Discomfort Designs Iceland Spar Looper

An experimental dual looper built for beautiful unpredictability

The Discomfort Designs Iceland Spar is an experimental dual looper that transforms recorded phrases into shifting, evolving and unpredictable soundscapes. Built around two largely independent loopers that share a common set of creative processing tools, Iceland Spar can function as anything from a pair of straightforward overdubbing loopers to a wonderfully unpredictable instrument for mangling, reversing and rearranging sound.

Both loopers support unlimited overdubbing and feature independent Mix controls, but each offers its own unique approach to playback. Looper 1 can reproduce your recording at normal speed, half speed, double speed or as a harmonized fifth, with both forward and reverse playback available. A Dry/Wet switch also determines whether the onboard Drift effect is captured in the loop, allowing you to keep your recorded layer clean while processing the signal played over it.

Looper 2 ventures even further into experimental territory. In Sequence mode, your loop cycles between half-speed, normal and double-speed playback, with control over the rate of the sequence. Switch to Chop mode and Iceland Spar slices your recording into multiple sections before rearranging them in random order. The number of slices can be selected manually, randomized or determined using Euclidean logic for constantly evolving rhythmic patterns.

The Normal/Plus switch pushes Looper 2 even further. Sequence playback can be reversed, while chopped sections can jump randomly between half, normal, double and quadruple speeds, turning even a simple recorded phrase into an unpredictable stream of rhythmic and textural variations.

Both loopers share Iceland Spar's Drift and Refract controls. Drift introduces an always-active modulated reverb that can range from completely dry to spacious, atmospheric textures. Refract gradually degrades recorded loops over time, allowing them to slowly break apart and deteriorate. Turn it back with Unbend and the original recording can be restored, making degradation itself part of the performance.

Whether used for ambient layering, fractured rhythmic loops, evolving drones or complete sonic chaos, the Iceland Spar turns looping into an instrument for experimentation where no two performances need to sound quite the same.

Discomfort Designs Iceland Spar Features

• Experimental dual looper with two largely independent looping engines

• Unlimited overdubbing on both loopers

• Independent Mix control for each loop

• Drift modulated reverb effect

• Refract control gradually degrades recorded loops over time

• Unbend function restores degraded loops to their original state

• Looper 1 offers 50%, 100% and 200% playback speeds plus harmonized fifth

• Forward and reverse playback options for Looper 1

• Dry/Wet switch determines whether Drift is recorded into Looper 1

• Looper 2 features Sequence and Chop playback modes

• Sequence mode cycles between 50%, 100% and 200% playback speeds

• Chop mode divides loops into sections and rearranges them randomly

• Random and Euclidean options for determining loop divisions

• Plus mode adds reverse sequencing and randomized playback speeds up to 400%

• Clearing a loop permanently erases it from the buffer

• Power: 9V DC

• Current Draw: 100mA