Akai Head Rush E2

There is a very slight learning curve, lots of features included in this pedal. I find the lay-out to be user-friendly and easy to understand.

I really enjoy using the looper on this pedal for building layers of sound, creating soundscapes and working out song ideas. It is a very useful tool.

The delays are decent digital delays. The high-end rolloff and echo modes aren't as convincing as my Deluxe Memory Man.

The only real use I get from the Akai is the looper. It is way too noisy for live use or recording. I like to use this in front of or in the effects loop of my amps - Fender Dual Showman, Soldano Hot Rod +, Peavey Classic 50. The Akai introduces an unacceptable amount of noise into the soundpath. Therefore, I can only use it at home as an idea generator. Low rating for loud hiss.

No problems in two years.

Like the usefulness, hate the noise. Will look elsewere for my next looper.

Once you read the manual, it's really easy to use. Without reading it, it's actually hard to get the right sound. This is because there are three different modes and a number of controls (time course/fine time) that take some time getting used to. Once you've spent 5 minutes reading the manual, you know what each knob does and it's rather easy to get the sound you want.

However, there are some 'flaws'. In normal delay mode, there is one control for rough time setting, and one control to fine tune this. The control to fine tune it (and you will need it) will control the 'head gap' in tape echo mode. This is really annoying, because you might depend on fine time for accuracy in normal delay, while head gap is something you will probably want to set differently.

Another thing I don't like is that you can either fix the loop level (which is a nice function to have) or have its level controlled by the same knob you use for the delay level. Don't get me wrong, it's better than not having this choice (between 'fix' and 'vari') but I would have preferred a separate level knob.

Either way, after playing with it a lot, I know how it works and it mainly works just fine.

My setup: Fender Jaguar (CIJ with stock pickups) and Epiphone Les Paul Custom (stock pickups) through a whole lot of other pedals and finally into a Fender Blues Junior.

It's not really noisy, sometimes I do notice a little noise in tape echo mode, but it's not too bad.

The only thing I don't like about the sound quality is that it often sounds slightly processed. Especially with feedback turned all the way up and hf damp turned up to at least 12 o'clock, it sounds somewhat 'cold' - while hf damp does its job really well. On more normal delay settings, like a little slapback, it sounds like I need it to sound. On tape mode, especially when using the head gap function (which is really fun to toy with, it can sound as if you're using two separate delays), it has this shrill sound to it as well, but overal it sounds alright.

Can I depend on it? Simple answer: No.

The first headrush I got, started having problems with the footswitches after a week or so. The problem was that both footswitches only worked half the time you stomped them, meaning that you can't depend on tap tempo or looping in time.
I emailed the shop about it, they gave me a new one. This one didn't have the poor footswitches, but it did tend to just stop playing the loop every now and then. It's as simple as that: you record a loop, maybe an overdub or two, playing along to it and then it just stops playing. It has forgotten that it's supposed to be playing a loop, and you can't put the same loop back on either. As if you've never recorded that loop in the first place.

So, I had that one returned as well. With my third, I've given up. The footswitches work most of the time but not all the time, it forgets the loop every now and then, but it's alright. I make sure that I know how to set the time knobs for the right delay time when I need to use it (for example for RHCP - Don't Forget Me), and I just don't really use the looper live. Just for some noises for an intro, but not through an entire song. But that's also due to the fact that it's hard to do the timing right when playing with a drummer.

I do gig with this without a backup, but I don't use very much delay so if it stopped working completely, I wouldn't miss it.

I haven't dealt with Akai, but have with Musicstore.de and they were very helpful and just. The two times I emailed them about my problems, they had a postal service collect my old one and sent a new one. Took some time, but that's alright.

If this pedal worked properly, it would be a perfect match for my playing. I want a looper with long looping time for writing music on my own, an analog sounding short delay to make my sound a bit fuller, and a longer tap tempo delay for a few specific songs, including a very psychedelic jam I once recorded.

I've been playing for 6 years, I've already mentioned my guitars and amp elsewhere in this review. Other pedals are a Korg DT-10 tuner, Boss DS-1, Ibanez SF-5 fuzz, Dunlop crybaby, Marshall vibratrem, MXR Phase90, Blackstar overdrive, EHX Holy Grail and a Moogerfooger Freqbox.
I'd say this pedal is one of the poorer elements in my gear. in theory, it's a great pedal. But it's just too unreliable and it sounds alright, but not great.

If it were stolen, I would look out to buy myself the same features in one or more different pedals. I simply don't get how a few artists (KT Tunstall, Radiohead) can depend on a pedal that, in my case, 3 out of 3 times, don't properly work. As long as it works, it's a nice pedal that is exactly what I need.

The usability is pretty immediate out of the box. The looping facility takes a bit of getting used to and timing is everything with pressing the buttons.

The manual is minimal but with the limited number of controls it's pretty easy to figure out what does exactly what. Having searched the web I've managed to discover that the looping time switch is a toggle for the sampling frequency.

I'm using this with various guitars: Ibanez Jem, Fender Strat and a Traveller Speedster through a Laney AOR 30/12. I can't fault the sound quality. There are a few clicks and pops when changing between modes but this doesn't bother me too much.

