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BOSS RC-3LS - Loop Station
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YouTube Video
![BOSS RC-3 Loop Station [Product Demonstration]](https://img.youtube.com/vi/th8nfSRgCCc/hqdefault.jpg)
RC-3: Loop Station
Three Hours of Stereo Recording in a Stompbox
The RC-3 is powerfully equipped yet conveniently housed in a compact pedal. Enjoy up to three hours of stereo recording time, storage for 99 loops, a real drums rhythm guide, and USB 2.0 compatibility all in a small BOSS stompbox.
Compact and powerful stereo stompbox looper
Massive internal memory with up to three hours of stereo recording time
99 onboard memories for storing loops
USB 2.0 port allows you to connect to a PC and import/export WAV audio
Rhythm guide with real drums
Runs on a single 9-volt battery or optional AC power supply
Three Hours of Stereo Recording in a Stompbox
The RC-3 is powerfully equipped yet conveniently housed in a compact pedal. Enjoy up to three hours of stereo recording time, storage for 99 loops, a real drums rhythm guide, and USB 2.0 compatibility all in a small BOSS stompbox.
Compact and powerful stereo stompbox looper
Massive internal memory with up to three hours of stereo recording time
99 onboard memories for storing loops
USB 2.0 port allows you to connect to a PC and import/export WAV audio
Rhythm guide with real drums
Runs on a single 9-volt battery or optional AC power supply
Media
Youtube video product demo
Description: Dan Doiron from Roland Canada demonstrates the BOSS RC-3 Loop Station.
Q & A
There are currently no questions for this product.
Reviews
3.15.31.27
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Boss RC3 looper 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Halifax, Nova Scotia
This one failed on me less than 2 years in.
Too expensive to fix plus Boss not making parts for it
Buyer beware
Posted by Marcel on Nov 25, 2020
Died dead after three years 2 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Ottawa, Ontario
I picked one of these up three years ago. I had to return it two days later as it had a memory fault. Long and McQuade replaced it. It has a fair number of features for a small pedal, but three years later, it died dead. Will not power on - not by battery, not by AC adapter. Just no power.
Posted by Richard Bethell on Dec 9, 2018
Great little versatile pedal 5 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Quality
Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Nanaimo, British Columbia
i use it at home to practice my chops before a rehearsal and to enhance live shows Easy to create layers and with the drum feature is a real added bonus. I have used it live to add backing instruments to the band if we need it. Easy to understand & control and has very good quantizing. The only thing I did not like is double tap feature to stop the loop. I would suggest pairing it with the Boss FS-6 switch. It makes live looping and other controls a heck of a lot easier. Best of all you can store 99 loops up to a max of 3 full hours in wav format. You can upload music or instrument parts to the pedal via your USB connector. If you are a single artist this means you can store all your backing tracks and do a whole night of multiple sets. it really is a versatile pedal with true value.
Posted by Bill Smith on Nov 10, 2017
Great practice tool 5 of 5 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Peterborough, Ontario
The Boss RC-3 is very well-built and has an excellent set of features, particularly the built-in quantization and rhythm guide. While the three hour memory and 99 space storage is nice, they are a bit overboard for a compact looper pedal. Also, you'd be well served to get a momentary pedal to go with it if you plan on using it live - it greatly simplifies the tap dancing.
Posted by anonymous on Aug 19, 2017
boss rc1 looper 7 of 8 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Edmonton North, Alberta
Wow this puppy is great fun to play with has improved my playing and understanding of how music can work in so many different ways from a single cord to complicated strings,
I am a self taught player and to echo previous comments yes this would have helped at day one
If your just starting I highly recommend this especially if you have no one to jam with
Posted by Marty on Nov 18, 2016
BOSS RC-3 Loop Pedal Review 8 of 10 customers found this review helpful
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Quality
Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Winnipeg (Pembina), Manitoba
I Bought this for $229, pretty expensive honestly, but i had a $200 gift card, dono if i would have spent that much on it without the gift card, mainly cuz i dont record or perform in live gigs, i just use it for home use. but overall i love it, it has alot of options, such as metronome, overdubbing, pedal-to-pc and pc-to-pedal sharing, deleting overdub recording while playing if u made a mistake, very simple to use (takes a couple days to get really used to it), extremely durable, very big storage (3 hrs), metronome speed control, etc...
Problems: if you dont use a pedal for distortion, andd instead u just use the distortion or crunch on ur amp, then this wont work for u, as the signal comes through it to the amp, so any clean recording/loop on ur pedal will be distorted when u switch to distortion or crunch. SO U CAN'T MIX CLEAN AND DISTORTION UNLESS U HAVE A DISTORTION PEDAL.
