The Loop-Master 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/Tuner Out & A/B Inputs is a single-loop switcher made by Loop-Master Pedals, listed by the maker among its Guitar Pedal Switchers for Effects Control & Signal Routing1. It does one job: it holds one pedal or group of pedals in a loop you can switch in and out of your signal path with a footswitch, and it carries a dedicated tuner out so a tuner can stay connected without sitting in the main chain. The A/B inputs arrangement adds two input sources to choose between.
What a one-loop switcher does for your board
A loop switcher solves a common problem: pedals that you only use occasionally, or pedals that color your tone even when they are off. With the Loop-Master 1, the pedals you want on call sit in the loop. When the loop is off, they are out of the signal path entirely, and the maker builds its switchers as true bypass pedal switchers, so the bypassed signal does not run through the looped pedals3. The tuner out is the other half of the design: it sends a feed to a tuner such as the BOSS TU-3s Tuner or the Peterson StroboStomp HD independently of the loop, so you can tune silently without repatching anything. For more on how these boxes fit a board, see Switching Pedals.
The A/B inputs part of the name means the unit takes two inputs, letting you select between two signal sources feeding the loop. That is a different arrangement from the ABY outputs version, which instead splits the loop's signal to two outputs; Loop-Master Pedals sells the two as separate products4.
Loop-Master 1 versions
Loop-Master Pedals builds the Loop-Master 1 concept in several versions, all single-loop switchers with a tuner out, differing in the input and output arrangement125:
| Version | Loops | Tuner out | Distinguishing feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/Tuner Out & A/B Inputs | 1 | Yes | Two inputs to choose between1 |
| 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/Tuner Out (Stereo) | 1 | Yes | Stereo operation2 |
| 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/Tuner Out & ABY Outputs | 1 | Yes | ABY outputs5 |
| 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/ABY Outputs | 1 | No | ABY outputs, no tuner out4 |
| 1 Loop Switcher w/Tuner Out (Non-LED) | 1 | Yes | Non-LED version3 |
| 1 Loop Pedal Switcher/Channel Switcher | 1 | No | Doubles as a channel switcher6 |
| 1 Loop Switcher (Micro, LED Version) | 1 | No | Micro-sized enclosure7 |
The stereo version is the one to look at if you run a stereo rig, since it is listed by the maker as a stereo unit with a tuner out2. The non-LED version, covered on its own page as the Loop-Master 1 Loop Switcher w/Tuner Out (Non-LED), drops the indicator LEDs, and the maker lists it under its Loop Switchers & True Bypass Pedal Switchers category3. The ABY outputs version is covered separately at Loop-Master 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/Tuner Out & ABY Outputs5.
The versions are not interchangeable: the A/B inputs version switches between two inputs, while the ABY outputs versions route one signal to two outputs. Pick the arrangement that matches whether you need to switch sources or destinations.
Questions
What does the tuner out on the Loop-Master 1 do?
The tuner out is a dedicated output that feeds a tuner pedal separately from your main signal path. It lets you keep a tuner connected and silent-tune between songs without adding another box to the board, and it is the defining feature across the Loop-Master 1 range, appearing on the A/B inputs version, the stereo version, the ABY outputs version, and the non-LED version alike.
Is the Loop-Master 1 true bypass?
Loop-Master Pedals builds its switchers as true bypass pedal switchers, and the 1 Loop Switcher w/Tuner Out (Non-LED) is listed by the maker under its Loop Switchers & True Bypass Pedal Switchers category. True bypass means that when the loop is off, your guitar's signal passes through the unit without passing through the pedals in the loop.
What is the difference between A/B inputs and ABY outputs?
A/B inputs give the switcher two input sources to choose between, while ABY outputs give it two outputs to send the signal to. Loop-Master Pedals sells both arrangements as separate products: the 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/Tuner Out & A/B Inputs and the 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/ABY Outputs. Which one suits you depends on whether you want to switch what feeds the loop or where the loop's signal goes.
How many loops does the Loop-Master 1 have?
One. The Loop-Master 1 range is a set of single-loop switchers, each pairing that one loop with a tuner out and a different input or output arrangement depending on the version.
Is there a stereo version of the Loop-Master 1?
Yes. Loop-Master Pedals lists a 1 Loop Pedal Switcher w/Tuner Out (Stereo), a single-loop switcher with a tuner out built for stereo signal paths, alongside the mono versions in the range.
Sources (7)
- Guitar Pedal Switchers for Effects Control & Signal Routing, Loop-Master Pedals
- Guitar Pedal Switchers for Effects Control & Signal Routing, Loop-Master Pedals
- Loop Switchers & True Bypass Pedal Switchers, Loop-Master Pedals
- Guitar Pedal Switchers for Effects Control & Signal Routing, Loop-Master Pedals
- Guitar Pedal Switchers for Effects Control & Signal Routing, Loop-Master Pedals
- Guitar Pedal Switchers for Effects Control & Signal Routing, Loop-Master Pedals
- Loop Switchers & True Bypass Pedal Switchers, Loop-Master Pedals
