Boss RC-20XL Loop Station Pedal with 16-Minute Sampling
The Boss RC-20XL Loop Station is a great tool for songwriting and performance. With 16 minutes of recording time, the RC-20XL makes masterpieces possible.
Overall User Ratings (based on 93 ratings)
Submitted July 28, 2006 by a customer from gmail.com
"Best looper ever."
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Great product, does exactly what it's set out to do.. takes some practice but it's soooo fun! Hours will fly by being creative!
Sound
Excellent sound.. reproduces with no sound loss in my opinion and I don't even have a good amp.. just a small microcube practice amp I've been playing it on.
Features
I only wish you could record 2 live loops at the same time.. hopefully they'll have a pedal for that soon. Otherwise, it's better than the Akai Headrush if you were thinking about that because you can look the mic as well.
Ease of Use
Very easy.. not as complicated as you might think.
Quality
Very sturdy, very good quality. I don't see it breaking at all in the future.
Value
Great product! I think it's well worth the money! I got it for $210 on Ebay.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't had to use it yet.
The Wow Factor
I was so stoked to get this! Definitely happy I HAVE it now!
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Acoustic/Rock/Alternative
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Submitted October 3, 2005 by a customer from rotarydial.com
"A few features shy of perfect."
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
As a practice tool, this is an extremely useful--and fun--unit. I often have to write both guitar and bass parts for my band, and this has made that process much easier. I can just lay a guitar part down, let it loop, pick up the bass and play until I figure something out. For live uses, though, it's not that useful unless you do some setup beforehand (i.e., record and save the sample before the show, or annoy the audience with the metronome sound while you lay down the loop before you start the song). It's not accurate or intuitive enough to just use on-the-fly without running the risk of some really ugly sounding off-tempo loops. If the tap-tempo feature was improved, and there was a way to switch off the quantizer, this unit would be 10 times more useful for my purposes.
Sound
The sound is fine; there are separate knobs for the instrument and sample levels, which is useful.
Features
One thing I really wish this unit had was a way to turn off the beat quantizer. This would make it much more useful to me for live applications. Rather than having to worry about setting a tempo for the loop, if you could record for an arbitrary amount of time, then have the unit loop automatically once you stop, it would be better (certain other loop/delay pedals work this way), especially when playing in non-standard time signatures. Also, it has 11 different "patches" into which you can record samples, but the only way to switch between them is a knob. Again, for live performances, this is not very useful, as you have to stop playing, bend down and turn the knob. If there was a way to switch patches with your foot, it would be much, much better.
Quality
Good quality unit; not indestructable, but certainly sturdy.
Value
I got this in the hopes of being able to use it both live and for practice. As it turns out, it's only really useful to me as a practice tool. (Sure, I can record things beforehand, save them and use them live, but that's kind of cheap... I'd rather have something that's easy to lay down loops with on the fly.)
Manufacturer Support
No dealings.
The Wow Factor
It's nothing special to look at.
Musical Background:
Active musician
Musical Style:
Indie rock/experimental
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Submitted October 12, 2005 by a customer from aol.com
"Heaven's Gift to Guitarists"
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
As long as I keep playing guitar (which will be forever), I will be as satisfied as a man could be with using any kind of guitar product, I get the purest form of mental satisfaction/pleasure when using my loopstation, for less than $300.00 it's an outstanding value, the only way I would ever replace my loopstation is if I were to get a newer model, but I will never sell it or give it away, if there ever is a fire in my house, I am grabbing two things, my guitar, and my loopstation, and when I die...my loopstation is coming with me
Sound
the sound quality is amazing, the phrases recorded sound exactly like your amp. without the loopstation, it does not take any sound away from your amp. whether you are recording or not
Features
there are a wide variety of features that make you sound like a pro
Quality
the quality of the BOSS RC-20XL is outstanding, I have had my loopstation for a year now and it is in perfect condition, the thing is I use it just about every single day, it still looks and sounds exactly as it did a year ago, nothing has been broken or replaced, and if you think about it, after using it just about every single day and stomping on the pedals with my feet, for it to be in perfect condition is incredible
Value
you would honestly think that it would be at least a few hundred dollars more, for the enjoyment and pleasure I have recieved from my loopstation, I would pay alot more than what I did, totally worth the money
The Wow Factor
well, I think it looks pretty hott, the design is simple yet technical at the same time, it's set up beautifully with black pedals,base and buttons,red front panel,white writing,red and green lights, which make it look pretty sexy, plus, i know my loopstation has gotten me some action many times - "Here, let me show you something I wrote for you", works everytime, my reason for not giving it a 10 on "I want it" is because my favorite color is blue
Musical Background:
Active Musician
Musical Style:
Acoustic/Alternative Rock, some Electric Rock as well
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Submitted March 17, 2006 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap"
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This product is a must if you want to loop guitar. It's so easy to use and it's solved so many of my problems. It has tons of memory for your samples and you can even overdub what you record. If you make a mistake, it's easy to erase and re-record. This is an amazing product. In my opinion, this is the best looping hardware there is!
Features
Okay, here's the deal. IT CAN LOOP AUDIO! It has a tap tempo which helps you to record in time, and it has all the other tools you need to make good quality loops.
Ease of Use
It has a small learning curve, but if you can read a manual, you'll be fine. It's the easiest way to record loops.
Quality
It's built tough, and is in a convenient pedal form.
Value
More than I wanted to spend, but I'm cheap. It was totally worth it and I'm SO glad I bought it.
