It’s time to shine a spotlight on mini loop switchers and what they can do for you. Admittedly they are just functional and utilitarian by nature but they are awesome at maximizing your pedal collection and allowing you to use your effects in new, creative ways. Mini loop switchers can add flexibility, organization, and control to your pedalboard. They’re designed to interface perfectly with the level and impedance specifics that define guitar tone and feel. In fact, they can clean up your signal routing, which can make your life simpler and simultaneously improve your tone.
Maximize Your Pedals
Does your go-to soloing sound always consist of a combination of three pedals: compressor, distortion, and delay, for example? Route all three of those pedals into a single loop and switch them all on at once for your instant perfect lead tone. Set another loop up with pedals that are your perfect clean tone — EQ, chorus, and reverb — and effortlessly switch between two perfectly dialed-in sounds.
My most important parameter in defining mini loop switchers is that they’re not too big and complicated — any more than the basics, and you end up with a full-on loop switcher (which is great, if that’s what you need). For a mini loop switcher, you want a couple of loops, a couple of switches, all in a box that doesn’t make you reconfigure your entire pedalboard. Interestingly enough, there are quite a few products that meet and exceed these criteria, all with a variety of options. Some of these switchers are straightforward designs, featuring single-in, single-out with two switchable loops. Others have more I/O options and different routing functions. Check out these mini loop switchers if you want to optimize your pedalboard’s potential without overwhelming it.
JHS Switchback
This is a single-in, single-out, 2-loop switcher that allows you to switch between the two loops with an onboard toggle switch. The advantage with the Switchback is that you can connect a remote footswitch (such as the tiny JHS Red Remote), which lets you mount the Switchback anywhere on your pedalboard— even underneath — saving you serious pedalboard real estate.
Electro-Harmonix Switchblade Pro
This pedal has two loops with a single in and out that allows you to run either loop, neither loop, or both loops simultaneously. You can also route the loops as either series or parallel. In series, you can footswitch the order of the loops, cascading A into B or B into A. Both loops have level controls with up to 6dB of boost and a control to blend in the dry, unaffected signal. The Switchblade Pro can also be used as a multi-amplifier or instrument switcher.
Lehle D.Loop SGoS
This high-quality 2-loop pedal has a switchable, adjustable buffer with up to 12dB of gain boost. The entire signal path is stereo when using TRS connectors, and it is MIDI capable. The simple 3-footswitch arrangement has three different modes, including a programmable mode that configures any combination of loops and the buffer.
Radial BigShot EFX
If you have a signal routing or connection question, Radial has an answer. Their simple 2-loop switcher can be either loop on, both on, or both off, and the second loop can be configured as a mute. Each loop has a separate ground-lift switch to fix potential ground hum issues.
Analog Alien EPI
The EPI is a 2-loop switcher with multiple ins and outs that can be used in a wide variety of ways. It has 1/4″, XLR, and RCA jacks that accept both line- and instrument-level signals. You can even connect to consumer devices, such as your smartphone, and retain the proper level and impedance to keep your guitar sounding and feeling right. The EPI has so many potential uses: loop switcher, 4-way splitter, DI, re-amp box, A/B/Y, or as a way to connect your pedals to any console, recording device, or audio interface.
One Control Black Loop and White Loop Flash Switchers
These two pedals are both 2-loop switchers. To keep the smallest footprint, they are each optimized for specific switching purposes. The White Loop Flash has one footswitch that chooses between the two loops and another footswitch for engaging or bypassing the entire unit — think of it as A or B and on/off. The Black Loop’s dual switches turn either loop on or off — A or B, A and B.
EarthQuaker Devices Swiss Things
While this is a 2-loop switcher, it is also much more. EQD calls it a “pedalboard reconciler,” which — after seeing the list of features — I’d say is the perfect description. There are individual footswitches to engage each loop (one of which is buffered) and transformer-isolated dual outputs with footswitches to engage either or both outputs. To help keep your signal at its cleanest, there’s an expression pedal input for full-time volume control, a dedicated tuner out, and a footswitchable boost of up to 20dB. Swiss Things also has EQD’s Flexi-Switch switching for either latching or momentary operation.
There are some other switchers that deserve your attention as well, such as the Electro-Harmonix Tri Parallel Mixer, One Control Salamandra Tail Loop Effects Switching System, and Morley’s ABC Pro 3-Button Switcher/Combiner Pedal and ABY MIX 2-Button Signal Combiner Pedal. No matter what mini loop switcher you choose, Sweetwater has the switchers, pedals, pedal boards, and guitar accessories you need. Give us a call at (800) 222-4700.
