NPD: Boss RC-3 Looper (demo unit)

[Winston Psmith]

The short version - Had a day off, $$$ in pocket, went up to my FLMS, where one of my gear guys mentioned a stash of open-box pedals at blow-out prices, stuff they couldn't advertise at those prices. I asked what he had on hand, and got an RC-3 Looper for $79.50US; that's with tax included. Nice, simple compact Looper at a good price. I'm happy with it.

 

The longer version . . .

 

While most of my Delay effects and MFX have some form of onboard Looping, the only device I had that stores and saves my Loops is my old RC-50. I love it, and I've gotten a lot of use out of it, but it's too large to be pedalboard-friendly. I'd been thinking about getting a newer, compact Loop pedal, but hadn't really dedicated any time or effort to finding one.

 

I had a day off, and among other fun things, like a very long walk with my dogs, I thought I'd go look at my FLMS, see if there was anything that called to me. One of the gear guys I always go to told me about the stash of open-box and demo gear. Just offhand, I asked if he had any Loopers, and sure enough, there was the RC-3.

 

It was originally a demo/display unit in one of those oversized Boss pedal displays you'll see in many Music stores. (BTW, the stores have to BUY those things, and ALL the demo pedals that go with them.) They'd pulled it off the display when the RC-5 came out to replace it, so it's not exactly "new", but it's not exactly "used", either.

 

So, what's it do?

 

It claims 3 hours of Stereo recording time, which I haven't tested out, as yet. By comparison, my old RC-50 has 45 minutes of recording time available, BUT that time gets cut back to 23 minutes if you're Looping in Stereo. You get 99 Memory slots in which to store your Loops, and a USB connection so you can save Loops to, or copy Loops from your computer. There are also TRS MIDI I/O's for connection to other devices, mostly for triggering and MIDI Clock. You can also set a Loop for One-Shot Playback, which allows you to use the RC-3 almost like a Sampler with a Trigger control.

 

The controls are sparse, and the few control buttons are very small. There are two small oval buttons for Memory Up/Down, two small round buttons for Rhythm On/Off and Tap Tempo, and a slightly larger WRITE button. There's a dual-concentric knob for Loop Volume (outer) and Rhythm Volume (inner). Holding and pressing the Rhythm On/Off for 2 seconds lets you select between 3/4 and 4/4 Time, while holding and pressing the Write button for 2 seconds will Delete the stored Loop. That's all, folks.

 

Like almost all the Boss Loopers except the RC-1, it comes with a handful of Rhythm backing tracks available, which I've never investigated. You can switch between 3/4 Time and 4/4 Time, and there's a very small Tap Tempo button, but that's all, folks.

 

Starting a Loop is easy. Dial up an empty Memory, tap the pedal to start recording. All good, so far, right? However, the RC-3 has a bit of a quirk in its workflow.

 

Most Loopers are set up so you tap the pedal once to record, again to stop recording and start playback, then if you want to overdub your Loop, you tap the pedal again: Record-Playback-Overdub, in that order. As it comes from the factory, the RC-3 is set up so that when you tap the pedal to stop recording and start playback, it goes right into overdub mode: Record-Overdub-Playback. It's a bit of a PITA if you want to record a Loop, then play over it without overdubbing. However, there's a simple fix to switch the order, which I did right away.

 

Stopping your Loop requires you to tap the pedal twice, in very quick succession. Clearing your Loop requires you to Press & Hold the pedal for 2 seconds, but you also risk re-triggering the Loop you just stopped. Helps to be fast on your feet. If you want to store your Loop, you'll need to WRITE it.

 

Like so many, perhaps too many Boss/Roland products, the RC-3 benefits from having yet another footswitch added, either an FS-5U, or an FS-6/7 Dual Footswitch. Adding even one FS-5U gives you a dedicated Stop switch, while adding a Dual Footswitch also lets you scroll through the Loops stored in Memory, if you wanted to have backing tracks for an entire live set stored in the RC-3.

