DigiTech JamMan Solo

The DigiTech JamMan Solo is a compact looping pedal from DigiTech with mono inputs and outputs. It records phrases you play and layers parts over them, storing 35 minutes of CD-quality loops in 99 internal memories¹². It carried DigiTech's looping technology into a smaller footprint than the larger JamMan pedals, with fewer onboard loop storage slots and no JamSync³.

DigiTech lists the JamMan Solo as a past product: it is no longer in production, though units may still be available through local and online retailers¹. The line continued with the JamMan Solo XT in 2012 and the JamMan Solo HD in 2024.

What the JamMan Solo does

The JamMan Solo puts DigiTech's looping technology into a compact pedal format. MusicRadar's review of the later Solo XT describes the original: it was "launched a couple of years ago" and "put its looping technology into a compact pedal" with mono inputs and outputs, fewer onboard loop storage slots and no JamSync³. In other words, it is the mono, single-footswitch-scale member of the family: you record a phrase, loop it, and layer over it, but without the stereo routing and multi-pedal syncing the XT added.

The audio path is digital, with 24-bit A/D/A conversion at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate, the same rate as CD audio, which is what DigiTech means by CD-quality loops¹. Both the Solo and the JamMan Stereo were announced with the ability to store 35 minutes of CD-quality loops in 99 loops internally²⁴.

At launch, the JamMan Solo was expected to ship in Q1 2010 with a UK expected RRP of £175 plus VAT².

Memory, USB and power

Storage comes in two layers. Internally the pedal holds 35 minutes of loops across 99 memories¹⁴. The SD memory card expansion slot gives the ability to store up to 16 hours of material in an additional 99 slots², so a card roughly doubles the number of storage slots and multiplies the total recording time many times over.

The USB port is USB 2.0 High Speed, compatible with USB 1.1¹. At announcement, both the Solo and the JamMan Stereo were described as syncing with JamManager software over USB to organize and archive loops⁵.

Power comes from the included PS200R supply, and the pedal consumes less than 2 watts¹. The pedal is compact: 2.75 inches long and 0.78 lbs.¹

From the Solo to the Solo XT and Solo HD

The JamMan Solo XT built directly on the Solo. It moved to stereo looping in a compact pedal, with two 1/4" outputs (L/R) and JamSync, which lets multiple JamMan pedals lock together⁵. Where the original Solo is a mono pedal with fewer onboard loop storage slots and no JamSync, the XT added stereo connectivity in various mono and stereo modes⁶⁵.

The JamMan Solo HD, released July 4th, 2024 at $249⁷⁸, is the current version. DigiTech describes it as having "all the same great features as the JamMan Solo XT" plus "improved High-Definition audio performance with its Next-Gen HD A-D/D-A Audio Converter"⁹. It offers 200 internal memory locations holding up to 35 minutes of loops, with a MicroSD card slot extending looping time up to 32 hours⁹¹⁰. It has no battery and can only be powered using its included external power supply⁹.

On whether the Solo HD replaces the XT, MusicRadar's reviewer Matt McCracken wrote: "You can still get the XT second-hand, but at around twelve years old, it's getting pretty long in the tooth now"¹¹. Guitar World's reviewer Trevor Curwen listed "Sound quality" among the Solo HD's pluses and noted "There are various mono and stereo modes of connectivity"¹². The Solo HD carries a 1 year warranty and is made in China⁸¹².

For players comparing loopers today, the Solo HD page covers the current model in detail, and alternatives such as the Boss RC-3 Loop Station and Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper sit in the same compact-looper territory.

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