Boss RC-505 Loopstation

Started by Zoppe, April 04, 2013, 02:51:27 AM

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aliensporebomb

#50
Now I'm wondering if I should wait on the RC300 and this and wait for the next "floor oriented" looper?  Not sure, not sure.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

groovey1

Quote from: aliensporebomb on June 09, 2013, 10:11:44 AM
Now I'm wondering if I should wait on the RC300 and this and wait for the next "floor oriented" looper?  Not sure, not sure.
Yeah, I can see why you might say that. It would be cool to get some of the new features in a floorboard looper. But I guess it depends on how long you're willing to wait: the RC-50 was announced in Jan 2006, the  RC-300 in Sept 2011. I wouldn't expect the next one to be out for a few years ... although that's just a guess, I could be wrong.

kumpfunk

I think 2015 will be the year of the new cool floor looper... judging by the time between the RC-300 and the RC-505

aliensporebomb

#53
Quote from: ETS on April 14, 2013, 02:19:00 PM
Hi
thanks for quick reply.
Yes they had both version 1.3.
I was always looping with loop sync on and tempo sync off for all the six tracks and the number of bars was also set to free.
Maybe too unusual settings for both keeping synced together.
Any way,I think that the rc505 could be the final looper for me.
How did you used the 50 and the 300 together?
I have seen on the web that there were sync problems with the rc50,at least in the beginning.

This is late to the party but 1.3 is not the current version of firmware for the RC-300.  Current firmware is 1.5 (which may have come out around the time of your message).  Try updating?

That being said.  I'm torn.  I'm primarily a guitar player and could see myself using this - the whole idea that all the memory banks are seamless with no gap has me going "I could probably make it work for me as a guitarist" but I know that the  300 is built stronger/better with a metal casing and I'd probably get irritated having to control a major feature of it with  my hands.  I still have time to return my 300 - the better effects, more tracks are appealing.

The downside?  The loop aging/frippertronics mod won't work here since it doesn't have sub outs.  Not sure you could route the stereo headphone out to the aux in to perform a similar task here.  Maybe it could work?
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

loopman

Ok,my thoughts about the rc 505,

first, it's not floor oriented and this is a great limit for me, especially in the live usage.
So, you'll say : connect your Roland FC-300 to the Midi In connector of the RC-505 and you'll have the control of many important functions,
but here is the Great lack for me,
in fact, by reading the manual, it doesn't tell you how to control with Midi CC's of my midi foot controller, some functions like:
-Recording
-Overdubbing
-Playing
-Stop
-Reverse
-Track selecting
-All Start/ All Stop

Also, the manual is not very clear by explaining how the RC-505 can receives the Midi Stop command received from my DAW or drum machine, for one or more tracks.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Brak(E)man

#55
my next purchase for sure, and I think i can manage without any extra midicontrollers. I'm using one Boss FS-5L Latching Footswitch now for start and odub with the DD20 the rest with my hands.
one Q , I can't find if I can loop the aux input , I guess that's a OK but I can't find that in the manual, anyone knows ??
and would the max one shot looptime be about 3 h ?
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

loopman

the manual of the RC 505 lacks many important explanations, especially the way to control it and all its features with a Midi foot controller ( like my FC-300) by using Midi CC.
by reading a lot of posts and threads around the web, I've realized that the RC-505 is absolutely not a good choice for guitat and bass players.
You are forced to make many functions with your hands, so, you'll have not the possibility to use your feet in live concerts to control it.

It's a pity, because, in my opinion, the RC-505 has a lot of very powerful features not seen on the other loopers on the market.

Elantric

#57
Quotethe manual of the RC 505 lacks many important explanations, especially the way to control it and all its features with a Midi foot controller ( like my FC-300) by using Midi CC.

See latest RC-505 "E-02" manual
http://media.rolandus.com/manuals/RC-505_e02_W.pdf
From Page 29

The RC-505 can be controlled using Control Change messages from external MIDI devices.

Receiving control change messages

You can use control change messages from an external MIDI device to control functions that would be
difficult to control using the RC-505's own controllers.
In "Specifying the Controller (Assign Source)" (p. 17), choose "CC#1–#31, CC#64–#95" and set "Specifying the
Assignment Target (Assign Target)" (p. 17) to specify the parameter that will be controlled.



