RC-50

Loop Station

RC-50
Discontinued

The New Industry-Leading Looper

For those awaiting the arrival of the ultimate looper, the wait is finally over. Introducing the RC-50 — the most feature-laden Loop Station BOSS has ever built. It’s the best live looping tool ever built for that matter. Housed in a spacious seven-footswitch floor unit, the RC-50 lets you manipulate three stereo phrase tracks simultaneously. Each track supports multiple overdubs, so phrases can be stacked one by one on each track, resulting in a monstrous layer of looped phrases.

This product is now discontinued. View the latest Loop Station models.

Loop, Layer, Rock!

Ready to blow your audience away? With a single RC-50, a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, or vocalist can create a perfectly synced wall of sound live onstage. There are three simultaneous stereo phrase channels on the RC-50, each with a dedicated footswitch. Each channel can contain dozens of loops/phrases that you stack one by one, so you can imagine how massive your arrangements or solos can become!

In Sync

The RC-50 speaks sync. For bands that incorporate digital audio tracks, sequences, drum machines, and/or video elements into their live gigs, sync is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. For scenarios such as these, the RC-50 can be locked to an external MIDI clock source, ensuring that its loop performances are absolutely locked to the rest of the show. Internally, the RC-50 offers Loop Quantize for easy loop recording, plus Loop Sync (which enables all phrases to start in sync), and Tempo Sync (which matches the tempo of multiple phrases during playback).

Rhythm Guide

To make recording as fun and inspiring as possible, the RC-50 provides a total of 379 play-along Rhythm Guide Patterns using real sampled drums in a wide variety of time signatures. Why record to a stale click track when you can jam with rockin’ grooves instead?

Impressive I/O

The RC-50’s rear panel is well stocked with connectors, offering a variety of inputs (stereo Inst ins, XLR input with 48V phantom power, mini-jack aux), outputs (1/4” stereo, 1/4” sub stereo outs, headphone out), and USB for importing WAV files from computers. MIDI in and out jacks are provided, as are 1/4” TRS inputs for accommodating an optional Expression pedal and footswitches; up to four footswitches can be used simultaneously.

Bonus Features

The RC-50 has plenty of other noteworthy features on offer, for example: Phrases can be played forward or backward. Phrases can be retriggered in “free time” or on a time-aligned grid. Errors can be corrected on the fly with the Undo/Redo switch.

AD Conversion
24 bit
DA Conversion
24 bit
Sampling Frequency
44.1kHz
Program Memories
99
Nominal Input Level
INST: -10 dBu
MIC: -50 dBu
AUX: -16 dBu
Input Impedance
INST: 1 M Ω
MIC: 1 kΩ
AUX: 100 kΩ
Nominal Output Level
MAIN OUTPUT: -10 dBu
SUB OUTPUT: -10 dBu
Output Impedance
MAIN OUTPUT: 2 kΩ
SUB OUTPUT: 2 kΩ
PHONES: 47 Ω
Available Recording Time*
STEREO: Approx. 24 minutes
MONO: Approx. 49 minutes
Control
Front Panel
REC/PLAY/OVERDUB pedal
STOP pedal
TEMPO pedal
UNDO/REDO pedal
PHRASE 1 pedal
PHRASE 2 pedal
PHRASE 3 pedal
PATCH/VALUE dial
PARAMETER buttons
TAP TEMPO button
NAME/PATCH button
CTL/EXP PEDAL button
SYSTEM/USB button
EXIT button
WRITE button
PLAY MODE button
LOOP SYNC button
AUTO REC button
INPUT MODE button
OVERDUB MODE button
LOOP QUANTIZE indicator
OVERDUB MODE indicators
(OVERDUB, REPLACE, MOMENTARY PUNCH-IN)
PHRASE EDIT
PHRASE LEVEL knobs (PHRASE 1, 2, 3)
PHRASE buttons (PHRASE 1, 2, 3)
REVERSE indicators (PHRASE 1, 2, 3)
ONE SHOT indicators (PHRASE 1, 2, 3)
GUIDE
LEVEL knob
SELECT button
START/STOP button
INPUT LEVEL
AUX knob
MIC knob
INST knob
PEAK indicator
MASTER
LEVEL knob
Rear Panel
PHANTOM switch
POWER switch
Others
Display
16 characters, 2 lines (backlit LCD)
2 characters, 7 segment LED
Connectors
INST jacks R (MONO)/L (1/4 inch phone type)
MIC connector (XLR type; supports use of phantom power)
AUX jack (Stereo miniature phone type)
MAIN OUTPUT jacks R (MONO)/L (1/4 inch phone type)
PHONES jack (Stereo 1/4 inch phone type)
SUB OUTPUT jacks R (MONO)/L (1/4 inch phone type)
EXP/CTL 3, 4 PEDAL jack (TRS 1/4 inch phone type)
CTL 1, 2 PEDAL jack (TRS 1/4 inch phone type)
USB connector
MIDI connectors (IN/OUT)
DC IN (AC adaptor) jack
Power Supply
DC 9 V: Supply AC adaptor (Roland ACI or ACB series)
Current Draw
450 mA
Accessories
AC adaptor (Roland ACI or ACB series)
USB cable
Owner's Manual
Roland Service (information sheet)
Sound Library for RC-50 (Sample Phrase CD)
Options
Foot Switch: FS-5U
Dual Foot SwitcH: FS-6
Expression Pedal: EV-5 (Roland), FV-500L/H (Roland)
Foot Switch Cable: PCS-31 (Roland)
(Stereo 1/4 inch phone plug-1/4 inch phone plug x 2)
Size and Weight
Width
472 mm
18-5/8 inches
Depth
198 mm
7-13/16 inches
Height
64 mm
2-9/16 inches
Weight
2.9 kg
6 lbs. 7 oz.
excluding AC adaptor
* The times listed above take into account the amount of memory needed for the actual recording combined with the memory required for the RC-50's operations (e.g., Undo/Redo).* 0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms
*The specifications are subject to change without notice.

