News: DigiTech JamMan® Solo and JamMan® Stereo Looper Pedals

I use a Boss Loop Station RC-2 for practicing and I like what this pedal can do. But I wish it could do more – like accommodate more memory so I could store more tracks, and most important of all, connect to my computer so I could easily manage my loops and recordings.

Enter the new DigiTech JamMan Solo and JamMan Stereo Looper pedals.

I am especially interested in the Solo because it seems like it builds on what the RC-2 can do. According to the marketing blurb from DigiTech:

“Both feature the ability to store 35 minutes of CD-quality loops in 99 loops internally as well as having a SD memory card expansion slot, giving the artist the ability to store up to 16 hours of material in the JamMan Stereo and 48 hours of material in the JamMan Solo in an additional 99 slots.

The JamMan Solo and JamMan Stereo feature USB connectivity and will sync to DigiTech's free JamManager™ software that organizes and saves your JamMan loops to a PC or Mac. The software also provides the user with the capability to create JamLists and have them available for use anytime.

Both loopers also include a USB port to transfer loops to and from a computer, metronome with multiple rhythm sounds and time signatures, automatic recording, and Hands-Free™ functionality. The JamMan Stereo also features a balanced, professional grade, low impedance XLR mic input with a dedicated gain control.”

This all sounds pretty compelling to me because using the Boss RC-2 is somewhat like being stuck on a deserted island. Because of its complexity and the fact that it is not a very intuitive pedal to use, I think an USB interface to a computer with requisite software would make it much more manageable. I think DigiTech got it right with the Solo and at around $199 it seems deserving of a much closer look.