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Boss RC-5 Loop Station Looper Pedal

Stereo Looper Guitar Pedal with Memory/Loop Level, Rhythm, Setup, and Memory Controls
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Item ID: RC5pedal
Boss RC-5 Loop Station Looper Pedal
Price:$209 and 98 cents
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Boss RC-5 Loop Station Looper Pedal
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Boss RC-5 Loop Station Looper Pedal
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13-hour Stereo Looper with Drums, MIDI, and USB Backup

The BOSS RC-5 Loop Station gives you 13 hours of pristine 32-bit stereo record time parceled out into 99 phrase memories, which store not only your base loops and overdubs but also the tempo and reverb assignments to any of the 114 onboard drum grooves and seven drum kits you've chosen for accompaniment. This takes the RC-5 far beyond traditional looper territory and into something more akin to song management. You can quickly lay down chords, bass lines, melodies, and rhythms for scratch padding new ideas to potential bandmates, or you can turn those loops into full-production live solo accompaniment. And thanks to the RC-5's USB connection, you can easily back up and reload loops. Through it all, the BOSS RC-5 Loop Station remains fast to learn, easy to use, and endlessly fun to play around with. The animated RGB backlit LCD keeps you apprised of measure, beat, and loop status every step of the way. Power user? The RC-5 also gives you stereo ins and outs, an assignable external footswitch/expression pedal port, and even TRS-MIDI in/out for syncing with drum machines and remote operation from your pedalboard MIDI switcher.

13 hours of 32-bit stereo record time*

When inspiration strikes, you can count on BOSS's RC-5 Loop Station to capture those fleeting moments of musical creativity. Loops and overdubs are recorded in flawless 32-bit depth to preserve the full dynamics of your performance without the presence of additional noise or overloading. Whether you're using the RC-5's 99 phrase memories to generate playback material onstage or archiving your studio-worthy song ideas for further review and arrangement, the RC-5 delivers the run time and quality you're searching for.

*Maximum single track length: 1.5 hours

99 phrase memories and USB backup

As anyone with a looper will tell you, those memory slots fill up fast. That's why the BOSS RC-5 gives you not only 99 phrase memories for instant recall — each complete with overdubs and rhythm presets — but also USB import/export. So when you need to offload loops from your solo acoustic shows to make way for your Eddie Money–tribute sax lines, swapping out files is as easy as dragging and dropping.

Animated color LCD

Traditional loopers leave you in the dark when it comes to loop arrangement — but not the BOSS RC-5 Loop Station. Its animated RGB LCD screen keeps you apprised of beat, measure, and record (red) / playback (green) status. This visual reference lets you interact with loops in powerful new ways.

Battery or wall powered

When you just want a looper that you can run into your amp without additional cables, the RC-5's 9-volt battery support pays off in a major way. Get up to two hours of runtime on an alkaline 9-volt battery, or for more permanent pedalboard setups, run the RC-5 on a standard 9-volt center-negative power supply, such as the Roland PSA-S (not included).

114 built-in drum patterns

When you're laying down a rhythm part, a backbeat can galvanize your grooves like nothing else. The RC-5 gives you 57 different rhythm tracks, each with A/B variations, that can be auditioned back through your choice of seven drum kits. Application is simple: tap in a tempo directly on the RC-5 as you create a loop, then engage the Rhythm On/Off button for instant accompaniment.

Onboard rhythm reverb

Love ambient drums? You can assign the RC-5 Loop Station's rich onboard digital reverb to rhythm tracks for added depth and dimensionality. Reverb settings can be saved along with kit choice to the RC-5's 99 phrase memories.

MIDI and expression ports

Advanced features that set the RC-5 further apart from its contemporaries include TRS-MIDI in/out jacks (for remote control or beat sync with external devices) and a flexible expression/footswitch port, which can be assigned to any number of the RC-5's major functions: record start/stop, wet/dry mix, and more. Looking for a next-gen looper pedal that doesn't take up an entire pedalboard? Consider the BOSS RC-5 Loop Station from Sweetwater.

