Hi there, I’ve got a few questions about this device and would love to get some advice from an artist's perspective. I've been told by some stores that this looper (the Boss RC-505) is more geared towards instruments and lacks the advanced vocal effects (like high-end control of delay, reverb) that singers often need. They recommended the TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme for singers and said they do so as it offers more detailed settings and can automate harmonies, reverb, and other effects while performing to your songs or backing tracks. They also mentioned that with the Boss RC-505, you have to manually adjust these settings during the performance constantly. Could you clarify this? Is it true that the Boss RC-505 is more instrument-focused and less suited for singers? I’m also considering working with Logic Pro’s Live Looping and using a control board to manage reverb, delay, and other effects through plug-ins. How would that compare to using a dedicated looper like this one? Have you tried software looping in your laptop as well as the Boss looper? Would it be easier or more intuitive to work directly within Logic Pro, or does the hardware looper from Boss you use now offer something unique for a singer? I primarily focus on my voice but plan to add simple instruments later like a djembe, flute, or a very small MIDI keyboard. I don’t play guitar, and my music knowledge is more intuitive -I sing by ear and focus on harmonies. So I want to ensure I choose the right tool for great vocal sound, without getting overwhelmed by tech. As I loved your approach, I’d really appreciate your thoughts on how to get started and whether this device would work well for my needs as a singer. I found your video super practical, and I look forward to learning more from you. Sorry for all my questions, but I got excited and it really is super cool what you do here!! Thanks so much, Chris
Hi Chris, I haven't tried the other looping devices so I can't compare, but here's my two cents. The rc-505 is 100% oriented towards vocalists due to the hand-touch controls. You can easily adjust reverb and delay while performing with a knob (and hitting a single button before turning the knob depending on how you program it) but you can't automate it as far as I know. You are also restricted to the quality of the FX built into the looper which I would say is limited. If you want ease of performance, go for the rc-505. If you want more control over all your FX, consider the Akai APC Mini, which I have recently started exploring. I don't know how/if it connects to Logic, I imagine it does as its simply a midi controller. I use Ableton. It takes a lot of time/effort to program it to be a looper, but it is possible. You can use your own reverb/fx and you can use a higher quality mic (the rc-505 does not have phantom power). But for ease of performance, the rc-505 is ideal. Here's me using the APC mini to add layers from Omnisphere, through Ableton: www.patreon.com/posts/new-creations-in-112626273?Link& (It will ask you become a free member to see it)
Thanks so much for the vid! So I am trying to set up a loop station for my daughter who is also a singer. How is it that with each new track you sing that the new track doesnt pick up the audio from the previous tracks that are already playing? In my experience even with a cardioid microphone some bleed over occurs. Thanks!
@@dougfranckwolf yes, if you are amplifying the sound this will happen. I've never actually had much of an issue with it though. To avoid it entirely, route the output to headphones not speakers. Let me know if this helps. Also, thank you for being so supportive of your daughter's creativity! Looping is so fun and rewarding.
Great vid. I’m sure you know this, but when you talk about layering on a track, remember you can undo / redo. So if you put down a ‘base’ layer you can put a chorus riff over the top and just undo / redo when you want to play the verse. Lovely vid. Hope that helps ❤
Thanks for the hands on demo that kind of stuff always works better for me. I wish you were my neighbor. I sound like Mr. Rogers now but seriously I’ll learn better with somebody showing me. I just bought the RC 505 MK two and before it came in, I had a stroke, cause I’m an old man so I’m having a hard time learning anything I’m sure it will be simple for most people but not me I’m also having trouble with all my other equipment. I got a whole room full of stuff and I can’t remember anything about it but I got nothing but time I hope anyways thank you just want to say that and I’m gonna try to figure out how to watch your other videos that pointed us too.
I'm so sorry to hear about your stroke. I can only imagine the difficulty of such an experience and how it affects your memory and learning process. One of these days I'll make a few more tutorials on here. There are a handful of other good resources if you keep searching too. The looper is a great tool for inspiring musical creativity. Almost my entire album was written off of loop explorations.
@@-Hann I haven't found that there is a setting for this, the way there is in ableton loopers. It seems like the first phrase just defines the rest no matter what. You can choose it to be 4 8 12 etc bars based on the tempo.
@@nectarmoth push track and find ‘measure’ and turn in to ‘free’ on all 5 tracks, this way track 1 could be 1/4 of a bar, (2) 8 bars (3) 1 bar and so on in addition to the manual there’s also a parameters guide on the boss website it’s on page 3
How am i able to hear you? do you have it plugged into speakers or and amp or something? I'm trying to figure out how to hear myself outside of headphones
Cool thanks for sharing ✨🙏
Love it. i,ve had the mk 2 for around a year now and am only just getting to grips with it. Great Video. Thanks for the help
Glad it was helpful! Good luck with the looping journey. I wish I had the MKII!
@nectarmoth you are welcome to come and use mine anytime and the rest of the bamboozling equipment I have. Hope you have a great day....👍👌🙏💯🎶🎵
Hi there,
I’ve got a few questions about this device and would love to get some advice from an artist's perspective.
