Singular Sound Aeros Loop Studio Review

Aeros Loop Studio Review…

If there is any question about the growing popularity of “live looping”, just look at the abundance of pedal-based loopers that have hit the market and gained popularity in the last 10 years, not to mention the number of social media stars who have built their brands on their solo live looping performances.   Back in the day when I started doing solo bass looping (I’m not THAT old, it was just the late 90’s), there wasn’t much variety. I remember my first Line 6 DL4 (the Green Monster), which was quite rudimentary in terms of its looping capabilities but got me hooked on looping both as a practice tool and as a legitimate performance apparatus. In the years since, I’ve moved on to newer, more powerful loopers, I’m always happy to see the newest loop pedal hit the market, each with more power, fidelity, and a different set of bells and whistles than the last. 

Naturally, I was eager to check out the Aeros Loop Studio from Singular Sound, makers of the BeatBuddy drum machine pedal. There are a few things that make the Aeros stand out from the pack, but the first thing many will notice is the Aeros’ vibrant, full-color touchscreen. I was impressed with how quick and responsive the touchscreen is, and the intuitiveness of the interface.  It did take me a bit to get to know the Aeros’ menu, but in no time, I was zipping around in the Aeros’ user interface.  The build quality of the Aeros is more than adequate.  The metal enclosure has a nice, rugged feel. Soft-touch footswitches ensure good timing with low noise, and the volume wheel also has a nice resistance to it. 

Upon first glance, the Aeros seems relatively straightforward with its spartan appearance, 4 silver buttons, and volume “foot wheel”.  

A closer look reveals a bit more complexity: each button has several different functions, but the functions of the buttons are intuitive, and the manual does a great job of helping the user get up to speed with the Aeros’ robust feature set. 

I don’t want too bogged down with how the Aeros’ functions, as there is a LOT going on, but suffice to say, it has two main modes: 2×2 and 6×6. In 2×2 mode, you have two song parts each with two parallel tracks, for a total of four unique tracks.  In 6×6, you have six-song parts each with six parallel tracks, for a total of 36 unique tracks.  I’d recommend checking out the Aeros User Manual for those interested in the nuts and bolts, as their manual does a much better job than I ever could of eloquently explaining the Aeros’ powerful features and looping functionality.

One of the coolest aspects of the Aeros has to be its built-in storage + SD storage for saving songs.  

As someone who has been looping happily with the Boomerang 3 for years, I’ve gotten used to its lack of save function, and the ensuing impermanence of building a sweet loop, and having to delete it to work on a new one.  Rumor has it Alfred Lord Tennyson was referring to loopers that don’t let you save when he said: “Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”.  I love the idea of a “loop library” with multiple SD cards for different gigs, sets, etc.   This greatly expands the Aeros’ usability and opens a lot of doors as a performance and accompaniment tool.  

Having been on this kick for a few decades now, I will say that the coolest thing about all the different loopers on the market is how their options and features truly impact how we use them, and ultimately how the music made with any hardware looper is the product and function of the choices the interface allows.  When I play with my looper, the resulting music is different than with the Aeros, because the choices I have in front of me in real time are different.  Every looper is going to prompt users in different ways, resulting in different musical outcomes, and the Aeros represents a quantum leap for live looping enthusiasts, because of its innovative technological core, its unique, operator-friendly user interface, and its powerful, high fidelity audio engine. But perhaps most importantly, the Aeros makes it very easy to get past the technology and on to the music.  

The Aeros Loop Studio retails for $699. For more info, visit singularsound.com