Pocket pod owners - will this work?

[Bullwinkle]

If I run the 'amp out' from the pocket pod to the input of the RC-2 looper, then run the output of the RC-2 into the CD/mp3 input of the pocket pod, can I still listen with my headphones as I jam over the loops? In other words, does using the 'amp out' output on the pocket pod disable the headphone jack, or can they both work simultaneously?

BTW I don't own either of these gadgets yet. But if this will work, I may own both very shortly.

[Bullwinkle]

wow, 29 views and no replies? perhaps I did not explain myself too well. The idea is to use a pocket pod and the Boss RC-2 Loop Station pedal, together without also using a conventional guitar amp ... just headphones.

it really boils down to the one question .. does plugging into either the 'amp out' or the 'headphone out' output jacks on the pocket pod cancel the other output? Or can they both output at the same time?

if the pocket pod can output from both the 'amp out' and the headphone jack at the same time, then I believe you could run the 'amp out' to the loop pedal, then run the loop output back to the pod through the CD/mp3 input, which bypasses the amp modeling and effects. This would let you apply separate amp models and effects to a multi-layered rhythm loop, and then play lead over it using different amp & effect settings without affecting the sound of the loop.

wait a minute .... it wouldn't work, would it? because anything recorded and being played back by the loop pedal will go back to the pod, and be part of the current output going back to the loop pedal ... it's the barbershop mirror effect. dang.

am i making any sense? never mind.

[Noodler]

Hang on a sec and I'll try it.

Pocket Pod
Plugging in headphones and amp-out at same time defeats headphones. That is, amp will work but headphones stop working once you plug into amp as well. So no, you can't use headphone out to go to RC-2. It gets silenced when you use the amp out.

RC-2
Guitar in defeats Aux in. So you can't play along with Aux in on RC-2. You can however, save phrases or even whole songs to RC-2 and play along with them. But you can't plug phones into RC-2.

Better still, have you considered a Vox Amp-plug?
Advantages: Fewer cables and cheaper. Can play along with CDs. But can't loop.

Some advice. I own both.

Instead of RC-2, save up and get the RC-20 (?). Get the bigger one. Too many features in a stomp-box. I've had mine for a year and I'm still trying to figure it out. Unless you are especially good with learning how to use machines. I think the bigger ones might be easier to use. The RC-2 is like, "If this indicator light flashes green rapidly it means X, if it is solid it means y, if it flashes amber rapidly it means z", etc, etc, etc. There are 3 such indicator lights to learn, each with 6 possibilities, etc. Expect to spend whole days learning the Loop Station. It'll be great when I can use it!

Pocket Pod sucks. Amp-Plug is better (fewer cords). But if you go for a Pod, don't get the pPod (aka the "Tangle"). Get at least a 2.0 Just think about it. You've got your headphones, guitar cable and power supply (it eats batteries) all plugged in. Not so portable, is it? Slight bump and it reboots. People say the bigger ones sound better.

Hope that helps.

Also, can I suggest a Fender G DEC? I've got one of those, and it's good. You can loop for 15 secs, play along with CDs, it's got built-in backing tracks, all the multi-fx and modelling (better than pPod IMO) and it's an amp! Just an idea.

[Bullwinkle]

thanks for your suggestions Noodler. I've had a few days to think about it and for the immediate future, I'm holding my money. I'm definitely off the pocket pod idea, mostly for the reasons you mentioned. As for the RC-2 vs. the RC-20 ... I was looking at the RC-2 because of the built-in drum tracks, and also does the RC-20 have 'loop quantize' and auto-start? The RC-2 may be a bit more complex to master, but it'd be worth it if it has the better feature set.

most of all, thanks for confirming how these devices' in&outs work.

[Noodler]

I don't own the RC-20, only the RC-2. I'd imagine the RC-20 would have everything the RC-2 has and more, except that the manual does say that those things you mentioned are new features. I also don't actually know for sure that the RC-20 or 50 would be easier to use, but I imagine they would be, since maybe more knobs and lights would have just one function each. I suggest trying them out.

The RC-2 has got a zillion features in a stomp-box size, so a lot of the knobs and lights have multiple functions. You know, "if x light is flashing green quickly, while this knob is set to that and you hold down th pedal for 2 seconds, z happens..." If you can get it to work just like the demos, easily, it will be awesome though. The feature set is great, but mine tends to sit in it's box (too hard to use), and I use the looper on my GDEC (easy to use). And all I want to do is record some chords to play over with a drum track! They really try and hammer home in the manual (which you will get to read quite a few times), that you can connect extra footswitches to use the features, although you don't have to. I'm going to try my amp's FS-2 with it, and see if that works.

I've got some holidays coming up, so I might lock myself in a room with the RC-2 for a day or two and force myself to learn it. I don't understand why these things (not just the RC-2) have just two country drum tracks, but lots of weird salsa and latin grooves

If you buy it and find it easy, please pass on how you approach it. Or anyone else. It will/ would be a great tool once I know what I'm doing! I even had the idea of using an octave-down pedal, cutting out the original signal and recording bass parts to play along with using the RC-2. It will be good, once mastered.

Good luck. Please pass on anything you learn.

[Bullwinkle]

i did some more looking into this last night. first i found out, there was originally the RC-20, but this was soon superseded by the RC20XL. I don't know exactly what the XL version improved, but the RX20XL is the current version. Street price looks to be $259. And you at least need the wall wart in addition to that ... 'nuther $21.

The RC-2 is cheaper, with a street price of $189. And, add the same $21 for the adapter. But while it is cheaper, it does have some subtle improvements over the RC20XL. Check out this chart to see:

http://www.looproom.com/looperchart.php


The RC-2 also has about 30 drum loops of better quality than what the RC20XL provides. But, the RC-2 lacks reverse mode, and also lacks the ability to receive both guitar and 'aux in' inputs simultaneously. The RC20XL can do both of these inputs at once (so, just pipe in your drum tracks from an external device).

I am also looking at Band in a Box as an end-run around all this.

[Noodler]

Interesting. The Memory Man can do looping? I'll keep that in mind for future reference. I think it is very cool, but $$$.

You know, for what you want, you only need any amp with a headphone out and the RC-2. Don't you have an amp? You don't have to feed the amp back into the RC-2.

Actually, you could have just gone:

Guitar -> RC2 -> pPod aka "The Tangle" -> Headphones.

Except that the drums would also be coloured with whatever tone and effects you were using from the pPod.

[Bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by Noodler

Actually, you could have just gone:

Guitar -> RC2 -> pPod aka "The Tangle" -> Headphones.

Except that the drums would also be coloured with whatever tone and effects you were using from the pPod.

yeah, my amp purchase has turned out to be a mistake, but not a 'bad' one. Like you I also have a g-dec, but it's the 'junior' version. It gets the job done, but the built-in backing tracks turned out to be pretty much worthless to me. I need to be able to control the chord progressions for practicing in specific modes.

I've considered saving up for a 'good' mfx board, such as a Tonelab LE. That would be the ultimate headphone amplifier for late night practicing. But chances are what I'll end up buying is a looper and an overdrive pedal (I'm thinking BD-2) to run in front of the looper so I can vary the rhythm vs. lead sound a bit.