BOSS Rc-505 Loop Station

Product Information

Recording a loop, overdubbing it, adjusting its level and applying effects is immediately satisfying, and layering up the five tracks is even more so. A combination of frequently used settings can be saved as a User Set, which you can easily load to quickly reconfigure any phrase memory, even in the heat of performing.

After several years in service, it received a free update increasing the memory even further and boosting the effects and remote control abilities. Though much of the layout remains familiar, the five loop tracks have grown in length to accommodate longer throw faders and an extra button, splitting the old Edit into separate FX and Track (select) buttons, the first of a number of performance-related tweaks that help push the creative efficiency of the RC-505 MkII. It’s a decent enough system, made puzzling only when you try an option that won’t change until you stop all playback. The original was no slouch but in this model, the sound is cleaner, the I/O more extensive, the sliders longer and the effects better.A step sequence function is also available in some FX to automate parameter changes for dynamic real‐time movement. Elevate your performances with five stereo tracks and four simultaneous Input FX and Track FX, and soar even further with customizable buttons, expanded I/O, increased mixing control, and other enhancements requested by long-time RC-505 users.

The RC-505 lets you set up customized real-time controls, extending your command of looping and many other operations.We can surely forgive original owners a certain amount of anticipatory drooling, but this could also be an opportune moment for others to discover what all the fuss is about. Some user configuration is possible for the encoders, too: for instance, you can allocate duties such as memory selection, switching display modes, controlling the rhythm variation and level, and so on. There are 49 Input FX and 53 Track FX types to choose from—including powerful new vocal harmony effects—and you can use up to four in each section at once.

Pressing the Track button pulls up the five pages of parameters that control the finer details of playback and recording: reversing, speed, loop length, fades, input selection and more. You can initialize the phrase memory of the RC-505 to the factory preset demo data by copying the WAV files included in this data to it. Subscribe to the BOSS Newsletter to get the latest articles, videos, and news about your favourite BOSS products. As an interface the RC-505 MkII can work with your DAW and other apps with MIDI control on the side. The information obtained through cookies allows us to compile ad performance statistics and serve retargeting ads on The Trade Desks advertising network.Users who stick to regular loop lengths, probably in multiples of four bars, will experience no hardships whatsoever. The former can be assigned to a range of tasks such as memory slot navigation, tap tempo, rhythm start/stop, effects control, input mutes and various individual track functions.

The data processing resolution is matched by the AD/DA conversion, and though human hearing can’t match the dynamic range this allows, it does mean that quiet signals can be boosted without the digital noise floor or dithering becoming an issue. Assignments can be a bit daunting to set up (and to remember), but the workflow rewards are worth the effort. Incidentally, the time‑stretch algorithm seems an improvement, although I admit to being rather fond of the shaky original. These 32‑bit recordings are sharp and clean, and if you don’t already have a conversion app (say, to import them into a DAW), Boss Tone Studio is a free download. It’s even possible to customize the headphones output to monitor individual tracks and rhythm sounds.As you can imagine, this is an all but exhaustive collection that runs the gamut from simple distortions and filters to a pattern slicer and pitch/harmony effects. The faders provide longer throw for finer adjustments, and they also have a more solid feel under the fingers. With a humungous recording capacity, extended I/O and generous array of cool effects, the RC‑505 MkII raises the expectations of what a looper should be. Many newly added target functions are tailor-made for foot control, perfect for looping musicians who have their hands occupied with a guitar, keyboard, and other instrument. Subscribe to the BOSS Newsletter to get the latest articles, videos, and news about your favorite BOSS products.