I've been told by some stores that this looper (the Boss RC-505) is more geared towards instruments and lacks the advanced vocal effects (like high-end control of delay, reverb) that singers often need.
They recommended the TC Helicon VoiceLive 3 Extreme for singers and said they do so as it offers more detailed settings and can automate harmonies, reverb, and other effects while performing to your songs or backing tracks.
They also mentioned that with the Boss RC-505, you have to manually adjust these settings during the performance constantly.
Could you clarify this?
Is it true that the Boss RC-505 is more instrument-focused and less suited for singers?
I’m also considering working with Logic Pro’s Live Looping and using a control board to manage reverb, delay, and other effects through plug-ins.
How would that compare to using a dedicated looper like this one? Have you tried software looping in your laptop as well as the Boss looper?
Would it be easier or more intuitive to work directly within Logic Pro, or does the hardware looper from Boss you use now offer something unique for a singer?
I primarily focus on my voice but plan to add simple instruments later like a djembe, flute, or a very small MIDI keyboard.
I don’t play guitar, and my music knowledge is more intuitive
-I sing by ear and focus on harmonies.
So I want to ensure I choose the right tool for great vocal sound, without getting overwhelmed by tech.
As I loved your approach, I’d really appreciate your thoughts on how to get started and whether this device would work well for my needs as a singer. I found your video super practical, and I look forward to learning more from you.
Sorry for all my questions, but I got excited and it really is super cool what you do here!!
Thanks so much,
Chris
Hi Chris, I haven't tried the other looping devices so I can't compare, but here's my two cents. The rc-505 is 100% oriented towards vocalists due to the hand-touch controls. You can easily adjust reverb and delay while performing with a knob (and hitting a single button before turning the knob depending on how you program it) but you can't automate it as far as I know. You are also restricted to the quality of the FX built into the looper which I would say is limited.
If you want ease of performance, go for the rc-505. If you want more control over all your FX, consider the Akai APC Mini, which I have recently started exploring. I don't know how/if it connects to Logic, I imagine it does as its simply a midi controller. I use Ableton.
It takes a lot of time/effort to program it to be a looper, but it is possible. You can use your own reverb/fx and you can use a higher quality mic (the rc-505 does not have phantom power). But for ease of performance, the rc-505 is ideal.
Here's me using the APC mini to add layers from Omnisphere, through Ableton: www.patreon.com/posts/new-creations-in-112626273?Link&
(It will ask you become a free member to see it)
This was so helpful Thankyou!
Thanks so much for the vid! So I am trying to set up a loop station for my daughter who is also a singer. How is it that with each new track you sing that the new track doesnt pick up the audio from the previous tracks that are already playing? In my experience even with a cardioid microphone some bleed over occurs. Thanks!
@@dougfranckwolf yes, if you are amplifying the sound this will happen. I've never actually had much of an issue with it though. To avoid it entirely, route the output to headphones not speakers. Let me know if this helps. Also, thank you for being so supportive of your daughter's creativity! Looping is so fun and rewarding.
Great vid. I’m sure you know this, but when you talk about layering on a track, remember you can undo / redo. So if you put down a ‘base’ layer you can put a chorus riff over the top and just undo / redo when you want to play the verse. Lovely vid. Hope that helps ❤
@ this is a great clarification! I haven't used it this way, but will defintiely play with it
great instruction, easy to follow.....
Glad it helped!
Sweet!
Thanks for the hands on demo that kind of stuff always works better for me. I wish you were my neighbor. I sound like Mr. Rogers now but seriously I’ll learn better with somebody showing me. I just bought the RC 505 MK two and before it came in, I had a stroke, cause I’m an old man so I’m having a hard time learning anything I’m sure it will be simple for most people but not me I’m also having trouble with all my other equipment. I got a whole room full of stuff and I can’t remember anything about it but I got nothing but time I hope anyways thank you just want to say that and I’m gonna try to figure out how to watch your other videos that pointed us too.
I'm so sorry to hear about your stroke. I can only imagine the difficulty of such an experience and how it affects your memory and learning process. One of these days I'll make a few more tutorials on here. There are a handful of other good resources if you keep searching too. The looper is a great tool for inspiring musical creativity. Almost my entire album was written off of loop explorations.
good stuff, have you set the loop length of each track to ‘free’?
@@-Hann I haven't found that there is a setting for this, the way there is in ableton loopers. It seems like the first phrase just defines the rest no matter what. You can choose it to be 4 8 12 etc bars based on the tempo.
Okay you can actually set it.
@@nectarmoth push track and find ‘measure’ and turn in to ‘free’ on all 5 tracks, this way track 1 could be 1/4 of a bar, (2) 8 bars (3) 1 bar and so on
in addition to the manual there’s also a parameters guide on the boss website it’s on page 3
@@nectarmoth at the moment you havre it set to auto as default
also on dub mode i turn it to play rather than it automatically going to overdub, let me know if you
want further help with settings
How am i able to hear you? do you have it plugged into speakers or and amp or something? I'm trying to figure out how to hear myself outside of headphones
Yes it was plugged in to speakers!