar -> lead -> amp kinda guy; I love having the loop mangled, but I want my dry signal pristine!
I've actually pondered getting 2 ZVex's, although I suppose a 'cleaner' looper would give me more options -- but I still want to KISS.
Suggestions are more than welcome....
Zak
On Jan 11, 2008 2:53 AM, jan gyn < jan_gyn@yahoo.com> wrote:
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
--
Zak Kramer
Crazyquilt Arts & Music
http://www.crazyquiltarts.com/
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