With loop mania sweeping the globe, BOSS proudly announces the most powerful Loop Station ever brought to the market-the RC-300. The new flagship looper features three synchronized stereo tracks with dedicated volume knobs and transport-control footswitches for each track. It's also equipped with pro effects, a master Expression pedal, and a deluxe, ultra-wide control panel for the ultimate in live-performance manipulation. Plug in your guitar, bass, keyboard, or instrument of choice and create amazing loops in real time. An XLR input is also provided, complete with phantom power, so singers, percussionists, violinists, beatboxers, or anyone with a mic'd instrument can get in on the act, too. The RC-300 lets you record for up to three hours directly to its internal memory, adding effects as you go. The USB port lets you save your loops externally, as well as import/export WAV files. Step into the most powerful and inspiring Loop Station in BOSS history.
Triple Stereo Loops
Create, stack, and manipulate multi-layered loops with the RC-300's three stereo tracks-each track being independently controllable. The "Auto Recording" feature starts recording the moment you begin playing your instrument, or as soon as you start a connected audio player. Count-In mode gives you one-bar of rhythm before recording starts. You can Undo/Redo as you go. The sky's the limit with three hours of recording time!
Expanded pedal board
The RC-300's ultra-wide pedal board is equipped with an Expression pedal (which can be assigned to a variety of parameters) and enlarged footswitches for controlling REC/PLAY and STOP for each track. There's also a master ALL START/STOP footswitch onboard. Additionally, three independent faders provide immediate control of each track's output volume. And if that's not enough control under your hands and feet, you can also connect external Expression pedals and footswitches (sold separately).
Onboard FX
Process your tracks and external-input signals with the RC-300's expressive onboard effects, including Transpose, Flanger, Phaser, Modulator, vocal effects, and more. A dedicated LOOP FX footswitch is provided for instant activation of the onboard effects. Control the effects parameters in real time with the Expression pedal for hands-free creativity onstage. You can apply the effects to any single track as well as to the entire mix, expanding your creativity and musical expression.
Rhythm Guide and Preloaded Audio
To keep your loops tight and in time, you can play along with one of the cool rhythm patterns in the RC-300's onboard library as you record; the Loop Quantize feature helps you having your recordings looped in time. Dozens of rhythm types are onboard, including rock, pop, shuffle, Latin, and more. A dedicated knob lets you adjust the volume of the rhythm, and you can set the tempo incrementally or via tap tempo. You can also specify the time signature. When you save a phrase, the rhythm type and time signature will also be saved. To get you up and running right away, the RC-300 comes preloaded with audio backing tracks (including bass tracks, piano tracks, etc.) for instant play-along performance and fun.
USB Connectivity
Connect the RC-300 to your computer via a standard USB cable, and back up your phrases externally for safekeeping. You can import and export WAV files between your computer and the RC-300; 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV files of up to 1.7GB in size can be imported.
AUX Input
In addition to recording your instrument performances and turning them into playable loops, you can record other external stereo audio sources via the AUX IN. Sounds from a digital-audio player or other device connected to the AUX input can easily be recorded and added to your loop performance.
It's the creative powerhouse that musicians have been dreaming of. Order yours now and see what you've been missing.
Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
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Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidityOther plan features include:
For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details
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I just called Boss and they confirmed: The RC-300 will not switch between patches seamlessly.Let me explain what this means precisely. The RC-300 has 99 'patch' banks. Within each patch, there are 3 'phrases', i.e., within patch X, you have phrases XA, XB, and XC. Say you're working within patch 1, you CAN switch between prhases 1A, 1B, and 1C, seamlessly, in perfect time. But you CAN NOT then switch to phrase 2A in patch 2, without a stutter in time; The timing of your song is lost during that operation.
I am completely amazed that this issue is so rarely mentioned. I've seen a bunch of reviews of this pedal pop up, videos, etc., all quite positive. And, sure, the pedal has some great features. However, the fact that it can only switch between 3 loops in time, is, IMO, a serious, and for my purposes, fatal flaw.
