Boss RC-505 MKII Loop Station

T
he RC-505 MkII is
an expanded and
enhanced update of
the original desktop
Loop Station, one of
Boss’s many great
original designs that
has held its own as (digital) audio
electronics has charged onwards.
Though much of the layout remains
familiar, the five loop tracks have
grown in length to accommodate
longer throw faders and an extra
button, splitting the old Edit into
separate FX and Track (select)
memory management, are small and
discrete to prevent unintended
adjustment. The visual feedback for
the loop tracks is excellent during
playback/recording and the expanded
LCD display can be set to mirror the
loop rotations or show input/output
levels simultaneously. Of course the
display is central to the deeper
editing capabilities of the RC-505
MkII along with the four rotary
encoders and page navigation
buttons that surround it.
Getting to know you
Before exploring the extensive
behind-the-scenes parameters, every
user ought to, and will find it hard
not to, play with the five loop tracks’
primary features. Recording a loop,
overdubbing it, adjusting its level and
applying effects is immediately
satisfying, and layering up the five
tracks is even more so. Pressing the
Track button pulls up the five pages
of parameters that control the finer
details of playback and recording:
reversing, speed, loop length, fades,
input selection and more. Having
delved in here, it’s easier to
understand the architecture of the
RC-505 MkII, from effects and
rhythm accompaniment to memory
management. Though the design is
intuitive, there is often a need to
cross-reference with the manual as
some terminology may need fleshing
out and some useful functions may
be missed.
It’s a short hop from the five loop
tracks to some vital controls: undo/
redo, tap tempo, rhythm start/stop
and all start/stop. The first of these is
not only essential during the
recording/overdubbing process but it
also provides a temporary layering
function during performances. Tap
tempo acts as you’d expect, but also
while the tempo is displayed on the
screen you have an opportunity to
grab a rotary encoder and shift up/
down, with the loops stretching and
compressing accordingly. At the
extremes the digital processing this
involves becomes starkly audible,
which may or may not be your bag,
but shifts of around ±20bpm are
handled with minimal degradation,
depending on the source. Getting
into the nitty gritty of the looping
options only serves to expand the
creative possibilities, further
dispelling the lack of seriousness one
may infer from the rather playful
appearance of the RC-505 MkII.
The RC-505 MkII now houses
buttons, the first of a number of
performance-related tweaks that help
push the creative efficiency of the
RC-505 MkII.
There is a lot more light coming
off the RC-505 MkII thanks to
expanded control set for loop tracks/
effects and the larger LCD display.
The housing and buttons are durable
and robust, which are essential for
live performance use. The controls
are responsive and intelligently
spaced for multitrack manipulations,
while the non-performance-related
buttons, such as system menus and
THE PROS & CONS
+
Expanded
(customisable)
control set for each
loop track
Enormous data
storage along
with 32/44.1
sample resolution
A comprehensive
effect list with plenty
of hands-on control
-
The full range of
functions and
parameters can take
time to absorb
Boss RC-505 MkII | Reviews
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