Summary
• Pros: The Boss RC-505 MKII has five independent tracks, tons of on-board effects, smooth workflow, tons of memory and excellent audio quality.
• Cons: The rhythm backings are a little simplistic, there is no aux in jack, and there’s a bit of a learning curve for new users.
• Overall: Easily the best tabletop looper on the market. It builds on what the original did without losing what made it special.
Check Current Prices:
• Amazon: Boss RC-505 MKII
• Guitar Center: Boss RC-505 MKII
Full Review
Boss really re-imagined the looper with the RC-505. Before that, loopers were mostly intended for guitarists but could still support microphones. Things changed with the rise of musicians (like DubFX) who incorporate looping into non-guitar music. The RC-505 changed the rugged footswitches for bigger, softer buttons, becoming the first true tabletop looper. The RC-505 did a lot right, and they don’t have to improve the formula too much to produce something amazing. So, have they succeeded? Or should you just stick with the old model?
Wait, That’s Not the Mark I?!
If you’re familiar enough with the old unit, you might have thought you were looking at it at first! But no, the Mark II just looks basically identical to the old unit, to an untrained eye. While there are some minor changes, these are usually accounting for some extra functionality or making things easier to use. For example, it has an extra inch or so in depth to make more space for the track sliders. The Mark I already had the sliders and the basic layout, the Mark II just made it better.
Since the design is basically identical, it must be said that it’s excellent on both models. The only complaint is the typical Boss sheen on the cover which really picks up stray finger-marks.
Note: If you want to know when the Boss RC-505 MKII was released, we’ve made a timeline showing the release dates of all of the Boss loopers here.
The Basics, Done Right
Of course, the basic functions of a looper are all where you’d expect them to be. There is a “Record/Play/Overdub” button for each track on the lower section of the pedal. For basic looping, you just hit the button, play or sing your piece, then hit the button again to start playback. The circular display around the button ticks down to show you the time left in your loop. You can overdub the recording by pressing the button again, and as many times as you want.
And of course, this is just on a single track. You have five tracks to play with. You can start recording on another track at any point in the looping process. Imagine, for example, that you’ve just laid down the best verse section you can, but you want to add more energy for the chorus. Having another track available is invaluable. You can either use it to add an easily-removable layer, or you build a whole new chorus loop. You can easily get the volume levels right with the dedicated sliders for each track.
Even More Rhythms and Effects
If you’re using the RC-505 MKII as a songwriting companion, the backing rhythm tracks, input effects and track effects help you take it to the next level. First off, the sheer number of rhythms and effects are much bigger than on the original version of the RC-505. There are 200 specific rhythm patterns on the pedal. These are arranged into genres like blues, jazz, metal, R&B, soul, pop, rock, alt rock and others. There are variations for each too, as well as 16 different drum kits you can have them played on. Most are in 4/4, but there are some 3/4, 6/8, 5/4 and 7/8 options too.
Likewise, there are substantially more effects on the RC-505 MKII. The new model comes with 49 input effects and 53 track effects. The input is applied to your signal and the track effects are applied globally. The effects cover most types you could think of, including phasers, synth, distortion, octave shifts, echoes, choruses, a vocoder, vibrato and much more. You can apply up to four effects at the same time. You can also easily switch them on and off with the “A-B-C-D” buttons. To apply them to a track, you push its dedicated “FX” button.
The audio quality is excellent throughout, and there are plenty of options to keep you busy. The only downside is that the rhythm backings probably aren’t up to the standards of professional or otherwise serious musicians. Despite the variety, they just tend to feel a little basic and lackluster. However, they’re a great practice tool and you can make better beats yourself on the RC-505 MKII pretty easily.
Combining Tracks, Mark-Down Undo/Redo and Making Music
The RC-505 MKII is a songwriting tool as much as it is one for practicing and performance. With this version, they’ve really taken what they did right on the original to the next level. As with most Boss loopers, you can set each loop phrase to loop when you play it or to activate as a “1 Shot,” where the pedal works like a sampler. The fact there are five tracks, in combination with this flexibility, already gives you a clear idea of how much you can do with the RC-505 MKII. It’s incredibly simple to make a song piece by piece in each track and then connect the pieces together to complete it.
The improved “Undo/redo” functionality on the new generation of Boss loopers only makes things better. Instead of just removing the most recently-recorded layer – although you can do that too – you set a “save” point in your loop. This is analogous to making a quick-save when you’re coming up to a difficult part in a computer game. You can also use Undo/redo to purposefully pull a layer in and out. This allows you, for example, to add a melody line after a chorus and take it out for the verses. Mark down also makes this a much more versatile tool.
You can also combine tracks into a single spot if you don’t need to use them separately. By activating “Bounce in,” you can set a track to also record audio from the other tracks, effectively combining them into a single slot. So if you’re smart enough, five tracks is just the beginning. And with 13 hours total memory time across 99 slots, you’ll have plenty of space to experiment.
All the Connections You Could Need
As with the previous version, the back panel of the RC-505 MKII is crammed with connectivity options. There’s a spot for the power supply, a USB port for connecting to your computer and a 1/4 inch headphone jack. For inputs, there are two XLRs for mics and two pairs of stereo inputs for instruments. For outputs, there are three pairs of stereo outputs, with a pair for the main output and two for the sub outputs. The RC-505 MKII also has MIDI in and out jacks, and two jacks for external footswitches or expression pedals. This all expands what was available on the MK I, with the exception of the aux input, which isn’t included on the MKII.
The RC-505 MKII in Use
All of this comes together to make the RC-505 MKII an astounding tabletop looper. It adds so much functionality over the original version – which was already pretty awesome – that it’s hard to imagine many musicians having an issue with what it can do. The basic functions and even the mechanics behind operating multiple tracks simultaneously are handled about as smoothly as possible. Admittedly, getting the effects and drum tracks set up the way you like will take some time. This is because you’ll have to check out the manual to understand the parameter adjustment, and because this part of the setup has to be done by hand before you record.
However, you should expect this type of learning curve with such a complex system. Once you set everything up, it’s a total breeze. As mentioned above (and in the Boss RC-600 review), the rhythm backings still don’t quite hit the level you’d need to use them in a more “professional” setting. But the 32-bit audio quality means that anything you put into the RC-505 MKII will come out sounding just as crisp and clear as it did on the way in.
Is the Boss RC-505 MKII Worth Picking Up?
The RC-505 MKII builds on what its predecessor did without losing what made it special. Extending the length of the track level sliders is really a perfect example of this. The idea was always good, but there was a little issue with the previous version. Rather than throw out the whole concept or try to “innovate” in a counter-productive way, Boss simply kept what was good and fixed the problems. While it should be pointed out that people who got the pedal with the original firmware ran into issues, but with everything up-to-date it works just like you’d want it to.
It’s expensive, but it does the job well enough to justify the cost. It might only be worthwhile for serious songwriting or performing, because there are simpler units that work great for practice, like the Ditto X4 or even the Boss RC-10R. But if that’s what you want and especially if you aren’t a guitarist, you’ve found the looper you need.
Where to Buy the Boss RC-505 MKII?
• Amazon: Boss RC-505 MKII
• Guitar Center: Boss RC-505 MKII
Boss RC-505 MKII Product Video
