Tim and I just got an RC-2 Pedal! - Boss Content

[Tone2TheBone]

Ok I tried it and it worked. Only thing is that the playback is missing one measure. When I do the steps you told me to I play the 12 bar like you normally do and finish off the recording and it immediately plays back like you said. Problem is that it's missing the very first measure. It plays everything else perfectly and even segues into the beginning perfectly. I get 3 measures of E instead of 4....then it continues to the A for 4 and back to the E for 4 etc. I THINK I'm tapping the recording at the top of the beat. Maybe I'm tapping it at the bottom thats why I'm shy one measure? But if the loop is one measure long I don't see how I can screw that up? Also when I tap in to start recording the beat goes haywire for a split second and I have to guess where the downbeat is to play correctly on time otherwise I'm playing on the up beat and I have to start all over again. Here's the steps I'm doing...

1. I pick a drum beat and set the tempo using the music note and then tapping the tempo.

2. I step on the pedal to save the tempo...yellow light flashes...beat keeps playing at tempo set.

3. (begin recording?) I listen to the beat and just before the beginning of the measure I tap the pedal (this is where the beat goes awry for a split second)...then I ignore the bump in the beat and try to play with the correct downbeat and play the whole 12 bar to the end.

4. At the end of the 12 bars I tap the pedal again and it stops recording and the playback starts up right away which ends up sounding good but it is missing the first measure.

????

[Tone2TheBone]

Snap! Alright things are happy now in loop land. According to the fine print the recording doesn't kick in until the first measure is played after tapping the pedal. That explains why the recording was short a measure.

THIS PEDAL IS AWESOME.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Snap! Alright things are happy now in loop land. According to the fine print the recording doesn't kick in until the first measure is played after tapping the pedal. That explains why the recording was short a measure.

THIS PEDAL IS AWESOME.

Ooops, I forgot to tell you that!

I'm glad that it's working now.

--------------------------------------------------------

I agree that it is awesome.

[Spudman***]

If you don't have the Boss FS-5 but you do have any other button foot switches laying around the gear pile, try plugging one in to the FS-5. Momentary switches (non latching) seem to work the best. Still with a latching foot button you just have to push it twice. This might enable you to get a little bit more out of your pedal before you buy an accessory pedal.

Amph channel changers, keyboard foot switches, rack effects control pedals, anything like those might work so that you can get more functions from your RC2.

[Tim]

Ok guys, I am back home an unwounded. I am jumping into this RC-2 lopper thread.

I have experienced the same difficulties Tone has mentioned, but after reading the discussions between Tone and tOt I am going to play with the looper before asking any question. I will also find an old button pedal to help with the stomping and configuring the RC-2.

The missing measure I knew was in the timing, but I did not know it was at the beginning. It’s time to return to the looper. Loop on!

Tone I sent you an email as you requested.

[Tone2TheBone]

Spudster - I have a real old school momentary switch up in the attic. I'll have to look for it. I knew someday that old thing would come in handy...(lets hope anyway)....so I kept it. Now if I can only find it!

Man thanks so much tOt for your help and guidance last night. I've redone all my loops from phrase space 1 through 6 and this evening I added some Jazz Bass. *thumbs up* The pedal buffers good. It won't allow a bass signal to come through too strong which I think my amphs will love. I did in fact have to up the signal just a tad with my trusty Micro Amp pedal. Bass blends in perfectly with my guitar rhythm. I'm a freakin' one man band!

[Tone2TheBone]

Well I couldn't find that old momentary switch so I bought an FS-5U foot switch today. I'd like to post the question as to why an external footswitch like this would be better than using the pedal itself. What is the significance of using such a footswitch to those of us that might not understand?

[oldguy]

I'm not familiar with the rc-2, but on the jamman you can use it to jump up or down to your loops. For instance, if you lay down a short loop for a verse, the go up to the next preset and do a chorus loop, you can jump up or down between them. It would be more flexible than doing a 3 to 5 minute loop for an entire song. Make sense?

[Tone2TheBone]

I'm not familiar with the rc-2, but on the jamman you can use it to jump up or down to your loops. For instance, if you lay down a short loop for a verse, the go up to the next preset and do a chorus loop, you can jump up or down between them. It would be more flexible than doing a 3 to 5 minute loop for an entire song. Make sense?

Yeah that makes good sense. Robert and I were talking about this today and he mentioned wanting the footswitch to do just that on his Jam Man. I told him that I thought the Boss unit only uses the footswitch to tap tempo and stop recording...some of the things tOt has done with his. I'm not sure if you can switch saved loops on the fly using the footswitch...I think you have to turn the saved phrase knob on the pedal. (is that right tOt?)

I am probably totally wrong in limiting the footswitch's use here that's why I am asking you guys what the benefits are. I guess I am thinking that having an external footswitch allows smoother tap tempo setting and less wear and tear on the actual pedal unit in doing this function? Any more benefits that I need to know?

