Home › Forums › Review Your EHX Gear › EHX 22500 Looper: Provides rare freedom for looping, but taking advantage of this freedom is difficult

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  • August 18, 2016 at 8:19 pm #84540
    alightstone
    Participant

    I returned another big name looper and got the EHX 22500 instead because most other loopers do not allow asynchronous looping. I love how the EHX 22500’s “freeform” looping allows one to loop channel A continuously while bringing in loop B whenever they want. (Loop B doesn’t have to come in right at the beginning of loop A, and it doesn’t need to be the same length as loop A either). This is great for bringing in a loop for a chorus during a live performance.

    However, I do have two suggestions that I think would greatly enhance the value of the EHX 22500.

    1. The “double-tap” method of cancelling a loop makes it next to impossible to cancel a loop while performing a song. Thus, the EHX 22500 offers a rare freedom (asynchronous looping), yet the musician has great difficulty actually taking advantage of this freedom because it is so difficult to cancel a loop while singing and playing guitar.

    2. The “one-shot” feature could virtually solve the problem I describe above if the one-shot loop could just contain more than a single recording. If the one-shot channel could allow the artist to record several overdubs, but then just play the loop once when it is triggered, then the artist wouldn’t have to worry about double-tapping in order to cancel the loop: it would just cancel itself after playing once (until triggered again).

    I would so greatly appreciate a firmware update that provided a “single-tap” option for cancelling loops: even if it was just for loop B (which would likely be the loop that one would use for an intermittent chorus loop).

    A POSSIBLE SOLUTION: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPTIONAL FOOT SWITCH!

    I think the optional foot switch might provide a simple way of achieving this objective, as well as solving another problem that so many users complain about with the 22500: namely, the inability to erase loops on the fly.

    Perhaps a firmware update could expand the functionality of the foot switch, allowing the user to depress both pedal buttons simultaneously in order to toggle through two or three foot switch modes: Mode A: Foot switch toggles through memory bank locations. Mode B: Foot switch serves as an instant cancel button for loop A and loop B. Mode C: Foot switch allows the user to erase either or both loops in the current memory bank location.

    I would think that such an update would make the EHX 22500 the clear choice for any musician who wishes to loop while performing live.

    September 22, 2016 at 1:11 am #122065
    Bandeeto
    Participant

    I’d be interested in a footswitch with expanded capability and more buttons. something more along the lines of the 45000 foot switch. Don’t know what it would take, but if firmware could do that with a beefed up footswith through the same controller connection I’d buy it yesterday and shout the 22500s praises from the rooftops. I hope ehx isn’t holding back out of concern that the 22500 would rob sales from the 45000. Even with expanded footswitch capability these are completely different animals and attract different types of musicians.

    Please ehx, make the 22500s key functions easily accessible via a beefed up footswitch. Heck I’d even buy the current two button foot switch if I could do more than bank selection. That’s handy, but doesn’t address the root cause. The 22500 is highly capable with functions that are difficult to access in a fluid/intuitive way.

    Update:
    To be fair I should also include a review of the pedal. for the size and price, it’s the most capable looper I can think of. It’s also to most unintuitive to use. Im happy with the sound quality. The ability to load custom rhythm track essentially makes this a 3 track stereo looper, which is pretty amazing. Throw in on the fly, unlocked, synchronized loops which only pigtronics infinity looper does (though the loop ration must be determined in advance rather than on the fly and for twice the price) and what this looper offers is almost a no brainer…. except for the usability issues. It works, but it’s not easy or intuitive.

    Wish list:
    -24 bit audio.
    -Sum stereo inputs to mono output.
    -1/8 in stereo input
    -Dual mic+line input on L channel
    -Switch rhythm tracks in the fly (via footswitch)
    -Expanded footswitch capability
    -Pan rythm track to one channel (facilitates output to a board or full range speaker while playing guitar through an amp) without having to alter and reload the rhythm track.

    The last three wishes are (I hope) possible via firmware updates. Despite my wish list I’m impressed with what the 22509 can do. I’ve used it live and would love using it even more with a few tweaks and improvements. Crossing everything I can cross.

    October 7, 2016 at 9:33 am #122109
    jayrope
    Member

    One of the biggest flaws of the 22500 is the inability to erase loops quickly, and this could be performed with a simple firmware update enabling the stop/tap button to erase loops upon pressing it for say 1.5 seconds min. – i have no need for an external footswitch otherwise (keeping tour gear easy to carry and light on weight).

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