BOSS RC-10R Rythm Loop Station

The pedal sits in the same chassis as the Boss 200 series pedals, so it looks familiar to anyone who has used that range¹. It is a digital design, with 32-bit AD/DA conversion and 32-bit floating-point processing².

A looper with a stereo drum machine

The RC-10R is a true stereo looper with two independent tracks that can be played in series, and it can also run in standard mono⁷. Guitar World's reviewer described the arrangement as "a stereo looper with two independent tracks, offering a generous six hours of recording time"¹. Recording time is approximately six hours in stereo, with onboard storage for 99 phrase memories¹.

The rhythm side is what separates it from a basic looper. There are 280 preset rhythm styles onboard, which MusicRadar's launch coverage said "promise to cover nearly any genre," played back through 16 drum kits with sounds drawn from Boss and Roland's rhythm libraries⁸¹. Each rhythm has a complete song structure with separate parts, including two unique song sections, intros and endings, and transition fills, which Boss contrasts with the more basic guide rhythms in other Loop Stations⁹². There is also storage for 50 user rhythms².

In Boss's own Loop Station lineup guide, the RC-10R is listed with two stereo tracks, 6 hours of stereo recording, 280 preset rhythm styles and 16 drum kits¹⁰. For players comparing options, the RC-10R sits alongside simpler loopers and other drum-machine pedals such as the DigiTech SDRUM and the Singular Sound BeatBuddy, which approach rhythm accompaniment differently.

The controls

The front panel keeps loop and rhythm functions separate, each with its own footswitch¹.

Two circular indicators on the pedal display loop and rhythm playback status at a glance¹¹. A Loops and drum tracks volume control lets you balance the two against each other¹².

Power and connections

The RC-10R runs on a supplied 9V DC adapter drawing 250mA⁷, with a center-negative 9V DC input⁶. At 250mA it draws more current than most compact analog pedals, so it is worth planning power supply capacity accordingly.

Connections are generous for a compact pedal⁷¹:

• Standard inputs A/Mono and B, and standard outputs A/Mono and B, for stereo operation
• A CTL 1, 2/EXP jack for up to two external footswitches or one expression pedal, giving extended control of stop, undo/redo, loop volume and other functions⁶⁹
• Full MIDI In and Out on space-saving mini TRS jacks, for syncing with other gear; the BMIDI-5-35 adapter cable is available separately²⁵
• A USB port¹

The expression pedal and footswitch support means a player can keep hands-free control over more functions than the two onboard footswitches offer, and MIDI makes it possible to synchronize loops and rhythms with external sequencers or other MIDI gear²⁹.

Launch at Summer NAMM

Boss announced the RC-10R Rhythm Loop Station on July 11, 2019, ahead of Summer NAMM, as the latest addition to its long-running family of Loop Station products⁴⁸. Premier Guitar reported the U.S. street price as $299.99 at authorized Boss retailers⁵, and MusicRadar's launch coverage gave the price as $299⁸. Boss's own history of the Loop Station line describes the RC-10R as an enduring entry that "lets groove-minded musicians effortlessly meld two stereo phrase tracks" with a rhythm library of over 280 styles and sixteen drum kits¹³.

In Sweetwater's demo video, Don Carr walked through the pedal's operation, noting the 16 drum kits and suggesting a practical way in for players new to looping¹⁴¹¹⁰:

The RC-10R was announced with U.S. availability at authorized BOSS retailers, at a street price of $299.99⁵⁴¹⁵. Boss positioned it as a looper for players who want to build loop performances with two independent song parts, using serial two-track operation².

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The demo covers how the loop and rhythm footswitches interact, how the two-track operation builds a performance, and how the kit and style selection works¹⁴.

Videos

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Questions