The Electro-Harmonix 2880 is a stereo multi-track looper: a pedal that records and plays back loops while giving you separate tracks you can layer, mute and mix, rather than a single loop that just stacks overdubs. Electro-Harmonix describes it as adding continuous stereo and mono looping with track control, and it records uncompressed 44.1 kHz / 16-bit audio, the resolution of a CD1. It was discontinued in 20131.
What the 2880 does
The 2880 works like a small digital multi-track recorder built for live looping. You record a loop, then add parts on separate tracks, with control over each track as you go. Recording can be quantized, snapped to a set grid, or free running, with selectable quantize or non-quantize modes on the pedal1. MIDI Clock Sync lets it run as master or slave, so it can keep time with the rest of a MIDI-equipped rig1.
MusicRadar's review of the 2880 Super Multi-Track Looper described it as a looper with so much memory, Flash Card permitting, that you could record a whole song's worth of multi-track on it. The reviewer found it solved the problems of click tracks, neat loops, mixing, storage and recall, and summed up the experience this way3:
"The controls are seamless, and the smoothness of the sound just as satisfying."
MusicRadar has also placed the 2880 in context among Electro-Harmonix's other loopers, calling it the company's four-track digital multi-tracker-come-looper4. Within the wider field of looping pedals, it sat above simple single-loop stompboxes and alongside multi-track units like the Electro-Harmonix 22500 and the larger Electro-Harmonix 95000.
Power and connections
The 2880 ships with Electro-Harmonix's 9LDC-500 power supply included, so no separate purchase is needed to run it1.
The 2880 Foot Controller
Electro-Harmonix made a dedicated foot controller for hands-free control of the 2880, saying it makes everything about the 2880 Super Multi-Track Looper easier and faster5. It carries six footswitch functions:
- Record
- Play
- New loop
- Reverse
- Octave
- Track select
The controller needs no power supply of its own: it receives power from the 2880 over the connection between the two5. Like the looper itself, it was discontinued in 20135.
Both the 2880 and the 2880 Foot Controller were discontinued in 2013, so neither is in current production15.
Videos
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Questions
Is the Electro-Harmonix 2880 discontinued?
Yes. Electro-Harmonix's own product page marks the 2880 as discontinued in 2013, and the matching 2880 Foot Controller was discontinued the same year. The pedal is no longer in production, so players looking for a current alternative would need to look at other loopers in the company's range or on the used market.
Does the Electro-Harmonix 2880 come with a power supply?
Yes. Electro-Harmonix includes its 9LDC-500 power supply with the 2880. The 2880 Foot Controller does not need its own supply either: it receives power from the 2880 itself over the connection between the two units.
Can the Electro-Harmonix 2880 record in stereo?
Yes. The 2880 handles both stereo and mono recording, and Electro-Harmonix describes it as adding continuous stereo and mono looping with track control. Audio is captured uncompressed at 44.1 kHz and 16-bit, which the company describes as CD quality.
What audio quality does the Electro-Harmonix 2880 record at?
The 2880 records non-compressed audio at 44.1 kHz and 16-bit, the same resolution as a CD. MusicRadar's review described it as a looper with enough memory, Flash Card permitting, to record a whole song's worth of multi-track on it.
Does the 2880 have a MIDI clock sync?
Yes. The 2880 offers MIDI Clock Sync and can act as either master or slave, so it can set the tempo for other MIDI gear or follow an external clock. Molten Voltage noted in 2013 that a growing number of cutting-edge effect companies had made their devices capable of synchronization to MIDI Clock, the 2880 among them.
Was there a foot controller for the 2880?
Yes. Electro-Harmonix made the 2880 Foot Controller for hands-free control of the 2880, with six footswitch functions: record, play, new loop, reverse, octave and track select. It draws its power from the 2880 and was discontinued in 2013 alongside the looper itself.
Sources (5)
- 2880 | DISCONTINUED 2013 | Stereo Multi-Track Looper - Electro-Harmonix, Electro-Harmonix, 2013
- Looper effects pedals, MusicRadar, 2010-07-28
- Electro-Harmonix 2880 Super Multi-Track Looper review, MusicRadar, 2007-12-11
- Boss RC-50 Loop Station review, MusicRadar, 2007-12-11
- 2880 Foot Controller, Electro-Harmonix