I think the real value of a looper like this is if it can, in fact, function as a sequencer. You write a part, store it as loop 1. Write another part, store it as loop 2. Continue like this, writing a whole song. Naturally, you will want more than 3 parts. If this pedal could go patch to patch, it would be amazing; You could write a guitar, bass, and keys/vocals part into each bank and even send them out different channels to PAs/amps, and switch between pathces to form a complete song!
If like me, this is how you were hoping to use the RC-300, forget it.
I own a Jamman Stereo. It has two separate ins and outs; You can both record and playback the tracks separately. The pedal has 99 loop slots, and another 99 with an SD card. You can switch between any of these without a hiccup. The only thing you're missing is BPM control, so, quite sadly, you can't expect to loop along with a computer or other tracks. Other than this, the Jamman is great, and less than half the price.
I bought an RC-50 used and once I realized this flaw, which was somehow not corrected in the RC-300, I never used it and eventually sold it at a loss.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.I upgraded from the 20xl because I wanted to keep different things on seperate tracks.
Pros:
1. 3 seperate tracks that you can turn on and off for a more dynamic live performance (vs. just building up the sound and never being able to go back without deleting and re-recording parts)
2. This pedal's sound fidelity is way better than the 20xl which I found to degrade my recordings with each layer
3. The stereo input/output made a big difference for my live sound, huge upgrade
4. built in effects-- Though I don't find myself using them that much. You can assign effect to one of the 3 tracks (layers), but it affects everything on that track, so I use external effects pedals for more control.
5. Midi* (see description in cons)
6. Massive amounts of storage (yay!) This is the reason I went with the boss over the electro harmonix 2880, which won in every other category. The 2880 had everything I was looking for, but I'd have to make most of my loops live from scratch vs. having something stored to start with. The 2880 lets you do it for just one song, then you have to switch out cards if you want to work with anything pre-recorded live. Otherwise, the 2880 wins hands down with practical features, in my opinion.
7. Great manual, quick read, pretty easy to use
8. Built solid.
CONS:
1. for the price, I'd like just ONE more track, at least. I don't find the jump from 1 to 3 substantial enough. If you use one of the built-in rhythms you have 3 tracks to do whatever you want with. I don't like any of those beats (they tried, but they still sound wimpy, most are cheesey) so I loop my own beats from my drum machine, that leaves me with 2 tracks, AND I'm stuck with the same beat for the whole song. If I wanted the beat seperated into 2 tracks/layers, I only have one track left to work with for my instruments and vocals. Not enough. If the rc-300 could work as a midi slave, I could start with an extrernal beat from a drum machine and let it play through one of the inputs while I record the rest into the looping pedal, but it won't do that. It can tell the drum machine what bpm to play, so I'll experiment with it, but it's counter-intuitive for me to do it in that order.
The electro-harmonix 2880 offers 4 tracks. It can also work as a Midi slave and a master.
To get more tracks with the rc-300, your only option is to buy a 2nd one ,which is silly expensive, and becomes big and dorky in your setup.
2. With the Boss-20xl (cheaper model I upgraded from), you can turn the dial and use one of the other stored banks as a section in your song, and as soon as the current loop was done, the next would kick in. You could make a cool live show like this without awkward silences from song to song, or use multiple banks in one song (to a certain degree, with some careful planning, though this option was quite limited too) With this RC-300, there's a few seconds of a silence, and not even in time with your song, so you have to wait for that to kick in, rendering that switching from bank to bank useless in a live setting. However within ea song/bank, turning the 3 tracks on and off are seamless.
3. It's quite large. I'd prefer the expression pedal to be some add-on purchase and gain another track instead. It's fun but not as important as more options/more tracks to work with if you're looking for a multi-track pedal.
4. I'd like to have some more outs in the back, so that I can send my (non-factory) beat out of a different out than the rest of the song, etc.. would be a nice option (the electro harmonix 2880 is gives you more options here as well)Pl
Please see my points in the overall review.
it's built quite well, it's heavy and sturdy.
