Which looper: Boss, JamMan, Hardwire?

[Whiskey N Beans]

I've got $200 at GC via a gift card my fiancee gave me for my birthday. I have about everything I need. I am thinking an iRig mic for my iPad Garageband and a looper for home play solo practice and maybe some basic rythym parts for the band.

Question No. 1: Which looper and why?

Question No. 2: Will GC let me spend $10 and give me back the remainder of my card in cash?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Tenebrous]

I'd say the Boss looper. I'm going to pick one up myself for a few reasons...

It has 3 hours internal stereo memory. The JamMan requires you buy an SD card... I know they're relatively cheap but money saved is money earned :)

Also, the RC-30 can be powered off the Voodoo Labs PSU (With a 200mA current draw). The JamMan stereo has a 1300mA current requirement.

I've heard no complaints about the sound quality of either unit (Except the drums)

As for question 2, I have no idea about guitar centre... But I'd assume they wouldn't. I don't know of any company that would exchange any voucher/gift card for cash :) Best just buy a patch lead or some strings.

[Whiskey N Beans]

Thank you for the already- researched answer. 30 mins. is good news. I think the hardwire only has about 40 secs. So boss over JamMan. Wonder if the Flashback looper is any good?

[Tenebrous]

Flashback looper is 40 seconds, and you don't have the ability to add drums, export via USB as WAV files etc. Depends on what you want to do :) The Flashback might work fine if you're just after some very simple applications.

[mockjam]

the jamman does have a sd card included, which you can replace with a much larger one should you wish. It also comes with a power supply.

I remember looking between the boss and jamman years ago and ended up deciding that the jamman would be better for home use and for practicing whereas the boss would be better for live use. Can't remember how I came to this conclusion and I believe the Boss loopers have been updated since then.

As for the gift card, I'd imagine they'd just give you a new gift card with the remaining amount on it.

[XISTH]

Upgraded card on Jamman gives you 10 hours.

[Bar-B-Kill]

GC will most likely only issue a store credit for the balance of the card.
:bong

[firebrand]

Like most places these days, you have to use the entire balance at GC. The card feature of the Jamman is nice, but the new Boss looper is pure win. No card reader, but it can take stereo on the single pedal. The RC30 can record two different loops into one location, leaving you free to have a constant loop and then loop you improvs on a second track. 3 hours is more than enough time, and with USB, why bother with a card reader? That's one more thing to have go wrong.

[NoNoise]

I did some research on loopers a few weeks ago. I haven't bought one, yet, but I'm pretty much set on the Boomerang III. I will need to loop in vocals as well, and it seems the Boomerang is one of the only ones that will do that.

[dsw67]

I loved the JamMan when I had it. I upgraded the card, then uploaded a ton of loops from the internet and had a blast.

I eventually got rid of it when I bought a Line 6 JM 4. I also have a Flashback which has looper on it. Great for capturing quick ideas on the fly. As mentioned before, they're all great, just depends on what you're trying to do with it.

YMMV

[WoodyStrat]

Boss.

[unsui2010]

Akai Headrush E2