I've never used a Sanpera. Just watching this demo I have a question for you Tinpan. Is the looping firmware functionality actually intrinsic within the Sanpera pedal in which case you could use it as a standalone looper with other amps, or is it purely within the firmware in the Vypyr amp and actionable only by the footswitch on its propietary Sanpera pedal only? As I understand you have to have the propietary Sanpera pedal to make use of the looper functionality integral to the Vypyr amp, so I suspect its the latter. This might add an additional firmware signal switching delay consequent to the switch press requiring more anticipation than with a standalone looper pedal. 

I've experienced before in a smart pedal which interacts with amp firmware (not a looper) where switching is implemented this way, so there is an uninstinctive lag after the press of the footswitch which takes understanding that followed by applied practice and exposure to develop the anticipation to get the timing right.

If it's not that, reiterating from an earlier post in this thread re persevering if you figure looping is of practical value to you, looping initially does "takes a bit of getting used to with the switch timing, but it's like anything else in guitar. Just do it and with famil and repetition it becomes second nature". 

Copy the OMMV alternative, paraphrased 'backing tracks work for me'.

Cheers.