 

There's definitely some lag time involved in switching between stored Loops, so don't expect to easily set up a Verse-Chorus-Verse chain, and switch among them without some latency.

 

It's pretty minimalist, in terms of other features. There are no onboard effects, there's no LCD display for naming your Loops, no Fade-In/Fade-Out function, and no Reverse Playback. You can only record, overdub, store and play back one Loop at a time, but the Stereo I/O's allow for at least one workaround.

 

The respective A & B I/O's are discrete, which means if you're playing a Synth with L/R Outs, or a Stereo FX processor, your signal won't get collapsed to Mono within the RC-3.  It also means that you can, in theory (and with a good bit of practice), have two different Instrument sounds Looped together.

 

I ran a small MonoSynth playing a Sequence into Input B, and a Guitar to Input A, then sent the Outs to 2 Channels of a compact Mixer, with A panned hard Left, and B panned hard Right. I started Looping, just enough to record something, then listened to the playback. I could isolate the Synth and Guitar Loops by dialing back the Volume on their assigned Channels, with no bleed-through.

 

I'm not sure how useful that trick will prove for most players, but WTH, I had fun experimenting with it, and I'll probably find a way to use that as a form of double-tracking without overdubbing. In terms of overkill, it also means that I can store a Loop with two discrete sounds, and then send each Out to a different external processor, or another Looper, or maybe a different Space/Time Continuum altogether. Why not?

 

Last word, this was definitely an impulse buy, but at just under $80, no buyer's remorse. The newer RC-5 has more features, but they're also just under $200US; maybe some other time, if I decide I really need one.

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

48 minutes ago, Winston Psmith said:

Had a day off, $$$ in pocket, went up to my FLMS, where one of my gear guys mentioned a stash of open-box pedals at blow-out prices...  I asked if he had any Loopers, and sure enough, there was the RC-3.

 

The respective A & B I/O's are discrete, which means if you're playing a Synth with L/R Outs, or a Stereo FX processor, your signal won't get collapsed to Mono within the RC-3.  It also means that you can, in theory (and with a good bit of practice), have two different Instrument sounds Looped together.

 

I ran a small MonoSynth playing a Sequence into Input B, and a Guitar to Input A, then sent the Outs to 2 Channels of a compact Mixer, with A panned hard Left, and B panned hard Right. I started Looping, just enough to record something, then listened to the playback. I could isolate the Synth and Guitar Loops by dialing back the Volume on their assigned Channels, with no bleed-through.

 

I'm not sure how useful that trick will prove for most players, but WTH, I had fun experimenting with it, and I'll probably find a way to use that as a form of double-tracking without overdubbing. In terms of overkill, it also means that I can store a Loop with two discrete sounds, and then send each Out to a different external processor, or another Looper, or maybe a different Space/Time Continuum altogether. Why not?

Please expound upon just what uses you'll be putting it to for upgrading versatility on your Ambient 'board? What's your plan, man?

[Winston Psmith]

To be honest, my plan for the Ambient board is pretty simple; I'm going to place the Looper in line before the EQD Space Spiral Delay and the Boss GT-1 MFX. The main idea is being able to "fade out" the Loop playback by pulling back on the Volume Pedal in the GT-1. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated.

 

The current Ambient board runs - VFE Bumblebee (Compressor/Swell effect) - Walrus Messner (Low-Gain OD) - Hologram Infinite Jets (Sampler/Processor) - EQD Space Spiral (Princeton chip Modulated Delay) - Boss GT-1 MFX*. The GT-1 is mostly for Delay and Reverb effects, some Modulation effects, and, of course, the onboard Volume/EXP Pedal. It's not a particularly impressive MFX, in and of itself, which is why I'm using it as part of a pedalboard signal chain, instead of using it on its own. YEMV, as always.

 

I was originally considering a Stereo Volume Pedal, and placing it after the GT-1, so I could "fade" the Looper that lives in the GT-1, but the Looper within the GT-1 is a PITA to access, with lots of double-tapping on different footswitches to engage it, and to operate it. It also means losing some degree of flexibility within the GT-1, where the onboard CTL1 switch can be assigned to do a number of useful things, but when the Looper is engaged, all CTL switch functions default to the Looper.

