TWO Track mind
Two tracks, 99 memoriesBoss RC-500 Loop Station · Pedal Zines № 04

Issue04

RC-500 (n.) A BOSS Loop Station with two stereo tracks, a drum machine, 99 memories, and a mic input.

§ 01 · What it isRead me first

Stomp REC/PLAY to record, again to loop, again to layer. TRACK SELECT for the second track. Then WRITE it to a memory, or it's gone when you switch.

Write it or lose it

§ 02Where everything lives

The Map

Numbers match the Owner's Manual top-panel list (1 to 13). Jacks are on the rear; see § 03.

Footswitch lights drawn as in BOSS's product photo; they change with status (§ 13).

1TRACK 1, 2 sliders · indicators · [EDIT]Sliders set each track's playback level. Indicators show track status. [EDIT] opens track settings; press twice to make it the current track.
2DisplayMemory, settings and messages. The screen color follows the status: blue empty, red rec, green play, yellow dub, white has a phrase.
3[MEMORY/VALUE] knobTurn: pick a memory or a value. Press: choose or confirm. Turn while pressing: bigger steps.
4RHYTHM [TEMPO] · [ON/OFF]TEMPO sets tempo (or tap it); its indicator blinks in time. ON/OFF cycles on / off / standby; hold 2 s for rhythm settings.
5[MEMORY]Memory settings: record/play behavior, loop FX, rhythm, pedal functions, name.
6[MENU]System settings for the whole unit: display, MIDI, storage, factory reset.
7WRITE [EXIT] · [ENTER]EXIT goes back, ENTER confirms. Press both together for UTILITY: WRITE (save) or CLEAR.
8[MIC LEVEL]Mic input level. The only input knob; the INST IN jacks have none.
9INPUT indicatorGreen low, orange good, red high. Aim for red only now and then.
10[INPUT]Phantom power on/off and input/output routing.
11[REC/PLAY]Record, play, overdub. Hold 2 s to undo; hold again to redo.
12[STOP]Stops the current track. Hold 2 s while stopped to clear it.
13[TRACK SELECT]Switch between track 1 and 2. Hold to select both.

§ 03I/O and power

Hook It Up

FIRST RUN

Everything down and off before connecting.
Power: 4 AA alkalines, or a BOSS PSA-S adaptor (sold separately) in DC IN.
Source into INST IN A/MONO (add B for stereo), or a mic into MIC IN.
OUTPUT A/MONO (plus B for stereo) to the mixer or amp. Plugging into A/MONO is the power switch.
Mixer or amp on last; off first.

THE JACKS

INST IN A/MONO, B: ¼", 1 MΩ, nominal −10 dBu, max +8 dBu. Guitar, pedals or synths.
MIC IN: XLR, balanced, nominal −40 dBu (MIC LEVEL). +48 V phantom via [INPUT], for condensers only.
OUTPUT A/MONO, B: ¼", nominal −10 dBu, max +8 dBu. Buffered bypass.
CTL 1, 2/EXP: TRS, footswitches or expression.
MIDI IN / OUT: stereo mini (BMIDI-5-35 cables).
USB micro-B: backup, restore, BOSS TONE STUDIO. Data cable, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed.

Draw: 240 mA, 330 mA with phantom · AA life about 3.5 h (2 h with phantom)

✓ First sessionTap each one when done · saves on this device

First Session

0 / 10 done LOOP LOCKED.

Power: 4 AA or a PSA-S adaptorPlugging into OUTPUT A/MONO turns it on
Synth or guitar into INST IN A/MONOMic? MIC IN (XLR) + the MIC LEVEL knob
Set level: INPUT light red only now and thenSet INST level at the source
Record a loop on track 1REC/PLAY to start, REC/PLAY to loop it
Overdub, then hold REC/PLAY 2 s to undoHold again to redo
TRACK SELECT to track 2, record a layerTrack slider sets each level
Turn the rhythm on and tap a tempoRHYTHM ON/OFF, then tap TEMPO
STOP, then WRITE the memoryEXIT + ENTER together › WRITE
Clear a track: hold STOP 2 s while stoppedOnly that track goes
Back up to a computer over USBMENU › STORAGE, copy the ROLAND folder

§ 04How it's organized

One Memory

80/20Two tracks plus a rhythm live inside a memory. Save the memory or lose the loop. That's most of it.

TRACK 1 + 2

Two loopers

Each track records from your mic or instrument. First pass is recording; every layer after that is overdubbing.

RHYTHM

A drummer

57 patterns × 2 variations, 16 kits, at the tempo you set. Optional.

MEMORY 01 to 99

The bucket

Both tracks + rhythm + loop FX settings = one memory. 99 of them. System settings (display, MIDI) cover the whole unit.

§ 05Record, dub, undo, stop, clear

Loop Moves

REC/PLAY

Empty track: press = record (red), press = play (green), press = overdub (yellow), press = play… Has a phrase already: play ⇄ overdub.

