The Rocktron PatchMate Loop 8 Floor is a floor channel and loop switcher: a box of eight switchable loops you can use to bring effects in and out of your signal chain, switch amplifier channels, or reroute your guitar, all without touching the pedals themselves1. Rocktron released it in September 2011 as a floor version of the rack-mounted PatchMate Loop 8, following that unit's popularity12. It carries 128 programmable presets and is driven from its nine metal footswitches or from an external MIDI foot controller1.
What it does and how it is laid out
The core of the unit is its eight discrete loops, all with true bypass, and Rocktron also provides buffered and non-buffered signal paths so you can match it to the rest of your rig1. The loops are not locked to one job: Rocktron says they may be configured for channel switching, effects loops, guitar routing and more1. In practice that means one loop can carry an overdrive pedal, another can send a dry contact closure to your amp's channel switching jack, and a third can split your signal, all switched together as a preset.
The front panel gives you nine high-quality metal footswitches for real-time control, plus secondary switch functions: Channel/Bank (MIDI setup with an external controller), Preset Dump for saving configurations, Cancel, Stereo Link on/off, and Changes13. The unit is built in a heavy gauge steel enclosure that MusicPlayers.com's reviewer called road worthy3.
MIDI control from an external controller
The PatchMate Loop 8 Floor is designed to be commanded rather than to command. It has MIDI In, Out and Thru jacks, responds to MIDI program changes 0 to 127, and can be set to any MIDI channel, programmable from the top panel and configurable for any of 16 banks of controllers via the top panel switches1. External MIDI Continuous Controllers can trigger individual loops in real time1. MIDI control changes commands in groups of 8 across 16 banks, numbered 0-7, 8-15, 16-23, up to 120-1271.
MusicPlayers.com's reviewer, Derek Davodowich, was clear about the unit's direction of travel:
"the unit can receive MIDI information via an external MIDI controller, so other devices in your rig can change your audio loops, etc., but sending MIDI commands to other devices was not possible."3
He noted it cannot send MIDI commands to other devices3. So if you want one controller to run the PatchMate plus other MIDI gear, the controller does the talking; the PatchMate listens. Rocktron's own line of MIDI foot controllers, such as the MIDI Mate, MIDI Raider, All Access and MIDI Xchange, are the natural pairing, and the wider world of MIDI pedals covers the alternatives.
Storing a preset is done from the front panel: press the Store/Preset button, select the preset you want to assign from the available presets, then press and hold the button until it blinks3. The 128 presets are recalled via external MIDI3.
A floor version of the rack PatchMate Loop 8
Rocktron's original PatchMate Loop 8 is a 1U rack-based looper and switcher that works with external MIDI foot controllers3. After that unit's release, Rocktron expanded the line by adding the floor version, putting the same switching jobs at your feet instead of in a rack12. The two share their architecture: eight configurable loops, 128 programmable presets, MIDI In/Out/Thru, and the same 9VAC 3.4 amp supply on a 4-pin DIN connector with 9VAC 2 amp phantom power on MIDI In pins 6 and 712.
The rack unit adds momentary amplifier switching using Rocktron's Smart Controller Technology, and is programmable from its front panel using lighted buttons2. The floor unit's dimensions are listed by Rocktron as one rack space, 19" wide and 1 3/4" tall, with no depth specified1.
Power and connections
The PatchMate Loop 8 Floor runs on 9VAC, not the 9V DC center-negative supply most pedals use. It draws 3.4 amps, so it needs its own included adapter on the 4-pin DIN connector and cannot share a typical pedalboard daisy chain13.
Phantom power of 9VAC at 2 amps is also available on MIDI In jack pins 6 and 7, which is how a compatible controller can be powered over the MIDI cable1. The MIDI In/Thru/Out jack is a 7-pin DIN, and a standard 5-pin cable plugs in if you do not need the phantom power feature; Thru/Out is a separate 5-pin DIN jack1.
Audio connections are all 1/4" mono: input jacks, send jacks, return jacks and output jacks1. The unit has buffered ACTIVE and PASSIVE inputs on the front of the signal path and PASSIVE/ACTIVE and ACTIVE outputs on the back1. Active input impedance is 1.5M ohms and active output impedance is 150 ohms1. Internally, the switching is done by gas-filled relays with gold-plated contacts1.
What reviewers said
MusicPlayers.com reviewed the unit in September 2011, testing it with a Mesa/Boogie Lonestar and a Bogner Ecstasy amplifier, and with a Keeley Compressor, Fulltone OCD, Rockbox Boiling Point, Maxon Chorus and Eventide TimeFactor in the loops3. The reviewer's verdict on value:
"we find the Rockton PatchMate Loop 8 Floor to be very well priced and less expensive than many similar products"3
The review gave it an overall rating of 3.6, which earned it the site's WIHO Award3. At the time it carried an MSRP of $449 and a street price of about $3303.
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Questions
Can the PatchMate Loop 8 Floor send MIDI to other devices?
No. The unit can receive MIDI information from an external MIDI controller, but it cannot send MIDI commands to other devices. It has MIDI In, Out and Thru jacks, and responds to program changes 0 to 127 and MIDI Continuous Controllers, but its role is to be controlled rather than to control.
Is the PatchMate Loop 8 Floor true bypass?
Yes. Rocktron specifies 8 discrete loops, all with true bypass, plus buffered and non-buffered signal paths. The unit has buffered ACTIVE and PASSIVE inputs, so you can choose how the signal is handled depending on your rig.
Can I use the PatchMate Loop 8 Floor for amp channel switching?
Yes. Rocktron says the eight loops may be configured for multiple purposes including channel switching, effects loops, and guitar routing. The rack version of the PatchMate Loop 8 can also be used for momentary amplifier switching using Rocktron's Smart Controller Technology.
What power supply does the PatchMate Loop 8 Floor need?
It runs on a 9VAC 3.4 amp supply connected through a 4-pin DIN connector, and an adapter is included. Phantom power of 9VAC at 2 amps is also provided on MIDI In jack pins 6 and 7. This is an AC supply, not a standard 9V DC pedal power supply.
How do you store a preset on the PatchMate Loop 8 Floor?
Press the Store/Preset button, select the preset you want to assign from the available presets, then press and hold the Store/Preset button until it blinks. The unit holds 128 programmable presets, recalled via external MIDI.
Sources (3)
- Patchmate Loop 8 Floor Channel & Loop Switcher, Rocktron, 2024-08-28
- Patchmate Loop 8 MIDI Channel & Loop Switcher, Rocktron (rocktron.com), 2024-08-28
- Rocktron PatchMate Loop 8 Floor, MusicPlayers.com, 2011-09-11
