TC Electronic Guitar Ditto Looper Pedal Review

Looper Guitar Effects Pedal

Commonly described as “the only loop pedal built with guitars players in mind,” TC Electronic Ditto Looper Guitar Pedal stands out as possibly the single most obvious choice among the guitar crowd within the given domain.

What this pedal basically does is pretty much described in its name – it allows the guitarist to record music and put it in loop mode or spin it around for the desired amount of time. Whether it’s a riff, a specific chord progression, a lick or a melody you want looped, the Ditto has you covered.

The areas you can use Ditto can clearly vary. You can use it while practicing at home, especially when it’s time to jam leads and solos. This device can literally become your backing rhythm guitarist with five full minutes of loop time and an unlimited number of overdubs and undo and redo commands. On the other hand, the looper can also be used during live performances, whether while performing as a one-man band or with a full group-

In general, we’d describe this one as an investment worth making. Plenty of pros, along with a few cons, but if it’s a guitar looper you need, look no further. Check out the additional product details and further remarks in the section below.

Sound

Offering a 24-bit sound without a hint of compression, the audio segment easily stands out as Ditto’s top feature. So there is no noise, distortion or degradation of any sort, the looped sound literally sounds exactly the same as you played it while recording.

The device works perfectly with any guitar or amp and always gives the same results. When it comes to overdubs, the device automatically reduces the sound of recorded loop with each overdub, allowing you to build up a wall of sound one layer at a time. The volume reduction isn’t drastic of course; it pretty much works exactly the way it should.

Features

If we were to talk about the ease of use, Ditto would basically score the highest marks possible in every single category there is. If we were to just look at the device, we’d notice that there are only four essential features – an input, output, loop level adjustment and a true bypass button. Speaking of which, Ditto really works as a true bypass when off – no noise, not a single hum or a glitch.

As manufacturers personally stress, what you see is what you get with this device. Actually, what you need is what you get with Ditto. No gimmicks, no additional features you don’t need and will likely never use, just a strong, sturdy, crystal-clear loop pedal. It also looks quite nice, the casing is quite strong and the grey finish is bound to look nothing short of gorgeous on your pedal board.

The device work through a power adapter only, no battery option was included which was met as an up side by some guitarists, but also as a con by others. Finally, Ditto most commonly comes with a $150 price tag, earning it praises as a quite affordable piece of music equipment, especially when considering the quality you’ll be getting for the given sum.

Durability and Reliability

Ditto is a very sturdy device, no doubt about it. As we’ve just mentioned, the device only includes basic features, so there’s not much to break in the first place. The casing is definitely strong and can withstand even a bit more harsh use with east. It will even endure if you stomp or drop it every once in a while. If we were to compare it with similarly sized devices, Ditto would easily take the cake, showing far greater durability than the competition.

As far as reliability goes, we pretty much covered it earlier on. Once you’ve set the audio you need looped, Ditto will spin it around and around for as long as it’s connected to a power source. It will also work equally well in various weather conditions, so low temperature and humidity can hardly harm it, unless in extreme environment of course. But in general, the pedal is as reliable as it can get.

Overall: Pros and Cons

So we made it through a detailed review section, now it’s time to sum it all up with a brief rundown of pros and cons. Should you choose Ditto as your loop pedal? By all means, yes. The sound quality is great, it’s sturdy and well built and the price is more than fair. But we’re getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Details below.

TC Electronic Guitar Ditto Guitar Looper Pedal Pros:

  • Sound – The audio is clean as a whistle. As we’ve noted before, the way you play a looping segment is the way you will hear it delivered by Ditto over and over again. No fuzz, noise or compression, not by a long shot.
  • Durability – Definitely a strong piece of equipment, easily able to withstand different weather conditions and even various levels of abuse. Drop, stomp it, it’ll most likely survive, unless you’re really aiming to break it of course.
  • Price – You should usually be able to fetch a Ditto for around $150, turning the device into an investment definitely worth making.

TC Electronic Guitar Ditto Guitar Looper Pedal

 Cons:

  • No batteries – We’ve already covered this, but the device has no battery support, which is seen as both a positive and negative feature, depending on the specific user. So if you’re among those who prefer batteries, Ditto’s lack of battery support might come as a con. Some will of course be simply indifferent about the entire matter.

So that about wraps it up, hopefully this review will help you in making your final decision about purchasing one of these. As noted, it’s not a decision you’re likely to regret, since Ditto can always be used at home to enhance your guitar practice or just help you have some fun with noting but a guitar. If you want to hit the road with it at any point, there’s once again not a single thing that will stop you. A definite thumbs up from us.

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Marko Jovanovic

Marko is a freelance music journalist from Serbia. As a tech savvy individual and a regular Ultimate-Guitar.com news and feature article writer, he contributes on a wide array of musical topics with at least a pinch of rock 'n' roll always present in his work.

1 comment

  • Just
    a month, and I’ve n become a pro with guitar pedals. They’re so easy to use,
    and without pestering my head much, I can now compose great guitar tunes. It’s
    great for jamming with friends too – I’m definitely going to carry this to my
    next recording.