[oldguy]

OOPS! Sorry, tone, I was thinking of the FS3X pedal for the Jamman.
Don't know if that works with the RC-2 or not.
Sorry.

[Tim]

Tone - read page 29. Something there about using the FS-5U with the red stripe. You can change phrase tracks in sequence order.

[Tim]

Help is needed! What is the difference between the Circle/Triangle, Auto and Note choices on the Mode switch? I can not figure them out. I think there are two differnt modes that they work in, Recording a loop and Creating a loop. cCn someone explain in guitar lingo (easy explanation)?

[Spudman***]

You should be able to go up and down in your "saved phrases" with the FS5 pedal. Most likely you can also tap tempo with the FS5, but I think that function is built in to the RC2. Remember, (unless I am mistaken about the RC2) you can only move back and forth in the patches if they are saved first. If you record a loop on setting 1 then scroll to setting 2 you will loose the phrase in setting 1...unless you save it first.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Spudster - I have a real old school momentary switch up in the attic. I'll have to look for it. I knew someday that old thing would come in handy...(lets hope anyway)....so I kept it. Now if I can only find it!

Man thanks so much tOt for your help and guidance last night. I've redone all my loops from phrase space 1 through 6 and this evening I added some Jazz Bass. *thumbs up* The pedal buffers good. It won't allow a bass signal to come through too strong which I think my amphs will love. I did in fact have to up the signal just a tad with my trusty Micro Amp pedal. Bass blends in perfectly with my guitar rhythm. I'm a freakin' one man band!

That was fun Tone! I liked knowing that we were both trying to figure out our new RC-2s at the same time. Great pedal!

I'm not familiar with the rc-2, but on the jamman you can use it to jump up or down to your loops. For instance, if you lay down a short loop for a verse, the go up to the next preset and do a chorus loop, you can jump up or down between them. It would be more flexible than doing a 3 to 5 minute loop for an entire song. Make sense?

My understanding is that with the RC-2 you need 2 FS-5U pedals (or one double momentary pedal) to do this. The first (or pedal A of a double) controls the tempo & the the stopping of the recording (you don't have to double press) the second (or pedal B) moves you through your phrases.

Help is needed! What is the difference between the Circle/Triangle, Auto and Note choices on the Mode switch? I can not figure them out. I think there are two differnt modes that they work in, Recording a loop and Creating a loop. cCn someone explain in guitar lingo (easy explanation)?

Great question Tim. I dunno.

[Tim]

tOt - Dang man, I thought you would be the one to answer this question. These three settings really have me confused. I had to take care of my wife yesterday who had an out patient procedure done. I hope to play with the RC-2 tonight.

I want to learn this mystery and also learn how to upload some backing tracks from the computer. It seems to me that the whole thing about pedal is in the timing.

[tot_Ou_tard]

tOt - Dang man, I thought you would be the one to answer this question. These three settings really have me confused. I had to take care of my wife yesterday who had an out patient procedure done. I hope to play with the RC-2 tonight.

I want to learn this mystery and also learn how to upload some backing tracks from the computer. It seems to me that the whole thing about pedal is in the timing.

I hope your wife is doing well. Take good care of her!

I'll see what I can figure out tonight.

[Tone2TheBone]

Tone - read page 29. Something there about using the FS-5U with the red stripe. You can change phrase tracks in sequence order.

Tim - Thanks I remember seeing that. TOT mentioned that also. If I use the cable with the red stripe (it's a stereo plug tip right?) then TOT says I can probably do the phrase switching but I lose the other functions like stop record etc. I think I'd rather have one touch stop record more than anything....although I wish the FS-5U also was the one touch record button too. You still have to press the loop pedal to begin recording.

[Tone2TheBone]

I hope your wife recovers well Tim!

Ok now I'm ready to import my drum loops from my famous CD of loops into my pedal. I loaded my loops off a CD into the playlist of my iPod. Tonight I'm going to try importing them AND saving the phrase with overdubs.

My next question is....do I need a stereo 1/8" mini cable to do this or will a mono mini cable be ok? Or stereo to mono? I'm thinking it shouldn't make a bit of difference because the pedal is mono and the output doesn't need to be stereo to be heard. What say you good people?

[Tim]

I am thinking that with a stereo cable from the FS-FU switch you should have the best of both worlds.

I am going to try my Peavey clean/distortion & effects pedal tonight. From what Spuds indicates, it should work also. I would perfer to be able to change phrases at the touch of a pedal (button). You can't do that with the RC-2 as it is. You must bend over to change phrases.

I would say you need the stereo (male pluhs at both ends). If you use mono, you may just get half the signal. This could lower the signal strength for a lower volume. But that is an interesting question.