 

This way, I have an easy-to-control dedicated Looper, and when I pull back on the GT-1's Volume pedal to fade the Loop playback, I'll still have the Delay and Reverb trails within the GT-1, so the sound will fade away smoothly, instead of cutting off abruptly.

 

The added memory is a real bonus, and I'll probably also use the RC-3 as a sort of Sonic Sketchbook, to capture ideas on the fly, much as I've used the RC-50. In the meantime, it's Ambient board bound . . .

 

*The GT-1 is a real mixed bag of perfectly good effects, and perfectly awful ones. If anyone wants my review of it, lemme know . . .

[Caevan O’Shite]

6 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

To be honest, my plan for the Ambient board is pretty simple; I'm going to place the Looper in line before the EQD Space Spiral Delay and the Boss GT-1 MFX. The main idea is being able to "fade out" the Loop playback by pulling back on the Volume Pedal in the GT-1. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated.

The GT-1 is mostly for Delay and Reverb effects, some Modulation effects, and, of course, the onboard Volume/EXP Pedal. It's not a particularly impressive MFX, in and of itself, which is why I'm using it as part of a pedalboard signal chain, instead of using it on its own. YEMV, as always.

Much the way I used to use my currently defunct DigiTech GNX4; essentially as an I/O DI hub, if you will, with more and more "real" pedals before AND after it. I had a few dm/mfx patches on the GNX4 that were either more or less 'clean amp'/'pedal-platforms', or somewhat unusual mfx patches like a quacky quasi Clavi sound I devised with both a "parked" virtual-wah and an envelope-filter, courtesy of the GNX4...
 

  

6 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

I was originally considering a Stereo Volume Pedal, and placing it after the GT-1, so I could "fade" the Looper that lives in the GT-1, but the Looper within the GT-1 is a PITA to access, with lots of double-tapping on different footswitches to engage it, and to operate it. It also means losing some degree of flexibility within the GT-1, where the onboard CTL1 switch can be assigned to do a number of useful things, but when the Looper is engaged, all CTL switch functions default to the Looper.

Similarly, I originally intended to use the GNX4's onboard looper, but exasperatingly, that never worked quite right, in spite of buying an additional outboard three-button footswitch and a removable media device... ?! In any case, its multiple I/O features came in handy, and it was great using it D/I to PA and monitors- especially when in parallel with a real-live tube-amp, along with my growing collection of 'real' pedals...     

Nowadays, I'm much more likely to use my Strymon Iridium in a similar, if simpler way- as a virtual amp with various pedals fore and aft. The Iridium has stereo I/O to accommodate said pedals, and I'll use my ART DUALZDirect 2-channel Passive Direct Box for Balanced XLR DI to PA, monitors, and/or headphone-amp as needed. (A GREAT, very budget-friendly unit! Highly recommended!)
 

6 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

This way, I have an easy-to-control dedicated Looper, and when I pull back on the GT-1's Volume pedal to fade the Loop playback, I'll still have the Delay and Reverb trails within the GT-1, so the sound will fade away smoothly, instead of cutting off abruptly.

VERY cool. Trails are good.   
 

  

6 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

...I'll probably also use the RC-3 as a sort of Sonic Sketchbook, to capture ideas on the fly, much as I've used the RC-50.

I've done a bit of that, myself!
 

  

6 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

The GT-1 is a real mixed bag of perfectly good effects, and perfectly awful ones. If anyone wants my review of it, lemme know . . .

