Boss RC-5

TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2021
94
F
or some, the only
functionality required
from a looper is to track
chords to jam over at
home, but others will
need far more capabilities as they
explore the potential of multiples
tracks and samples onstage. Boss
has earned itself an impressive
reputation in the fi eld (including
the most famous looper on the
planet thanks to Ed Sheeran using
the RC-30 for years). The RC-5
pitches itself in a very inviting
position; compact like the RC-1
and RC-3, but off ering upgrades.
It’s the traditional winning Boss
pedal chassis dimensions here
with that reassuringly-sized area
for stomping on and activating key
controls. The new 32-bit
processing puts it ahead in sample
and defi nition quality over its
compact brethren (unlimited
uncompressed overdubs) and is
worth the extra investment for
those who will be layering. The
clear LED screen shows you the
progress of your loop which is
really handy for keeping on top of
timing visually simultaneously
with your ear.
There’s memory for 99 separate
looping compositions and much
more loop time than the RC-1’s
12-minutes with whopping 13
hours for all memories (1.5 hours
for one track). But there’s features
here that are especially useful for
home players– you can upload
backing tracks to the looper or jam
along and build loops over the 57
in-built drum grooves with two
variations for each, customised
patterns and seven kit types.
We found it really encourages
experimentation for solo players
– just remember to put the RC-5
in the eff ects loop of your amp if
you’re using its overdrive to avoid
adding any unwanted distortion
etc to the drums.
The combination of all this
justifi es the extra cost over the
RC-1 and is the most impressively
featured compact looper we’ve
ever used.
Robert Laing
TYPE: Looper pedal
with onboard rhythms
CONT ROLS: Memory/
Loop Level knob,
Memory button, Setup
button, Rhythm On/Off
button, Rhythm Tempo
button, Pedal switch
SOCKETS: Input A/
Mono and Input B,
Output A/Mono and
Output B 1/4-inch;
Stop/Memory control
jack: 1/4-inch TRS; USB
type B port; MIDI In/
Out, DC in
BYPASS: Buffered
POWER: 9V battery
(approx two hours life)
or AC adaptor
CONTACT: Boss.info
AT A GLANCE
THE RC-5 JUSTIFIES THE
EXTRA COST OVER THE RC-1
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OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
USABILITY
BOSS RC-5
Compact dimensions with expansive features
£169
TGR344.gear_quick.indd 94 23/03/2021 12:19