Boss RC-10R Review Rhythm Drum Machine And Loop Pedal

Tech music giants Roland are back with a new BOSS loop pedal to add to their RC range. The pedal is called the RC-10R which is sure to intrigue most solo musicians. BOSS have spent years innovating after they started the global loop pedal trend which opened up a world of creativity for musicians such as Ed Sheeran to explore. The RC-1, RC-3, RC-30, and the RC-300 are all foot pedal loop stations which now have a new family member, the RC-10R.

What’s different about this loop pedal to the others in the RC range?

The RC-10R has a built-in drum machine that is combined with a loop pedal. Drum machines are useful for solo musicians looking to fill out their sound by adding a beat to their performances. The RC-10R takes drum machines, such as the BeatBuddy, one step further by incorporating a looper directly into one compact pedal.

Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews

How Does It Work?

By stepping on the right-hand footswitch you’ll activate the rhythm section which records you playing over a drum track. The section consists of 2 parts allowing you to switch between both with the tap of your foot.

The drum machine intuitively adds small “fills” or “shuffles” in-between switching parts, which really gives another dimension to your sound, nearly as if you brought a real human drummer with you. Don’t worry drummers, if you’re reliable you won’t be replaced…yet. The left-hand footswitch is a retro loop pedal where you can record riffs and licks on top of the rhythm section you just created.

Settings & Features

You can change the sound of the drum kit used or add effects such as reverb in the settings with a choice of 16 different drums kits, you can also easily speed up the tempo (BPM) of the drum machine. Another useful feature for both studio and live performances is the ability to separate the rhythm track from the loop track. This way you can EQ the drums on a different track to your instrument.

I’ve personally always wanted to be able to separate all the looping tracks recorded using my loop pedal and have them imported on individual tracks into my DAW – however, this is still not possible with the RC-10R or any of the RC range.

Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews

The pedal has stereo output with two independent tracks which can also be played in series. You can extend your control over your loops and the pedal’s settings by plugging in an expression pedal or footswitch.

Final Thoughts & Review

This is a very interesting loop pedal/drum machine from BOSS. If you’re thinking your live sets are lacking a certain fullness of sound or your band’s drummer is always letting you down, the RC-10R might be worth a look.

Like with all loop pedals you will have you stay creative to keep your loops from sounding repetitive. Switching between loop tracks with this pedal does require you to be a little bit nibble on your feet. However, this pedal has the power to give your sets a massive increase in the overall fullness of sound, it won’t break the bank, and being compact and lightweight it hardly takes any time to set up or pull down.

Please also remember, this pedal is not suited for buskers as there is not a battery power option which you can find on other loop pedals in the RC range.

Check Best Price & See Customer Reviews

Please be aware of people impersonating The Music Man. Click here to see our brands so you know who to trust.