Early days but the build standard looks and feels good.

No comment.

My setup these days is based around home recording. With a Line-6 Tone Port GX and Gear Works software. What I hugely enjoy is running iTunes with all my music out through the Tone Port, into the Head Rush and out to the amp. I can sample-and-hold a break from a favourite track and then jam over the top. With a little practice this can all be done quite seamlessly and the possibilities are endless.

It's wonderful for practice and jamming. It's great for working out riffs and licks.

I'd certainly recommend it and would replace if lost.

Very easy to use. Basically three sections: looping, standard delay, and anlog "multi-head" simulation. My manual was a little off on how to use the looper - translation issue probably...but nothing major. It said after you record your initial loop you hit the record switch again to put it in play mode. That's wrong - you hit the play switch, then the record switch again when you want to overdub. You must hit the play switch to get out of overdub - if you hit the record switch while overdubbing it will erase everything except your intital loop.

Great sound quality. I have a lot of delays in my studio. My best and most versatile by far is the Damage Control Timeline. High resolution, tubes, stereo, modulation, reverse, ping-pong, multi-head, looping, tap, strum, and midi tempo. But its much more expensive.

The Headrush's analog delay mode has a really cool multi-head simulation. The rhythmic permutations are really usable and inspiring. The longest delay time is 24 seconds not 35. You can get a 35 second loop when using the low resolution loop mode. When you use the standard resolution your maximum loop time is 24 seconds - that is if you just do one loop. If you want to overdub you only have 12 seconds. (17.5 in low res mode). 12 seconds is not that much time - but its dead easy to use and sounds great as long as you watch your levels.

seems to be built very well

haven't had to use it

I bought this pedal for two reasons - first: the ease in which you can loop. I saw KT Tunstall use it to build her loops for Black Horse and A Cherry Tree. She layers two measures and it kicks ass. The 2nd: for the multiple outs. In the "analog" delay mode your repeats can be routed to four separate outs along with the main out. Very unique feature! Its great for ambient/electronic/drone/experimental stuff. You can process each repeat separately. The pleasant suprise was the cool rhythms you can creat with that multi-head simulation.

This is less of a review and more of a quick question to all you headrush experts! :)
I recently bought an Akai E2 headrush and so far i have to say i am very pleased with it. However, i don't understand what it is i am missing which will allow me to put both the vocals and the guitar through the headrush at once? Please...help me if you can...as stopping between songs to change between microphones and guitars is really beginning to grate on me! Thanks in advance!

It takes a bit of time to figure out the best settings you'd like for both the tape echo and the digital delay, but there are trimming which allow you to really capture the exact feel you want - this is especially true for the Tape Echo. The Tap Tempo is a huge plus. The looping feature is fairly transparent - you just need to have your timing down!

There was no color to the tone. The unit speaks when spoken to... otherwise remains dead silent. Because of the broad amount of space provided for each echo type you have the ability to really get some great controlled bits of feedback from your echoes. I was especially interested in the Tape Echo and while it's no true tape/reel unit - it doesn't sound as cold as many others professing to have Tape Echo features.

Had mine for about 6 months... so far so good! It's built in a fairly durable case. I handle my equipment with care, so I anticipate this unit will last.

I haven't had this experience yet, and I hope I never have to contact them.

I play a good match of Indie Rock, some fusion and a bit of lo-fi singer-songwriter material. With the headrush you can really fill in the gaps and thicken a trio - as well as make yourself a one-man band. I use it to loop over riffs - so I can hit the melodies overtop. It's also great for the ocassional and lazy (note to self) singer, who doesn't want to play intricate runs while struggling for the harmony notes.

This pedal is very easy to use! You can select which setting (echo heads, delay, or loop) to use by simple hitting both buttons at the same time which means you dont have to bend down. This is a HUGE plus for live performers. Not to mention, recording a loop is CAKE (if you have good timing its absolutely stellar). But say for instance you're on stage, and you start your loop but faulter on a single note - you can hit the "start" button again to restart the loop at the next measure. This is an AMAZING capability in a loop pedal that is tailored to live performers!!! If youre thinking about getting the RC20XL - forget that piece of junk and go with the e2.

Agile>LPB1 Power Booster>TrueBypassSwitch>ZOOM505>EH Pulsar>BUDDAWAH>EH Memory Man with Hazarai> AKAI Headrush
No extra fuzz when disengaged
The loop playing back sounds great!!! its 16-bit to ensure excellent quality playbacks.
Russian Circles uses this pedal!! I found this out 2 days after I bought it and was not surprised at all.

I have a secondary looper in my Memory Man Hazarai. But even if I did not I would gig with out a backup. The unit is VERY solid.

I hear good things from AKAI, I have never dealt with them personally

If some jerk stole this, I would spend my food money on another one!!! I got the extended warranty for 20.00!

Its essentially a fancy delay pedal, a simple stomp box...that is until you get playing with it. the delay has a nice variation on sounds as well as times, owing to the "fine time" function. you can get the edge like arpeggio stlye delay, long, almost loop like delays using only the tap tempo button. and, a biggy for me, its easy to create and shape stunning dub delay using the hf damp feature.

