Boss RC-30 Dual Track Loop Station User Manual

Boss RC-30 Dual Track Loop Station

Main Features

Welcome to the Loop Station!

The RC-30 is a pedal-type recorder that lets you record audio phrases from your guitar or vocal etc., and play them back by operating the pedal. You can create a wide variety of performances by layering sound while you record and carry out playback in real time.

• Up to 99 different loop phrases can be saved in phrase memory, for a total of approximately 3 hours (* total for all phrases).
• Multi-track recording allows a wide range of performance possibilities.
• You can input audio in stereo.
• In addition to guitar input, a MIC jack and AUX IN jack are also provided. You can connect a microphone and loop record your voice, or record sound from your digital audio player.
• Recorded phrases can be copied via USB to your computer, or WAV files from your computer can be loaded into the RC-30 and played back as loops (p. 14).
• You can apply an effect that is synchronized with the tempo of a phrase while you play it back (p. 14).

Installing Batteries

Insert the included batteries as shown in the diagram, being careful to observe the correct polarity.

• Incorrect handling of batteries, rechargeable batteries, or a battery charger can cause leakage, overheating, fire, or explosion. Before use, you must read and strictly observe all of the precautions that accompany the batteries, rechargeable batteries, or battery chargers.
• Batteries are supplied with the unit. The life of these batteries may be limited, however, since their primary purpose was to enable testing.
• Be sure to observe the correct + (positive) and – (negative) orientation of the batteries.
• When turning the unit upside-down, get a bunch of newspapers or magazines, and place them under the four corners or at both ends to prevent damage to the buttons and controls. Also, you should try to orient the unit so no buttons or controls get damaged.
• When turning the unit upside-down, handle it with care to avoid dropping it, or allowing it to fall or tip over.
• If the batteries run low, the display will indicate “bt” and the POWER indicator will become dim. When this occurs, install fresh batteries as soon as possible.
• The use of an AC adaptor is recommended as the unit’s power consumption is relatively high. Should you prefer to use batteries, please use the alkaline type.
• Rechargeable Ni-MH batteries cannot be used.
• In some cases, all saved data might be lost if the batteries become depleted during recording or overdubbing (p. 7).
• When replacing the batteries, use six (AA, LR6) batteries.
• The contents of internal memory will not be lost when you replace the battery, but we recommend that you make regular backups (p. 15) for safety’s sake.

Panel Descriptions

NOTE

To prevent malfunction and/or damage to speakers or other devices, always turn down the volume, and turn off the power on all devices before making any connections.

• Before connecting or disconnecting any connection cables, be sure all the volume controls in your system are set to a minimum.
• Use connection cables that do not contain a built-in resistor. If you use cables that contain a resistor, there might be insufficient volume from the device connected to the AUX IN jacks, or it might be inaudible.

Turning On the Power

• Inserting a connecting plug into the OUTPUT L jack turns on the power to the unit.
• Once the connections have been completed, turn on the power to your various devices in the order specified. By turning on devices in the wrong order, you risk causing malfunction and/or damage to speakers and other devices.
  

  When powering up	Turn on the power to your guitar amp last.
  When powering down	Turn off the power to your guitar amp first.

Caution when using a microphone

Howling could be produced depending on the location of microphones relative to speakers. This can be remedied by:

• Changing the orientation of the microphone(s).
• Relocating microphone(s) at a greater distance from speakers.
• Lowering volume levels.
• If the amp and microphone are close together, the sound played back from the amp may be picked up by the microphone. If you record or overdub in such a state, the amp playback picked up by the microphone will also be recorded.
• You should separate the amp and microphone so that the playback from the amp is not picked up by the microphone.

Basic Operation

• To perform recording, overdubbing, and playback, press the left pedal as shown in the diagram.

Specifying How a Phrase Will Play/Stop (Stop Mode/One-Shot Playback)

• You can specify how a phrase will play and stop.
• For two seconds or longer, hold down the [SELECT] button of the track whose setting you want to change. The display will indicate the currently selected stop mode setting.

• Press the [SELECT] button to return to normal operation. The stop mode setting is remembered when you save the phrase (p. 10)

Cancelling an Overdub (Undo/Redo/Track Clear)

You can Undo/Redo by holding down the left pedal for two
seconds or longer. You can clear the track by holding down
the right pedal and pressing the left pedal.