Much my experience with the GNX4. That dm/mfx unit was a sort of a catalyst in driving me to buy more and more 'real', stand-alone pedals, both all-analog and digital alike. Its fuzz was serviceable, if generic and not terribly inspiring or interactive with ones guitar-controls and ones "touch". FORGET about octave-fuzz! Its reverbs and delays were dully generic and very lackluster. Leslie/rotary were modestly alright, until one tried a really good dedicated Leslie-sim pedal. Its Tube Screamer and Sparkle Drive patches were nice enough for smooth, subtle OD tones, but utterly forgettable after my Fulltone FD-3 Full-Drive3 and- ESPECIALLY my Origin Effects Halcyon Green Overdrive. Its digital chorus and flanger patches were tinny, plasticky, and permanently imbued with an annoying digital-sheen; NOT SO with my old AC-powered TC Electronic Stereo Chorus/Flanger and MXR M-117 Flanger, both incredibly lush, warm and rich... ! The list goes on... But I digress.  😉

[KuruPrionz]

On 11/12/2023 at 5:55 AM, Winston Psmith said:

*The GT-1 is a real mixed bag of perfectly good effects, and perfectly awful ones. If anyone wants my review of it, lemme know . . .

I was looking at a Boss GT-1 today at Guitar Center. They had a used but excellent condition ME-80 for the same price, a larger, heavier unit, which I don't prefer but four 2-way foot switches instead of 2 up/down switches - which is nice. So I bought it.

There are 30 knobs, which is insane but everything is clearly labelled so you don't have to look at the small LCD screen to see what you are messing with. As always, something's lost and something's gained. 

I've been wanting to get a multi effects widget for a while. My Peavey Vypyr VIP 1 amps have all sorts of effects but 2 of the 4 footswitches on the Sanpera 1 are too close to the volume/wah pedal for my large feet. The Sanpera 2 is just too huge and the VIP 1 can't really use it at it's full functionality anyway. 

 

Now I can footswitch the Boss and just twist. knob here and there on the VIPs. I put Scorpion 10's in them and they are another animal with a good speaker. 

[Winston Psmith]

@KuruPrionz- Good choice. I'll be very curious to hear how you like the various onboard FX. Any thought to combining it with a Katana Amp?

 

The ME-80 has a couple of effects the GT-1 lacks (Ring Mod, Freeze), though with the ME-series, you're unable to move effects around within the signal chain. I may be mistaken about that, but IME the ME-series MFX tended to have fixed signal chains, while the GT-series allowed you to freely move everything expect the Looper and Noise Suppressor(s).

 

Slow Gear is counter-intuitive, even kind of ass-backwards, at least if you're used to using a Slow Gear-style pedal effect. Set the Sensitivity to 100, and Rise Time somewhere between 40 & 65, to get it to behave like the old Boss Pedal. Lower sensitivity settings yield more response to playing dynamics - see which approach works best for you. I'll be interested to see where they place it in the signal chain?

 

Boss' Ring Mod effect bothers me. It always sounds like it's trying to play in tune, at least to my jaded ears. YEMV, of course.

 

I enjoy the Tera Echo, but don't expect it to behave like a stock Delay effect. More of a textured, Filtered Echo effect, good for Ambient sounds, great fun with Synth tones.

[KuruPrionz]

3 hours ago, Winston Psmith said:

@KuruPrionz- Good choice. I'll be very curious to hear how you like the various onboard FX. Any thought to combining it with a Katana Amp?

 

The ME-80 has a couple of effects the GT-1 lacks (Ring Mod, Freeze), though with the ME-series, you're unable to move effects around within the signal chain. I may be mistaken about that, but IME the ME-series MFX tended to have fixed signal chains, while the GT-series allowed you to freely move everything expect the Looper and Noise Suppressor(s).

 

Slow Gear is counter-intuitive, even kind of ass-backwards, at least if you're used to using a Slow Gear-style pedal effect. Set the Sensitivity to 100, and Rise Time somewhere between 40 & 65, to get it to behave like the old Boss Pedal. Lower sensitivity settings yield more response to playing dynamics - see which approach works best for you. I'll be interested to see where they place it in the signal chain?

 

Boss' Ring Mod effect bothers me. It always sounds like it's trying to play in tune, at least to my jaded ears. YEMV, of course.