The Wow Factor
Once I saw what it could do, I just had to have it.
Musical Background:
Producer, recording engineer, and musician
Musical Style:
R&B, Jazz, Hip-hop, and funk
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Submitted January 6, 2005 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Feeds your limitless creativity..."
Overall, it's worth the money. $300 sure can be a lot for something small your gonna step on a few thousand times, but you get every penny back in satisfaction.
Sound
The sound quality is excellent. Hvaing a mic plugged in while your amp is set to overdrive will produce feedback (as would be expected) so use a distortion pedal if you plan on using a mic too.
Features
Loops can be set in reverse in an instant. If you make a loop you wish to save, you can save it as a phrase (you have up to 11). Phrases can be instantly accesses via pedals (extra pedals, plugg into the back)or by moving the knob. Has a tap tempo rhythem keeper (can be tunred on/off from same know that controls it's volume. Can be programed with phrases from Mp3 players, CD players... any thing you can plug into the aux 8th of an inch jack. You can overdub everything, add/remove dubs (only the latest dub made).
Quality
Has a very solid feel to it. The pedals feel as if they can take years of use.
Value
This is an excellent pice of equipment for $300. The only other product like it in it's price range is the Boomerange ($430), which only alows 4mins worth of loop time, RC - 20XL has 16min (more than you will ever need). Outside of that there basicly the same machine, just a $130 price difference.
Manufacturer Support
Haven't had to deal with Boss, nothing has faulted.
The Wow Factor
This pedal has completly changed the way I play. I not only use it to do some sick live shows, but learing wise, this pedal is a powerful tool. Arm yourself with books of scales and chords and you can learn more in a few hours with this pedal, than you will with months of lessons. It can help you improve your solos, work on improv, boost your ability to keep time, and set your creativity free.
Musical Background:
prefroming musician
Musical Style:
Delta Blues, Classical Indian, Jazz, Reggae, Folk, Funk, Mex Rock,
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Submitted May 26, 2005 by a customer from earthlink.net
"for live solo performers, this can make you sound like a band."
i will supplement this. right now i plug everything i have in before it and then plug it into the amp.
Sound
i am amazed at this small piece of equipment. i bought it monday and by monday night my life had changed. i hope i will always have this thing. it's unbelievable to lay down a rhythm and then play lead parts over it. you can even loop your voice. it's like hearing your self after having been recorded for the very first time but instantaneous. i heard a guy on stage do a blues progression and then play a lead over it and i was hooked!
Features
i am still learning the features but even within a few minutes of looking at the manual i was able to surprise myself with how much this will change my live performances!
Quality
it's well made, with a metal casing like some other boss products. i will not be afraid to take it on stage. seems like it will be a work horse piece of equipment.
Value
i was not happy that the product was so expensive but it is well worth the money.
Manufacturer Support
don't know
The Wow Factor
this thing makes one person sound like a band and frankly that appeals to me. this is beyond practical. it is necessary for a solo performer.
Musical Background:
active solo performer musician
Musical Style:
singer, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, songwriter - rock, alternative, blues, reggae
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Submitted January 10, 2005 by a customer from library.ucsb.edu
"Excellent Practice Tool"
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This loop station is an EXCELLENT way to practice your licks. You can play the rhythm, then play your lead over it until the cows come home or you get it right. I loop everything through it via my mixer, drums, vocals, bass, even a CD player. If I want to learn a song, I play the CD and loop it piece by piece and practice it until I have perfected it. I strongly recommend this station to anyone who plays alone or who wants to incorporate an excellent method of practice into their routine. I would NOT take this thing to the stage though unless you have a plan and a VERY accurate punch.
Sound
One downside is that the more over-lays you add on to the loop, the noisier it gets. I would NOT go over 3 over-lays. If you get things mixed right however, 3 loops will sound pretty nice.
Features
Very simple to use. Punch in, punch out. Definitely get the power supply. The one downside to the features is that you cannot back off one layer at a time... it is all or nothing.
Quality
The thing has been a work horse for me. As solid as a rock.
Value
kinda pricey, but once you get through the pain, you will be glad you have it.
Manufacturer Support
Never had to call support so I cannot say.
The Wow Factor
This is an EXCELLENT practice tool... hands down the best addition I have ever incorporated into my home studio with regards to enhancing my playing abilities.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Rock
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Submitted November 5, 2007
"It's OK..."
I wanted this product when it was first released. After using it for a few days, I realized it's not right for my live acts where I use a variety of pedals and switches. I think I'll wait until the price drops or someone releases a better version.
Sound
It's a digital loop pedal - there's no change in tone or sound. The reverse feature is way cool though.
Features
It's easy to set up and play. The selection knob was a pain though for live use. I'd like to see Boss re-release this pedal with a digital display, since you're able to switch patches with an external pedal.
Ease of Use
Not that great. I still had to refer to the manual after a week of using it.
Quality
one BIG omission by Boss that needs to be addressed. When you use an effects chain or A/B switch BEFORE this loop pedal, the RC20XL tends to mute itself--the only fix is to reset the pedal by unplugging it. Unacceptable for any live use. Another issue is the battery feature. Although it takes batteries, they start to wane after about an hour of steady use. Why not just skip the battery feature and include a power supply?
Value
I was not that impressed after buying it.
Manufacturer Support
I returned this product a week after I bought it.
The Wow Factor
This pedal would be fine for a solo artist with a simple setup IMO.
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