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Author: ChrisG

BOSS RC-3: Using Foot Switches Tutorial

June 17, 2019 / / 1 Comment

The form factor of the traditional stomp box pedal is durable, reliable, and has lasted for decades without much modification. However with the technological capabilities of electronics today, there are many more things that can be done than the single pedal this shape allows.

Enter the expansion capabilities of the external Foot Switch. Being able to add another pedal that plugs right into the original stomp box to extend its functions or make it easier to access others is a potent tool in your effects arsenal. But there are quite a few different ones out there and with confusing terms about latching and momentary function, as well as what kind of cable to use and when it’s necessary.

This tutorial on how to use footswitches with the BOSS RC-30 is the most popular on my YouTube channel, and for good reason. It goes over all the common features and characteristics of Foot Switches as well as the cabling that can be used. If you need a quick leg-up on how these work, check out the video for a fast but thorough explanation.

Orange Acoustic Pre: Reviewed by Pete Thorn

May 15, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Orange amplifiers have a long and storied history of killer tube amplifiers with the kind of crunch and distortion that built an empire of rock and pop bands and records.

Now they bring their rep as masters of valve circuits to an acoustic preamp in what they call the first stereo valve acoustic preamp/active DI. The talented Steve Thorn gave it a go with his collection of microphones and guitars to see how it stacks up. Check out the video and let me know what you think in the comments!

BOSS RC-300 Tutorial: How to get Single Track Play

January 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Continuing with our Boss Looper series, here is the first video about the RC-300 which is a 3-track looper. Each additional track you add to a looper complicates it’s operation exponentially, but Boss did a pretty good job keeping these possibilities under control yet allowing enough flexibility to take advantage of said possibilities.

Enter the setting for Single Track Play mode. As the video explains, the RC-300’s factory default allows all 3 tracks to play at once for layering. But sometimes you want only one track to play at a time, making it super easy to switch tracks with a single pedal press. Check out the video explaining how to do this and let me know what you think in the comments!

Roland GR-55 Tutorial: Assigning a MIDI Control Change message (CC#) from an FC-300

September 15, 2014 / / 0 Comments

Continuing with the GR-55, let’s get deeper into how to control the unit with a MIDI foot controller like the FC-300. This helpful video describes a Patch Assignment, which is the method Roland uses to program an action when a specific MIDI control change message is received. This same method can be used with other MIDI controllers too (like an actual keyboard that sends MIDI CC messages). Check it out!

Like the video? Let me know in the comments!

Roland FC-300 Tutorial: How to reset to factory settings

June 15, 2014 / / 1 Comment

A perfect companion to the GR-55, the RC-300 is a MIDI foot controller that can be used with other products too. As with many MIDI devices, things can get complicated and convoluted fast! Here’s a quick video on how to initialize the unit to factory settings so you can get back on your way to making patches!

Like the video? Let me know in the comments!

Roland GR-55 Tutorial: How to Reset to Factory Settings

April 15, 2014 / / 1 Comment

If you haven’t hear of Roland’s GR series of synthesizers, you are missing out on a wonderfully strange and fantastic world. It’ll blow your mind seeing the things you never thought were possible with a guitar. The GR-55 is one of the best in their long line of breakthrough concepts that stretches back to the 80’s.

 

These units can do a lot, but sometimes it’ll scramble your brain trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Sometimes it’s best to start over and reset the patch or even the entire unit back to the factory default. Here’s quick and useful tutorial on how to do this.

 

What do you thing of Roland’s GR synths? Which is your favorite? Tell me in the comments!

BOSS RC-3 & RC-30 Tutorial: Changing the Recording Order

January 15, 2014 / / 0 Comments

The BOSS line of loopers are some of the most popular versions out there. But many times the default settings don’t quite fit with the style or way you want them to work. Here’s a great way to change the order of operation so that instead of going straight from recording your first loop to overdubbing, you can go from recording to playing back and then overdubbing. 

 

Like this article? Let me know in the comments!

BOSS RC-30 Tutorial: Stop your loops on time with Simple Pedal Mode

July 24, 2013 / / 1 Comment

This video has an interesting back-story where I learned a few lessons about corporations and politics. Some of you may be able to relate…

I don’t remember exactly how it came about, but I think a customer called about an issue where the RC-30 wouldn’t get the timing right if you ended a recording by hitting STOP instead of Play or Dub. I tested this and verified that yes, something odd is going on here and it’s causing loops to record a fraction longer than normal.

I started the process of sending a bug-report which basically means I sent an email to the Product Manager describing the issue. He is the guy who actually communicates with the engineers in Japan and he passed it on. A day or two later we hear back that there was no bug, we were just using it wrong!

Now, knowing how this machine works is my job so I had read the manual front-to-back, trying all the functions it described. Plus I answered tons of calls and emails on this thing and previous loopers like it, but I have never encountered a issue where a looper behaved this way.

I don’t know how the message to Japan was worded (maybe it had a tone of extreme urgency and panic?), but it was conveyed to me that this sequence of events embarrassed us in the eyes of Japan because we – AKA me – sent a bug-report that just ended up showing that we didn’t know how our own product worked.

Well, I missed something that wasn’t in the manual called Simple Pedal Mode. This feature was printed on a single loose sheet of paper that came in the box with the RC-30. They called it an “addendum” to the manual because by the time the books had all been printed, they either added the feature later or forgot to include it in the first place.

To rectify ourselves in the eyes of Japan, I was to send them a video showing the feature proving that I understood how it worked.  This is that video. ^_^

BOSS RC-3 & RC-30: How to Change the Time Signature of the Rhythm Guide

April 29, 2013 / / 0 Comments

When looping, it can be a straight-forward process: you hit record, play your part, then stop recording. But add some features like a drum machine, and suddenly things become much more complex.

Most popular music is formulaic at four-beats-per-measure and most drum machines (including the RC3/30’s) use it by default. But songs at three-beats-per-measure are more common than you think. So what if you want some drum accompaniment on a three-beats-per-measure loop?

Well that’s not too difficult to do on the BOSS RC-3 & RC-30 and this short video shows you how…

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