 

I enjoy the Tera Echo, but don't expect it to behave like a stock Delay effect. More of a textured, Filtered Echo effect, good for Ambient sounds, great fun with Synth tones.

Thanks Winston, I used to own a Katana amp. I liked it but so far Peavey's analog Transtube circuit sounds and "feels" more like an authentic tube tone than any of the digital emulations I've tried. The analog Tech 21 SansAmp tech is very good also but Hartley and team win this round. The shortcoming of the VIP 1 is the speaker, a pissy little 8". I've got 3 VIP 1's and the price of ownership is low. I paid between $50 and $75 for them, Dad was a master cabinet maker so I have the skills to replace baffles with proper 10" cutouts. I have one more 10" speaker, a Weber Neo-Mag - that goes in the last amp. The other 2 already have 10" Peavey Scorpion speakers in them. They easily get louder than I want to play and sound great doing it. 

 

My plan is to find a thrift store bench (folding) for a dual amp stand and run the ME-80 stereo into 2 VIP's set to sound a bit different from each other. The VIP amps have 20+ different switchable effects settings, all variable depending on how you set the knobs. Delay and reverb are separate from the effects dial. There are an additional 12 different amp settings and pushing that knob/switch provides green (clean) orange (overdrive) and red (distortion) versions of each amplifier. Put simply, the options are enormous. The tones with Scorpion 10" speakers are excellent, so far the amps have proven to be reliable, quiet and great sounding/feeling to play. I have 2 Sanpera 1 pedals so considering the two outside edge switches and the pedal on the right side that switches from volume to a great sounding wah pedal I have an absurd variety of sounds available without the ME-80. Add that in and it's pretty ridiculous. 

 

Bonus is that the ME-80 by itself sounds great, I put on headphones last night and tried a variety of different things. The quality of the tones and build are both very high. I could see doing smaller gigs running straight into the PA system with no worries about not sounding great. The ME-80 is versatile enough to work well for acoustic and electric instruments, I play either depending on what the gig calls for. I also have a Fishman Loudbox Performer that I am planning to add a pole bracket to for a small but great sounding PA system. 2 complete channels so I could run one for my mic and the other for the ME-80 and gig with that as well. 

 

We live in great times when so much small gear sounds so good!!!!

[Winston Psmith]

Be aware that plugging into the Headphone Jack engages the onboard (and largely hidden) Speaker Sim. There's definitely some signal contouring and tone coloration involved, so your Headphone tones may sound somewhat different than the tones you'll get going into a real-world Amp.

 

I recalled you mentioning the Katana series Amps, which is why I asked about that. I've been curious about combining a Katana with my Boss MFX, most likely my GT-10. My current Guitar Amp is a U.S.-made Peavey "Red Stripe" Studio Pro 112, so I get what you're saying about those.

[KuruPrionz]

1 hour ago, Winston Psmith said:

Be aware that plugging into the Headphone Jack engages the onboard (and largely hidden) Speaker Sim. There's definitely some signal contouring and tone coloration involved, so your Headphone tones may sound somewhat different than the tones you'll get going into a real-world Amp.

 

I recalled you mentioning the Katana series Amps, which is why I asked about that. I've been curious about combining a Katana with my Boss MFX, most likely my GT-10. My current Guitar Amp is a U.S.-made Peavey "Red Stripe" Studio Pro 112, so I get what you're saying about those.

Thanks for the headphone info. I do have a cord I could use from the headphone amp, that might be a useful trick.

 

I used to have a Red Stripe Studio Pro 112. Great all around amp, I played quite a few gigs with mine and it did not disappoint.

I find that the Vypyrs sound even more like tube amps with a good speaker. The biggest difference is how much tighter and cleaner the low frequency response is, tube amps tend to break up more in the low end which doesn't thrill me. 

Katana amps are really good, If I hadn't stumbled onto a VIP 1 and hot rodded it I'd likely still have mine. 

We are so lucky to have the amazing gear and relatively low prices that are currently available!!!!