Boss RC-3 Looper help

[Bushwackbob]

I have not used a looper before and I could use some basic help. What is the basic instruction to record and save a longer phrase, such as a 12 bar blues? Thanx!

[kamlapati]

Seems pretty straight ahead. Press record in time (on the downbeat of the 1) to start, press stop in time (on the downbeat of the 1) to stop. Play along.

What's going wrong for you?

[Bushwackbob]

I have only been able to get short loops which build on themselves and not a longer piece...

[0zoro]

RTFM! That may give your some guidance.

[SamBooka]

Originally Posted by 0zoro

RTFM! That may give your some guidance.

Doh!
Why didnt I think of that!

I didnt clue in on the RC2 even after going through the manual (which I normally never do) until I saw a couple of youtube vids to get me on the right track.

That said.. my comments really arent any more helpful that RTFM.. sorry

[Bushwackbob]

Well, not to state the obvious but I started the thread because I did RTFM and I was still confused. I thought, just perhaps, I might get some suggestions from those who have this pedal and more looper experience...
But I do appreciate the YouTube suggestion and will search the all-knowing public domain.

[SamBooka]

I still dont have the drum thing down.. never use the expression pedal.. but it does what I want it to do when I want it to. Play a chord or progression and expirement with scales over that chord.

[Peter C]

This pedal has 3 hours of memory. Stomp to record, stomp to overdub, stomp again to play back. Stomp twice quickly to stop ....

I haven't got mine in front of me, but the factory default order is record/dub/playback. Refer to the manual if you want to change that order.

If not, YouTube will doubtless put you right in no time.

It really is very simple, the trick being to get the timing right.

[abracadabra]

what Peter C said.

if you want a long progression, or even a whole song, you just play the entire progression before turning the recording off, it will then continue forever.

what I do:

1. set drums (if req) by pressing rhythm ON.
2. hold down Rhythm ON for >2 sec. when the display flashes, cycle through the available drum tracks till you get the one you want.
3. if you want 3/4 time, hold down the Rhythm button again for > 2 sec. when the display flashes, set the time signature.
4. set the tempo using the tap-tempo button
5. press the pedal down on the 1 of the bar, and record the entire backing track that you want to loop.
6. press the pedal again to start overdubbing (if req)
7. press the pedal again to stop overdubbing (if req)
8. if the red light is on, you are recording. if the green light is on by itself, it is in playback, if both lights are on it is in overdub.
9. if you get confused about the light sequence or when you should begin playing, just press the pedal down until you get the correct lights.
10. it will only record stuff if your guitar volume is up and you make noises on the strings, it's not like an open mic, so don't worry if you get confused. (although in the initial red-light-only recording mode it will just be recording silence, which it will then play back...as silence.)
11. press it twice to stop the playback.
12. press it once again to start the playback again
13. press Write to save the recording
14. if you unplug the pedal or change to another recording on the pedal before writing, your loop will be lost.
15. it does lots of other stuff.

[Bushwackbob]

Thank you! I will give this a try (or because we are discussing a looper: a try, a try, a try...).