The echo feature is something i havent used much yet, but i imagine i will seeing as one of the bands im in is surfy-rockabilly. what i've learnt so far is that it is sufficiently different from the delay to choose this pedal ahead of say a dedicated digital delay. All this before i've got the loop bit!

looping and overdubbing is easy (with correct timing, which i'm still working on). the unit will carry on adding new layers that you play during the loop. things start to get a little muffled after 7 or 8 layers, but thats still impressive in my book. the lack of storage and editing is only a minor blotch on a simple, yet clever system.

The manual is simplistic, but really if you play with the head rush for more than half an hour you wont need it any way.

Well, well. I bought this bad boy primarily to add atmospheres and sonic swiftness to my bands sound, and I am not disappointed. within seconds I was creating a vast array of noises, such as weird robot like sounds, sitar tones and seemingly never ending repeat tones that are just superb. the hf damp feature is a godsend, allowing you to dampen the higher frequencies that you are playing, which not only lends itself to sounding very cool and analogue, but also provides what is essentially an analogue and digital delay/echo system.

I'm not sure what the ratio does exactly yet, but it sounds cool when you play with it, so go nuts!

As mentioned earlier, the quality of the looped samples starts to decline after around layer 7 or so, but if you want more layers than that you should spend the extra fifty pounds on the boss rc-20 xl.

Not sure yet, only had it a couple of days. it does have a rugged build though and switch buttoned stomp boxes have always lasted me longer than boss style pedal ones.

i'm gigging with it next week for the first time so I will let you know what i think then.

my friend has the previous model (the e1) and he has never had any trouble with it in the last 5 years.

I've dealt with akai before when my MPC broke down, and they were very helpful and saw that it was repaired with 10 days, which is quite impressive i think.

I play atmospheric rock/dub/rockabilly and i think i have found my perfect delay. the boss digital delay is too noisy i think, and doesnt offer you nearly as much in features and scope, for what is, in the uk at least, the same/similar prices.

Using it at home with the electro harmonix holy grail, boss od 3 and electro harmonix double muff has worked brilliantly for me. it takes no tone away, and some of the echos even a warmth to the overall tone.

i play an epiphone dot through a marshall dfx100, and it sounds just fine. also tried it with bass through an ashdown combo and it loses nothing with the lower frequencies.

i compared this product to the boss rc series, and the boss digital delay. although the loop system is basic, i felt this offered me a whole lot more. and as mentioned, the price is a pull.

the only thing i can say is that i wish the looping was slightly more complex and the live modelling a little smoother. other than that though, i have absolutely no complaints.

ive messed with a few different looping pedals--boomerang, boss, line 6, digitech-- i went back out and purchased the akai after having the old E1 model. essentially the same pedal. i prefer this looping pedal over the others mostly because of its use in live situations for both the delay and looping settings are much more practical and quicker than all others. the line 6 a close second.

there are some knobs and features that i still dont use mainly because ive never tried. i know what i need the pedal for and believe me, it is heavily abused already.

originally with the old E1, if my gain on my guitar was cranked, id distort the delayed signal. but that has been fixed with the E2. also, with the old E1, after years and years of use and abuse, the delay and looping tracks were hissy. ive had the E2 for 2 years now and have no problems.

ive never had it fail on me. its one of my main pedals. in fact, if i had to choose just one pedal (god forbid) id choose this one. the old E1 in its last days lost its accuracy on the tap tempo. still, no problems with the E2 in this regard over the last 2 years.

unless you need a looping pedal that lasts longer than 25-30 seconds (14 when stacking loops), this is bar none the pedal i would recommend.

it's pretty easy to use once you learn how. i recomend reading the instructions so you get the full experience. but if you're like me and hate reading them, just plug it in and play with it. you wont be disappointed

i have never heard anything sound like it. i was about to buy a line6 dl4 but a friend talked me out of it and told me to try this. i love the sounds i get out of it.the delay is crisp and it does not color your tone. it's dead silent and the best thing about it is the ratio and head spacing features. it allows you to keep the repeats the same volume or diminish as you wish, plus you can do 4 repeats in a row or couple 2 together for a really cool double delay effect. i can get anything from U2, to coldplay as well as some Muse out of it. i absolutely love this pedal. i believe it to be better than the DL-4, though i have not tried it. i haven't played with the loop feature much, but when i do i can almost be a band by myself.

it's built like a tank, i like the nice metal casing it comes with and the switches seem pretty sturdy. i'm taking it out on it's maiden voyage in an month. i'll repost when i play with the rest of my band.

havent heard anything about them. hopefully i won't have to

my set up: Jay Turser Les Paul copy(fully customized, did it my self as a project)and a telecaster->A/B box->Behringer nf100(loop send->DOD Mystic Blues Overdrive-> boss OD-3->Keeley Ds-1 Ultra)-Akai Headrush e2->digitech Digidelay->Boss Nf-1(mij)->1970's Univox 1226 60w tube half stack.
I play pretty much anything, and i've loved delay sounds for years. i've been playing for close to 10 years, not a pro, but getting close.