Boss RC30 loop station Demo - How to loop series

The second video of my - how to loop - series.
This video takes you through the functions of my looper of choice the Boss RC30 Loop Station.
What the buttons do, how to set it up, what each pedal does and what are its main functions.
I am a professional guitarist specialising in looping. If you want to learn how to loop like a pro then make sure to watch the other videos in this mini series.
I have to apologies for how grubby the pedal is. I've been using it for the last 7 or so years. It is fairly road worn but Boss are renowned for making robust hardy pedals. I'm sure it will last a lot longer.
Don't forget to subscribe if you enjoy my content.
Online Learning platform - www.scottguitarteacher.com/

[@ScottGuitarist]

Join the workshop to overcome the three biggest obstacles for guitarists - www.scottguitarteacher.com/pl/2147549972

[@ThelittleWelshPrepper]

I’ve been given an RC 30 and I’ve looked at it with terror ever since . This video has been really helpful and I’m ready to up to the shelf to give it a try

[@nickcarlson6860]

THANK YOU!! I’ve been looking forever for a good, clear,understandable demonstration of how to work the second pedal in and out of a tune. Looked forever. Everyone would just demonstrate how to switch tracks. Duh. This gives me what I wanted. Going to my RC-30 right now!

[@carisarkin2526]

I concur with so many of the positive comments here, so let me just go "sound on sound" so to speak, and add my compliments and appreciation for the job you've done here☺ I just happened to buy one of these pedals used, and this was the first demo or tutorial I've ever watched. Chose well, right out of the gate😁..... Thanks again

[@ScottGuitarist]

Thank you, hope you enjoy looping!

[@TheHarmonicaBarge]

best one I've seen so far - Many thanks!!

[@ScottGuitarist]

No worries, thanks for watching

[@RTFosmark]

Okay, totally shocked to hear 96 Quite Bitter Beings after not thinking about this song for a good 10 years. Love that riff-you def earned my sub. Couldn't place the 2nd song until you started singing. Sounds great! Gonna have to listen to some more Aloe Blacc today. Thanks for the looping advice! My first looper (RC30) should be coming in the mail next week.

[@ScottGuitarist]

Thank you! I couldn’t live without mine, you won’t regret it

[@stefmethaudsw]

Great man! Your tutorial is very clear! The best I’ve ever seen on the web! Thx

[@IAMADMT]

Sick, Most helpful tutorial on this pedal I’ve come across thank you man 🙏🏼🙌🏼

[@ScottGuitarist]

Glad it’s helpful!

[@Tim8tei]

Great review! I watched a lot of reviews and this is the first one that makes it so obvious and easy.

[@ScottGuitarist]

Thank you 😊

[@MarianoLaTona]

Great video! Must watch for beginners to jump in and learn quickly.

[@stevielloydy123]

Great video. Fantastic dance moves !

[@ScottGuitarist]

Plenty more where that came from lol

[@CairynJay]

This was super helpful! Thank you!

[@Mitchloff]

Sick video. Very clear. Im gonna go learn that song . Forgot how much i loved it since tony hawks

[@ScottGuitarist]

Always reminds of Bam Margera

[@Cpt_Dave]

Thanks so much. Best tutorial out there. And I like the meme touches.

[@iosmusicman]

Great demo thanks

[@russellnewton6660]

It’s a interesting box of tricks for sure.

[@mauriciosegura9561]

Dudeeee great tutorial, thanks bro

[@elementgypsy]

I liked your video. I am still having problems learning. I rearanged my pedal chain, but now have now "freedom " sound . I can loop and hear the guitar, but can't hear my "live" guitar , unless i am recording the looper.

[@musikbereichne5416]

Thankyou for your Answer Scott. It’s not possible to do it, I‘ve just found out. I’ve ordered the Trio+ Band Creator 😊

[@GoldenProductions2019]

Hey man great video and great loop skills sounds great and keep up the great work

[@ScottGuitarist]

Thank you 😊

[@GoldenProductions2019]

Scott Guitarist your welcome man I just got the Boss Rc30 Loop Station and it’s amazing and I love it keep keep making great music man

[@ScottGuitarist]

I love mine, I’ve been thinking of trying other ones but it does everything I need it to. Come to think of it, I haven’t done a looping video for a while!

[@GoldenProductions2019]

Scott Guitarist I’m starting to do looper videos on my channel now that I have one

[@GoldenProductions2019]

Scott Guitarist yeah man the boss rc30 loop station is an amazing pedal and on my channel I’m putting together a whole series of it keep up the good work man and great videos

[@gavinkaufmanworld]

Awesome - thanks 😀

[@damien6685]

Tip: Pg 17 of the manual, you can change the tap and the end of the recording loop to a single tap to 'Playback' In essence: [Tap] Recording - [Tap] Playback - [Tap] Overdub The change is from Recording - Overdub - Playback, that way the double tap becomes a single tap at the first loop layer

[@CairynJay]

I wish I understood what the heck all this. ^^ meant hahaha

[@mellocello]

Yup, if you just upgraded from the RC-20 and can't get used to the automatic overdubbing.

