ValetonVLP-200 Multi-Track Sampler - Two full-featured loopers and a variety of drum rhythm patterns

Just what I expected and more. Thanks

It looked like a nice pedal but good lock getting one that actually works. Purchased one, but the audio input didn't work. I purchased another one instead of waiting for the replacement process, and got another one with the same exact issue. Drums work, and the audio out works. I assume the loop works too, but you can't get sound from whatever you plug in. Could just be me, but +$100 for 100 prerecorded drum loops is a bit overpriced for me. I wouldn't have gone with a 1 star, but another commenter had the same exact issue. What a let down.

Awesome Product!

Excellent value for moneyRobust steel constructionSound quality is very good and the double loop system is unique and versatile

So close to being the perfect looper. The problem I have with loopers with internal drum beats is the beats are always too busy. I just want to lay down a nice loop and continue creating. It takes way too long to scroll through all the internal beats and there’s so many loopers out there that already do that. My interest was in the midi options. Could I REALLY midi sync it to my drum machine pedals? Well, sort of. The VLP-200 looper only reads the beat clock and that’s it. No start/stop functionality. So if I stop my drum machine, the VLP looper is still going. If I stop both the looper and drum machine, there’s no way to get the loops to sync back up to the drum machine. The only way to get them to sync is to put the VLP in the metronome setting, then turn the drum loop volume all the way down. In essence, the midi functionality is almost worthless. Will the firmware fix it? Highly doubtful. Valeton website has no customer support or user forum. So if you hoped to use midi functionality with your Beat Buddy or SDrum or anything else, this won’t do it.

When you think of the big names in guitar looper pedals, you probably think of BOSS, DigiTech, TC Electronic, and (recently) the new Ed Sheeran looper. Valeton is more known for affordable clones and budget multi-effects units, but they have taken a massive swing at the competition with the VLP-200, a dual-track looper with an impressive feature set relative to its $129 price tag. After bringing one home and testing it out, here's the highlights of device, as well as some areas where it falls just short.THE GOOD:(1) Sound Quality - I had prior issues with 16-bit loopers (like the 2010's version of the DigiTech JamMan). They were very sensitive to input levels and would actually crackle and clip in ways that made them virtually unusable for me. Not the case with the Valeton, at least not that I can detect. At 24-bit audio quality, I was not encountering any clipping, and while the audio probably degrades after multiple layers are added, it was not noticeable. So that's a big potential drawback to get out of the way - the audio quality of looped/sampled material sounds great.(2) Size and Build - Wow. For a $129 looper, not only is thing well built with quality modern soft switches, but it is SOLID and compact. I saw YouTube videos where one was held up next to the BOSS RC-500 (my other looper), but was still surprised at how small they got this two-track looper. Despite that, the switches still manage to be far apart enough not to cause any issues.(3) Drum Patterns - Some people said they were trash and too busy/heavy on cymbals, while others said they were improved over past models and comparable to the RC-500. I'm in the latter camp. I don't expect studio quality drums in a looper, but they do need to be believable and varied. There are 100 patterns and while they are almost all in 4/4 (dealbreaker for some, but okay for my limited needs), there is a ton of variety in there. Since they aren't named, however, you may want to jot down some go-to favorites.(4) U.I. & Display - Again, this thing is $129, so I'm not going to compare it apples-to-apples with a $350 looper. But the ease of use and lack of menu diving was the reason I really wanted to check this out, and it does not disappoint. Even something as simple as having a dedicated knob for the rhythm track (which the RC-500 does not) is a huge deal. Easy access to rhythm changes, tap tempo, track levels, and BPM.(5) Headphone Jack - I'll say it again, but I'm tempted just to keep the thing around because it has a headphone jack. If it did nothing else, it could play drums, sit at the end of a smaller pedalboard and give the option for headphone practice with pedals like the UAFX or other modeler/amp-in-a-box pedals that do not have headphone jacks. Sounded great through my Beyerdynamic DT880 (250 ohm) set, which can be a little quiet on some units.THE BAD:(1) Loop Workflow & Timing - I think a lot of people criticized the VLP-200 for some missing controls or for the loops not sync-ing with each other (more on that in a minute), but to me, those are not the primary issues. The biggest nuisance, by far, is the unpredictability in recording and overdubbing loops. The best word to describe the VLP-200's workflow is "unforgiving". If you try activate overdub, or trigger a different loop slightly before or slightly after the end of the loop, it can lead to dramatically different outcomes.The most common issue was related to the "loop extension" feature, which is actually a uniquely awesome feature of this affordable unit. If I record a 2-bar loop (using the rhythm track to set quantization), I have the start an overdub and continue recording a 4-bar overdub (or whatever size) on top of what they call the "bottom loop". It's an awesome feature...at least in theory.However, on the VLP-200, it seems to do as much harm as good. I think what you are supposed to do is lay down the bottom loop and then after the loop has started again, trigger the overdub. You are then supposed to hit the switch again to tell the looper to stop overdubbing at the end of the bottom loop. If you don't do one of those things, the VLP-200 will proceed to essentially record an overdub twice the length of the bottom loop. That means that either the first half or the second half of your new double-size loop will be blank, with no overdubbed content. It's a problem to the point where I wish I could just turn it off, but you can't.Most loopers I have ever used allow you to basically punch in and overdub at any point you hit the switch. (This is usually displayed as a yellow light on most loopers, but Valeton used blue for overdubs, which is also a little confusing.) So, yes, a lot of these problems are "user error", but the errors are occurring because other loopers have a more forgiving and logical method of telling you when you are overdubbing.(2) Synchronization issues - Although it was well-known to me that the loops do not sync to one another unless you use the rhythm track, there are some other issues I did not anticipate. In Serial mode, if you lay down Loop 1, you then have to hit the footswitch for Loop 2 to trigger the start of recording the second loop. But if you get the timing wrong on recording Loop 2 and stop too early, it seems to save a loop that is not properly quantized. The track then also goes out of sync with the rhythm track, which can be fixed on the fly, but not easily.(3) Missing Control Options - As many people have noted, there is no control option for All Start/Stop. The footswitch is apparently TRS, but currently can only run a single footswitch to start and stop the rhythm track. You have to double tap the loop buttons to stop each track, and you have to do it quickly.There are many other great features of this looper, and I don't have the time/space to go into all of them. It has an undo feature, and it works great (many loopers do not have that). The software is surprisingly good, and while I haven't tried it yet, it should allow you to upload .wav files with backing tracks or other audio. There are actually a lot of creative ways you could use the VLP-200 "as is" that would side-step some of its current issues. It's definitely "worth the price" if you can deal with some of the flaws. I have to use it a little more and decide if it's a keeper, but wanted to post my experiences for anyone checking it out.

