Boss RC-3 Looper?

[Ducerro]

Building my first pedal collection - not "really" a pedal board 'cause they're just gonna sit on the floor for now! I have convinced myself that I "need" a looper and "want" a better tuner. We'll tackle the tuner later. Let's start with the looper...

Loads of loopers on the market, but I'm drawn to the Boss RC-3 - mainly due to the 5 year warranty. Anyone use one? How do you like it?

EDIT: I changed this post at the same time the first two responses were posted. It was not my intention to make those posts seem out of place - my apologies to those who posted BEFORE I changed everything.

 

[Boil]

Technically you could use it to get a file containing your playing into you computer but it is really not the best way to do this, any kind of multi-track recording would be next to impossible, you are far better off getting the dedicated USB interface you need now rather than getting really disappointed and frustrated and buying the interface in a rage.

I used to use a Digitech RP250 that had USB out, it worked ok as I didnt have to fight with looping and transferring files, it just fed direct. You can find cheap- ish used interfaces online all day long.

Honestly don't do it.

 

[LowCaster]

Don’t buy the rc-3 for that feature.

The scarlet will allow you to plug in any pedal you want, or directly the guitar. You can play live while directly hearing you. It is a better investment.

 

[Ducerro]

Well, I had hope that I could edit the original post before someone answered. But @Boil and @LowCaster beat me to it. For those just now coming on to read the thread I had originally asked about using the Boss RC-3 as an interface into a computer and then into a DAW. While it "can be done" it's not really a good idea.

Sometimes I'll start a thread and end up answering my own question! I guess I do better when I write things out!

So I changed the thread to get everyone's opinions on The Boss RC-3 as "just" a looper.

 

[John E]

I don't have the RC3, I have the RC30 but they are pretty similar (and I never use the second channel). I like it well enough. Does what I need. I'd like to try some others live to compare, but at the end of the day this does everything I need it to. (For now)

 

[Ducerro]

Don’t buy the rc-3 for that feature.

The scarlet will allow you to plug in any pedal you want, or directly the guitar. You can play live while directly hearing you. It is a better investment.

Well - maybe I shouldn't have changed the original post! You just sent me down another rabbit hole! Perhaps a better use of a <$200 budget would be to get an inexpensive looper AND one of the low end Focusrite interfaces.... That would give me a looper for fun and a better PC interface for recording....

 

[Slap Axe]

I like my RC-3. Sound reproduction is very good in my opinion and once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy to loop in multiple layers. And since it's a Boss box, you can stomp on it as hard as you want to. It has quite a few other features as well, like downloading percussion or jam tracks from their website.

 

[jimd]

I've got an RC-3 and really like it. I had a Digitech Jamman Express XT, but sold it for the Boss because I wanted to drum sounds. The Boss also sounds alot better than the digitech.

 

[Guitarteach]

Got an RC3. Easy to use, has a metronome and basic drums, 99 memory slots and can be extended with an extra FS-6 footswitch to make it behave like bigger units if you want more like separate stop start and advance.

It’s really great. I got mine at a deal price too.

A hidden feature is a bunch of backing tracks at slots 90-99 - nice for a warm up.

You can download backing tracks as .wav files to it like a USB drive and recover recordings similarly... but its not an interface and I don’t do as much with that.

just get it...

 

[Obsessed]

If this is your first looper, I always recommend a used Boss RC-2. Give it a go and then decide what features you want in your next looper. Lots to learn and with a used RC-2, you can sell it for about what you paid for essentially a free experience. I am a longtime Digitech looper user, but with so many loopers available today, it is best to get your feet wet first. The RC-2 is the middle of the road looper IMO.

 

[FenderGuy53]

...Loads of loopers on the market, but I'm drawn to the Boss RC-3 - mainly due to the 5 year warranty. Anyone use one? How do you like it?

How is the pedal going to be used? If it's going to be used solely for practice or creativity, then grab something small and easy, like the TC Electronic Ditto:

 

[Boil]

What's your end goal? Being a looper user and doing multi loop creations?
Recording your own backing track quickly to play along with?
Multi-track recording?

Using a looper is a skill unto itself, I have an RC-3 and am really not good at using it at all even with an external switch but then again I have not spent much time with it as its not what I wanted to do.

My brother bought an RC-30 for synth stuff, when I asked him why he didn't just use his DAW he said 'I want to play music not spend all my time messing around with software'

I use my mixer and DAW. I use Band in a box when I want to create something, I can create a passable backing track and record on top of it to record one of my rather odd songs to demo to the poor fools I get to play it.

So my advice is:
Want to be a looper user, get a looper.
Want to record a disposable backing track on the fly to practice to, get a looper.
Want to do work in a DAW, get an interface (or a mixer with USB).

 

[LowCaster]

Well - maybe I shouldn't have changed the original post! You just sent me down another rabbit hole! Perhaps a better use of a <$200 budget would be to get an inexpensive looper AND one of the low end Focusrite interfaces.... That would give me a looper for fun and a better PC interface for recording....

Yes.

The RC-3 is very good. I bought one for all the features, bells and whistles, but in the end I don’t use them. It is not as easy to use a I expected (too much functions, hidden functions, and some quirks). I would be happier with a more simple looper (Ditto or clone).

There is more: if I was to really use multiple loops, I would upgrade to a dual footswitch looper like the RC-30 or the big Jam Man, seems more practical.