[@claudiosaldivia5646]

Thanks for take your time and share with everyone.. I have question should I press the write button for to record it on my starting to loop almost immediately so get overlap I mean to short.. also the pitch or it's preset??

[@jimsaunders8395]

Hi mate FANTASTIC as I had mine 3 years not used it , but now know how through , I'd just like to add , I changed one thing from factory setting , found how in manual , I press left to start recording, but I only have to press the left one once rather than twice to stop recording, I find it easier especially if I've done my loop but need to keep playing instantly I stop loop but without recording ,, if you get drift , thanks for this , :-)

[@ScottGuitarist]

Ah I get you. That's how the RC500 works out of the box. Glad you like the video

[@jimsaunders8395]

@ScottGuitarist no out of the box you have to press it twice to stop it recording , ive set it so you just hit it once keeps looping but don't record

[@ScottGuitarist]

The RC-30 yeah but the 500 works like that without having to change anything. Sorry I got confused with another comment thread of someone asking about the 500 and accidentally changed the subject lol

[@MacPakinga-gl8bu]

Thanks man 🙏🏼👍🏼🎸

[@omedome2787]

THANK YOU!!

[@haxanjonsson6195]

hiya weirdo ;). informative/creative stuff thanks//🌾 *1: possible to use XLR-Input AND line-in(s) simultaneously?(!!!) (for acoustic guitar line + song for example//) *2: possible to undo "last take"(layer) on both of the individual loops/overdubs? crucial info peace / Gramps

[@TeddyMcCready]

Thanks!

[@ScottGuitarist]

That's my first super thanks. Thank you Teddy, glad you liked the video

[@musikbereichne5416]

Hello Scott, Thankyou for the video. Could you please tell how I can save the drums so that when I save to my Computer they have also been recorded. Have a good day 😊

[@ScottGuitarist]

Hey, I'm sorry but I can't really help with that. It's not something I've done with it.

[@clouds8141]

great video, little question, are the lenghts of the loops always the same? or I can do the first loop of 5 sec and second of 20 sec, for example? Thanks

[@ScottGuitarist]

With this looper, it's all tied in to the same loop length. I believe the RC 500 can record different length tracks in the same loop but I'm not 100% sure how it works exactly.

[@ericchen5048]

Is that.. 96 bitter beings?! Holy smokes thanks for reminding me to listen to cky again! Very informative video thanks Scott. I have a question about rc30 and footswitch if you can help out.. I want to play lead over a song with two chord progressions (verse & chorus). I can loop the verse chords in track 1, and chorus chords in track 2. What is the best way to seamlessly switch between the two tracks? This is what I'm doing currently and there's no way my feet are fast enough to do this live.. I hit left pedal to play track 1, hit external to switch to track 2, as track 1 finishes I double click right pedal to stop all and immediately hit left pedal to play track 2. Is there a better way to do what I want? Or just impossible? Thanks again!

[@ScottGuitarist]

Hi Eric, well spotted! I haven’t experimented with an extension switch. I used one a while ago but never got comfortable with it. Could you play track 1, stop with one right click, then switch and play track 2? Saves double clicking.

Hey man I loved your video!! Was it 96 quite bitter things? Cky? Could you please help me?!? I was wondering if I could record a loop and once I finish recording it, instead of pressing play (playback or overdub), I could press stop, so it is recorded but not played back immediately, so I could use that recording further down the song, in bridge for example. Here's an example: I want to record the chord progression of my song's intro because it's the same progression as in the bridge of the song. I want to record the loop but don't want to play it back immediately because after the intro comes the verse, pre chorus, chorus, etc.... But that's the only place I can record the progression at.... This feature is helping me decide between this looper and Ehx 22500. Thanks a lot!!! And loved your video very much!

[@ScottGuitarist]

Yes that’s something you can do with this. You just press the right pedal (instead of left) to stop the loop and keep it ready to play. And yeah, CKY is correct! Lol

[@sameepswadia4483]

Hi Scott. Very nice demo. One question though. Can the looper play loops in channel one and channel two separately? I mean suppose can we loop chords of intro in one and the chords of verse in the other and then play the two loops turn by turn?

[@ScottGuitarist]

Technically, they are two channels of the same loop but you can save up to 99 different loops which you could switch to and get completely different loops. It would be hard to get the transition smooth and you’d need to pre record and save each one. I suppose it would depend on the song structure

[@sameepswadia4483]

@@ScottGuitarist thnx a lot. Pre-recording is the key.

