Boss RC-20xl phase tracks into mp3

[theblackkeys84]

Can you transfer these tracks to you're computer and make them into mp3 tracks? Is this possible anyone know? thanks

[FusedGrooves]

Can you transfer these tracks to you're computer and make them into mp3 tracks? Is this possible anyone know? thanks

Hi Mate, let me welcome you to the site! Mind you I'm fairly new on here aswell....

I wasn't aware that the RC-20 allowed exportation, that's great! Initially I had the RC-2 but upgraded to the RC-50 for the extra recording time, seperate pedals for 3xphrases against each track AND the ability to export to my PC. Now have over 100 loops and personally I think EVERYONE should have one from the time they start playing til they stop, even just for practice they are nothing short of BRILLIANT.

Sorry where were we...? :D

What'll you'll need is a file converter application for your computer. I assume they are exported as WAV same as mine so Google WAV > MP3 converter and knock yourself out.

So hopefully that works for you but I see your 1 question and raise you 1. . .:thumbsup

Question for you - that I have asked of Boss and got a grey area response - are you or have you been able to export the drum loops as part of your WAV file? Cause mine don't which REALLY blows as I play heavily with/against the drums so listening to my loops without them doesn't really work out so good.

My only thoughts are to record on sayt track 1 - phrases 1 and 2 my complete song/loop - then play them back whilst I mic it and record to phrase 3? Seems awfully hard for something that should be realtively straight forward. I haven't used mixing software much and might have to but using trial of Sony ACID Pro, I found some WAV format drums in a pattern similar to what I had (and that's an issue, finding the exact pattern you uised on the Boss) but when I adjusted the tempo my music goes all 'warbly'. You'll notice that as well, record at any tempo. Pause and restart and if you change tempo the music goes all crazy like....same issue I have also when mixing.

Anyhow have been meaning to ask the software/mixing/drum pattern question for some time and may yet start another thread - will use the search function first tho! :pancake

[Spudman]

Ya, with the RC20XL all you can do is save the phrases on the unit then take it to your computer and record the WAV files into your computer. Then convert those files to MP3. The Jam Man and the RC50 both have USB transfer which makes it a lot easier to get the material into the computer. I don't know if those files are MP3 when they hit the computer or if you have to still convert them.

It's doable with the RC20XL - just not as simple as some others are. All you need is a cable to go from the Boss unit into your mic input or AUX input on the computer and a recording program. Audacity would work.

[FusedGrooves]

Ya, with the RC20XL all you can do is save the phrases on the unit then take it to your computer and record the WAV files into your computer. Then convert those files to MP3. The Jam Man and the RC50 both have USB transfer which makes it a lot easier to get the material into the computer. I don't know if those files are MP3 when they hit the computer or if you have to still convert them.

It's doable with the RC20XL - just not as simple as some others are. All you need is a cable to go from the Boss unit into your mic input or AUX input on the computer and a recording program. Audacity would work.

Ahhhh OK yeah RC-50 plugs straight into Laptop, assumed RC-20 was the same.....RC50 exports as WAV so conversion would be required IF needing MP3 format...

Spudman you don't know if I can export drum beats from the RC50>??

[theblackkeys84]

thanks guys for the replies. Sweet yeah I'm trying to figure out what kind of cable I would need to go from the Boss unit to my macbook to make the transfer possible. I have Garageband that's on my macbook would that be able to transfer the files and convert? Sorry I don't know about the drum question.

[theblackkeys84]

I'm guessing I would run a cable from the aux in of the Boss to the audio out port of the macbook snow leopard. I just need the cable. Seems like a very small thin cable though. Where would I get this? Radioshack? Guitar Center? Anyways thanks again gotta go to work for the next 9 hours. Hopefully when I get home I can mess with this or get a better idea of what I need to get these killer tracks on this thing.

[Eric]

I don't know Macs, but I think Garageband is just like any other DAW, so yeah. I *think* (don't quote me on this) you just need a 1/4" cable with an adapter on the end to convert from 1/4" mono to 1/8" mono.

That might not be right because the pedal output isn't a line out, but that's my best guess.

[Eric]

I'm guessing I would run a cable from the aux in of the Boss to the audio out port of the macbook snow leopard. I just need the cable. Seems like a very small thin cable though. Where would I get this? Radioshack? Guitar Center? Anyways thanks again gotta go to work for the next 9 hours. Hopefully when I get home I can mess with this or get a better idea of what I need to get these killer tracks on this thing.
Err...I don't think that's right. That setup would allow you to record something on to the looper from your computer, but you want the opposite. Take the pedal output and plug it into the mic input on your computer.

And yes, I'd say Radioshack is your best bet.

[theblackkeys84]

thanks eric appreciate the input. I'm still trying to figure out what cable I might need to get.

[Eric]

I think either of these would work:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CMP303

or

http://www.fullcompass.com/product/353162.html

The first one is a cable to work as adapter, but the second one is just so you could use a regular guitar/instrument cable. Hopefully someone comes along to confirm this, because I'm unsure whether you can use the output straight into a line-in input.

[theblackkeys84]

hmm nice I might check out radioshack tomorrow and see if I can pick up some of these.

[Spudman]

Spudman you don't know if I can export drum beats from the RC50>??

How I would do it with the RC20XL would be to just start playing the drum beat on the RC50 and hit record on the computer. Did you get a sample disc when you bought the RC50? Mine came with a CD full of drum beats to import into the RC20XL. If you have the disc you can just import them off the disc into your recording program or save them on to your hard drive.

