Surprised this hasn’t been threaded yet so here it is.
I did search so mods please delete move etc…
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Lots of cool upgrades on this, but the biggest standouts to me are the mark back, timestretch, and the improved audio quality he mentions at the beginning. I’m glad they went with a serious upgrade and didn’t just throw on some new effects and inputs.
It’s been discussed in the Loopers thread.
But a dedicated fresh start here would be totally on point.
I look forward to this machine!
What’s the planned release date?
6-8 weeks on Thomann DE
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Anyone had a chance to use the mk2 in the last year? How would is combine with, say, an Octatrack? Looks very interesting…
Just checking also…know there were massive issues when it first came out. I love to play around with looper pedals so just checking if this thing is now working as intended.
I cannot believe there are only seven posts in this thread (now 8). I know there were a few issues with the firmware at first but this thing is on the money now. It’s all 32 bit floating point audio so you never have to worry about adjusting gain levels on anything other than a slight nudge to the faders every now and then.
Seriously, this thing is a beast! Since getting it, I have had no GAS. It is not just a looper/loop station either. It’s a live looper/sampler/FX hub/performance mixer. The loop station does it all, and sounds absolutely massive doing it. This is the device I’ve been searching for, and it is glorious. Since getting it, all of my other gear is jealous.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that it’s better than the Octatrack, and everyone on this forum should consider adding the RC-505 MKII to their arsenal. This loop station and a small modular synth would be endless fun. I can’t say enough about this thing. Seven posts! Pfft!
@Scot_Solida, you asked for my thoughts, ^here’s my initial thoughts after a week or two with it.
Edit 23: I would upload an example of it in action but my laptop died. Maybe tomorrow.
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I’ve been a huge fan since the day I got it. I didn’t even notice bugs and I had it since day one. It’s so much fun!
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To be honest I haven’t noticed any bugs either and I’ve just been playing with it straight out of the box. I didn’t bother updating it yet. I’m sure I’ll get around to it soon enough but yeah, no bugs thus far, and I’m having an absolute blast figuring out all of its bells and whistles (so many)
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Is it possible to set the decay time for each loop so it automatically fades out after a certain time? I didn’t see that mentioned in any of the specs but that would make this thing able to replace my somewhat old Boomerang III.
Time to go into witness protection.
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Nope, assuming it behaves as per RC 600. Pity, but otherwise a seriously deep bit of kit.
@the_thread
Definitely not comparable to an octatrack, the venn diagram of similarity is small, but it looks like it could be very able for safe live capture with a few hidden tricks too.
The depth in UX customisation is off the chart good
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I’m pretty sure you can have loops fade in and out but I will research this and get back to you.
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Okay maybe it’s not comparable to the Octatrack on every level, but it’s filled the performance mixer/FX hub/sampler/live looper hole in my setup and cured my GAS for one.
@jdaddyaz, hahaha, maybe. I think folks will give me a pass once they hear what I’m doing with it.
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There is a fade in and fade out, not sure what the time window is … my bad, I assumed we were talking about loops fading away over time, like a long delay ‘looping’ … that for me is a key looping thing, so I read what I found sadly missing
But it definitely has some fade in fade out options (not fade away) and for sure a lot of potential for a loops based workflow
Half and double speed playback/dubbing whilst allowing the pitch to drop/rise an octave is what I was after (Gibson/Oberheim EDP stylee)
Only downside I have found is that the master FX only kick in on loop playback, not whilst playing in … track insert FX do, but then they’re baked in
As a standalone box it does a lot - it needs an editor though if you want to deep dive …
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Any examples of your music with the 505? Also, I’d be interested to hear how you’re using it.
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Yes, there is one example so far, and I will link it at the end of this post. So, cool, thanks for asking @Fyzion. I am still figuring out all of the ways that I can use it, but let me just illustrate the possibilities here for you.
On the back of the loop station, there are quite a few inputs. These include two XLR Microphone inputs, as well as two pairs of stereo 1/4 inch inputs. This allows me to have two microphones (one for my own voice and one for a collaborator or one for my voice dry and one with lots of effects, or one for my voice and one for a microphone that is directed at my bells, bowls, and other resonant objects area) live at all times, as well as two stereo instruments (model samples/model cycles) or a combination of mono and stereo instruments (for example, the Moog Werkstatt and my electric kalimba could be plugged in via a mono cable with my Nord Drum 3P in Stereo.
Unfortunately, there are not any send and return options for effects (other than via USB), so I have to be a little more creative with my effects routing. I understand why Boss didn’t include a send return however, as they probably felt that the Loop Station had plenty of processing power onboard already and no one would need to pipe in their own effects. TBH, the effects on the loop station are beyond satisfactory.
But, if you know me or my production at all, you know I’m kind of obsessed with effects. So, what I do, is use a simple mixer to help with routing, and to help me plug in more of my studio to the loop station at once. Using the Beringer Xenyx Q802USB mixer, with the main outs running into one stereo input on the loop station, the mixer gives me two more microphone inputs or mono inputs, and two more pairs of stereo inputs. I can also use the fx send and return buss to selectively add color from one of my FX boxes. I could also run a send from the control room output to an FX box, and then run the returns back to a stereo channel if I want two FX sends prior to the loop station.
Another option, which is actually the way I have things routed now, is kinda the more traditional approach to using the mixer as a mixer, with the effects send applied post loop station. At this particular moment in time, I have the Elektron Model Samples running into my new Tensor pedal (Red Panda), then into inputs 1 & 2 on the RC-505. I also have the Elektron Model Cycles running into the KP3 Kaoss Pad, then into inputs 3 & 4. I have a microphone plugged into Microphone 1 and my Kalimba plugged into Mic 2 on the RC-505. The main outputs of the RC go to the mixer in channels one and two. I have my Nord Drum 3P running through ZOIA and a cheap Bitcrusher and into the mixer on channels 3 & 4. Another microphone and the Moog Werkstatt travel through the Line 6 DL4 MKII, then into channels 5 & 6 with nothing on the send return. There’s also another mic running into the KP3. Crazy? Yes. Fun? Also yes.
As promised, here is my one example of my music using the RC-505 MKII. There will be many more to follow, but forgive me, as I only just recently acquired the Loop Station. This song was made by running a microphone and the Moog Werkstatt (only) into the Loop Station. It even uses the cheesy onboard rhythm section (on Cajon, lol). I dig it though. Hope you do too.
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I have a question…. It’s possible to load some loops and make something like patterns to make different songs and make transitions from one to another?….Just like with the Octatrack…
Oh yes. There are no real limits to the recording times either, and there’s built in (and quite easy to use) resampling function that allows you to decide which tracks get combined to free up some extra room so there’s quite a lot of wiggle room with the Loop Station. This can be an alternative to the Octatrack as a performance mixer/looper but not as a wizard sampler on cocaine. Loop Station is LYFE. Build ups, break downs, alternate parts, whatever you need.
For a minute there it killed my GAS for an Octatrack but the Octatrack still calls to me in the wind. Listen closely. Can you hear it too? Of course, you don’t need anything but a pair of spoons and your knees to make a banger. These machines are wicked though. Loop Station upped my game significantly. It’s my favorite piece in my battle station and it’s the favorite by far.
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