The Xotic RC Booster Classic is a boost pedal with active treble, bass, gain and volume controls, which Xotic brought back to mark 20 years of the original RC Booster. The maker describes the RC Booster as an "always on pedal" that enhances a guitar's natural harmonics without affecting its tone, and the Classic carries that idea with a new gain switch for fatter tones1. It sits in Xotic's boost line alongside the EP Booster and the current RC Booster-V2.
Power: 9V or 18V
The Classic can run at either 9V or 18V. Xotic's specification page lists power consumption as 9VDC/5mA or 18V/6mA1, while the shop page lists 9VDC/6mA or 18V/6mA2, so the two maker pages disagree on the 9V current draw. For the adapter, Xotic calls for 9VDC with a negative tip, regulated recommended2.
The 18V option is a change from the original. In a maker history piece, Xotic's Kiyoshi Sasaki and Daisuke Kokuda explained that "the power supply can now handle 18V, making it a much more versatile model than the initial version"3. Running a boost at 18V gives the circuit more headroom, which matters for a pedal meant to stay on all the time.
Xotic's own pages disagree on the pedal's current draw at 9V: one gives 9VDC/5mA or 18V/6mA, the other 9VDC/6mA or 18V/6mA12. Either way, the pedal runs on a 9VDC negative-tip adapter (regulated recommended) or a single 9V battery, and can also run at 18V2.
The 20th anniversary release
Xotic announced the return with the line "XOTIC'S ICONIC BOOST PEDAL IS BACK NOW TO CELEBRATE ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY"1. The 20th anniversary version is a reproduction-model booster tuned to the sound of the Initial Version, and its power supply can now handle 18V, which the maker says makes it a much more versatile model than the initial version3.
Xotic positions the 20th anniversary model as a reproduction with a "return to the roots" concept, though the maker says the circuit has been completely reworked3. The first units carried a white powder-coated look familiar to longtime fans3. On the sound, the maker says it returns to its roots while being more lively than the initial unit, with the super-low sound that supports the bottom end, added after the Scott Henderson model3.
Controls and what they do
The RC Booster Classic uses active Treble, Bass, Gain and Volume controls, which Xotic says allow for limitless tone shaping2. Because the EQ is active, the treble and bass controls cut as well as boost, rather than only rolling frequencies off.
- Treble: active treble control for tone shaping2
- Bass: active bass control, part of the same tone-shaping section2
- Gain: gain control, with an added gain switch on the Classic for even fatter tones2
- Volume: sets the overall output level2
How it fits Xotic's range
The Classic is one of several boost and drive designs Xotic makes. The RC Booster-V2 is the current standard version of the circuit, the AC Booster is the company's overdrive from the same family, and the EP Booster is the simpler single-knob boost. For a player choosing between them, the Classic's distinction is the active EQ plus the anniversary tuning to the initial version's sound23.
Videos
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Questions
Does the Xotic RC Booster Classic take a battery?
Yes. Xotic lists a single 9VDC (006P) battery as the battery type, and an optional 9VDC AC adapter with a negative tip, regulated recommended, as the external power option. The pedal can also run at 18V for more headroom, so check that any adapter or isolated supply output you use matches the voltage you intend to run.
Is the Xotic RC Booster Classic true bypass?
Yes. Xotic describes the RC Booster Classic as true bypass, which the maker says eliminates signal interference when the pedal is switched off. That means your guitar's signal passes straight through the pedal's switching when it is disengaged.
What does the gain switch do on the RC Booster Classic?
The gain switch is an addition on the Classic version. Xotic describes it as a way to get even fatter tones, working alongside the pedal's gain control. The RC Booster as a design is intended to enhance the guitar's natural harmonics without changing its basic tone, and the switch extends that range toward thicker settings.
What is the input impedance of the RC Booster Classic?
Xotic's two product pages give different figures: one lists the input impedance as 1M ohm and the other as 500k ohm minimum. Both are high values typical of a pedal designed to keep an electric guitar's tone intact, but the maker's own documents disagree on the exact number.
Sources (3)
- RC Booster Classic, Xotic California
- RC Booster Classic, Xotic
- RC Booster Classic 20th Anniversary, Xotic California (xotic.us)
Guthrie Trapp
Andy Timmons
