NUX Loop Core Guitar Effect Pedal

Perfect, perfect, perfect. This is my first loop pedal. I was comparing this to the Boss RC 3 and went with this because it seems to do everything for half the price. So far, it's been amazing. I can plug in my guitar, my ipad, and/or a midi keyboard via my ipad (via AUX input, or if you have an adaptor for the 1/4"). The built-in drum patterns are fine - I use the hi-hats instead of the metronome, because it's a simple steady beat that has some musicality to it. I thought these things would be super complicated to figure out, but it's really easy with this pedal. One tap to start recording, 2 taps to stop, etc. All explained in the little manual.I record loops to write music, improvise, have fun... Haven't used it in a live performance yet but I will. Plugging in the MIDI keyboard through Garageband is so much fun on this thing --- you can do layer after layer in real time with hundreds of different Garageband instruments. I know you can loop on Garageband without using a loop pedal by just recording, but it's more organic and easier to use this loop pedal without hitting record on the ipad every second.So, this is built for electric guitar, but you can use it with a MIDI and even your iphone for background or pre-recorded tracks, if you have the right cables (the AUX in works just fine). I've tested on all 3 and I'm really happy! Can't wait to perform with this, and record some youtube videos.Very happy :)

I'm a living room guitarist and the NUX Loop Core is just perfect for what I do... Lay down a vamp and solo over it. And at a much more compelling price than other options, particularly based on the features. To be fair, the drum sounds are a little weak--but I don't notice that anymore once I've laid down my vamp. One nice thing, for timing challenged folks like me, if you set up the drums first without recording any music, it kind of just makes the timing work (that's close enough to quantizing to make my life happy, even though they don't list this as a feature). Basically, for the price and size, this is a decent pedal. Is it something you would want to gig with? Probably not. But for everyone else, this is a good looper option.

A lot of new loopers have appeared on the market since TC introduced their Ditto a few years ago. You can get a looper for as little as thirty bucks, and you can get multi-function, multi-channel loopers that run over three hundred. This pedal offers some of the functions of the more expensive pedals, like multiple loops, the ability to transfer loops to a computer, and a built in rhythm machine, at the price of a basic looper from TC or DigiTech. I set mine up next to my Ditto for some comparison tests.1. Basic functionality. The Loop Core is the size of the typical battery operated pedal and operates exactly the same as the TC Electronics Ditto: Tap the main switch to start, tap again to play, tap yet again to record another layer. Two taps stops the playback, and holding the switch down for a few seconds erases the loop. Sound quality seems close to that of the Ditto. In several hours of practicing with it I didn't have any malfunctions or other failures. I did all my testing with an external 9V power supply, as it's been my experience that loopers draw a lot of current and work better with external supplies. The maker does include an off-brand 9V alkaline battery tucked into the battery compartment (see photo) but I shy away from master batteries, having had bad experiences in the past with leakage.2. Expanded functions. There are a LOT of switches on this pedal, all of which require you to use your fingers to access them. You can copy a loop to one of 99 available memory slots- quite a few. There's an auto-start mode, like that on the DigiTech Trio, in which the Loop Core waits for you to start playing before recording- a nice feature, though it takes a few button pushes to set it up. And there's a built in rhythm box that you can use as a metronome while recording, or add to a loop you've already recorded. The sounds aren't great- they reminded me of a 1970s-era Maestro Rhythm King, or maybe the rhythm box on a home organ of that vintage. And the shuffle and swing beats don't swing at all- they're very stiff. The rock and other straight-eighth beats aren't bad. I wouldn't use them for performance, but they're fine for practice.3. Reliability. There's the big question. I haven't seen any other NUX pedals and they don't appear to have a history in the marketplace. Some reviewers have reported problems with theirs- will the company be around in a year or two to handle repairs? That's a problem with digital pedals, which can't generally be repaired unless you have access to the processor chips with the code burned into them.Given the choice between this pedal and my TC Ditto, if I was looking for a good looper to spend my hard earned money on, I think I'd still stick with the Ditto, mainly for TC's reputation for ruggedness, reliability, and customer service. If I wanted to record and store several tracks and add drum parts I'd do that with my computer or tablet- I use Apple's Garage Band for recording as it's simple, free, and gives me a lot of flexibility in editing tracks. For the beginner on a budget looking for one pedal that can handle both looping and rhythm tracks, this might be a good choice. I'll continue playing with it for the next few months and see how it holds up to regular use.

So, the feature set on this pedal is amazing for the dollar, and despite storing a LOT of loops, I'm afraid it's just..."okay". The big problem is the sound quality. it's got a "grit" to it that sounds like there's too much digital compression. I'm not a tone snob, but there's an obvious tone suck. With the Ditto or the EHX, it's hard to tell what's a loop and what's live. The Loop Core sticks out like a sore thumb, audibly.Don't get me wrong, it does the job. The memory settings are awesome, and the drum tracks (while sounding a little too 80's) certainly offer value over just another click track. But it's just not a great sounding pedal, and that should really be job #1.

It has very good features with a simple interface, you pretty much need a couple of minutes to figure out how it works. When you get it and start to play you will rock the neighborhood with your jam. The best point is you could record down your track as long as you want and save it for solo practice at anytime. Needless to say how many tracks you can overdub or how long because it feels like no limit. Just a couple of button clicks before you start your jam and then the show begins.

If it still worked the pedal would be great, but once I plugged it into my computer, my anti-virus flagged cherub.exe as a win32|salient virus! after containment was done, the pedal refused to work in any capacity and only flashed "SE" when turned on. I'm bummed because this means I have lost all of my loops! I would probably recommend going with the more expensive pedals, as NU-X does not seem to have any customer support, and I have not been able to find a fix for the problem! BE WARNED!