Choose The Right Loop Pedal
in 5 minutes!
What is looping?
It’s the secret weapon that artists as diverse as Ed Sheeran, Tash Sultana, and Ariana Grande use to create stadium-worthy, larger-than-life sounds when performing on their own.
A loop pedal records a musical phrase (whether that’s a guitar chord progression, a synth pad, or just your voice) and plays it back over and over again – on loop! The real magic starts to happen when you progressively start to build (or “overdub”) more layers on top of each other. Forget the band – with live looping you can become a driving rhythm section, an orchestra, a wall of sound or a choir, all by yourself!
In 2001, BOSS released THE first loop station, the RC-20. Since then, we’ve been proud to pioneer many more tools for musicians to bring their inspiration to life, with well over ONE MILLION of our loop stations out in the worldwide looping community.
Let’s find the right one for you!
YOUR FIRST LOOPER
-> BOSS RC-1
If you’ve never used a guitar loop pedal before, this is an easy choice:
Go for the BOSS RC-1.
It’s looping distilled down to its purest, most beginner-friendly form. One pedal switch, one level control, and one multi-coloured LED indicator to help you keep track of your loops.
It’s 9V battery-powered, armed with 12 minutes of recording time, and it even remembers what you looped after it’s been powered off!
WANT TO JAM ALONG TO DRUM TRACKS?
-> BOSS RC-5
If you’re jamming by yourself, whether at home or on-stage, and feel like you miss the driving beat of the drums, then you might want to step up to the BOSS RC-5.
With a multi-colour LCD screen, 99 phrase memories, and over 50 rhythm grooves, the RC-5 is a compact looping powerhouse. Oh, and you get 13 hours of stereo recording time.
NEED TO LOOP VERSE + CHORUS?
-> BOSS RC-10R
The BOSS RC-10R is a new breed of loop station that’s based around two key ideas – song-structured looping and smart drum grooves.
RC-10R uses two tracks in series (running one after another). This allows you to record separate verse and chorus loops and switch between them at the press of a footswitch!
And for each of the 280+ onboard grooves that you can choose from, you’ll get two separate verse and chorus drum parts which you can switch between via footswitch. To add an extra dimension of spontaneity and realism, you can trigger drum fills whenever you want!
NEED TWO TRACKS?
LOOPING GUITAR + VOCALS?
-> BOSS RC-500
Mainstream awareness of looping really exploded when a young Ed Sheeran used his bright red BOSS RC-20XL to turn his solo acoustic setlist into a dynamic, multi-layered live performance that still has some people wondering where the band is!
Even to this day, the core of his live performance setup can be succinctly summed up in three parts – vocals, guitar, and looping.
The BOSS RC-500 is the latest greatest incarnation of that classic format. Two tracks, separate inputs for mic and guitar, a host of loop effects, and a dynamic assortment of drum grooves – it’s a lot more than Ed had when he was starting out!
If you want to learn how to loop like Ed Sheeran, then this is the one for you.
POWER USER AND MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST?
-> BOSS RC600
The new flagship RC-600 Loop Station changes the looping game once again.
So, what is a flagship looper? Put simply, flagship means one thing: the best.
The BOSS RC-600 features 6 tracks, 2 XLR inputs, 2x stereo ¼” inputs, 3x stereo outputs, and extremely versatile routing options for it all.
It also boasts more effects, rhythm grooves, drum kit sounds, and footswitching options than the rest of the range.
JUST VOX? BEATBOX?
-> BOSS RC-505 MkII
Can you loop if you don’t play guitar or any other instrument?
The answer is definitely yes! Our tabletop loop stations created a whole new movement of modern, vocal-based looping. Your voice is an instrument, and the RC-505 MkII is here to take it to the next level!