Hold REC/PLAY 2 s

Undo the recording or the last overdub. Hold 2 s again to redo.

STOP

Stops the current track. Screen and light go white: phrase kept (until you change memory).

Hold STOP 2 s

While stopped: clears the current track. To wipe a whole saved memory, use UTILITY › CLEAR (§ 08).

TRACK SELECT

Press: switch between track 1 and 2. Hold: select both, so REC/PLAY plays and stops them together.

Track sliders

Each track's playback level, live. Same as T1/T2 LEVEL.

§ 06Two tracks, basic modes

Track Modes

PLAY MODE

MULTI vs SINGLE

MULTI (default): both tracks play together. Verse + chorus layers, bass + lead.

SINGLE: one track at a time; starting one stops the other. SINGL CHNGE picks IMMEDIATE or at LOOP END. Song parts A/B.

MEMORY › PLAY › PLAY MODE

SYNC

LOOP.S & TEMPO.S

LOOP SYNC (default ON) keeps both tracks' starts lined up to the first-recorded phrase. OFF lets each loop at its own length.

TEMPO SYNC (default ON) plays tracks at the memory tempo. OFF keeps each at the tempo it was recorded at.

TRACK [EDIT] › LOOP.S / TEMPO.S

GOTCHA

Track 2 dubs itself

With LOOP SYNC on, recording a track switches to overdubbing automatically when it reaches the end of the longest track. That's by design.

§ 07Drums and tempo

Rhythm & Tempo

DRUMS

Press RHYTHM ON/OFF: on, off, or ready (cycles each press).
Press TEMPO, turn the knob: 40.0 to 300.0 BPM. Or tap TEMPO in time.
Hold ON/OFF 2 s for rhythm settings: PATTERN, KIT, BEAT, LEVEL, REVERB, START, STOP and more. EXIT when done.
Write the memory to keep tempo and rhythm settings.

KNOW THIS

Set BEAT before you record. Time signature can't change after a track is recorded.
Hold TEMPO 2 s: tempo back to its default.
Defaults: SimpleBeat1, Studio kit, 4/4. Drums start with the loop and stop with it.
START BEFORE LOOP gives a count-in groove: first press starts drums, second starts recording on the beat.
No tempo change while recording or overdubbing.

§ 08Or lose it

Save The Memory

SAVE IT

WRITE

STOP everything.
Press EXIT + ENTER together: UTILITY.
Pick WRITE, press the knob.
Turn to choose the destination memory (or keep it).
Press the knob or ENTER. Wait out EXECUTING...

UTILITY › WRITE › 01 › ENTER

THE BIG GOTCHA

Unsaved = gone

Per the manual: select a different memory or turn the power off after recording and the recording and edits are lost. Unplugging OUTPUT A counts as power off.

CLEAR lives in the same menu: EXIT + ENTER › CLEAR › pick memory › ENTER. Empties that memory.

You can only change memories from the play screen; press EXIT first.

§ 09Backups and audio files

USB & Tone Studio

BACK UP

Stop and save first. USB won't connect with a playing or unsaved phrase.
MENU › STORAGE, set it to connect, then plug USB into the computer: CONNECTING...
Open the BOSS RC-500 drive and copy the whole ROLAND folder off.
Eject the drive before unplugging.

Recover = replace the ROLAND folder on the drive with your backup. That overwrites what's on the unit.

BOSS TONE STUDIO

Free from boss.info/support. Over USB it imports and backs up loop phrases as audio files.

Loops are WAV, 44.1 kHz, 32-bit float, stereo. Up to about 1.5 h per track and 13 h total.

Use a data USB cable; charge-only cables won't work.

§ 10Deeper stuff, folded up

When You're Ready

None of this is needed to loop. Tap a tile to open it.

Loop FXRepeat, shift, scatter, vinyl flick

Beat-synced effects on the loops: SCATTER 1 to 4, REPEAT 1 to 3, SHIFT 1 to 2, VINYL FLICK. Turn on per memory, then per track.

MEMORY › LOOP FX › ON · TYPE

REC ACTION & DUB MODEHow REC/PLAY cycles

Default REC→PLAY: record, play, overdub. REC→DUB goes straight from record into overdub. DUB MODE REPLACE overwrites instead of layering.

MEMORY › REC

Quantize & auto recTight starts, hands-free

QUANTIZE MEASURE snaps recording to the measure (needs rhythm, MIDI sync or a synced track). AUTO REC arms recording and starts when you play; the REC/PLAY light blinks fast while it waits.

MEMORY › REC › QUANTIZE / AUTO REC

Track tricksReverse, one-shot, fades

Per track: REVERSE, 1SHOT (plays once), START fade-in, STOP fade-out or LOOP END, PAN, MEASURE.

TRACK [EDIT]

Remap the footswitchesPDL 1 to 3, CTL 1, 2

Defaults: REC/PLAY = current track rec/play, STOP = stop (hold to clear), TRACK SELECT = track select. Reassign per memory or for the whole unit.

