New looper: Boss RC-20XL

Wizard

I bought a quite 2nd hand looking RC-20XL yesterday for an absolute bargain price for someone who was selling it "on behalf" of her boyfriend.
I must have asked her about 5 times if he knew she was selling it.

Still not convinced he does know.
She seemed a little too pleased about handing over his pedal and putting my cash in her pocket.

Anyway - bought a power supply this morning and have been having great fun all day with it.
Have only learned the very basic functions so far.

Printed out the 40 page manual from the internet.
I think I'll deserve some form of certificate after I've figured out how to do everything

Nice toy !!

(and yes - it has proven that I don't keep time as well as I thought I did :-[ )

6x9base13

Enjoy !

I had to chuckle and comment - I bought a Dl-8 delay in the week and confirmed what I knew - my timing sucks !

Without thinking I phoned my mate I jam with and told him I wouldn't want to play with myself either :-[ After the long silence I figured out his loss for words and told him about the pedal.

My playing has progressed 10 fold with just the 20 sec loop.

Have fun with the RC20.

Wizard

I see it has a mic input.
Would it work with an SM57 for percussion?
Or would I need a pre-amp first?

AlanRatcliffe

Yes - that's a proper -40dB low-Z input and a separate gain control for the mic. You need an XLR to jack cable, but that's easy to get/make. Obviously also allows you to try your hand (or mouth ?) at beatboxing and vocals too.

Wizard

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Yes - that's a proper -40dB low-Z input and a separate gain control for the mic. You need an XLR to jack cable, but that's easy to get/make. Obviously also allows you to try your hand (or mouth ?) at beatboxing and vocals too.

Stunning!
Going to get me an SM57 again.
This is a good tool for practice - my timing is not what it needs to be.

(don't think I'll be doing any singing though)

Wizard

A weekend of bargains.
Just bought an indistinguishable-from-new SM57 for 800 ront.
And ... the seller lives less than 1km from my house.

Sean

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Obviously also allows you to try your hand (or mouth ?) at beatboxing and vocals too.

Oh yes, who wants to hear Wizard beatbox!! ?
Perfect opportunity to try out the new mic as well ?

Wizard

Ok ... so got an XLR-to-jack cable during the week.

The SM57 does work as an input ... but is very quiet.
My furious djembe playing comes out as a low level background "thump"; even with mic input level set as high as it will go.

I bought a SM57 once before to use as an input mic for my Micro-BR.
Ended up selling both because it didn't work as I had hoped.

I seem to have issues in getting volume out of SM57's.

AlanRatcliffe

Odd - I've seen them used for looping vocals and all sorts with an RC-20XL. Searches don't reveal anyone else reporting mic level issues with them.

Do you have any way of testing the mic? Umm... you say it cost only R800? Are you sure it's not a fake?

Wizard

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Odd - I've seen them used for looping vocals and all sorts with an RC-20XL. Searches don't reveal anyone else reporting mic level issues with them.

Do you have any way of testing the mic? Umm... you say it cost only R800? Are you sure it's not a fake?

Not sure it's not a fake ?

I'm very new to all of this; so may just be doing it wrong.
It may not be a "level" problem, but a "mix" problem with the guitar outswamping the mic.
Will try with the input level of the mic on max; and the level of the guitar much lower.

It may even lead me to turn my amp up higher than 2.5 !! ?

Besides - it's an experiment.
If it doesn't work; I'll just sell the mic.
(But now have the moral obligation to check it for authenticity before I do so - thanks !!)
?

aubs1

Wizard wrote: A weekend of bargains.
Just bought an indistinguishable-from-new SM57 for 800 ront.
And ... the seller lives less than 1km from my house.

Awesome Wizard, maybe you should check what else he has for sale .... ?

giggsy

Wizard - was that the Boss for a grand on Junkmail? You stole it from me >☹ I had my offer accepted but then she just went quiet and wouldn't answer my mails... I guess a CT buyer was easier for her than posting it to JHB ?

Enjoy it! ? And can I have first option his you sell it ?

Wizard

Giggsy wrote: Wizard - was that the Boss for a grand on Junkmail? You stole it from me >☹ I had my offer accepted but then she just went quiet and wouldn't answer my mails... I guess a CT buyer was easier for her than posting it to JHB ?

Enjoy it! ? And can I have first option his you sell it ?

As indicated in PM ... I sincerely hope not !!!
I made a point of checking with her whether I first in the queue ... especially after my comments in other threads on this very topic.
(also made a point of checking whether the real owner knew about it - I sensed she was selling off his stuff!)

But yes ... it was the Boss for a grand.
I saw it on Gumtree under the name of "Bosch Looper".
I was directed to the ad after another deal for an RC-20XL fell through ... which I also thought was a "done deal".

So it does sound very suspiciously like the same deal.
:-[

giggsy

Haha - yes, that's the same one - those 'Bosch' loopers are very rare these days!

But like I said in the PM - glad that I didnt have to try to explain to the wife why I spent another grand on a piece of gear! The only thing more dangerous than GAS is "I GAS" - the dreaded Impulse GAS ?

inskcam

hello everybody

Im having same trouble with my loopstation
im using a shure sm57 to record a djembe on a boss loopstation RC20XL

the thing is when I conect the mic to the MIC INPUT of the loopstation
I barely can hear it, even if the level is in the maximum

ive tryed to conect on the INST INPUT
and it kind of works ok, apart from the wierd noise in the background (the noise is probably related to the impedance)

my question is....how can I increase the gain?
get a preamp?

ive tryed to find this on the manual but it didnt say anything about it

thanks alot

Wizard

inskcam wrote: the thing is when I conect the mic to the MIC INPUT of the loopstation
I barely can hear it, even if the level is in the maximum

I think you need a mic preamp