Boss RC 300 Loop Station

Best loop station bar none, 99 saves 3 hours of space. Add back tracks and you don't even need a band, spending hours practicing perfecting songs that I never thought I would learn. Great for any body that does not have access to a band and needs backing.

Boss RC-300 Loop Station

If anything, I feel as though I am not competent enough to use this device to its fullest potential. Practically limitless flexibility, awesome I/O, solid construction, etc. Everything you could want in a looper. The only complaint I have is the price. Took quite a hit to the wallet in purchasing this one.

Stop Thinking About It and Snag One of These!!!

This was recommended by my awesome sale tech Corey Reynolds. I was using the two pedal scaled down version of this for a while and was looking for an upgrade. WOW! This guy is amazing. Can't wait to snag a second one and sync them up! I run my guitar, mic, and iPad (the aux in) through it and WHOA the possibilities are honestly endless! I've even messed around with my old trombone and the silent brass system with this pedal. Flat out: It makes performing a WHOLE lot more fun for both you and the audience (people get tickled when they see one of these used well) and makes practicing a new and engaging experience. Stop thinking about it and pull the trigger! You will not be disappointed.

Wow.

I'm still pretty new to this thing, but I absolutely love it. This will give me the freedom to play live shows by myself which is something I've been working towards for quite some time. It takes a bit to understand all of the bells and whistles that this thing can do, but once you get the hang of it you don't ever want to quit playing. This has absolutely everything I would want in a loop station. I'm so happy to own this product!

Wow!

I'm just beginning to scratch the surface of everything this loop station can do, but I can already see that it will be an outstanding composition tool as well as opening the door for all kinds of possibilities in live settings. I will now be able to perform songs that I never would have thought of attempting at solo gigs.

Fun Writing Tool

This is my first looper and while I have a fine recording setup there is something desirable to me about writing with one project without the aid of computers. I probably use this a little different than the average user...I am not beat boxing or endlessly layering guitar parts on the fly (usually), but using it to capture and mangle phrases from synthesizers and drum machines, as an idea capturing and sound designing tool. It is very interesting and useful I think for capturing things that may not be easily recreatable, chance things like making loops off of circuit bent toys or random noises captured by a microphone. Having the Boss automatically capture the BPM off of what you record is very handy for things that may be somewhat loose or tricky to guess...it is also sometimes fun to drastically alter the tempo once into the Boss for stuttering/glitching type sounds.

I do not find it flawless however. The effects are for most people probably going to be throwaways, and disproportionate maybe in certain categories. A couple of them are okay for certain things, but I think there is an absurd amount of samey-bad sounding distortions, and curiously the only effect in the guitar category is the guitar->bass effect, which is...um maybe the last thing one would expect to find the guitar category, especially when there is already a transpose effect? I find it surprising that there is not a compressor effect for all the beat boxers. Not as many delays or modulations as I would like...hopefully Boss can make an OS update to add more in the future? I mean there is the expression control added but there it seems like they could cater more effects to use this well...an obvious point being for example a wah-wah effect... At this price point I think they could do a little better with the effects. The preset drums are sort of lame and not the sort of thing anyone would probably use except as a scratch track, but I find myself using them as a reference when writing.

I also find the operations of it somewhat quirky and not as well thought out as it could be. For example if you use external footswitches, I imagine most people will apply the same function for the footswitch in every patch...I think a global parameter would be nice as opposed to having to go in and set up your footswitches every time you start a new patch. I understand the flexibility they have added for the 1% of the time where this would be useful, but a global setting would save a lot of time for the rest of the users. Hooking up the computer for USB backup (I have not used the USB audio function) is also a bit awkward. The backup process is fairly slow for USB 2.0, and its also slightly weird that after ejecting the unit you have to disconnect the USB cable from the computer...NOT the unit, for it to disengage from the USB Idling screen...

That said even though I've spent a lot of time on the negative things about the RC-300, I do find it a very inspiring purchase and really useful for my purposes, despite its flaws.

RC-300: Professional Tool for a motivated musician

This is the best looper yet. Have used various loopers before. It upgraded nicely from my RC-50, was able to take all my files from the RC-50 and fit them flawlessly into the RC-300 with lots of memory to spare. Was happy about that compatibility. As much memory as the RC 300 has, i wish it had more but if necessary I can get an additional RC-300 and operate it independently or in sync with the first unit.