I saw this newly released multi track looper from Valeton and it is exactly what I need for home use, especially at this price compared to other multi-track loopers. Since it's a recent release, there's not much info/YouTube videos, etc., but Valeton makes quality gear, so hopefully this will be great as well and enhance my looping experiments.I'm waiting patiently (had extended delivery time) and will update review after receiving and utilizing the VLP 200...🙂Update: After receiving and familiarizing myself with the loopers functions, I am satisfied with my purchase. It's basically a double looper with serial and free modes. The included manual isn't the best, but can download the full manual for finer details. Mine also arrived with the latest firmware already installed. I like the fact that the overdubs can extend the bottom recording and not limited to the bottom loops length. The drums are very nice comparatively and are usable. I wish the two loopers would automatically sync up, but not a big deal if used to using loopers.I have been using one looper for bass and rhythm parts and the other for leads or backing noises and adjust independent volumes for desired effect. The two loopers blend well and output sound is nice. I use a footswitch for engaging/disengaging the drums which is nice for drum breaks and the loopers drum button is tiny, so I definitely recommend a momentary footswitch. Overall, this is a great double looper that could use a few improvements, but for the price point compared to other multi-track loopers, this is a good deal for those looking to expand their looping abilities.

I Received the unit. Was very excited. Rented some studio time. Hooked everything up correctly at the studio. AND... IT DID NOT WORK. THE INPUTS DID NOT WORK. THE OUTPUT DID USING THE DRUM EFFECTS. DOUBLE CHECKED EVERYTHING... EVEN HAD THE STUDIO ENGINEERS LOOK AT IT AND MY CONNECTIONS WERE SOUND. EVEN CHECKED MY CABLES. STILL NO INPUT ON EITHER CHANNEL.AMAZON OFFERED A REPLACEMENT BUT IM NOT ROLLING THE DICE AGAIN SINCE THIS WAS A BRAND NEW UNIT.