Personally I think at this point I should spend my money on Ableton and related hardware to do what I want to do, but I was hoping I could procrastinate further with the perfect looper. I still haven't found one... If the boss RC-300 had just one or two more tracks, could work as a midi-slave, and and wouldn't have the awkward silence when switching banks, it would be the perfect looper. Right now I'm still thinking of returning it and learning ableton.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.So to sum up, the RC-300 is a great looper, definitely state of the art, easy to use, and not to mention, FUN. I think this unit is going to be big on the looping scene for the forseeable future.
I typically don't write reviews but the I feel compelled to correct the glaring inaccuracy of the above review.
I do have the RC-300 it was hard to find but I managed to get one from a company that had 1 in stock and I've had about a week to play around with it. It's a great machine typical of Roland/Boss products. If you have expierence with Boss multi-effects pedals (GT-3,5,10 for example) then the controls will seem intuitive right out of the box. I had the unit up and running the night it arrived.
Unlike a lot of other folks on the internet, let me encourage you to read the manual, after all when dealing with complicated machinery it never hurts to get an overview of the functions.
The layout of this unit seems a little easier than it's predecessor, the RC-50. It has 3 tracks each with separate controls which makes it easy to know which track your controling at any given time. The controls are actually VERY simple, but they can be configured a number of different ways dependng on how you have things set up. There are a number of different setups depending on what exactly your doing. I won't go into to much detail on that right now but if you are a "looper" or considering getting a looper, the options and settings will make perfect sense to you based on your particular application.
In regards to the MIDI time issue, this unit absolutely gives you precise control over the MIDI time, maybe too precise because it will actully allow you to set the midi time up to a .1 of a bpm, for example 128.3 BPM. I think this has to do with another Function of the unit. The "Auto Record" feature, which starts the recording when it registers input, when it's doing this it seems to set the BPM based on what you are playing. But I digress.
Let it suffice to say that the unit itself does allow you to set the BPM. According to the specs it should be able to function as a master midi clock but I have not had the time to explore it's full MIDI potential. So I'll leave it at that.
Also this unit absolutely does have Reverse. It's probably hard to find because they've cleverly disguised this feature by calling it "REVERSE". This feature though is actually enabled through the track editing, and not listed as an "effect". But again it's incredibly easy to access, press two buttons and then turn the knob, voila.
As far as recording on the unit I have quickly come up to speed on recording loops and setting loop lengths, overlaying tracks, erase, undo, redo, etc.
The learning curve is not that steep, and the unit's functions and commands seem simple and intuitive but again I have a lot of Roland/Boss equipment so I'm used to their "language", so that might be an advantage. That was part of the reason I went with Boss.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.Some corrections/clarifications to other reviews:Yes, it supports reverse.Yes, you can control tempo, almost any way you want to. First off, each of the 3 stop pedals function as 'tap tempo'. If you wanted to you could assign the EXP1 pedal to tempo. I don't know why you'd want EXP1 to be a tempo pedal - tap tempo is so much more accurate.A clarification on the MIDI tempo: The RC300 can send & receive MIDI PC & CC. It can send MIDI tempo. But it cannot receive MIDI tempo. I've tried, but without success & it is documented this way very clearly in the manual.
I do think the inability to receive MIDI tempo is a pretty big gap for some. It doesn't bother me because I just put it early in my MIDI chain. As I noted, it's a great MIDI master.
I know the gap between patches is a problem for many also. But it's not a problem for me - three phrases in a patch is plenty for how I use this.
