DIGITECH TRIO+

The best looper pedal for a ‘band in a box’ approach.

RRP: $669

Bypass: Buffered Footswitches: Two Dedicated stop control? No A/D/A conversion: 24 bit

PROS:

• Unique feature set

• SD card saving and loading

CONS:

• Complex if you just want a looper • Tracking not always perfect

Although the looper on the DigiTech Trio+ is pretty basic as a standalone looper, if you’re a bedroom player working on songs, or you’re looking to thrash out ideas before hitting band practice, the Trio+ might be better for your needs than even the most advanced looper pedal. Why? Well, pedals like the RC-30 offer backing tracks, but the power of the Trio+ is its ability to play in a loop and then instantly generate a bass and drum backing track that can be modified to fit a number of styles. The pedal also supports up to five passages that enable you to move through the component parts of a song.

The original Trio was strictly for non-live use, but, so long as your parts are simple enough and you’ve got access to a PA to run it into, the Trio+ might just keep up live. Though for our money, it’s still better seen as a compositional aid rather than a reason to never help your drummer pack down his stands again.