One reviewer, here or somewhere else incorrectly assumed the RC-300 was just an RC-30 with an extra track. Wrong the RC-300 is far more than that. One of the many features that are essential to my kind of looping performance is the ability to sequence tracks which the RC-30 cannot do. The RC-300 gives full functionality and intuitive performance. Just requires some reading of the manual and some trial and error practice sessions. Start with simple tasks then work your way up adding complexity as you go. The RC-300 can produce professional grade results with a relatively easy learning curve. An extra dedicated footpedal is a smart idea. You have to understand that being able to do "hands-free" multi-track recording live is very impressive for an audience if done well. It takes practice and clever planning. Being inspired to do some adventurous things onstage is okay but a bag of tricks can get you thru a tough night with a tough crowd. Having that extra memory means I can have those guaranteed songs "in the hopper" ready to go if I see a talent scout or booking agent in the crowd. This pedal is expensive and it takes a bit of effort to learn it but it gives vastly superior performance compared to any other looper out there. With one RC-300 you are equivalent to a three piece band and your gig income should be what a three piece band makes. If you have two RC-300's sync-ed then you are essentially a six piece band. It takes planning and work to pull that off but you will be a working musician that few can compete with. An RC-300 will never replace a great musician but some lame-brains and prima-donnas will be looking for new day jobs.

Somewhat less than a full rock band and much more than a DJ is what you are looking at here to entertain the audience...for ego boosting, musical craftsmanship and money.

Ultimate guitar player's toy

The Boss RC-300 was as-advertised. The learning curve was gradual, as I was able to begin making loops within 20 minutes.

Worth the Upgrade from RC-50 (but some issues)

If you're afraid of another "two steps forward, three steps back" type of "upgrade"... FEAR NOT! They mostly got it right this time.

First off, I was a power user of the previous RC-50... It had many well-known flaws.

HERE'S WHAT'S BEEN FIXED COMPARED TO THE RC-50

* No more hiccup when you record the first loop in sync mode...
* Seriously, re-read that first bullet cause it is a HUGE improvement... It was a serious problem with the unit stalling for about a second before the first loop started to play back... Very embarrassing on stage.
* MIDI Clock is FINALLY stable... If you work in MIDI you know why this matters.
* No more tap dancing morse code with your feet... There are dedicated pedals for each phrase's start/stop and other critical functions now.
* The manual is no longer 100 pages of poorly translated Japanese in 10 point font... Many gave up on the RC-50 due to its cryptic manual... Now it is actually in English!
* An Expression pedal is now built in... Smooth level management of loops vs. live playing is critical in my opinion and now the RC-300 is capable of that right out of the box (the built-in Expression Pedal can be assigned to master level, drums level, etc.).
* Much more recording time (three hours now vs. around 20 minutes in the RC-50).
* They added built in FX... They are fun, not the main reason to upgrade though.

WHAT THEY SCREWED UP THAT WAS GOOD IN THE RC-50

* RC-50 was 24 bit D/A conversion... The RC-300 is 16 bit. If you are doing serious recording, you'll want your source tone to bypass the RC-300s D/A converters so it doesn't get bumped down to 16 bit resolution... Easily accomplished if you know how to route your source signal via mixers and you use the RC-300s optional "100% Wet" mode (with none of the original signal coming out of it, just the loops).
* RC-50 allowed foot operation of "reverse" playback for each of the three phrases individually with dedicated switches and LED indicators... These switches/LEDs are gone in the RC-300, but a closer look reveals an external foot switch and/or MIDI workaround buried within the sub menu... Annoying... But at least you can still do it.
* You can no longer assign "Rhythm On/Off" to an external foot switch... Again there is an external foot switch and/or MIDI workaround, so at least it is still there as an option.
* There is no longer a simple footswitch for tap tempo input... REALLY! There is a tiny little button but good luck hitting that with your foot live... Again, the workaround requires either an external foot switch or external MIDI control.

WHAT THEY GAVE UP ON THAT NEVER WORKED IN THE RC-50

* The RC-50 claimed it could be a slave to an external MIDI clock sync...
* This was super buggy and we could not use it live...
* The RC-300 does not claim to have this feature at all... You can slave it to another RC-300 and that works fine, but you can't send it a MIDI clock sync from any other device.

SUMMARY

* Everything that was apparently lost compared to the RC-50 is still there but you'll have to access it via external foot switches and/or MIDI devices.
* What they gave up is probably not important to most users... Who can REALLY hear the difference between 16 bit D/A and 24 bit D/A in the average performance environment?
* What they fixed is CRITICAL! (No more hiccup bug and MIDI clock is now VERY STABLE).
* It is MUCH easier to use than the RC-50 with the new pedal layout, simple manual, etc.
* The fun factor rates very high... I thought the built in FX would be stupid but then I lost myself jamming with it for 2 hours or so and had to admit they are pretty fun.

BOTTOM LINE: If you were a power user of the RC-50 be prepared to spend some time with external switch programming and MIDI control solutions, but you will be VERY pleased when you are done... If you just want a toy to play with, don't hesitate to buy this!

It Works

probably deserves more stars but I'm very critical. I've used it for about 3 weeks and have had no complaint's I'm not as sophisticated as I should be on it but I'm learning., The basics are very user friendly and I'm able to record and add tracks with ease.