Posted by anonymous on Mar 3, 2015
Fantastic Learning Tool 48 of 57 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Winnipeg (Pembina), Manitoba
I tried teaching myself how to play guitar for six years through a combination of YouTube guitar lessons, boring theory books, and (worst of all, in my opinion) guitar tabs. I felt like I got to a point in my playing where I could follow along with the rhythm section of my favourite songs and make a decent enough attempt of guitar solos provided I had a tab to read, but I had no confidence in my ability to create my own music whenever I tried playing without a tab. Obviously a better route would have been private lesson - and I know the frustrations that I experienced as a beginning guitar player are not unique - however I never felt like dedicating the time and money on lessons and I was quite simply content to plod along at my own pace in my own home.
When my interest in the guitar really began to explode I subsequently became exposed to more and more gear. I happened to watch a few pedal demos on YouTube where the guitar player was creating subtle backing tracks on the fly and playing lead guitar with added effects over top of the rhythm. In short, he was making music - something I felt unable to do. He mentioned the loop pedal he was using (Boss RC-3) and how invaluable it is as a practice tool, so after watching a few more demos of it I decided to buy one.
I've had the loop station now for just over a year and my playing has improved immensely. In fact I can't believe it. I don't want to say that I regret not having bought this pedal years ago because I've enjoyed the journey, but I certainly believe that my playing would be even better had I used this pedal from day one.
Initially I had no idea what to do with the pedal so I played two chords at a slow tempo and looped them. Then I just sat there and listened. I thought, 'Wow, cool.' That was the first time that I heard a recording of my own guitar playing that wasn't captured on a phone, and I think that was also the first time that I really thought about exactly what it was that I was listening to. And I still have that first recording. Loop #1.
Perhaps the pieces of the puzzle were just waiting to fall into place, perhaps not; either way, the Boss RC-3 helped me to develop my ear and it forced me to think about the music. The simplest chord progression would sometimes become the greatest backing track to rip a thick, saturated lead over, and I quickly learned the effectiveness of when NOT to play. I would be instantly aware when I was out of key or off time, and I learned from my mistakes. Now a year later I no longer have the need for guitar tabs. I actually hate them. It is such a joy to be able to instantly record and loop a chord progression and play along in whatever way suits my mood.
I play a Washburn X-30 primarily coil-split in the neck position to emulate a Strat as best I can into a Fender Superchamp XD (15 watts). I don't have the best set up (no effects loop in the amp, for one) so initially the sound quality of the recorded loops seemed a bit thin. I don't have any overdrive or boost pedals because the Superchamp has digital "voices" that emulate high-gain amplifiers well enough, but because the amp doesn't have an effects loop whenever I change the amp's "voice" to play a lead tone over a backing track I've made, the backing track is played through the amp in the exact same tone, which doesn't create the most interesting sound to say the least. This shortcoming is entirely due to my set up, but I felt that it was worth mentioning because it is largely owing to the Boss RC-3 that my ear is now greater attuned to the tone that I like.
I rented a 2014 American Standard Strat (it was brand new! The box it was shipped in was opened before my very eyes) and a Traynor YCV40 from Long & McQuade and boy, what a difference! The Boss RC-3 is definitely only as good as the guitar and amp that you're using. I'm really looking forward to upgrading my equipment and discovering the full potential of the pedal.
I didn't expect to write such a long "review." I still get excited about this pedal. If you're stuck in a rut or you're just starting out, I would highly recommend this pedal (or any looping pedal). Get away from the tabs and start creating your own music. You'll be smiling in no time!
Posted by Alex McMillan on Jan 6, 2015
Why you SHOULD ABSOLUTELY buy the RC-3!!! 11 of 11 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Toronto (Bloor St.), Ontario
Usually when people get their first pedal, they’ll get a Crybaby Wah but for me my first thought it was the RC 3 loop station.
I got it because my father was very busy and so we couldn’t play guitar together and so, in order to have someone to play with, I bought the loop station for a accompaniment.
Some people think wow it’s really expensive, so I’m going to get something else and save money, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. By investing in a good pedal, you won’t have to buy the pedal you were looking for in the first place later; spending more money then if you just originally bought the one you wanted in the first place.
The boss RC three loop station was the first pedal I got and remains the longest standing pedal that I own and my pedal board. Other pedals I've sold off and I've bought different pedals, but throughout all these purchases the loop station has been a cornerstone in my guitar rig.
Having quality sound and buffering technologies, it taught me how to properly incorporate lead, rhythm and baselines, taught me how to improvise, and with its included drummer/metronome, taught me how to stay in time.
If you are looking for the BEST Looper on the market, look no further, it’s an investment you won’t regret, and if you don’t believe me, go in to your local Long and McQuade today, and try one out!
Posted by Oliver Lovekin on Dec 30, 2014
Rc-3 loop station 4 of 4 customers found this review helpful
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Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Saint John, New Brunswick
I have bought many guitar pedals and accessories, and was a little hesitant to get another, as I tend to forget about them or barely use them.
If I'm not playing with someone I almost always have this pedal hooked up. It is amazing to play lead over any chord progression and get some practice in.Not to mention i have never erased a track yet! Huge amount of memory.
