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Guilll
Published on 05/06/09 at 02:10
It is a "looper," or "sampler" is to say quite simply a pedal that records what you play, then the spring loop or only once.
It can store up to fifteen minutes of its distributed among 11 independent memory locations, all as more or less CD.
The pedal has many features: three different recording modes, an integrated drum machine with a large number of rhythmic patterns in 3 or 4 times, adjusted by means of a button or foot. It can also record audio from a CD player or hi-fi, and change speed without changing the tone.
Digital technology (obviously)
The connection is simple (this is the only thing in this simple foot): an inlet, an outlet, an outlet to plug in an external controller.
It is very compact: the size of a classic Boss pedal effects, with only three knobs and a button. This compactness is also both its biggest advantage (particularly because it reduces the cost) and its biggest drawback, because the blow is fairly complex to use.
Attention, it depletes the battery in record time! AC power required ...
UTILIZATION
The use of the RC2 is rather complex: on one mode to another (3 recording modes, backup mode, choice of rhythmic patterns, etc.) each knob or button has a different function. In practice this becomes clearer, but a careful reading of the manual is indispensable. It also often crosses the forums buyers lost souls who do it are not visibly plunged ...
I will not detail all the operating modes of the pedal but basically all serve the same purpose: to record, store and return loops guitar (or any other electric instrument, including voice). In any case, this recording is on a "base" measure by measure and rhythm, the pedal is responsible for adapting slightly the length of each loop so that it "sticks" to the measures. The tempo can be adjusted either automatically (auto mode, but there is interest in playing VERY square!) Or by tapping in rhythm on a button or pedal. With the large number of rhythmic patterns available, the possibilities are enormous. on the other hand, it's still a basic drum machine: no breaks, no tempo changes ...
Once registered the loop, we réappuye on the pedal, and the loop begins to play forever. Pressing and we add an overdub, that is to say a new "layer" recording. At any time, you just erase the last "layer" saved, then restore it if it crashed.
Once this operation assimilated, we come to easily record loops. Remains to play square, which is not necessarily obvious, cat pedal forgives nothing. But progress in this area is great.
In my opinion, the RC2 still has some annoying flaws three, which limit its use:
* Without additional pedal, remove a loop requires to keep the pedal down for a few seconds and stop playing "double click" with the foot. Not very practical, and almost impossible to succeed by staying in rhythm live. We see that it is not for this ...
* It is impossible to move from one loop to the other foot, without bending over to turn the knob for selecting memory locations. We can not separately record several parts of a song, then move on.
* When recording over a rhythm loop set, delete the first "layer" to start recording requires also the feast of the tempo. Annoying when it crashes 3 times in a row ...
SOUND QUALITY
In itself, the sound quality of recording is very good, although it can of course not compete with that of a true recorder. There has been no significant degradation of sound As the stack of "layers" successive recording, provided that they remain reasonable. Even the drum does not sound too synthetic.
The problem in this area comes from the amp rather: in fact, the pedal just to record the raw sound of the guitar, possibly modified by other effects pedals placed upstream: it is the amp that "sort" the sound. So, obviously, with lots of curls piled on her loaded and can quickly become rough, especially if the amp has a tendency to crunch. But if you stay reasonable on the amount of overdubs (less than ten say) the sound is very good.
The other problem is that if the pedal is plugged in "front" between the guitar and amp, setting the latter applies to the sound of the guitar and loops recorded. In other words, impossible to play a rhythm over saturated in the clear. The solution is to either use a pedal placed before the saturation RC2 (which therefore does not affect the sound loops) or to plug the pedal in the effects loop of the amp, if it has one .
However, the problem is fairly easy to overcome, and especially relates to the same type of pedal, and is found on higher-end models. It could be easily removed by adding a second output on the pedal, to direct the loops to an amp and guitar sound to another, and to play in stereo. In a future release of RC2 perhaps?
OVERALL OPINION
The opinion on this pedal is highly dependent on the use we intend to make. Do not misunderstand that for which it is planned.
The Boss RC2 is:
* A great tool to work the guitar: she forgives nothing in rhythm and can move very quickly to both the rhythmic rigor as the harmony. For example, recording a chord grid and then playing a solo over it, you can work very effectively the relationship between the notes, scales, modes, etc.. It is also convenient to work pieces only at home.
* A very good tool for composition: compose songs takes on another dimension when you can immediately listen to the result of what is found "in status". Too bad she does not truly independent tracks, but in such a format and at this price ...
* A "toy" to scrape a lot of fun at home: oD
But the Boss RC2 is not:
* A tool for live: too complicated to use, especially without additional pedal stop to control loops, with no possibility to switch from one loop to the other foot ... and above all, in my opinion, the use of such devices has no interest in concerts, force the group to follow a tempo drum machine, boring and unchanging, limits the possibilities of improvisation, multiplies the opportunities for technical problems ... What makes a live looper, a musician will always be better. At the limit it can help to launch sampled sounds, but that's all. And styles based on samples and loops as techno or rap, it is far too limited. However it is also true of his colleagues much more expensive.
* A recording tool: poor sound quality (although very respectable for other uses), recording time insufficient, a single track from memory location (you can even save multiple "layers" of sound each) impossible to return to another loop that the last registered, no memory card slot to transfer recordings to other media ...
In short, if you use this pedal for what it is, and not to misunderstand its use is a great tool, that can totally change the life of guitarist home! In addition, she begins to find secondhand around 100 euros, which is simply given for such a machine, totally unimaginable only a few years ago ...