Downloads

Updates & Drivers

  • RC-50 System Update Version 1.01

    This is the latest operating system for the RC-50. This update adds the ability to change the Playback-start Operation. Please refer to the "RC50 Update ReadMe.pdf" for the update procedure. Please refer to the "RC-50AdditionsOM.pdf" for this version's additions to the Owner's Manual.

    NOTE:The update files that you download and save to your computer from the link above are enclosed in a compressed zip file. These files will need to be extracted from the zip file before you can burn them to a CD.

    You can do this by using the WinZip application on your PC running Windows XP, or by using Stuffit Expander on your Macintosh (needed for OS 10.2.x or below). If you're using Mac OS X 10.3.x or above, then you will not need Stuffit Expander.

    When you double-click on the downloaded file that you saved to your computer, WinZip or Stuffit Expander should startup automatically. If you do not have WinZip (PC) or Stuffit Expander (Mac) installed, then you must download it, install it, and extract/unzip the update files folder before you can complete the update procedure.

    You can get WinZip from here.

    You can get Stuffit Expander from here.

Support

If you have questions about operating your BOSS product, please check our Knowledge Base for answers to the most common questions.
You can also contact our Product Support department by phone or email.
In addition, we have a library of Owner’s Manuals and Support Documents that you can download and reference.

Owner’s Manuals

Support Documents

  • RC-50 Workshop 01: Using Single Mode

    The RC-50's Single mode is used for recording and playing loops in sequential order, making it great for creating separate song sections on-the-fly during a live performance. In this booklet, we cover Single mode essentials, including pedal operations and important patch settings.

  • RC-50 Workshop 02: Using Multi Mode

    When the RC-50's in Multi mode, it becomes a looping multitracker with the ability to play up to three phrases at once. This booklet covers Multi mode in detail.

  • RC-50 Workshop 03: Patches

    In this booklet, you'll learn how to edit and store patches, so that you can configure the RC-50 just the way you like for any looping adventure.

  • RC-50 Workshop 04: Audio Inputs and Outputs

    With three different types of audio inputs, the RC-50 provides the right connections for your guitar, bass, keyboard, microphone, or MP3/CD player. Once you're connected, multiple outputs give you plenty of options for monitoring and processing your sound after it leaves the RC-50. This booklet gives you the lowdown on using the inputs and outputs.

  • RC-50 Workshop 05: The Guide and Loop Quantize

    The RC-50's built-in guide provides a rhythmic backing you can play along with when recording phrases, while the Loop Quantize feature helps you keep your phrases in perfect sync with the guide and each other. This booklet covers both of these features in detail.

  • RC-50 Workshop 06: Tempos and Tempo Sync

    In this booklet, you'll learn all about the tempo settings that are at the heart of many RC-50 functions. You'll also learn how to use the Tempo Sync feature, which synchronizes phrases to the patch tempo without changing their pitch.

  • RC-50 TurboStart
  • BOSS Product Catalog 2008

    Forging the Future - Innovation for Creative Inspiration
    BOSS forges into 2008 with an awe-inspiring lineup of effects, digital studios, and accessories.