The BOSS loop pedals have taken the world of looping by storm for the last 17 years, the vast range of possibilities of looping has attracted musical mavericks from each and every corner of the industry, with each one of them bending the rules to fit their vision. The BOSS RC Loop Station series that lit the fuse under the mass hype surrounding looping and as such have become the go-to for anyone in the market for a pedal. However, the notion of looping did it exist pre-Rc series. In 1963 the US jazz musician, Terry Riley, tested the waters with basic tape loops on his track Music For The Gift. By the early-’70s, guitarist Robert Fripp and producer Brian Eno had made progress with the technique with the so-called ‘Frippertronics’ technique, using two reel-to-reel tape machines to create layered sounds. However, the technology was not advanced and was often problematic. The design was often basic and as recently as 20 years ago most only offered a couple of seconds of sampling time and usually resulted in disaster. Queue the creation of the Boss RC Series.
In 2001, the RC-20 Loop Station twin-footswitch unit became a game-changer in the industry. The technique became a mainstream phenomenon, thanks to its unprecedented five-minute sampling time, overdub and real-time tempo change functions, AUX input – plus 11 flash memory slots, ready to be loaded with backing tracks and samples. The possibilities to a solo performer became endless when in 2004 Ed Sheeran chose the updated BOSS RC-20XL and used its 16-minute recording capacity to fuse beatbox vocals, dovetailing guitar riffs and percussive beats on the body of his acoustic.
Boss RC-3 Loop Station Pedal – £139
The Boss RC-3 Loop Station is a small and rugged stompbox boasting a 3-hour stereo looping recording capacity. The RC-3 has 99 onboard memories for storing loops, a collection of “Real Drums” rhythm guides for recording and also boasts USB 2.0 compatibility to back up recordings and LOAD .wav files of up to 1.7GB in size from your own computer for use on stage and in the studio.
The RC-3 has ten types of playable rhythms spanning Rock, Pop, Funk, Shuffle, R&B, and Latin. Loops are easily triggered and greatly help keep your loops in perfect time, tempo can be set incrementally or via a tap tempo. The time signature can also be set and once a phrase is saved, both rhythm type and time signature are also saved and later recalled.
The Boss RC-3’s AUX IN allows you to record additional stereo audio sources other than guitar and bass guitar, loop music via a digital audio player, loop digital piano, beatbox and vocal loops and more with ease!
Boss RC-30 Loop Station Pedal – £164
- Twin Pedal multi-track looper with true stereo I/O
- Two synchronized stereo tracks with dedicated volume faders and track-select buttons
- Massive internal memory with up to three hours of stereo recording time
- 99 onboard memory phrases for storing loops
- Built-in effects for processing loops
- Multiple inputs: 1/4″ A and B input jacks, stereo 1/8″ mini AUX input jack, XLR input jack with phantom power
- USB 2.0 port allows you to connect to a PC and import/export WAV audio
- Rhythm guide with real drums
- Runs on batteries or optional AC power supply
Boss RC-300 Loop Station Pedal – £391
- Three stereo tracks with dedicated footswitches and controls for each
- Dedicated fader per track
- Expression pedal for effects control in real-time
- Up to three hours of internal recording and 99 onboard memories
- 16 onboard effects optimized for looping
- XLR Microphone input with phantom power
- USB storage; import/export WAV files
Boss RC-505 Desktop Loop Station – £419
Beatboxers, singers, and club performers, your Loop Station has arrived’introducing the RC-505, a unique and powerful live performance tool that’s perfect for next-generation loop artists. In a compact tabletop device, you have easy fingertip control of five stereo phrase tracks and various loop playback behaviours, plus INPUT FX and TRACK FX that deliver a wide range of real-time processing options for dynamic, expressive sound creation. Just plug in a mic, instrument, or other audio sources, and then ride the intuitive panel controls to build and mix some amazing loops! The RC-505 also supports computer integration via USB and operation with external pedals and MIDI, opening a world of advanced looping possibilities for all types of musicians.
Boss RC-202 Desktop Loop Station – £223
The RC-202 is perfect for club performers, electronic musicians, and beatboxers, Packing powerful BOSS looping and multi-effects in an amazingly compact tabletop unit. Based on the popular RC-505 Loop Station, the two-track RC-202 offers the distinctive look and fingertip interface style of its big brother, plus a host of new features. Four Input FX and four Track FX are available at once, and loops can be saved to memories in real-time for seamless creative expression while performing. Expanded foot control and MIDI capabilities are also included, ideal for looping musicians who have their hands occupied with guitar, keyboards, and other instruments.