BOSS RC-5 Features:

  • 13 hours of stereo record time
  • Flawless 32-bit/44.1kHz quality
  • 99 phrase memories and USB import/export
  • Animated color LCD shows measure and beat information and record/playback status
  • 114 built-in drum patterns (57 + A/B variations) with 7 drum kits and assignable reverb
  • MIDI and expression ports for remote control, external beat sync, record start/stop, and more
  • Runs off 9V battery or optional power supply (not included)
  • Support footswitches and expression pedals: FS-5U, FS-6, FS-7, FV-500H, FV-500L, EV-30, EV-5

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Tech Specs

  • Pedal Type: Looper
  • Looper: 99 x Phrases, 1-track Looper
  • Looping Time: 1.5 hours (1-track), 13 hours (max memory total)
  • Effects: Reverb (rhythm parts)
  • Presets: 57 x Rhythms (2 variations), 7 x Rhythm Kits
  • Inputs: 2 x 1/4" (A/mono,B)
  • Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (A/mono,B)
  • MIDI I/O: 2 x 1/8" TRS (In,Out)
  • Other I/O: 1 x 1/4" TRS (stop/memory)
  • USB: 1 x Type B
  • Bypass Switching: Buffered Bypass
  • Storage: WAV file audio (backup via USB)
  • Software: Boss Tone Studio
  • Power Source: 9V DC power supply (sold separately)
  • Batteries: 1 x 9V
  • Height: 2.25"
  • Width: 2.87"
  • Depth: 5.12"
  • Weight: 0.93 lbs. (excluding battery)
  • Manufacturer Part Number: RC-5

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Reviews

Cool Fact
The RC-5 is just awesome in its own right, coupled with the dual switch for endless options, this pedal is a beast. That aside, I just learned something incredible about boss in general. I have a large pedalboard with a JHS buffer coming in, but learned that a buffer going out is useful too. I have my acoustic and electric going to an AB pedal and then out to an RC-5 before it hits the mix. Happy with my sound, but curious if I needed another outgoing buffer I dug in and learned that the RC-5 actually has a built in buffer which is an incredible discovery. If you don't know what buffers are, go read about it.
Proof in Pudding - Bass Guitar
I recorded a Carvin stereo bass into the RC-5 then played that as a backing track for the guitar parts. The RC-5 signal was sent to a Boss Dual Cube Bass LX. It sounds awesome to me !! But check it out for yourselves. See kinked video.
Music background: Geezer Rocker - Semiprofessional - guitar, vocals, cello
Boss RC-5 Loop Station Compact Phrase Recorder Pedal
Sweet Looper from Sweetwater it's a great pedal and easy to use- I do recommend the foot switch.
High Quality Capture and Playback !!!
Proof in the pudding video linked below. I recorded a rhythm track on the RC-5 to come out the B channel. Then play live rhythm and sing, kicking in the RC-5 for the solo. So you should be able to easily hear for your self the live track compared to the looped track. Some differences are there because I send the two signals to two different amps, but still, the proof is in the pudding.

One thing I wish it could do is route the drums to A or B or Both - there is no control for that. That makes stereo setups more difficult. Still, the playback are exactly like the original.
Next-Level Looper
Like many other reviewers, my only prior experience with a looper has been with the RC-1. It is a very good pedal and I highly recommend it as a starter pedal and/or for the loop-curious who aren't sure if a loop station is what they need.
That being said, I am amazed with the RC-5 and its' capabilities. The 32-bit sound quality alone makes this pedal worth the money, imo (the RC-1 is 16-bit). The pristine, crystal clear recordings I'm getting have wowed me from the first time I used it.
There are more rhythym options & settings than I'll ever need or use, but that's a good thing. It means that anything I could possibly want is in there.
And HOW it works and records is also fully customizable in more ways that can be explained here.
There is, as others have said, a learning curve, but there are many useful videos on YouTube to help you with that. A little time spent in exploration will be greatly rewarded.
Btw, mine came without a manual, for some reason, (an oversight at the factory and not Sweetwater's fault). I had no trouble figuring out the basics and was looping within minutes.

**Two Important Notes**
1) This pedal draws 170ma. Make sure that your power supply is up to snuff. (I have a Voodoo Lab so no worries there). I have read some reviews that mention performance issues and I strongly suspect that these are due to insufficient power supplies.
2) The default settings are LOUD! If you are buying this to practice at home, then BEFORE you start looping, set the Rhythym Level to about 25-30 and the Loop Level to about 50-70. Otherwise you'll wake up everone in the house, LOL.

Finally: The quality & versatility of this pedal is phenomenal. If you're ready to take your looping to the next level, it's hard to beat the RC-5.
Music background: 40+ Years Experience