Upsides:No glitches or gaps experienced yet at all. None. Important to point out because the RC50 had a major issueVery clean sound. Even when changing the tempo, the sound is clean. Yes, there are artifacts created by changing the tempo, but they are much, much nicer than on the RC50... Warmer, not mechanical. If you try to speed up the tempo too much, it tells you "Tempo Too Fast!".... However it always, nobly, tries to deliver.You can program the EXP pedal (and all pedals except the STOP pedals) to do almost anything you want it to.The manual is a FRACTION of the size of the RC50's manual - but far more concise as well. I think they really simplified the unit, and it shows. The layout of the front panel is much improved as well, buttons & controls are logically grouped very nicely.There are 8 ASSIGN settings available per patch (nearly identical in function to the way the ASSIGN works in the VG99 & GR55).The assign targets in the manual (pg 23, manual dated 2/1/11) are an incomplete list. There are many more assign targets available in the unit as shipped, very important. Many assign targets start with the MEM prefix, which means they are for the 'PRESET MEMORY', e.g,. at the 'patch' level. E.g., MEM LEVEL is the master output level for the whole patch, and this can be assigned to the EXP pedal on the RC300 unit. Works fine. There are also TRK 'track' level assignments, e.g., you can assign pedals to make a phrase play in reverse, or change it's STOP mode (fade out, immediate, play full phrase).The FX seem nice & subtle, not overblown. Haven't played with them a lot, but what I've heard is actually usable... This is a pleasant surprise, I thought I wouldn't use 'em... I just might...Lots of flexibility in signal routing - different tracks can have different outputs (either the SUB out or the MAIN out). You can also specify where you want the RHYTHM track to go. Also the USB audio.
Downsides:It's huge.It's expensive.It makes a poor timing slave via MIDI; it's a great MIDI master, though.They dropped the 'fade in' feature from the RC50.It cannot change patches seamlessly - it stops whenever you change patches, & you have to startup again, causing a delay. So those who need more than three phrases pretty much have to buy a 2nd RC30 apparently they sync up nicely according to the documentation (can't afford to try it!).
Solid.
Very pricey, though lots of features...
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.I'll make this short and simple...if you're looking at it, and wondering about if it's worth the money, just buy it. There is no other loop pedal on the market that comes with the features this has. I promise if you are a looping artist, this will change your life (even Keller Williams uses it now)
Since most people are looking for cons when spending this much on a product, I'll list a few very minor shortcomings of this pedal:
- A couple of the effects aren't that great (Guitar>bass and bend. Most of the effects are superb, however.
- There is no instant 'undo' or 'redo'. You have to hold the play switch down for 2 seconds to undo/redo. Same holds true for clearing a track, though it's helpful if you're concerned about accidentally deleting a track.
- There is no 'clear all' button...however, switching memory banks via knob or footswitch clears the tracks immediately.
One more thing...in many reviews,I've read about the lack of the reverse feature, or problems with effects/tracks. This unit does indeed have reverse (it's in the options menu), and all of the tracks are individually customizable and saveable. The onboard effects DO NOT save to the recorded loops; I think this is a plus rather than a minus...you can go from clean to, say, flanger and back even after you record the loop. You can also program effects to affect just one channel, or all channels, or total out, or just input, or whatever you like. TAKE TIME AND READ THE MANUAL and you will really get joy from the capabilities of this product.
Finally, yes, you can sync multiple units via MIDI.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.Overall Im very happy and will get alot of use out of it
It has more features than I'll ever use.
That said, I wish that when I use the "single shot"mode, I could use it on a loop that I create right then and there. I'm using it in a band situation and often create a rythem loop when Im gonna solo. I dont want it to be pre-recorded because it needs to be live. A single shot would give me the option to line the loop back up with the tempo of the rest of the band if it moves a little. As it is you can only use single shot on pre-recorded loops. I have found a way around it by unsincing the tracks and using 2 loops but it is more time consuming and less convenient. My only other complaint is the power adapter is very light duty and doesnt look like it would stand up to much abuse.
The RC300 is a huge pedal so make plenty of room on the floor for it.
The features are almost endless on this thing. After putting some hours on it I'm very happy with it. Extremely veratile.