[@ironmandelboy]

Hi Scott a quick question , will you be upgrading to the RC500 or stick with the RC30 . I haven’t purchased either yet but look to purchase one of either . Which one would be most suitable to busking ? Thanks Derek Handley

[@ScottGuitarist]

Hi Derek, I haven’t used the 500 but I would like to. I’ll have to find a shop near me that stocks one to try it out in full

[@willowpecans]

yo. this was exactly what i was looking for. you just sold a looper lol gg

[@ScottGuitarist]

Glad to hear lol enjoy it!

[@peterwertheimer8458]

Hi Scott, I love your tutorial. Could you tell me which cords you are playing during the demo?

[@ScottGuitarist]

I'm away from my guitar at the moment but I think it was Abm7| Emaj7 |Eb7#9 Eb7b9|. But my guitar may be tuned flat.

[@peterwertheimer8458]

Thanks, man!

[@Nate-Dawwg]

Hi Scott I have a question. I have an rc-30 as well. However when i plug my electric guitar into looper then into amp and start looping, i feel that the playback recording sound quality degrades a bit from the original sound i played on the guitar. Any tips?

[@ScottGuitarist]

Hi Nate, are you using it in a chain of effects? If you’ve done a bit of problem solving and eliminated all leads and the amp itself, it could be a power problem. Send me a pic of your set up on Instagram if your still stuck 👍🏻

[@Nate-Dawwg]

Scott Guitarist Hi scott I was able to figure it out thank you for replying. Turns out i needed better patch cables and an isolated power supply for my guitar pedals and my looper. Although I do have some more questions regarding how to setup everything into a mixer then into an audio interface and how to get the best sound quality out of that. I can send you a pic of my setup through instagram if thats ok?

[@ScottGuitarist]

Yeah go for it

[@katrinpowell3380]

Thank you Scott. You make learning fun. I have a question. I have a Boss RC30 and learning to loop better. So far, I just use it as a practice aid when doing arpeggios etc. Anyway, I was inspired to learn how to do the first loop using rhythm sounds and a mic. I noticed when doing this, that even if I got a near perfect loop, there is always a bit of sound at the transition, i think which is coming from pushing the pedal. I have tried wearing socks and putting the pedal on a piece of carpet, but it's still there. So my question is, how can I loop with the mic and not pick up the pedal sound?

[@ScottGuitarist]

I had a similar issue with ambient noise when looping. You can try to lower the gain on the mic input and make sure you're standing while doing the first loop. That should limit it a little. If it's still noticeable, there might be a way to soften the impact of the pedal but I'll have to look into that. Otherwise you could try to incorporate the click into the beat? Or mask it on the second time round? Again, I'll do some research and see if I can help with a video in future

[@katrinpowell3380]

@@ScottGuitarist It's still a problem unfortunately. I do not know what you mean by the gain on the mic. My mic is going into the Boss 30. I put the mic into the looper, as I like the idea of adding rhythm using things other than the guitar and and vocals into the looper. There is a mic input volume, but no separate gain for the mic. If I turn the mic input way down, then there is no problem with background noise, like the looping pedal, but then I have no mic sound. I almost can get rid of the sound if I put the Boss30 onto a pillow on the floor but then it's very hard to use the pedals on a bouncy pillow! And many layers of foam and yoga mats, just doesn't seem to muffle it enough. I guess I'll have to put up with it or mask it, unless you have other ideas. I can also just hit it once (to reduce the muffle) and go right into the next layer. I hope you don't mind, I have another question...in one of your looping videos you mentioned to 'stitch' parts together. (I think that's the word you used). Is that a way to layer to smooth out sounds? i.e do you sometimes record past the end of the loop to smooth out sounds? I hope you don't mind all the questions...you're videos have been super helpful!

[@ScottGuitarist]

Sorry, by gain I mean input level. There should be a point where you can set the input of the mic to only pick up the nearest/loudest sounds. I do usually play straight through the first loop to blend it in and mask the cut - m.kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJTEpZKMgpyYg5I I think maybe using carpet or a rug would work but you can send a video on social media if you like and I'll see if I can spot anything else that may be happening. Another option would be to use your hand to press it but that would bring the mic closer so that may not work.

[@417salior]

How do you start the drum beats with the pedals? Isn't that a necessary function when you are performing live?

[@ScottGuitarist]

I don’t use the drum machine when I play live. I don’t have as much control as when I do it with the guitar

[@dennisloobman8013]

OK, it loops series, but can it do parallel loops as in verse/chorus? Coz I can’t seem much point in having two loops if it can’t.

[@ScottGuitarist]

It has 2 channels which are recorded at the same length. If you're performing live, you have to use one with a regular theme in both the verse and chorus (rhythm/beat), then use the other channel to layer specific themes of the chorus.