 

[Axegrinder77]

I have a ditto. One button can be an issue, especially in live use. Good practice tool though. Small and simple

 

[Ducerro]

The RC-3 is very good. I bought one for all the features, bells and whistles, but in the end I don’t use them. It is not as easy to use a I expected (too much functions, hidden functions, and some quirks). I would be happier with a more simple looper (Ditto or clone).

The more I investigate the more I'm wondering just how I'll use the looper to start with. My initial thoughts are to use it for fun and as a practice tool - not to create tracks to upload to a DAW. And if that's the case I'm wondering why I need the RC-3 to begin with. What about less expensive loopers - such as the TC Electronics Ditto that @FenderGuy53 posted? That said - I'm wondering if the Boss RC-1 at $99 would be a better option than the Ditto. The Boss RC-1 has 12 minutes of storage, a strong warranty, and I like the overall interface better. The Ditto only has 5 minutes and a shorter warranty.

 

[Junkyard Dog]

When starting out with loopers, there’s:

1. How you envision using a looper
2. How everyone else says you should use a looper and which one you should get (aka. the same one they have)
3. How you will actually end up using a looper

These 3 are not necessarily the same.

 

[JuneauMike]

The more I investigate the more I'm wondering just how I'll use the looper to start with. My initial thoughts are to use it for fun and as a practice tool - not to create tracks to upload to a DAW. And if that's the case I'm wondering why I need the RC-3 to begin with. What about less expensive loopers - such as the TC Electronics Ditto that @FenderGuy53 posted? That said - I'm wondering if the Boss RC-1 at $99 would be a better option than the Ditto. The Boss RC-1 has 12 minutes of storage, a strong warranty, and I like the overall interface better. The Ditto only has 5 minutes and a shorter warranty.

I've got an RC-2 and I use it for practice. I'd like to use it live, but I don't have the confidence in it. Sounds great, does its job, but it just seems very complicated to me. Too many options, too many bells and whistles.

If I had to do it all over again, I think the Ditto would do what I want and for less money. Every once in a while I get confused and have to go out and search online for the manual, mostly when I'm looking to find the click track hiding in all those useless backing track presets. And I don't think I can detect the value of the loop quantize thing, other then it converts everything into 4/4 time because I can't figure out how to turn it off. I have never stored anything on mine and can't imagine ever doing so. If I want to store music, I just record it to a much better program on my laptop, like most other people. If you are storing for use in a live gig, how would you recall it on the fly? Especially if you are storing multiple parts for multiple songs. And how would you synch it to the live sound? But I've got what I've got so that's what I use.

My perfect looper would have a simple punch-in/punch-out feature to be able to play over an expression on the fly with a simple adjustable click track (maybe with its own output so I could put it in a monitor or a headphone but not in the signal). I don't need to practice against a fictional band playing a hundred different styles, and I don't need to one-shot fills over fills over fills over chords over fills. And at the most extreme end, I don't think I need more then 90 seconds of loop time.

 

[LowCaster]

The more I investigate the more I'm wondering just how I'll use the looper to start with. My initial thoughts are to use it for fun and as a practice tool - not to create tracks to upload to a DAW. And if that's the case I'm wondering why I need the RC-3 to begin with. What about less expensive loopers - such as the TC Electronics Ditto that @FenderGuy53 posted? That said - I'm wondering if the Boss RC-1 at $99 would be a better option than the Ditto. The Boss RC-1 has 12 minutes of storage, a strong warranty, and I like the overall interface better. The Ditto only has 5 minutes and a shorter warranty.

For home practice, the most simple looper will be OK. 5 minutes is enough. Usually I record a 30s loop, like a 12 bar blues and play it ad libitum, and if you want a full song 5 minutes is not bad. Ditto is a best seller for a reason, but it seems that you don’t know exactly what you want, so buy the cheapest you can find and have fun.

 

[LowCaster]

OK, wait, I remember my regrets for not buying the RC-1 instead of the RC-3. The RC-1 is more interesting than the Ditto, not because of the 12minutes but because of two other features:

-Stereo in and out: lets you plug a bass and a guitar for example, and rout the signal to two amps if you want. This is a major option.

-Works on battery if needed.

Get the Boss rc-1, it is not really expensive, often discounted at 80€, sturdy box, warranty...

 

[Ducerro]

Ordered the Boss RC-1 Loop Station and the Boss TU-3 Waza Tuner this afternoon! Thanks for all the suggestions!

For home practice, the most simple looper will be OK. 5 minutes is enough. Usually I record a 30s loop, like a 12 bar blues and play it ad libitum, and if you want a full song 5 minutes is not bad. Ditto is a best seller for a reason, but it seems that you don’t know exactly what you want, so buy the cheapest you can find and have fun.

Well, the reason I started the thread in the fist place was to get opinions to help me decide what to get. Quite a few have offered up suggestions that had me thinking "outside the box" - and for that I am grateful.

OK, wait, I remember my regrets for not buying the RC-1 instead of the RC-3. The RC-1 is more interesting than the Ditto, not because of the 12minutes but because of two other features:

-Stereo in and out: lets you plug a bass and a guitar for example, and rout the signal to two amps if you want. This is a major option.

-Works on battery if needed.

Get the Boss rc-1, it is not really expensive, often discounted at 80€, sturdy box, warranty...

Interestingly enough - that's just what I did.

While answering your post that I quoted first, you made the next post I quoted. Both posts were AFTER the trigger was pulled. I bought the RC-1 after thinking about this most of the day. Some would say overthinking - and I agree. But, going with the RC-1 gave me enough room in the budget to also get a new tuner. For that I also went Boss and ordered a TU-3 Waza. Everything should be here on Tuesday!