VLP-200 – Release Date: Aug/Fall 2024
Valeton has done the unthinkable!! They’ve entered the Looping market with not one, but TWO very cool Loopers that are shaking things up in the world of Looping.
The Valeton VLP-200 and the VLP-400 are two good looking loopers that offer more features than you’d expect, at about half the price (or less) than the competition, and they’re doing it in style!!
The Valeton VLP-200 offers:
Two Independant Looping Tracks
Serial or Free Modes of operation
Up to 7 Hrs recording time (4 mins per memory -Stereo Files)
Metronome, 100 Rhythm Patterns
USB port for Firmware/File Transfer
Single TS Port for External Foot Switch, for Drums Control only
24 bit, 48Khz recording
99 Memory Locations
Stereo In/Out
Auto Record
Rhythm Sync
Cast Metal Chassis
9VDC Power Supply
Configuration menus are accessible via pressing various buttons while powering on the unit. The options are somewhat limited, but that may means far less menu diving and digging thru manuals trying to figure out a thousand parameter settings.
The two main foot switches operate the two independent loops, as you’d expect. Press for Record/Play/Overdub, Press & Hold for Undo/Redo (or to Clear tracks when loops are not playing), and Double Tap to stop the track. There is a Mini-Toggle to select either Free or Serial Modes for the tracks playback, seperate level knobs for track volumes, and a larger main knob to select from the 99 memories. You also have a Drum level knob, Rhythm Select/BPM knob, and a Tap Tempo, Drum On-Off button. A very limited LCD display means you’ll be seeing an alpha-numeric code rather than any meaningful information.
One of the cool features of the VLP series Loopers is the ability for your Overdubs to be longer than your previous recordings, by full integer multiples. This means that if your first track is one or two measures, the overdubs can be the same length, or they can be twice the length, or three or four times the length. As long as all the layers are some multiple of each other that makes mathematical sense, and everything can end at the same time. What it might not be able to accommodate, tho, is one of the layers that is NOT a multiple of all the other layers. Meaning, you might not be able to have a one measure base loop, a four measure overdub loop and then a 7 measure overdub loop, since they might not be able to end together sensibly. In the end, this freedom of overdubbing lengths gives you the feeling of having more than just two independent loops, and this will soon become very apparent to most loopers, once you begin to utilize this ability. It’s really a very cool & useful extra feature for most musicians, especially if you’re adding in some drum patterns!!
On the back panel you’ll find:
Two 1/4″ TS inputs (L&R or 2xMono)
Two 1/4″ TS Outputs (L&R or 2xMono)
One 1/4″ TS External Control jack, can accommodate a single foot switch only
USB-C port for file transfers & Firmware updates (Not for Audio Interface)
Power In jack, 9VDC 500ma, Ctr-Neg,3.1mm Barrel
On the left side, you’ll find:
A headphone jack,
Midi-In jack
Midi-Out jack.
All are 1/8″ TRS.
The Midi In/Out are only used to receive or send timing information, unless a future firmware changes this.
Overall, the feature set of this looper make it rather different from the competitor’s products, and may make for new creative options in your performances, despite the obvious irregularities such as the lack of an All Stop/All Start, routing selections, and more advanced Rhythm controls.
