• From: East sussex, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-29
  • Posts: 690

Topic: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

Am interested in trying out the wonderful world of looping, having read posts by Southpaw, amongst others. Am thinking of the Boss RC-2, which sells at about 150 GBP in the UK. Are there any other models I should consider, perhaps paying a bit more for extra features? I just play & sing on my own, not as part of a band.
Would they be much cheaper in the USA? My wife is off to Chicago soon (without me, very sore point, dontwanttotalkaboutit!), - is there a good music store centrally? Will find out where she is staying & report back. Or are there any good offers on the RC-2 in the UK at the moment (have looked on eBay & am watching a couple).
Cheers Chordians!

" Old Guy is Rocking"
Simon & Patrick Pro Flamed Maple (mmm, nice...)
Norman ST68 acoustic
  • KajiMa
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Glastonbury
  • Registered: 2009-03-24
  • Posts: 608

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

I'm very interested to hear responses to this one as I'm looking for a device that I can use to record live to then play over the top so I can do songs like "Wish You Were Here" with both rhythm and lead.

(Don't sound quite the same trying to do both interwoven.)

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<

3 Reply by SouthPaw41L (edited by SouthPaw41L 2009-05-18 15:02:59)

  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

Hi Norm,

I've been a Boss user for many years and in my opinion there is no finer looping pedal in the universe. Boss make 3 loop pedals, the RC50, 20, and 2. The 2 is fine unless you need more than 1 input. I have the 20 and use one input for my guitar and the other input for a knee level microphone to record various percussion instruments( djembe, cabasa, casaba, shakers, cowbell, thunder tube, goats toes, triangle, train whistle, slide whistle, etc). And be advised, looping is almost like learning a new instrument. It's gonna take some time to get the hang of it and get it to do what's inside of your head. But once you get the timing down it's a very cool thing!!!

       Also, keep in mind even with the RC2 with one input, you could invest in an inexpensive, non-powered mixer and run your multiple input sources before your loop pedal. ( if needed)

    The looping thing is cool and gives the performer variation from song to song without resorting to performing live with pre-recorded music, which many( this musician especially) find very lame and cheesey. Although this pedal comes equipped with pre-recorded drums it also comes with a seperate volume switch( that controls fake drums) to totally turn the fake drums all the way down. No offense intended to those of you out there who like pre-recorded music and/or fake drums........

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L


ps-here's a demo from the Boss pedal you're interested in;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOhEmferYjA
  and here's your product from a site I use often;
http://www.music123.com/Boss-RC-2-Loop- … 5.Music123

Give everything but up.
  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

I saw a few demonstrations of the boss RC-20xl and ordered one thru my music store I got a good deal I paid $263.00 including tax and shipping and it will blend in with my Boss ME-50 thru a 4 channel mixer I will be running this thru two amps stereo and I intend to do a few gigs with it once I have learned how to best use it,watching video demos and performances on YouTube will give me a pretty good idea of the versatility of this effect and I will have a bass guitar and acoustic on a stand I decided on useing my alesis and playing the pads manually for a more human touch cant wait to get it and dig into all the goodies smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • From: East sussex, UK
  • Registered: 2008-01-29
  • Posts: 690

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

Thanks for the info, guys. I think I will just lurk around eBay & try to pick one up cheap as poss. I have doubts about whether I have the skills to use one! I notice that most of these on eBay are almost new, as the owner couldn't use it/didn't like it. Anyhoo, will give it a go sometime!
Cheers!

" Old Guy is Rocking"
Simon & Patrick Pro Flamed Maple (mmm, nice...)
Norman ST68 acoustic
  • From: north wales. uk
  • Registered: 2008-11-23
  • Posts: 167

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

Hi SouthPaw41L.
I have loved  reading your post on gigging, I wish I knew how you use a loop pedal.
I have followed your links, but still don't understand, please could you help,
Do you start off a song just playing rythem guitar, loop it and then put a bass line on top, before singing or playing a lead guitar ?
If so would it not make the songs very long.
In truth SouthPaw, you are my hero
TonyBlue

man is the dream of the doliphin
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

Wow, thanks for the kind words TonyBlue.

The cool think about looping is that it can be used in so many different ways.
One can do a little or a lot. You can loop a rhythm guitar part and then play lead over it. You can add drums, bass guitar, backing vocals, keyboards, and then sing the lead vocals over everything looping.

   Looping enables a performer to create a song starting with nothing and finishing with a minimal piece of music or an orchestrial type arrangement. It does however take some getting used to. Learning to loop effectively and efficiently is essentially like learning a new instrument. It will take lots of practice. It took me several months of trial and error at home before I became confortable enough with looping to incorporate it into my live gigs. Here are a few links that demonstrate its' use;

ftp://ftp.roland.co.uk/Videos/rc-2/rc2_demos.html

http://www.rolandus.com/Multimedia/Flas … index.html


Good Luck TonyBlue.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • From: north wales. uk
  • Registered: 2008-11-23
  • Posts: 167

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

Hi SouthPaw,

Thanks for the links, and now I can see the use that this pedal could be put to, I do a simler thing if I feel that I'm going down well.  I ask the crowd if they would like to make a record, they pick a style, say 12 bar blues, and I put down the rhyum track followed by the bass track, they we make up words to fit, normaly quite rude, and I play l a lead as a turn around, this can go on for some time, if you have anyone good with words joining in.
I will get the RC 2 loop pedal and give some parctice at home, but it look like I could use something like this.

In answer to kajima, if you play the riff, but on the last note, instead of playing the note play the chord (ie G ) you will get a soomther sound.
TonyBliue

man is the dream of the doliphin
  • From: Chesapeake,VA
  • Registered: 2008-11-12
  • Posts: 332

Re: Buying loop pedal - RC2 Toney??

All good advice above.  I bought the RC-2 for $155 free shipping on ebay.

I'd like to add the Boss FS-5U footswitch greatly enhances the timing for stopping or erasing the RC-2 loop pedal.  One press stops all loops and if you hold for 2 seconds erases all loops, whereas the RC-2 pedal you press twice within one second and it stops or press and hold 2 seconds and it erases the last track.  5S-5U is particularly useful at about $20 for some songs which are repetitive but may have a bridge in the middle, or just to put you in more confident control of the ending.   

Southpaw is right, it takes a whole new study to get the looper instrument down pat, but you can pretty much start getting a thrill right out of the box.  The songwriters would probably appreciate it as you can create and discard or undo loops without ever taking your hand off the guitar.

Steve

AccoustikNoyz's Website