WIRED Review: Ed Sheeran’s $1,300 Looper X Offers Convenience Over Sonic Depth
The flagship looping pedal promises to turn solo performers into one-person bands, but WIRED finds its high price tag and limited effects struggle to justify the cost against modular alternatives.
WIRED has published a comprehensive review of the Ed Sheeran Looper X, a $1,300 looping pedal designed to enable musicians to record and layer riffs without the need for a full touring band. The device, which serves as the flagship model in the Sheeran Loopers lineup, weighs 16 pounds and occupies a 13-by-22-inch footprint. It features a sturdy plastic-and-metal chassis with eight rubberised foot pedals arranged in a four-by-two grid, alongside a touchscreen interface and four input jacks.
The hardware supports various syncing modes, including Multi, Sync, Song, Band, and Free, which dictate how track lengths interact. Users can navigate menus using a rotary push dial or the touchscreen, with four gain knobs for inputs and volume controls for main and headphone outputs. A ⅛-inch auxiliary input is available but functions only as a simple throughput, not routing to looper tracks. The unit also allows users to upload backing tracks via USB-A or SD card slot, with Akai providing a free file converter app for 16-bit 44.1 kHz WAV files.
While the review praises the unit's routing options and ease of use, it criticises the device's rudimentary onboard effects and high digital signal processing (DSP) usage. Each track can include a 'rack' of effects, though the review notes these are basic and consume significant DSP resources. The reviewer suggests that for a similar price point, users might achieve better results with a patchwork of separate gear, such as an outdated Line 6 Floor Pod.
Another significant drawback noted is the device's inability to stop tracks rather than mute them, described as a baffling miss. The 'Mode' function allows customisation of button behaviours per loop, including features like reverse, tuner, and loop-multiply. However, the reviewer concluded that while the Looper X is convenient for building pop songs from the ground up, it may not offer sonically superior performance compared to modular alternatives.
The review highlights the enduring history of looping in rock music, referencing artists like Robert Fripp and Ian Williams. Ed Sheeran, who has sold more than 170 million records worldwide, typically performs solo using his own guitar, voice, and the Looper X. The device aims to make this one-person band setup accessible to other musicians, though the high cost and technical limitations may deter some potential buyers.
