Looper
The VL3X looper records and layers audio loops you can trigger live with the LOOPTRIG footswitches. Pilot splits the looper settings into two groups that match the device: LOOP SLOT settings, which control how the looper behaves on the currently active slot and reset on power-cycle, and PRESET settings, which live with each preset and persist when you Save to Device. Loop input cycling and looper mix levels live alongside the Footswitch and Mix categories and are documented here too.
Loop Slot
LOOP SLOT settings control the looper on whichever loop slot is currently active: the metronome, how overdubs layer, and the audio cue that marks loop boundaries.
Loop Slot Parameters
| Parameter | Group | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| AUTO MET ON | Metronome | Turns the looper metronome on automatically. |
| AUTO MET MUTE | Metronome | Automatically mutes the metronome once recording is underway. |
| MET FOLLOWS PLAYBACK | Metronome | Locks the metronome to loop playback so the click stays aligned with the recorded loop. |
| ODUB DECAY | Overdub | How quickly earlier overdub layers fade as new layers are added. |
| QUEUE ODUB | Overdub | Queues an overdub so it begins cleanly at the start of the next loop cycle. |
| AUDIO CUE | Audio Cue | Audio cue that marks loop boundaries. Off disables the cue. |
| SENSITIVITY | Audio Cue | Sensitivity of the audio cue trigger: Low, Normal, or High. Only meaningful when Audio Cue is not Off; Pilot dims this control when Audio Cue is Off to make the dependency visible. |
Preset Looper Settings
PRESET-level looper settings live with each preset and persist when you Save to Device. They define what the looper does the moment a preset is recalled, and which loops the LOOPTRIG footswitches play.
| Parameter | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| LOOPER LOAD SLOT | OFF, 1-50 | When this preset is recalled, the device automatically loads the chosen loop slot so it is immediately ready to play. OFF leaves the currently active slot unchanged; 1-50 forces a specific slot to load. Use OFF for presets that should not disturb the active loop, and 1-50 for presets built around a specific recorded loop. |
Loop Triggers
The VL3X has eight LOOPTRIG footswitches, A through H. Each one plays a specific track from a specific loop slot when pressed. SLOT picks which loop is triggered, and TRACK picks which audio within that loop plays. SLOT=CURRENT plays from whatever loop slot is active at the time of the press, so the same footswitch behaves differently depending on the active slot; SLOT=1-50 always plays from a specific slot. TRACK picks A, B, or C, or the two-track combinations A+B or A+C, which play simultaneously. Each footswitch has its own SLOT and TRACK assignment.
| Parameter | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| TRIGGER A SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG A is pressed. CURRENT plays from the active slot; 1-50 forces a specific slot. |
| TRIGGER A TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG A is pressed: A, B, C, A+B, or A+C. |
| TRIGGER B SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG B is pressed. |
| TRIGGER B TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG B is pressed. |
| TRIGGER C SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG C is pressed. |
| TRIGGER C TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG C is pressed. |
| TRIGGER D SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG D is pressed. |
| TRIGGER D TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG D is pressed. |
| TRIGGER E SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG E is pressed. |
| TRIGGER E TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG E is pressed. |
| TRIGGER F SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG F is pressed. |
| TRIGGER F TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG F is pressed. |
| TRIGGER G SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG G is pressed. |
| TRIGGER G TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG G is pressed. |
| TRIGGER H SLOT | 0-50 | Loop slot played when LOOPTRIG H is pressed. |
| TRIGGER H TRACK | 0-4 (enum: loop_trigger_track) | Track played when LOOPTRIG H is pressed. |
| LOOP TRIGGER SCOPE | 0-1 (enum: loop_trigger_scope) | OFF (per-preset): the LOOPTRIG A-H assignments above apply only when this preset is active, so each preset can have its own map. ON (global): the assignments apply device-wide, so a given footswitch always does the same thing regardless of which preset is loaded. Use ON for a consistent footswitch map across a set; OFF when each preset needs its own trigger behavior. |
Loop Input Cycle
Loop Input Cycle settings live in the Footswitch category and determine which signal feeds each loop track as you cycle through loop inputs.
| Parameter | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| LOOP INPUT CYCLE 1 | 0-4 (enum: loop_input_cycle) | Input routing for Loop Track 1 during cycling. Determines which signal feeds into Track 1 when cycling through loop inputs. |
| LOOP INPUT CYCLE 2 | 0-4 (enum: loop_input_cycle) | Input routing for Loop Track 2 during cycling. |
| LOOP INPUT CYCLE 3 | 0-5 (enum: loop_input_cycle_3) | Input routing for Loop Track 3 during cycling. Has one extra option compared to Tracks 1 and 2. |
Looper Mix Levels
Looper output levels live in the Mix category. The main-mix LOOPER level affects all loop tracks together at the XLR output; the headphone-mix LOOP TRIM is an independent trim for your ears. Individual loop-track levels (A, B, C) live in the Mix category's LOOP MIX subcategory.
| Parameter | Range | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| LOOPER | -31 to 12 dB | Overall looper output level in the main mix. Affects all loop tracks together at the main output. |
| LOOP TRIM | -13 to 6 dB | Overall looper level trim in the headphone mix, independent from the main mix. |