About Rhythm

Sounding a Rhythm

Press the [RHYTHM ON/OFF] button to switch the rhythm sound between playing and stopping.

• Use the [RHYTHM OUTPUT LEVEL] knob to adjust the volume of the rhythm.
• The [TAP TEMPO] button will blink in time with the rhythm (red on the first beat, green on subsequent beats).
• When you save a phrase (p. 10), the rhythm type and time signature selected at that time will also be saved.

Setting the Time Signature

You can set the time signature before you start recording. You can’t change the time signature after recording.

1. Hold down the [RHYTHM TYPE] button for at least two seconds. The display will indicate “b4” or “b3”; the RC-30 is now in time signature selection mode.
2. Use the [ ] / [ ] buttons to select the desired time signature. Press the [RHYTHM TYPE] button to return to normal operation.

Recording with the rhythm sound

• If you record while the rhythm sound is on, recording will start from the beginning of the measure of the instant you press the pedal to initiate recording.
• By using the “Count-in recording” function (p. 11), you can start recording after the rhythm sound has played back for one measure.
• Regardless of the timing at which you press the pedal to end recording, the length of the phrase will automatically be adjusted to units of one measure.

Connecting to Your Computer via USB

• You can connect the RC-30 to your computer via a commercially available USB cable, and back up RC-30 phrases (WAV files) to your computer or load WAV files from your computer to the RC-30.
• Playable WAV file formats
  

  Data Format	WAV
  Bit Rate	16-bit linear, stereo
  Sampling Frequency	44.1 kHz

• Maximum WAV file size is 1.7 GB (total of all files), the maximum time is approximately 3 hours (total of all phrases), and the  minimum time is approximately 1.5 seconds

1. Turn on the RC-30’s power (insert a plug into the OUTPUT L jack).
   • The RC-30 will not operate on USB bus power. We recommend that you use an AC adaptor (sold separately) to ensure that the power does not turn off while connected via USB.
2. Use a commercially available USB cable to connect the RC-30’s USB connector to your computer’s USB connector (a connector that supports USB 2.0 Hi-Speed)
3. Back up the phrases as described below.
   • Windows users
   • Within My Computer (or Computer), open “BOSS_RC- 30” (or Removable Disk).
   • Mac OS users
   • On the desktop, open the “BOSS_RC-30” icon.
   • Backing up to your computer
   • Copy the entire “ROLAND” folder from the BOSS_RC- 30 drive to your computer.
4. When you’ve finished copying WAV files, disconnect the USB drive as follows.
   • When you have disconnected the USB drive, the display will indicate “dC” and the [RHYTHM ON/OFF] button will blink.
   • Windows 7 users
   • In the lower right of your screen, click the [ ] icon g [ ] icon, and then click “Remove BOSS_RC-30 (or Removable Disk).”
5. Press the [RHYTHM ON/OFF] button to return to normal operation. The “dC” indication will disappear from the display, and the RC-30 will return to normal operation

Connecting to an External Footswitch

When Connecting an FS-5U

Other Settings

Enabling Sleep Mode (default setting)

1. While holding down the left pedal, turn on the power (insert a plug into the OUTPUT L jack).
2. Within two seconds, press the left pedal twice. The display will blink “SL” and the POWER indicator will blink. After two seconds, the RC-30 will resume normal operation; sleep mode will be enabled

Changing the Switching Order of Recording g Overdubbing g Playback

Formatting the Internal Memory

1. While holding down the [WRITE] button and the [RHYTHM ON/OFF] button, turn on the power (insert a plug into the OUTPUT L jack). The display will indicate “FN.”
2. Press the [RHYTHM ON/OFF] button once again. The display will blink “FN.”
3. Press the [WRITE] button; formatting of the internal memory will begin. The indication “FN” in the display and the PLAY indicator will blink rapidly. When formatting is completed, the RC-30 will return to normal operation.
   • Never turn off the power while the PLAY indicator is blinking rapidly

Troubleshooting

Other Display Indications

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Boss RC-30 Dual Track Loop Station-FAQs