For some time now, Boss has been at the forefront of the looper scene – so much so that three of its pedals feature in our roundup of the best looper pedals available today. Now, the effects pedal specialist has expanded its celebrated range of loopers with the release of two all-new offerings: the RC-600 and RC-505mkII.
The unit that will no-doubt pique the interests of electric guitar and acoustic guitar players the most is the RC-600 – a floor-based looper that the brand has boldly labeled “the most advanced looper on the planet”. Given Boss’s previous dealings with loopers, such a claim may not be wholly far-fetched.
Expanding on the precedent set by the previous RC-500, the RC-600 features six stereo tracks and 32-bit AD/DA sound, and can be used to loop an eclectic array of mics and instruments at any given time.
To make the looping experience even more interesting, Boss has jam packed the pedal with 49 Input FX and 53 Track FX types – four of which can be used at once – which can be used to process sounds before and after recording.
Examples of both include a guitar-to-bass simulator, a string of vocal manipulators and DJ-style effects such as Beat Scatter and Vinyl Flick. These are complemented by over 200 rhythmic patterns, which range from rock, pop and acoustic to Latin, jazz and electronica.
Other intelligent features include automatic fills to transition between loop sections and the ability to import fully customizable rhythms via USB using the RC Rhythm Converter Software.
In terms of storage, the RC-600 has the Boss-standard 99 memories, each of which can contain up to six phrase tracks, custom effects, playback settings and personalized control assignments.
The pedal also features nine fully assignable footswitches that can be charged with controlling track operations, effects, rhythm functions, tap tempo and more. A highly visible Loop Status indicator also features, and lines up alongside an LCD display screen.
As for connectivity, the RC-600 flashes an array of inputs and outputs. Two phantom power-equipped XLR microphone inputs sit next to two stereo line inputs, with three stereo assignable line outputs also making the cut.
The Boss RC-600 will be available in December this year for $599.
To get a flavor of what can be achieved with the RC-600, check out the video below.
Boss has also expanded its range of tabletop loop stations with the RC-505mkII. As the name would suggest, it’s an updated version of the existing RC-505, featuring channel-specific slider controls, customizable buttons, increased mixing control and expanded input/output connections.
Designed with user requests in mind, the next-generation RC-505mkII is dubbed “a dream machine for beatboxers and vocalists”, and comes equipped with 32-bit AD/DA sound, 99 memories, 200 onboard rhythm patterns and MIDI control support.
Other notable features include a newly added Mark Back function for increased undo/redo flexibility, 49 Input FX and 53 Track FX types, five stereo tracks, two XLR inputs, two mono/stereo line input pairs, an input mixer with mic compressors and independent channel EQs.
The RC-505mkII will be available in January next year for $599.
To learn more, visit Boss.