[@1bullsprig]

How do you save your work and transfer it from the pedal to a computer? That is something I could never figure out. But it was 10 years ago the last time I used this pedal.

[@ScottGuitarist]

I think you can transfer the files via USB cable but I've never done it myself.

[@yoEzra_]

I dont know if you do anything with repair, but my rc30 whenever plugged in plays a metronome and cant record or anything, any tips?

[@GoldenProductions2019]

Did you try the on and off button on the tempo to turn it off

[@ginociancio1]

Hi can you please tell me if you can hook it to a mixer thanks 👍

[@ScottGuitarist]

Yeah, I go through my mixer when I play bigger venues. You can connect it to anything with a 1/4" jack cable.

[@claudiosaldivia5646]

By the way watta beautiful voice man sweet and powerful..

[@JuanManShow99]

Can I do a 2 bar on track 1, then 4 bars on track 2? What I'm trying to do is to loop Hotel California without doing the drumbeat for that long Chord progression. It's so easy to be offbeat when you are looping that long. I saw people doing 2 counts of beats and then playing about 4 counts of chords. I wonder if you can do that on RC 30? I hope that makes sense

[@ScottGuitarist]

With the RC30, both tracks have to be the same length but there are other loopers which could do it. I've recently bought an RC500 which I'm still getting to grips with, but that has the ability to record different length loops on two tracks. I will do a video on that when I've played with it a bit more. Hotel california is a really long chord progression. If it's just for home practice, you could loop the chords first and then add the beat or if it's for live audience performance, you could pre record the beat so that there's not touch of a build up. I'm sure there are other options but I'd have to go through it myself to work out the details etc. Hope this helps 👍

[@JuanManShow99]

@@ScottGuitarist I do have a pre-recorced ones. I just thought I'd ask. It's just a bit easier to do it live with a bit shorter chord progression. Thanks you very much though! Great videos!

[@Garryjonesmusic]

I’m having difficulty getting clean loops from beat buddy mini 2 into my RC-30. Pressing the left pedal twice on RC-30 to end record is a problem. HELP!

[@ScottGuitarist]

You should only have to press it once to end the loop unless it's set to a different button configuration. Feel free to send a video on social media and it will be easier to help you out - search for Scott guitarist

[@Garryjonesmusic]

@@ScottGuitarist I’ve been told that if your timing is crap, your loops will be crap. lol I’m recording drum tacks to my RC-30 from a beat buddy mini 2. I’m figuring it out. But it is intense.

[@ScottGuitarist]

@@Garryjonesmusic Timing the loop is no different if you play guitar or run a drum machine through it. I'd actually say it's harder because it's less intuitive and because the drum machine is, a machine, you'll notice if it isn't absolutely perfect. Have you used the onboard drum machine?

[@meganh.9044]

Hi I really like your video, but I have a problem When I record the tune there is always a short pause after and then it starts to play again. That's why the loop isn't smooth. I don't think it should be like that and I don't know what to do.

[@ScottGuitarist]

It could either be your timing when starting the loop or ending. It doss need to be very precise

[@jottazzarango9502]

can you delete one track while the other one keeps playing?

[@ScottGuitarist]

If you hold the Record switch on the left, it will delete the last thing you recorded on either track

[@jottazzarango9502]

@@ScottGuitarist thanks bro, yes that would be the undo funktion. But to delete a complete track while the other sounds is no possible, is it?

[@ScottGuitarist]

Ah I see. Not that I know of. They have to both stop to delete a track

[@whatwasithinking6139]

Haven’t seen this answered in other demos: you have tracks going on both channels, and you tap the right pedal twice to stop everything. But, is there any way to START the tracks again (both of them) after you’ve stopped them? Thanks, great demo!

[@ScottGuitarist]

If there is something saved in each track and they are stopped. You can press both track 'Select' buttons at the same time. Both buttons should light up and wen you hit play, they'll both start.

[@whatwasithinking6139]

@@ScottGuitarist but this requires pressing the buttons with fingers; I’m talking about during play, using your feet. Basically stopping the track, then starting it again while performing.

[@ScottGuitarist]

@@whatwasithinking6139 You can but thats the quickest way. To do it with just your feet. Record something in both channels, stop them both and hold down the right pedal to change channels, as soon as it's changed, hold the same pedal down again to switch channels back. Instead of changing to the previous channel it will highlight both and make them both ready to play. If you delete while they're both highlighted, it will delete them both.

[@whatwasithinking6139]

@@ScottGuitarist thanks, I’ll give it a try. Seems kind of cumbersome though…

[@ScottGuitarist]

Yeah it is, it’s something that’s accidentally happened to me but I haven’t actually used it. It’s easier to push with my fingers. There may be a more convenient way if you use the extra foot switches with it. I haven’t used them though.