It can store up to fifteen minutes of its distributed among 11 independent memory locations, all as more or less CD.
The pedal has many features: three different recording modes, an integrated drum machine with a large number of rhythmic patterns in 3 or 4 times, adjusted by means of a button or foot. It can also record audio from a CD player or hi-fi, and change speed without changing the tone.
Digital technology (obviously)
The connection is simple (this is the only thing in this simple foot): an inlet, an outlet, an outlet to plug in an external controller.
It is very compact: the size of a classic Boss pedal effects, with only three knobs and a button. This compactness is also both its biggest advantage (particularly because it reduces the cost) and its biggest drawback, because the blow is fairly complex to use.
Attention, it depletes the battery in record time! AC power required ...
UTILIZATION
The use of the RC2 is rather complex: on one mode to another (3 recording modes, backup mode, choice of rhythmic patterns, etc.) each knob or button has a different function. In practice this becomes clearer, but a careful reading of the manual is indispensable. It also often crosses the forums buyers lost souls who do it are not visibly plunged ...
I will not detail all the operating modes of the pedal but basically all serve the same purpose: to record, store and return loops guitar (or any other electric instrument, including voice). In any case, this recording is on a "base" measure by measure and rhythm, the pedal is responsible for adapting slightly the length of each loop so that it "sticks" to the measures. The tempo can be adjusted either automatically (auto mode, but there is interest in playing VERY square!) Or by tapping in rhythm on a button or pedal. With the large number of rhythmic patterns available, the possibilities are enormous. on the other hand, it's still a basic drum machine: no breaks, no tempo changes ...
Once registered the loop, we réappuye on the pedal, and the loop begins to play forever. Pressing and we add an overdub, that is to say a new "layer" recording. At any time, you just erase the last "layer" saved, then restore it if it crashed.
Once this operation assimilated, we come to easily record loops. Remains to play square, which is not necessarily obvious, cat pedal forgives nothing. But progress in this area is great.
In my opinion, the RC2 still has some annoying flaws three, which limit its use:
* Without additional pedal, remove a loop requires to keep the pedal down for a few seconds and stop playing "double click" with the foot. Not very practical, and almost impossible to succeed by staying in rhythm live. We see that it is not for this ...
* It is impossible to move from one loop to the other foot, without bending over to turn the knob for selecting memory locations. We can not separately record several parts of a song, then move on.
* When recording over a rhythm loop set, delete the first "layer" to start recording requires also the feast of the tempo. Annoying when it crashes 3 times in a row ...
SOUND QUALITY
In itself, the sound quality of recording is very good, although it can of course not compete with that of a true recorder. There has been no significant degradation of sound As the stack of "layers" successive recording, provided that they remain reasonable. Even the drum does not sound too synthetic.
The problem in this area comes from the amp rather: in fact, the pedal just to record the raw sound of the guitar, possibly modified by other effects pedals placed upstream: it is the amp that "sort" the sound. So, obviously, with lots of curls piled on her loaded and can quickly become rough, especially if the amp has a tendency to crunch. But if you stay reasonable on the amount of overdubs (less than ten say) the sound is very good.
The other problem is that if the pedal is plugged in "front" between the guitar and amp, setting the latter applies to the sound of the guitar and loops recorded. In other words, impossible to play a rhythm over saturated in the clear. The solution is to either use a pedal placed before the saturation RC2 (which therefore does not affect the sound loops) or to plug the pedal in the effects loop of the amp, if it has one .
However, the problem is fairly easy to overcome, and especially relates to the same type of pedal, and is found on higher-end models. It could be easily removed by adding a second output on the pedal, to direct the loops to an amp and guitar sound to another, and to play in stereo. In a future release of RC2 perhaps?
OVERALL OPINION
The opinion on this pedal is highly dependent on the use we intend to make. Do not misunderstand that for which it is planned.
The Boss RC2 is:
* A great tool to work the guitar: she forgives nothing in rhythm and can move very quickly to both the rhythmic rigor as the harmony. For example, recording a chord grid and then playing a solo over it, you can work very effectively the relationship between the notes, scales, modes, etc.. It is also convenient to work pieces only at home.
* A very good tool for composition: compose songs takes on another dimension when you can immediately listen to the result of what is found "in status". Too bad she does not truly independent tracks, but in such a format and at this price ...
* A "toy" to scrape a lot of fun at home: oD
But the Boss RC2 is not:
* A tool for live: too complicated to use, especially without additional pedal stop to control loops, with no possibility to switch from one loop to the other foot ... and above all, in my opinion, the use of such devices has no interest in concerts, force the group to follow a tempo drum machine, boring and unchanging, limits the possibilities of improvisation, multiplies the opportunities for technical problems ... What makes a live looper, a musician will always be better. At the limit it can help to launch sampled sounds, but that's all. And styles based on samples and loops as techno or rap, it is far too limited. However it is also true of his colleagues much more expensive.
* A recording tool: poor sound quality (although very respectable for other uses), recording time insufficient, a single track from memory location (you can even save multiple "layers" of sound each) impossible to return to another loop that the last registered, no memory card slot to transfer recordings to other media ...
In short, if you use this pedal for what it is, and not to misunderstand its use is a great tool, that can totally change the life of guitarist home! In addition, she begins to find secondhand around 100 euros, which is simply given for such a machine, totally unimaginable only a few years ago ...