The Ortega QUANTUMloop is a digital stompbox and looper with built-in drum and percussion samples, made by Ortega Guitars. It combines two things a solo player usually needs separate pedals for: a looper for layering phrases, and a set of sampled percussion sounds to play along with. Acoustic Guitar reviewed it at a list price of $299.99 (MAP)1.
What it does
The QUANTUMloop's headline feature is its bank of sampled percussion. Acoustic Guitar's reviewer, Adam Perlmutter, counted two banks with a total of 16 different sounds, running from kick drums and cajons to hand percussion1. The full set of sampled percussion sound names across the two banks:
- Dry Kick Drum
- Fat Kick Drum
- Sweet Kick Drum
- '80s Electro
- Deep Cajon
- Slap Cajon
- Doumbek Slap
- Cowbell
- Ballad Snare
- Soul Snare
- The Rim
- Foot Hi Hat
- The Clap
- Finger Snip
- Short Shake
- Tambourine1
On top of the percussion, the pedal works as a looper, with a LOOPER LEVEL knob to control the volume of the looped material against your live playing2. Perlmutter's verdict was that the samples all sound warm and realistic, and that the pedal is easy to use with a wide range of applications: "It's so easy to use, yet its range of potential applications, from doing basic one-person performances to spinning complex sound webs, is thrilling."1
He also noted seeing the guitarist Joe Gore play a solo gig at a bar in San Francisco with just an electric guitar, a laptop, and a foot controller, an example of the one-person-band setups a looper with percussion supports1.
Connections and controls
The pedal keeps its jack and control layout simple2:
| Connection / control | What it is |
|---|---|
| INPUT | 6.3 mm (1/4") mono jack to connect your stringed instrument2 |
| OUTPUT | 6.3 mm (1/4") mono jack2 |
| LOOPER LEVEL | Knob that controls the volume of the looper2 |
| Power supply connection | DC 9V jack2 |
Power and bypass
The QUANTUMloop runs on a DC 9V supply, with plug polarity positive on the barrel and negative in the center, the common center-negative standard2. Its bypass mode is true bypass, so the pedal stays out of the signal path when switched off2.
The manual specifies the polarity as positive on the barrel and negative in the center. Check the polarity marking on any supply you put on it, since a supply wired the other way round can damage a pedal.
Where it sits among loopers
Most compact loopers, from the TC Electronic Ditto Looper to the Boss RC-1 Loop Station, record and play back phrases only. The QUANTUMloop adds a bank of sampled drum and percussion sounds to that formula, which puts it closer in spirit to loopers with built-in rhythm accompaniment, such as the DigiTech TRIO+ or the Boss RC-10R Rhythm Loop Station. Its solid mahogany enclosure also sets it apart visually from the metal housings typical of the category1. For more options, see the site's guide to Looping Pedals.
Videos
Ortega Guitars
Ortega Guitars
Ortega Guitars - Official Product Videos
Questions
Is the Ortega QUANTUMloop true bypass?
Yes. According to Ortega's manual, the QUANTUMloop's bypass mode is true bypass, so when the effect is off, the signal passes through the pedal without any electronic circuitry in the path. That matters for players who want their clean tone untouched when the looper and percussion sounds are not in use.
What power supply does the QUANTUMloop use?
The QUANTUMloop runs on a DC 9V power supply connected at its dedicated power jack. Ortega's manual specifies that the plug polarity is positive on the barrel and negative in the center, which is the common center-negative standard used by most pedalboard power supplies.
How many sounds does the QUANTUMloop have?
The QUANTUMloop has two banks with a total of 16 different sampled sounds, according to Acoustic Guitar's review. These are drum and percussion samples, including kick drums, cajons, snares, a doumbek, a cowbell, hi-hat, claps, finger snaps, a shake, and a tambourine.
What is the QUANTUMloop enclosure made of?
Acoustic Guitar's reviewer described the QUANTUMloop as coming in an attractive solid wooden enclosure, in this case mahogany. That sets it apart from the metal housings used on most stompboxes and fits Ortega's line of stompboxes for acoustic players.
Where is the Ortega QUANTUMloop made?
Ortega's manual states that the QUANTUMloop is manufactured in P.R. China.
Sources (2)
- Gear Review: Ortega QUANTUMloop Percussion Stompbox, Acoustic Guitar (acousticguitar.com), 2018-08-02
- UserManual_QUANTUMloop.indd, Ortega Guitars, 2020
