BOSS RC-505 Loop Station Hands-On Looper for Modern Performers

The RC-505 Loop Station from Roland is a live performance tool for loop artists, housed in a compact tabletop enclosure. It provides easy fingertip control of five stereo phrase tracks and various loop playback behaviors, while a choice of input and track effects deliver a wide range of real-time processing options.

Independent record, overdub, play and stop buttons for each track allow for capturing and controlling loop performances, and mixing loop levels on the fly is easy using the dedicated volume faders. Each track can have its own playback mode (multi, single, one-shot, reverse, etc.) and tempo sync settings, providing an unlimited range of creative looping behaviors.

Ninety-nine phrase memories provide storage for phrase track data, various playback and effects settings, and more. A combination of frequently used settings can be saved as a User Set. Eighty-five onboard rhythms offer backing for loop recording, with a large selection of odd-measure beats. The rhythm part can be routed to the rear-panel headphone jack to be used as a dedicated click track for monitoring.

The unit offers an XLR microphone input with phantom power that can be used simultaneously with instrument inputs for connecting guitars or synthesizers. A stereo mini jack can connect a music player, smartphone, or other stereo devices. And a USB port provides communication with a computer for loop archiving, loading up phrases with backing tracks, or loading sounds for sampler-style triggering.

The RC-505 also functions as a USB audio/MIDI interface, making it simple to integrate with DAW software for audio recording, MIDI sync, and more. Users can customize the real-time controls with up to eight different functions, and operate them in a variety of ways – with front-panel controls, an external expression pedal or foot switches, and/or various MIDI Control Change messages. The assignments are stored along with phrase memories.

Tabletop Loop Station that can be operated with the hands, perfect for beatboxers, vocalists, and club performers
Five simultaneous stereo phrase tracks, with dedicated controls and independent volume faders
Wide range of input FX and track FX for processing loops, including DJ and sampler-style effects
Independent play mode and tempo sync settings enable a flexible combination of track behaviors and advanced performance options
Ninety-nine phrase memories, each containing five phrase tracks, custom effects/playback settings, and more
Eighty-five onboard rhythm patterns, including odd-measure beats
External control via MIDI and optional footswitches or expression pedal
USB for phrase import/export with computers
USB audio/MIDI functionality for integration with DAW software
XLR microphone input with phantom power, mono/stereo instrument inputs, and stereo auxiliary input

In the Box
BOSS RC-505 Loop Station Hands-On Looper for Modern Performers
External Power Supply
1-Year Warranty