As you will read next, a better comparison is the RC-3 and the RC-5. Read about the RC-5 below before you decide on either one. You want your looper pedal to last you a long time, so choose one that you’re not going to outgrow. If you’re looking for a simple looper and you don’t need the extra features in the other loop station models, compare this pedal against the RC-3 and RC-5 to decide which is right for you.

There are two footswitches on the pedal, the left one for your loops and the right one for your rhythms. The control interface appears somewhat simplified, which is good news for that feeble brain, with assorted knobs and buttons dotted around the two main landmarks: a small monochrome LCD screen on the left and, most strikingly, a multicoloured circular light panel in the centre. This serves as a visual metronome, with 16 beat indicators around the edge and a slightly disconcerting resemblance to HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Let’s hope this computer’s a little less buggy. A few other things may be an issue, depending on what you’re looking for. First, and most obviously, there is no longer an expression pedal as there was on the RC-300. The certainly isn’t a deal breaker, but it was nice having it on the RC-300. The RC-600 also costs more than the 300 did, even at release. External footswitch support: the number of footswitches plays a big role in how flexible a looper can be. While there’s a lot you can do with one footswitch, adding an extra footswitch can make a big difference. The first thing to point out is that the RC-3 was released in 2011, so it is nine years older than the RC-5.

Connecting any other type of foot pedal can result in damage to the unit, which will need to be sent in for non-warranty repair. The Boss RC 600, just like the RC 505 MK2, cannot be ran off batteries. They require a power supply to operate. That’s because the Boss RC 600 isn’t just designed for making music or jamming in your bedroom. Oh no – just like the Boss RC 505 MK2, it’s also geared towards performance. So much so that before even considering this looper, it’s a good idea to see how it fits into a live setting. Reason being that, if you’re considering (or have already bought) an RC 300 – this looper’s predecessor – then you may want to rethink your strategy.

The display is also segmented to show how different loops sync together. This could be a handy way to manage different length loops as you can how the loops interact with each other. Who is the RC-5 for? Most instrument players want looping as much control channeled to their feet as possible. And this is where the RC 600 excels. Being foot-operated, opposed to a tabletop looper, make it FAR easier for the majority of musicians to use. Good to know if you’re after a looper for performance. MIDI control: when you get to this level of looping, you’re probably going to want MIDI. MIDI gives you an easy way to sync up multiple pedals and instruments. Number of footswitches: the number of footswitches plays a big role in how easy a looper is to use and how many different things you can do with it

Both these loopers incorporate real-time time-stretch, that actually works pretty well. We found that for speeding up the recording, this tends to work better than for slowing it down. If you’re a guitarist who prefers simplicity, you may prefer one of the other pedals that use mainly knobs or sliders to change settings.

Both these loopers make use of the same internal brain – i.e. looping & effects engine. So when you really look at it, the RC 505 MK2 & the RC 600 are very much brothers. Most likely why they’re both making their debut at virtually the same time. Om du har frågor kring hur du använder din Boss-produkt, vänligen se vår kunskapsdatabas för svaren till de vanligaste frågorna. While guitarists have been using the RC-30 to play full songs for many years, it seems the RC-10R is now a much better pedal for this purpose.

You can connect FV-500H, FV-500L, EV30, or Roland EV-5 expression pedals to control various functions on the RC-600. Sound quality has also taken a step up with the RC 600. Instead of the okay 16bit audio you got with the RC 300, the RC 600 now gives you a fantastic 32bit sound! If you want to record separate loops for your verse and chorus and switch between them as you perform, the RC-10R is better suited to do that.

Stereo inputs and outputs: All BOSS Loop Stations support mono or stereo inputs and outputs. This is great if you run a stereo rig, but it can be a great way to experiment with looping different instruments together. If you are a guitarist who wants to play full verse/chorus style songs and jams in full using a looper and rhythm player, there is an alternative worth considering. With the Boss RC 600, you also get a whopping 99 phase memories. All of which are accessible by USB. Thus allowing you to record specific loops into certain slots, before importing them into your DAW as independent files or one mega mix. Useful to have! But while the RC 600 does get rid of some inputs, it also adds a lot too. In comparison to the RC 300, you also get an additional XLR mic input, another stereo input & a 2nd sub output. The big advantage the RC-300 still has over the RC-500 is the sheer number of footswitches, controls, and external device support.As if all of that wasn't enough, the BOSS RC-600 will allow you to freely colour your loops with a huge selection of on-board effects and built-in rhythms. You’re able to connect an external footswitch so if in the future you begin to feel limited by the one footswitch, you can easily expand it for more control. RC-3 vs Ditto X2 The RC 505 MK2 is the more accessible piece of kit. The RC 600 boasts 9 foot-switches & a screen, the RC 505 MK2 boasts over 30 buttons. all of which tend to make it the more user-friendly of the two. With the 600, you will need to spend more time sifting through menus.