Posted by anonymous on Dec 8, 2014
boss rc 3 looper 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Ottawa, Ontario
Picked up this looper to add backing tracks while I play lead. Works great but be sure to put it in your effects loop. The order is also important so experiment with what sounds best.
Posted by Tim on Sep 27, 2013
A Step Backwards 2 of 6 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I've tried it
Closest Store Abbotsford, British Columbia
My first looper was the RC-2. Great peddle. Wanting to upgrade I went right out and got the RC-3. After an hour took it right back. The reproduced sound quality was wanting and there is a DELAY when switching loops.(I have the FS-6). Got the JamMan Stereo, and I'm never looking back.
Posted by Jymbopalyse on Apr 16, 2013
Value! 1 of 1 customers found this review helpful
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Quality
Value
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Mississauga, Ontario
For so many features in such a compact pedal, Boss certainly hit a home run on this one! All this along with the multiple memories, up to 3 hour looping capability and ease of use in live situations, there is nothing else on the market that I have seen that is even remotely comparable, especially for the money.
Posted by Ron on Feb 3, 2013
Three hours of recording time... 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Toronto (Bloor St.), Ontario
Can export directly to a PC via USB. Great for sketching out ideas, looping works like a charm, has some basic drum loops (not a great selection but not what you get this for anyway). Worth every penny. Can't speak to its use in live performance but for noodling at home its been a dream.
Posted by John on Nov 20, 2012
Rental rates
This product is normally available for rental. Please contact your preferred location for further information.
1 Day from $4.00
1 Week $7.00
1 Month $14.00
Protect your investment with the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty
A warranty can be a very important factor when making a buying decision. Because repairs can be very expensive in terms of parts and labour costs, manufacturers usually only provide one year limited warranties that generally only cover items that malfunction due to a manufacturer’s defect. With an important purchase such as a musical
instrument or piece of studio gear, however, many people want to have the peace of mind in knowing that their investment will be protected should the product no longer be performing at 100%.
Because of this, Long & McQuade provides our customers with a FREE one-year Performance Warranty on most of our products. The Long & McQuade Performance Warranty supplements the manufacturer’s warranty to ensure that our customers receive complete “no hassle” warranty coverage within their first year.
How does the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty differ from most manufacturers' warranties?
- Performance Guarantee: Normal wear and tear is covered, so your product will be performing as well as the day you purchased it for the entire duration of the coverage. Band and Orchestral Performance Warranty does not include replacing pads or cleaning for woodwind instruments, unless deemed necessary by our repair staff. Ultrasonic cleaning for brass instruments will be provided if deemed necessary by our repair staff, but is not routinely offered under the Performance Warranty.
- Product Replacement: If your product cannot be fixed or costs too much to fix, we will replace it with the equivalent model for no additional charge. If this is not possible, a full refund will be provided.
- No Lemon Policy: Your product will be replaced should the same problem occur multiple times.
- Convenient: Easy drop off and pick up of the product at any Long & McQuade location.
- Guitar Setup: Guitars purchased at Long & McQuade come with 1 free setup, to be redeemed within 1 year for new guitars and 90 days for used guitars.
- Loaners Available: A loaner product may be given while the product is being repaired.
- Power Surge Protection: Your product is covered even if damaged from a power surge.
- Accessory Coverage: Any peripheral devices or accessories that come with your product (i.e. foot pedal, case) are also covered.
- Commercial Use Coverage: Music and recording professionals who purchase gear for “heavy-use” commercial purposes will still be covered.
Long & McQuade reserves the right to restrict the purchase of additional years of Performance Warranty. Used products come with a 3-month Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Some products (i.e. computers, software, cymbals and other items) are covered only by the manufacturer‘s warranty. Consumables (i.e. strings, reeds, drum sticks, batteries, tubes, cross faders) are excluded as they are designed to be replaced. Cosmetic Damage, Accidental Damage, or problems caused by Humidity or Temperature Issues are not covered. Speakers damaged by overpowering are generally not covered. Our coverage does not provide compensation for loss of use. As of June 2018 the Performance Warranty is no longer transferable. The warranty is only valid in Canada.
Purchasing additional years of coverage
Some manufacturers provide warranties for longer than 1 year; however, these are usually limited warranties that do not provide the same coverage as the Long & McQuade Performance Warranty. Customers interested in more complete and convenient (but not necessarily longer) coverage are still able to purchase additional years of the Performance Warranty.
If you are interested in receiving this coverage for longer than one year, you have the option of purchasing additional years of the Performance Warranty. The pricing is as follows:
- NEW products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
- USED products: Starting at 4% of the current new selling price to increase the warranty from 3 months to 1 year. Starting at 4% for each additional year.
- GUITARS: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year. $45 maximum. An additional free setup is not included with additional purchased years of Performance Warranty.
- BAND and ORCHESTRAL instruments: 4% of the current new selling price to double the warranty from 1 year to 2 years. 4% for each additional year.
Great Additions
Reserve in Store
| Product | SKU | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| RC-3LS - Loop Station | 335717 |
