Electro-Harmonix has expanded its pedalboard space-saving Pico series with a tiny looper pedal with a big performance. The Pico 360+ offers a maximum loop recording time of six minutes – or 360 seconds, as the name suggests – and a heap of features that bely its modest enclosure.
And this thing really is small. Just look at the picture below of the Pica series lined up alongside each other. All but the most crowded pedalboards would have space for this little guy.
As you’d expect from EHX, the Pico series is accessibly priced at $137 street and is packing a few surprises.
Somehow, the New York-based guitar effects pedal specialist has managed to squeeze four knobs on here, with controls for Loop Level setting the output level of your loops, while Dry Level adjusts the output level of the dry signal coming from your instrument. It should be as easy as pie finding a useable mix between your loop and your guitar’s signal.
The Loop dial, meanwhile, is indented so you can cycle through loops 1 to 11. If the memory slot has a loop the little (everything is little) MEM LED glows orange.
Another cool feature regards overdubs. When the Pico 360+ is in Overdub mode, turn the Overdub dial to control the output volume of previously recorded loops, or even set up the unit as a long echo delay pedal.
But the control was designed for people to get creative with loops beyond laying down a foundational rhythm and playing over it. EHX plants the soundscaping suggestion, so perhaps pair it with some fuzz, delay and reverb and see where that takes you.
There are also some super-practical features, like user-assigned Overdub/Playback order so that you can change the mode after your loop – choose Overdub for layering on more sounds, Playback to use that loop as your accompaniment.
Furthermore, you can smooth out transitions by setting a fade out time for your loops between one and 10 seconds.
This being a mini pedal, the footswitch has to do a lot of work; press it for loop record, playback and overdub; hold it down for undo, redo and erase functions. Another LED at the top of the pedal lets you know whether you are recording, playing or in overdub mode.
In terms of its technical bona fides, you've got quote/unquote high quality, uncompressed audio, with 24-bit A/D/A, 44.1kHz Sample Rate.
The Pico 360+ Looper is powered by a 9V DC from a pedalboard power supply (no room for a battery), will draw 100mA, and it is available now.
For more details, see Electro-Harmonix.