And Read Page 17 - On the Lower half of page is a list of the the 18 Assignable Target RC-505 parameters which can be controlled via external MIDI CC# messages.
Assigning the Function of FX knobs and External Controllers (Assign)
Here you can choose the Assignment Target. In addition to the following assignment targets, you can also specify a
track, rhythm, or a phrase memory parameter as the assignment target. For details on the parameters, refer to the
explanation of each parameter in this manual.
* Some parameters cannot be controlled during performance.



loopman

Hi Elantric, thanks for your suggestions,
now just remaining some matters still not clear to me :

by reading the manual, I see that the Midi Start and Midi Stop commands are not automatic, but I have to send a Midi CC manually, that is a source assigned to a target value, in my case the midi CC as a source assigned to the selection of the #track to be started or to be stopped.

But,this could be a little boring to do everytime,
also I don't know how to send midi cc from my Cubase 7, to send out the Midi Start and Stop commands to the RC-505.

On the other corner,I've read that the EHX 45000 is able to be slave to the Midi Clock/Start/Stop commands Automatically, without the need of insert any value.

any suggestion is still appreciated

umsoser



( I have connected an RC-50 as a slave to an RC-300 )


---- thank you for that . i have a rc50 and i am going to buy a rc300 to connect it as a master . i hope it works perfectly . thank you. any more information about the marriage of this two magines please tell me .

shawnb

#60
Quote from: umsoser on October 06, 2013, 04:37:49 AM
---- thank you for that . i have a rc50 and i am going to buy a rc300 to connect it as a master . i hope it works perfectly . thank you. any more information about the marriage of this two magines please tell me .
Some brief notes on that topic here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=6763.msg46870#msg46870
Address the process rather than the outcome.  Then, the outcome becomes more likely.   - Fripp

Audiofanzine

Hi Everyone!  For those who are still interested we just completed our full review and test of the RC505 loop station.

Comments and suggestions most welcome!

Elantric

#62
Roland has released updated Roland RC-505 Loop Station USB drivers:


OSX 10.9 Mavericks
http://www.roland.com/support/article/?q=downloads&p=RC%2D505&id=63063973

Win8.1 64/32
http://www.roland.com/support/article/?q=downloads&p=RC%2D505&id=63063953

keith278


On the RC-50 and the RC-300 the ability to switch on auto recording which allows both types of loopers to wait for a predetermined audio input level to trigger recording as I want to start the loop record when I play a chord on the guitar.

Can anyone tell me if this feature is available on the RC-505 and if it is not, is there another way around it.



keith278

Quote from: keith278 on January 21, 2014, 08:29:25 AM
On the RC-50 and the RC-300 the ability to switch on auto recording which allows both types of loopers to wait for a predetermined audio input level to trigger recording as I want to start the loop record when I play a chord on the guitar.

Can anyone tell me if this feature is available on the RC-505 and if it is not, is there another way around it.

The answer is it does not have this facility you have to use the loop quantise from when you press play record and will quantise to the nearest measure when you stop the recording.

I have just purchased a RC-505 for use with Guitar and other instruments so if you want any other information just ask.




Elantric

Good article about Jim Atwood and his THREE Boss Loop Stations

http://jimatwood.wordpress.com/
Triple Boss RC Loop Station MIDI Setup
Posted on June 3, 2014


Today I managed to get the ALL START/STOP working with two RC-505s and a Boss RC-300. I now have a triple Boss RC Loop Station Midi Setup with 13 looping tracks that all work perfectly. I get quite a few questions about how to make this work and below is an example that does. I attached a photo to give readers a visual. Perhaps this week I'll do a walk through and demo on video. In my previous article there is a video of all of this working if you want to hear it in action after I recorded the loops.

My setup is as follows:

Boss RC-300 = MASTER
Boss RC-300 Midi Out to Roland TR-8 Midi In
Roland TR-8 Midi Out to Yamaha MJC8 Midi Patch Bay Midi In
Yamaha MJC8 Midi Patch Bay Midi Out 1 to Boss RC-505 #1 Midi In
Yamaha MJC8 Midi Patch Bay Midi Out 2 to Boss RC-505 #2 Midi In

Both RC-505?s have the following setup for Assign1 under MEMORY setup.

Assign1 Switch = ON
Assign1 Source = SYNC START/STOP
Assign1 Src Mode = MOMENT
Assign1 Target = ALL START/STOP

When you step on the Boss RC-300 ALL START pedal it will start the Roland TR-8 and both Boss RC-505 Loop Stations at the same time. You can specify which tracks to start automatically in the MEMORY setup section for each Boss RC Loop Station. If you want to keep your hands on the synthesizer or guitar and record to Track 1 of either the Boss RC-505 #1 or #2, you can use a ctrl pedal and assign to REC when pressed. You can also use the three tracks on the Boss RC-300 of course hands free as well.

