BOSS Loop Pedal Comparison

Looping has become the solo performer's way of life. Backing yourself on stage to create a wall of sound with percussive playing, chord accompaniments, drum beats and even backing vocals, has been made easy all thanks to BOSS's range of Loop pedals. There is a BOSS Loop Station to fit everyone's needs and budget requirements, but finding the right one to suit may be a little confusing, so here is a little guide on each pedal to help you make the right choice.

BOSS RC-1

Boss's simplest and most affordable pedal with 12 minutes of recording time and an easy to view indicator to let you know how far into your loop you are and when it’s starting again. A secondary input can also be utilized for a second instrument or microphone (with jack input) and a stereo output can be used for a stereo setup, also on board is an input for an external optional footswitch for added control.

BOSS RC-5

The BOSS RC-5 is a compact looper pedal with a lot to offer yet small enough to add to your pedalboard. It features an easy to use interface, with a handy colour LCD screen, up to 13 hours of record time, class leading 32-bit sound, built-in rhythms and drum kits, and 99 onboard memories to store your creations. It doesn’t stop there, you can also plug your pedal into your computer via USB and import/export loops and phrases to use for later and an auxiliary input also allows for adding samples from an outboard device like a phone.

BOSS RC-500

The RC-500 is a slightly larger affair, but comes packed with an array of features to take your looping and performances to the next level. The RC-500 is an advanced 2-track loop pedal that delivers premium sound quality, FX, onboard rhythms and more. With it's two separate recording tracks, with separate volumes, it makes for a perfect perfomance tool, allowing for more complex arrangements that can be manipulated on the fly with the builit-in fx; repeat, scatter, shift and vinyl flick are perfect to spice up your creations. With its 3 footswitch setup, recording, playback, and track switching become a little easier to control whilst not getting in the way whilst you are performing.

Want to add some rhythms to your songs, well the RC-500 comes packed with 7 different drum kits and 57 different rhythms (like the RC-5), each with A/B sections - perfect for flicking between verse and chorus sections. With RC-500s slightly larger footprint, this also means there is more space for inputs (perfect for live loop performer), stereo ins and outs, a dedicated XLR input, MIDI and Controller/Expression pedal connectivity.

BOSS RC-600

The maximum size for BOSS loopers comes in here with Boss’s Flagship looper and everything is enhanced, added and utilized for a more complex performance or loop jam. It has six individual recording tracks with ultra-flexible onboard control with nine freely assignable footswitches and three pedal modes for total live control. There two XLR mic inputs plus two mono/stereo input pairs for guitars, keyboards, drum machines, and various audio devices, allowing you to connect a range of items - perfect for the multi-instrumentalist. With 200+ onboard rhythms (across 16 drumkits), and over 100 effects,  the RC600 can take your looping to new levels, giving you the ability to create vast and sophisticated loop performances like never before!

BOSS RC-10R

The final entry here is Boss’s latest pedal in their looping range The RC10R has been added with more backing for more genres, 280 preset rhythms and 16 drum kits for them to be played on. To keep your song dynamic there are also intro and outro fills as well as transition fills for switching from verse to chorus or an instrumental. Two separate sequential loops are also on there to build a song up to a massive wall of sound with separate song parts. The recording time has doubled to six hours and the sample size has increased to 32 bit AD/DA meaning your recordings will be crisper. This Pedal can also be used as a foot controllable drum machine even without the looping so a small performance can sound like a rock gig.

So which should I buy?

This is a really tough one in an ideal world I would thoroughly recommend the RC600 despite its size and look it's really the easiest to work with, it’s all laid in front of you with the controls clear and quickly workable, the tracks are easy to stop and start giving you complete control of your ideas at your feet and the effects section is wonderful allowing an easy bass line, delay or distortion without extra pedals or instruments.

But this is the real world, as all of these pedals are so good I really have no problem recommending all of them. The RC1 is great for a beginner looper and for someone with a full complement of pedals who just wants to build soundscapes and solo over them. The RC5 is great for a simple looper who just needs a bit of backing and drums in a performance and as a sketchpad for a songwriter who wishes to revisit his ideas later. With its added controls, the RC500 gives you easier creative flexibility, with a stepup in features, whilst the flagship RC600 is for a more dynamic player who wants to trim parts in and out of songs midway through and wants to add some performance effects. The RC10R is all about jamming away to yourself and creating complex patterns and rhythms and sections as well as being a small drum machine for live performance.

Any loop pedal is fun to use, great for creativity and is also a superb practice tool. I hope this comparison helps you choose the right loop pedal for your needs, but if you need any further advice, feel free to call us on 01279 432900 or pop into our store for a demonstration....happy looping!