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Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:49 am
by we_squirm
Anyone use one yet? I just saw them in my local shop, seem awesome! More memory, XLR input...

Any problems that I'm just not seeing yet? I love my trusty RC-20XL, just wondering if it's worth the upgrade

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:53 am
by thingsthatfly
im gonna get one at the weekend, already have the 20xl but I need the extra storage and usb connectivity (just because I just hate deleting stuff), dissapointing it doesnt look like it has reverse which although gimmicky I do use alot, gonna have to keep my rc20xl

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:15 pm
by 2n3904
Would the digitech JamMan not cover both bases?

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 1:44 pm
by echobaseone
i was within INCHES of buying the RC-30, and then I read this...(lifted wholesale from another forum)

for the loopers - very dissapointed with new BOSS RC-30 Loop Station

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been holding out for this pedal for so long, still thrashing my RC-20XL 4 times a week out at gigs, and to be honest I'm completely let down by the new RC-30. For the record I use the pedal as a solo acoustic artist/singer, and in a duo with a drummer to lay down rythms/lead parts/bass lines/textures in real time, as part of the live show playing everything from Dylan to Dire Straits to The Doors (see what i did there? ).

All of the cool possibilities that i thought would have been incorporated with the ability to record 2 separate loops (e.g having them 2 different lengths, being able to A/B from one loop to the next for a verse/chorus scenario) have not come through, to the point where, nothing much has REALLY been added, that you couldn't already do with a bit of a brain on the old pedal.

The effects section is largely un-usable (no adjustable parameters, weird choice of effects to start with), phantom powered XLR is cool, but again, not applicable for the way I use the pedal, and hard to use for a solo performer, without completely stopping playing whatever instrument you're using.

The thing which made me return the pedal the same day i bought it though, is that there seems to be no way of setting the 'STOP mode' (immediate/fade/or at end of phrase) on a non-saved loop. I NEVER SAVE LOOPS, i only use it for on the fly live performance, and the first thing I do when the pedal turns on at a gig, is change the mode to 'END OF LOOP' freeing up a little bit of tap dancing while i'm singing. They literally TOOK AWAY this feature!

So with my test, this pedal actually came up WORSE than my RC-20, which i will continue to use, despite the annoying millisecond delay between finishing recording and playback of the loop.

I have never understood why someone would need 99 presets!! Just give me something that can be used in a live environment, and fits the needs of regular gigging musicians. Why would anyone need 'Bend Down/Step Phaser/Sweep Filter' effects? How about a Delay that you can change the parameters, or a chorus/reverb.

To end my rant, I am happy, even hoping, to be proved wrong on some of the above points, I thought that my test was pretty thorough, I found the manual overly simplistic, and the unit had almost none of the 'tweak-ability' that i had expected from a unit with this much potential. I don't think that I am too fussy with my loop pedals, as I have put up with the limitations of the RC-20 (tone suck, glitch between end of record and start of loop playback) since i got it...

END OF RANT, THOUGHTS/COMMENTS WELCOME

THANKS FOR READING AND MAY THE ROCK ON!

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 4:35 pm
by ice9
The RC30 seems interesting. I'm waiting for the early adopters to help me decide between that or a (cheaper) RC20XL :)

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 5:01 pm
by fakeplasticdreams
I still find my RC20XL useful ( i use live a lot with my band) despite its limitations. im trying to score a cheap used Jamman stereo for added looping madness.

plus i love the cheesy reverse looping on RC20XL :)

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 7:26 pm
by echobaseone
Yeah i should've prefaced that with my undying devotion to my cheap old RC-20. I love the feel of the Boss pedals. I had an EHX 2880 for a while but the action of the 3DPT switches messed up my timing. I think. Something did. And that's why I was hoping for more with the RC-30.
Ah well. Pulled the trigger on an Apogee Gio, so hopefully I'll be able to turn my loops into songs.

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:40 pm
by thingsthatfly
Hmm, might consider a jamman now, always amazed how the boss loops sounded exactly the same as the original signal (though I guess others havent thought this) and heard the jamman isnt quite as natural sounding but the rc30 not having different stop modes is pretty bad, though I think the thing about not being able to a b between synced loops can be done with extra footswitchs and id expect them to be the same length as they are synced I see it more as switching between different layers of the same part, new parts can be done on a new loop, having said that it would be great if there was a stop and save option you could do with your feet so you could go back to earlier parts. Oh well ill definitely think carefully before buying one, anyone tried the vox looper

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:51 am
by echobaseone
aside from the jamman, there's the highly lauded Boomerang III.
http://www.boomerangmusic.com/
I just saw a Boomerang Plus (its predecessor) on The Gear Page for $250, not bad, and it lets you run two separate loops at different tempos (i think).

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 6:52 am
by echobaseone
oh and...presuming the price of the RC-20 drops even further, you could pick up two of them and work MAGIC!

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:12 am
by fakeplasticdreams
echobaseone wrote:oh and...presuming the price of the RC-20 drops even further, you could pick up two of them and work MAGIC!
this.

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:58 am
by 2n3904
Not sure I quite understand all the RC-20 love. I was glad to be rid of mine considering some of the problems I had with it.

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:22 am
by fakeplasticdreams
2n3904 wrote:Not sure I quite understand all the RC-20 love. I was glad to be rid of mine considering some of the problems I had with it.
what sort of problems?

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:18 am
by 2n3904
HORRIFIC ground pollution, accidental quantisation...

Re: Boss RC-30 / RC-3 Looper

Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:31 am
by thingsthatfly
I found with my 20xl that the ground noise thing was only a problem if I used a shared power supply, but it was always there if I had my amp maxed out and ear to the speaker I could still hear a faint rhythmic squeaking but at normal volumes whilst playing/looping with its own power supply it wasnt noticable, obviously not ideal though. The quantise thing bugged me too, more the idea of it not letting you just start/stop when you choose than anything, I found so long as I programmed in the correct time signature but not actually setting a time signature then it worked as I wanted to in the 'free' mode.

Ive just bought a rc30 i'll report back soon