“The pinnacle of compact looper development”: DigiTech looks to shake up the looper market by reviving its latest stompbox staple, the upgraded JamMan Solo HD
The heart of the previous JamMan Solo XT remains within the JamMan Solo HD, but some choice tweaks make for notable improvements
(Image credit: DigiTech)
DigiTech has announced a successor to its popular looper pedal, the JamMan Solo XT, with more processing power and improved audio quality at the forefront of the newly-branded JamMan Solo HD’s revisions.
In May last year, the legacy pedal makers announced a major restructure that saw four highly influential staff members return to lead a new era of DigiTech products.
The shake-up came in the wake of Cor-Tek's acquisition of the company from Harman/Samsung. At the time, we theorized what those changes might bring, including a new iteration of its staple stompbox, the Whammy – which was teased – or reboots of DigiTech/DOD favorites. For the JamMan Solo HD, it's very much a case of the latter.
The pedal now boasts “improved high-definition audio performance”, thanks to a next-gen 32-bit A-D/D-A Audio Converter.
An additional 200 slots have also been added to the pedal’s onboard memory, making it good for 35 minutes of stereo looping and 16 hours of recording time via a micro SD card.
DigiTech JamMan Solo HD - Demo by Matt Calder - YouTube
But it’s not all change: its interface has been deemed intuitive enough to survive the refresh. As such, players will find a familiar configuration, including a color-coded LED light to signal when recording, playing, or overdubbing modes are activated, alongside dials for Loop Level and Rhythm Level.
There are also Tempo, Setup, and Store buttons, as fan-favorite features, such as stereo looping, selectable Stop Modes, and Auto Record remain.
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Elsewhere, the nifty JamSync feature allows several JamSync-compatible devices to be chained together. The HD can then be used as a master controller when going for a multi-looper setup, hugely widening the scope of sounds it can help solo performers and beyond achieve.
(Image credit: DigiTech)
Its design has barely changed, with DigiTech focusing on jazzing up its innards and leaving the, ‘Yep, it’s a pedal,’ chic untouched.
Usefully, the HD can be plugged into computers by a mini USB import – notably not the modern USB Type-C – to transfer loop files to and from its supporting JamManager HD loop librarian software.
So, if you manage to fill its mega memory, you don’t have to get brutal with deleting stored ideas.
DigiTech says it has been “the industry leader in bringing innovative looping technology to the masses” for nearly three decades.
With its latest release, it believes it has “raised the bar again”, offering “the pinnacle of compact stereo phrase looper development” for buskers and stadium performers alike.
Given its size and features, the JamMan Solo HD will likely be competing with the Boss RC-5, which is widely seen as the go-to compact looper pedal on the market.
Whether DigiTech has done enough to turn the tide and tempt a new wave of loopers with its revisions, it remains to be seen.
The DigiTech JamMan Solo HD is out now and is priced at $249.99.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