In total, I now have 13 looping tracks that all can be started or stopped simultaneously. They are also in sync with one another as well of course. You can also bring in any external sequencer or drum machine AS LONG AS it accepts midi clock and passes that midi clock on through to the other machines.

IN NO WAY can you use ANY Boss RC-505 to act as MASTER to get this to work. You also CANNOT chain the RC-505 Loop Stations. You MUST use a Midi patch bay with another device set to Master. The Boss RC-300 will work or the Roland TR-8 which I have tested also. Using the RC-505 again will not work. It's MIDI start command is flawed. Likely the Boss RC-50 will also work as MASTER. I have the RC-50 but haven't tried it as I much prefer the RC-300 in this setup.

The key is to not chain the RC-505 Loop Stations and to not use them as Masters period!!

Hope this helps others clear up sync, all start/stop, and track control issues.

Jim :)

Hopkins


Syph

Hey guys,

I was having a look at the RC505 the other day and from what I could find it seems that the only foot control available for the unit is the 8 assignments. Just wanted to check, did I miss anything?

It strikes me as crazy that 5 tracks only has 5 assignments. If they had upped the assignments to (at least) 10 we could at least use an FCB1010 and then use it as a beefed up version of the RC300. 2 buttons per track, mapped to multifunction rec/dub/play and stop/erase loop, though that would require improvements to the assignment targets as well as just the number of assignments. Damn you roland... back to waiting for RC300 v1.10 firmware...

chrish

So the verdict is that the rc505 will not perform the shawnb frippertronics modification because there are no subouts. Correct?

Brak(E)man

Has anyone experience cut off reverb tails when recording a loop or playing through this unit ?
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Brak(E)man

There's a problem with a built in noise gate that cuts of reverb tails and makes a unpleasant stutter.
There seems to be no way to acces the threshold , but my guess is that you can from Sysex , anyone got any clue to how to go about the problem. ...?????

It's the sounds going in to the looper that are cut off , not the built in fx
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Brak(E)man

Version 2 is out
Does anyone know if there's a firmware update to download ?
Can't find anything about it
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

admin

#72
QuoteVersion 2 is out

Its available at the Boss RC-505 Downloads area here
https://www.boss.info/global/support/by_product/rc-505/updates_drivers/9e1ca86c-873d-4b78-bbab-18f2d853e50f/

"RC-505 version 2.0: Newly Added Features

Up to three effects can be used simultaneously in both the Input FX and Track FX sections
New effects types, including Ring Modulator, Slow Gear, Pitch Bend, and others
Extended parameters added to previous effects, including dotted and triplet note values for tempo syncing
New targets for external foot control, ideal for musicians who play guitar, keyboards, and other instruments
Assign functions have been increased from 8 to 16, providing expanded performance control via the front panel, external footswitches, expression pedal, and MIDI
Enhanced Phrase Memory functions such as individual track monitoring via headphones, quantized loop recording, and more
Added system functions, including loop indicator status settings and more"

Update history
[ Ver.2.00 ] JUN 2016
Additional Functions
Improved looper functionality
We added looper operation options in order to optimize live performance.
Improved effect functionality
INPUT and TRACK FX each allow you to use up to three effects simultaneously.
Improved control functionality
Control functionality via external pedal or MIDI has been added.
Please refer to the "RC-505 Version 2.0 Supplementary Manual" for detailed information in the [ Owner's Manuals ].

[ Ver.1.12 ]
Bug Fix
The following bug was fixed.
When UNDO function was executed at the particular timing, an error message appeared.
[ Ver.1.11 ]
Bug Fixes
The following bugs were fixed.
When you switch to a phrase memory with a different tempo, the delay effect sounded incorrectly.
When a delay with "Time = notes" had been set to the phrase memory on start-up, the delay effect sounded incorrectly.
When you perform "REDO" function on "REVERSE = ON" setting, it could not playback in reverse.


New RC-505 2.0 supplementary manual
https://www.boss.info/global/products/rc-505/support/

https://static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/RC-505_V2_e02_W.pdf

Improved looper functionality
We added looper operation options in order to optimize live performance.
& "Phrase Memory Settings"
Improved effect functionality
INPUT and TRACK FX each allow you to use up to three effects simultaneously.
& "Using Effects A–C Simultaneously"
Improved control functionality
Control functionality via external pedal or MIDI has been added.
& "Assigning the Function of FX Knobs and External Controllers (Assign)"

Brak(E)man

Thanx , couldn't find it

Anyone heard about if there's a reverb tail fix ?
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Elantric

Thanks to the one day Halloween sale at Pro Guitar shop ( 20% off )
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=3207.msg139171#msg139171


I will have a RC-505 arriving soon