What Looper Pedal Does Ed Sheeran Use?
Ed Sheeran is known for his compelling live performances – even as a solo performer; he can create powerful backdrops of sound that seem impossible without the help of a live band. He is a very prominent looper pedal user, and currently, his looper pedal choice is Chewie Monsta Looper.
Contents
- How do Looper Pedals work?
- What Looper Pedal Does Ed Sheeran Use?
- 1. BOSS RC-1 Loop Station
- 2. Roland FC-300 MIDI Foot Controller
- How does Ed Sheeran use the Looper Pedal?
- The purpose of Looper Pedals and Sheeran’s Influence
- What other gear does Ed Sheeran Use?
- 3. Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
- Conclusion
How do Looper Pedals work?
Looper pedals operate on a simple idea – you record what you’re playing, and then, by kicking the pedal, you play the recorded music. It might sound easy, but looper pedals are quite difficult to play well. If you get your timing off, it could turn into an absolute mess!
Once the line of music is played back, you can then overdub it with new passages on top of the original line, allowing you to add to the soundscape. Most loop pedals also allow musicians to change the tempo and direction of the looped music, allowing limitless possibilities when it comes to creating rhythms to perform.
For solo performers like Ed Sheeran, it helps recreate the effect of having supporting musicians. The most advanced loop pedals available allow musicians to record several lines of music, which helps add to the intricacy of a performance.
What Looper Pedal Does Ed Sheeran Use?
At the start of his career, the main loop pedal used by Sheeran was the Boss RC-20 XL Phrase Looper. This was a foot pedal that allowed for a long recording time of up to 16 minutes. It also allowed the storage of up to 11 loops at a time, with an undo function that made it easy to create perfect loops.
It was also easy to use – it had a built-in auto-quantize function, allowing for accurate loop timing. Unfortunately, this model has been discontinued for those looking to try this loop pedal. There is an upgraded version available, which is the following:
1. BOSS RC-1 Loop Station
After outgrowing the Boss RC-20 XL, Sheeran replaced it with the ‘Chewie Monsta Looper.’ This is a custom-built piece of equipment created by his guitar tech that controls a different loop pedal offstage – the Roland FC-300 midi foot controller, which his guitar tech controls in case of any mishaps on-stage.
The Chewie Monsta Looper is custom, so there isn’t one on the market.
The Chewie Monsta has 4 tracks that Sheeran can use to record on. While he could use the Roland FC-300 just as effectively along with some DAW software on a laptop, the Chewie Monsta is his preference because he is more comfortable with its custom pedal layout, and it better allows him to see how he uses his loops.
2. Roland FC-300 MIDI Foot Controller
However, Ed Sheeran is now preparing to release his own signature looper pedals. It is expected that the new brand called Sheeran Pedals will be out on the shelves as early as next year in 2024. A source close to Sheeran talked to The Sun, saying that it is a very smart idea that Ed is bringing his own range of loop pedals as he expects they will be sold like hotcakes.
How does Ed Sheeran use the Looper Pedal?
The famous Ed Sheeran Loop Pedal method is almost always the same. He starts by recording a simple line of music on the loop pedal. Once he replays it, he adds more supporting melodies to it to help add to the sonic effect. He slowly builds up the loops, adding vocal effects.
The final piece of music is a rich combination of complimenting sounds that give the effect of a full band and backup singers – all created by a single musician and guitar.
The purpose of Looper Pedals and Sheeran’s Influence
It is important to note that using a loop pedal differs from using a backing track. A backing track is a pre-recorded musical accompaniment for a live performance – you can have pre-recorded vocals, a pre-recorded band, or both.
Using backing tracks is popular during solo performances or when a performance involves elaborate dance routines. However, it often leaves an audience feeling cheated, especially when not explained through the lens of a complex visual performance.
However, loop pedals allow for the live creation of a supporting audio track. Sheeran creates all his loops on-stage, as he confirmed when he refuted the claims that he used a backing track during his performance at Glastonbury in 2017. Though the effect of the music is amplified with the help of technology, loop pedals are not the same as backing tracks in that all production is done live on stage.
Ed Sheeran’s use of the loop is so widespread and effective that the technology is intrinsically linked to his live performances in the minds of music lovers. However, he recently announced that he plans to stop using the setup.
Check out our guide on how to set up a guitar pedalboard.
Making the statement during the last performance of his Divide tour in August 2019, Sheeran said that fans had probably seen the last time he used a loop pedal during a gig. At the same event, he also announced that his next tour would be at least in 2 years. But, that did not turn out to be true as the artist used his looper pedals in the post-pandemic era. And now, he is getting ready to release his own brand of looper pedals.
What other gear does Ed Sheeran Use?
Ed Sheeran is a prominent user of custom instruments and musical accessories, so it’s no surprise that he also uses a custom-made acoustic guitar. The Martin LX1 series is a signature guitar he had made with Martin, which you can check out in the following section.
3. Martin LX1 Little Martin Acoustic Guitar
It’s quite an affordable guitar, to say the least. As far as components and quality, this guitar has it all, so it’s no secret why Ed Sheeran would use it so frequently. A good quality guitar that is suitable for almost any style of playing.
Regarding other gear, the Chewie Custom looper is the most common one, and other pedals and such accessories can rarely be seen at his feet.
Conclusion
Ed Sheeran is a prominent figure in music today. His combination of acoustic rock and folk styles has propelled him to immense success throughout his career so far.
He is known for being particularly innovative, which is apparent when you look at how he uses loop pedals during his live performances.
He is, hands down, one of the most influential musicians of our time who continues to impress with his live performances.
Featured image of Ed Sheeran by Markus Hillgärtner, http://www.markushillgaertner.de / CC BY-SA
