The Boss RC-300 is the latest addition to the Loopstation range and supersedes the RC-50. The main differences between this and its predecessor is the inclusion of in-built audio FX, a large footpedal and a whopping 3 hours of stereo looping time. While the unit is fundamentally a beefed-up RC-50, the improvements implemented by Boss are minimal and some may find them not very useful at all. The in-built FX are hardly inspiring and it is a real pain to edit them. I cannot see how I would use them in my performances.
The way the three stereo loop tracks have been laid out on the front panel is an improvement, though the inclusion of three mini-slider to control the volume of each track is a nice addition, it is almost impossible to pull off smooth volume changes with them thanks to a latch at the centre position.
Other than that, the RC-300 is the “Rolls Royce” of Loopstations and looping pedals and the looper is spoilt with the depth of features. However, if you have an RC-50, there’s not that much here to warrant an upgrade – unless you can get a good price for your RC-50 on eBay first!
Now watch my video review of this unit.
Watch in glorious 1080p HD quality
Hey bro,
thanks for your review. Thought your insights were great!
Not so sure you comments are correct about the RC 300 my friend. You need to spend time to realise how you can get in deep with this baby….go down the assign routes and its awesome and totally controllable in many many ways.
I had a warble with the bass effect i admitt, but a few tweaks on the amount of effect to 100% soted that out. an make sure its tuned 44.100. that was my only gripe. The effects can be switched from anything…FS6 etc dual latch and not the fiddly way by holding down etc for 2 sec, thats ok for home recording BUT live a no no. assign it and set up targets to pedals etc etc. enjoyed some of your videos, thanks
The review is of the unit “out of the box”. I say that you have to dig deep to get the best out of it, so I am not sure what the problem is. Some guitarists like pedals that are intuitive and the Boss RC-300 is not.
I have only had an RC50 for a short while, and find it a great inspirational tool. I am looking to upgrade to the RC300 soon, in answer to some of your reservations, I have pre written patches to suit the material I play live and have downloaded all the advanced supplements regarding proper use of the unit. Having also briefly read the RC300 manual I think you are underestimating the upgrades. The RC300`s effects patches etc.. are all saved as part of a patch and are therefore totally usable live, I am looking forward to getting the pedal and already plan to compose a new 2 hour set using just what you get! After all it`s about creativity not the kit.
Thanks for your input, Mr Know-It-All. However, the added effects are pretty crappy and are hard to tweak on the fly, even if you do save them to the patch. It’s a design problem with the RC-300 – the FX section should have had its dedicated control section, a bit like the RC-30, so the user can make adjustments easily. But hey, you just read the manual rather than actually using the unit on a practical level.
Yeah read the manual and have thirty years of experience as an engineer and producer, the effects are editable with expression pedals.I did state that “Having also briefly read the RC300 manual” .I had you down as a fellow musician, but it appears I was mistaken. Excuse me. Feel free to remove my comments TWAT.
Thanks for insulting me on my own website. No, I won’t delete your message because I believe that everyone should stand by their own horrible comments. “Fellow musician” – I don’t remember joining the union or being any part of some kind of illicit underground brotherhood? Why insult me? I have had practical time with this unit and I believe that it is OK, but I have some reservations. The onboard effects leave a lot to be desired and, yes, even though you can make some adjustments via the foot pedal, I found editing the effects fiddling and wholly unsatisfying. Your previously comment was a sly dig and, while I don’t mind decent constructive comments, I don’t need you telling me how good something is despite you never owning or using the actual unit. What were you trying to achieve? Ahhhh, I get it. Trolling… Well go back under your bridge, troll.
Hey troll brother – I loved your review. It was perfect for the likes of me that’s about to dip their toe into the lopping pool. I’m going for the 50 and then once I’m a genius, I’ll move on to the 300, which by then will most probably be the 600.
Thanks for taking the time to give your opinion/advice – appreciated man.
Hi Darren
Thanks for your outstanding video. Perfect to understand. Very good.
Just a question about the rc-300… any trick to improove the bass effect? I’m using an acoustic guitar and sometimes it seems wheird… how do you feel about it? Any suggestion?
regards
Nuno from Portugal
Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, I do not think much of the effects that come with the RC-300 and so cannot really offer you any advice. They are a bit “hit and miss” and I think you just need to experiment to find a compromise with the sound you want.
Regards,
D
Hi there.
Thanks for your answer.
I tried little changes on the balance between guitar body/pickup and although not perfect, i see a good improove in general.
I made a retour of a RC-300 defected unit that had a strange noise in the mic line input, even with no mic plugged, and this noise only stopps if putting the mic level to zero value.
I’ve already changed the phantom power button the two ways to see what appen but the noise stays there. No problems with the other inputs, very clean.
One question…
Your unit is quiet in all the in lines or have you experienced any kind of noise?
I’m already waiting for another unit, since i don’t trust very much in reparations of this kind of gear.
Keep in touch.
Regards
Nuno
No, I’ve not had any problems with noise on the inputs.
Regards,
D
Hi, thanks for the review
One way the RC-300 is working very well is as a composers sketch-board. I am exclusively using the unit to lay down bass-tracks (guitar to bass via harmonix micro-pug) and supporting guitartracks accompanied by the internall rythms or a mididriven dr-rythm. For this purpuse this unit is great – probably because I have never dived into the fx-loop. So I am a nonlooper who has shut down my laptop and solely use the RC-300 for composing in the raw.
Yours,
Thomas