Built like a tank. The pedal it's self is very rugged. Ive always thought that boss has made a very sturdy pedal. The expression pedal is really handy and I use it for the overall volume, but you can assign any pedal on the unit to run diffent things.
Is it worth the money?
If your gonna use most or all of the features it offers, then I would say yes it's worth it.
If not? Then buy one of the smaller ones.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.I've been researching looping pedals for quite a while and have watched all the YouTube demos, read the manual and consulted with guitar-guru salesman who have had their hands on this item for quite a while. I do not own a Boss RC 300 yet and as tempting as it maybe I'll likely wait a while longer. Why? I'll explain... My Title says it all.
The RC 300 is like a Rolls-Royce in its conceptual design, beauty, features and ease of use, however, it is like an automobile with every buzzer and whistle... everything except it can't back up. No reverse! ( I am not referring to playing a phrase backwardI'm using a metaphor)
I'll explain. For most players and myself included, I can gladly adapt to the features provided in the unit. No complaints. So much creative potential. So many wonderful tools. However, it is the feature NOT offered that I find disappointing; even amazed in its omission.
PRECISE TEMPO CONTROL. The fundamental lack of a real time control over tempo is a huge frustration to me. The only affect offered is "tapping." We can't even enter a given Beats Per Minute. The RC 300 offers external MIDI control but NOT OVER TEMPO. This seems so weird to me that a basic fundamental of music is not included in the control of this unit. (let me take a sentence to say, if anyone knows something I don't about this function in the RC 300, please share it with me and the rest of us. I will stand corrected.)
I know most players are content to go round and round, looping to the same tempo. But there are other dimensions to be explored and to gradually move from one tempo into anothernot abruptly but like using a whammy bar to bend up or down, shifting to a new tempo. For years I've worked with the concept of "SPIRALING" not just looping. Tempo, like key change, rhythm change, and texture can be a portal into a new dimension. Have you ever played a song you know and love in a completely different tempo? It makes a whole new song with a uniquely fresh feeling.
My only intent on writing this is to get people thinking and requesting this "tempo control" function to be included in the next evolution of looping devicesBoss or any company. Total control of tempo is as important as any other aspect of music. It's time modern music takes a qu from the old school of classical music. The expressive potential of tempo change is critical to musical expression.
All Boss/Roland needs to do is provide an expression pedal function that works like a gas pedal on a car: Push Down = Go Faster - Push Back = Go Slower. How easy can that be?
Now tell Boss what else we want.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.This pedal is decent. But due to Roland and Boss's notorious lack of customer support, and terrible warranty I have to rate it the lowest possible. How is it that other companies offer full warranties complete with paid shipping, and these guys charge you for anything they can think of to repair your item? If your product is that great to charge the kind of money you charge, you should have no problem backing it up with better warranty coverage. Last time I ever buy roland stuff.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.I am sending mine back.. and continuing the search for a cool jamming looper. Using the the guitar>bass function makes the sound chop in and out.. almost like the "slicer" effect was on it. After doing a little investigation I discovered that all rc-300s have this problem, seems like pretty sloppy work to me. If you never plan on using this effect, then I guess you can ignore this review or perhaps get a different looper.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.Great pedal. Easy to program. Needs a the instant restart of phrase to make it perfect.
Just got this pedal last week. Had been using the Rc-50 before and had maxed it's capabilities.
What I notice about the rc- 300 is it really isn't much more of a looper. I actually like some of the features and ease of use of the rc-50 more like instant restart of the phrase. The only way so far that I can get that to happen on the rc-300 is by doing a quick two foot hicup on the stop and start pedal. No fun if your standing up while playing. Luckily I am usually sitting.
Maybe I'm over looking something but have spent hours reading the instructions and messing with the pedal. I like the effect section and think it will become very useful in live shows.
Boss always puts out reliable gear and I have played my last rc- 50 for 4 years now live about 150 gigs per years in the shittiest of conditions and still no problems with it. I expext no less from this pedal.
A bit pricey but nothing else out there compares.
Boss RC-300 Loop Station
.