[FusedGrooves]

How I would do it with the RC20XL would be to just start playing the drum beat on the RC50 and hit record on the computer. Did you get a sample disc when you bought the RC50? Mine came with a CD full of drum beats to import into the RC20XL. If you have the disc you can just import them off the disc into your recording program or save them on to your hard drive.

No sample disc with my RC50 or with original RC2 I bought :(

Not using PC to record on as such *yet* looks like I will have to!

Thanks mate :)

[Kazz]

stay away from the shack unless you want to pay more for less.

[Eric]

I've been searching for a Radioshack alternative for a long time, but have yet to find any good options. Any suggestions?

[theblackkeys84]

so I'm trying to do vocals on this and just borrowed a homemade mixer from a friend so I can do vocals on my fender blues jr. amp but as far as connecting it with the rc-20xl to record on some tracks does anyone know how the cables would have to be setup to correctly pull this off?

[FusedGrooves]

so I'm trying to do vocals on this and just borrowed a homemade mixer from a friend so I can do vocals on my fender blues jr. amp but as far as connecting it with the rc-20xl to record on some tracks does anyone know how the cables would have to be setup to correctly pull this off?

First off - how do you find the guitar amp for vocals?
I'm not entirely clear what the question is though - if I read it correctly you're asking if the mixer can be connected to the Looper? Would you not just place this after the loop station in the chain and mix the over all output?
I'm pretty handy with my own looper, but as far as recording with PC/mixing/midi it's all a bit new to me. My RC-50 has a midi connection aswell as the vocal/MIC jack and it all works pretty good.......

There is also a setting to out put 'flat amp' which I think may be something to do with improving the freq response for vocals (or something?) This might be worth checking to see if RC20 has such a feature - do you have any other 'mode' type buttons?

[theblackkeys84]

Yeah so this is getting frustrating so I went to guitar center today and brought my rc 20xl pedal with and said I wanted to tarnsfer the tracks from the pedal to my computer and they told me not to go with the dinky cable cuz they said it would sound terrible and distorted if you transferred them. So they sold me the Alesis iO2 Express 24-bit usb recording interface. I set it up and everything but I can't figure out how it transfers the tracks and how it needs to be setup. I only have garageband on my computer and still trying to get these tracks on. I have the a cable running from the output of rc 20xl to the insert of the alesis io2. I'm know I'm doing something wrong anyone know how this has to be arranged? I'm thinking maybe I need to be playing the tracks through my amp then connected to the rc to the alesis and the usb to the computer but then what? Any help would save me thanks I know I'm a noob.

[Eric]

Yeah so this is getting frustrating so I went to guitar center today and brought my rc 20xl pedal with and said I wanted to tarnsfer the tracks from the pedal to my computer and they told me not to go with the dinky cable cuz they said it would sound terrible and distorted if you transferred them. So they sold me the Alesis iO2 Express 24-bit usb recording interface. I set it up and everything but I can't figure out how it transfers the tracks and how it needs to be setup. I only have garageband on my computer and still trying to get these tracks on. I have the a cable running from the output of rc 20xl to the insert of the alesis io2. I'm know I'm doing something wrong anyone know how this has to be arranged? I'm thinking maybe I need to be playing the tracks through my amp then connected to the rc to the alesis and the usb to the computer but then what? Any help would save me thanks I know I'm a noob.
Well, I think this might have been mentioned earlier, but my recommendation would be to use your amp's line-out and go into your computer's line-in. So it would look like this:

guitar -> RC-20XL -> amp -> computer

Any mono cable should work I think. Stereo would probably work too, but you'd only get an input on one side.

I might be missing something there, as I'm not sure why the GC people told you it would be distorted.

I'm still working on understanding this side of it too, but ultimately I don't think your signal coming out of the looper will be powerful enough to be recorded directly; it needs to go through a preamplifier to boost the signal. Going through the amp would do that, but if you hook it up right to the Alesis interface, that might also work (i.e. you could go guitar -> RC-20XL -> audio interface -> computer).

I'm not sure about all of this. It's just my best guess. The thing that will require the correct cable will either be amp -> computer or looper -> audio interface.

[FusedGrooves]

Well, I think this might have been mentioned earlier, but my recommendation would be to use your amp's line-out and go into your computer's line-in. So it would look like this:

guitar -> RC-20XL -> amp -> computer

Any mono cable should work I think. Stereo would probably work too, but you'd only get an input on one side.

I might be missing something there, as I'm not sure why the GC people told you it would be distorted.

I'm still working on understanding this side of it too, but ultimately I don't think your signal coming out of the looper will be powerful enough to be recorded directly; it needs to go through a preamplifier to boost the signal. Going through the amp would do that, but if you hook it up right to the Alesis interface, that might also work (i.e. you could go guitar -> RC-20XL -> audio interface -> computer).

I'm not sure about all of this. It's just my best guess. The thing that will require the correct cable will either be amp -> computer or looper -> audio interface.

Eric sounds like he's knowledgable in this area. My RC50 hooks up via it's own USB cable and never had any issues - it exports as WAV so need file converter to go to MP3 but my chain is a bit different to that stated above.

Mine goes Guitar > Amp FX loop > ME50 FX > RC50 > Back to Amp.

I don't know if that helps at all, but I don't know alot about the RC20 sorry :(