MEMORY › CONTROL · MENU › PREFERENCE

Footswitch & EXP jackCTL 1, 2/EXP

FS-5U, FS-6, FS-7 footswitches or FV-500H/L, EV-30, Roland EV-5 expression. BOSS says other expression pedals risk damage. Default CTL1 = LOOP FX, CTL2 = MEMORY INC, EXP = MEMORY LEV2.

MIDI syncClock in and out

Clock out is on by default. SYNC CLOCK AUTO follows incoming MIDI clock (MIDI before USB before internal). Program Change 1 to 99 picks memories. MIDI jacks are stereo mini: use BOSS BMIDI-5-35 cables.

MENU › MIDI

Track chain & routingSeries tracks, split outputs

TRK CHAIN SERIES feeds track 1 into track 2 (default PARALLEL). Each track's OUTPUT can be ALL, OUT-A or OUT-B; rhythm, mic and inst have their own destinations.

MEMORY › PLAY · TRACK [EDIT] · [INPUT]

Noise suppressorRecording only

MIC IN NS and INST IN NS (default 50) clean up what gets recorded; the live bypass sound isn't touched.

[INPUT] › MIC IN NS / INST IN NS

Memory rangeEXTENT

Limit which memories you can step through (five presets, EXT1 to EXT5).

MENU › EXTENT

Display modeWhat shows while looping

Default BEAT+POS. STATUS shows REC / PLAY / DUB in words.

MENU › GENERAL › DISP MODE

§ 11The nuclear option

Factory Reset

IRREVERSIBLE

The manual's steps

Back up over USB first (§ 09).
Press MENU: SETUP.
Turn to F.RESET, press the knob.
Choose what to reset: MEMORY, SYSTEM, or MEM+SYS. Press the knob.
ARE YOU OK? Turn to OK, press. (CANCEL backs out.)
Don't power off during EXECUTING... It returns to the play screen when done.

MENU › F.RESET › MEMORY | SYSTEM | MEM+SYS › ARE YOU OK? › OK

READ THE OPTIONS

MEMORY = all memories 01 to 99. That's every saved loop.
SYSTEM = system settings only. Your loops stay.
MEM+SYS = both. Full factory state.

Manual mismatch: the reset table says MEM+SYS, the error list calls it SYS+MEM. Same option.

§ 12On the desk, not the board

In My Rig

My RC-500 lives on the desk, mostly looping my synths (Arturia MiniFreak and MicroFreak) into a Mackie Mix12FX. Guitar can borrow it any time. It's not on the pedalboard chain.

MiniFreak / MicroFreaksynthsRC-500INST IN A, BMix12FXOUTPUT A, B

Guitarwhen it borrows itRC-500INST IN A/MONOMix12FX

TIP 1

No input knob

INST IN has no level control (MIC LEVEL is for the XLR only). Set the synth's volume so the INPUT light goes red only now and then. To meter just the synth: [INPUT] › PEAK SRC › INST IN.

TIP 2

Line level both ways

Outputs are line level (−10 dBu nominal, +8 max), so use line inputs on the mixer with gain low to start. Want separate faders? Send RHYTHM to OUT-B and the tracks' OUTPUT to OUT-A.

TIP 3

Don't double the synth

If the synth also has its own mixer channel, set [INPUT] › INST IN › OFF. The RC-500 then sends only loops and rhythm, not the live synth too.

Sync note

The RC-500 sends MIDI clock by default from its mini-jack MIDI OUT. If a synth follows external clock (check its own manual), its arp or sequencer can lock to the loop tempo.

§ 13Lights and screen

Light Decoder

The TRACK indicators, the screen backlight and the REC/PLAY light all use the same color code.

litblinkingfast blinkdark

Looks like	Name	Means
	Lit blue	No phrase on that track (screen: empty memory).
blinking	Blinking blue	Empty, and it's the current track.
	Lit red	Recording.
	Lit green	Playing.
	Lit yellow	Overdubbing.
	Lit white	Phrase exists, stopped.
blinking	Blinking white	Has a phrase, and it's the current track.
fast blink	REC/PLAY fast blink	AUTO REC standby: starts recording when you play.
blinking	PLAY blinks after STOP	Track is fading out or finishing the loop; press STOP again to cut it now.
	RHYTHM ON/OFF	Dark = off · green = on · blinking green = ready, starts with the loop.
	TEMPO indicator	Blinks in time with the tempo.
	INPUT indicator	Low · good · high. Red only now and then.
EXECUTING...	Screen	Saving, clearing or resetting. Don't turn the power off.
NOT EMPTY	Screen	That memory already has a phrase. Clear it or pick an empty one.
STOP ALL&SAVE	Screen	Stop everything and save first.
MEMORY FULL	Screen	About 13 h total used. Clear unneeded memories.
EVENT FULL	Screen	One track hit about 1.5 h.
BATTERY LOW	Screen	Swap the AAs or use the adaptor.
DATA DAMAGED	Screen	Manual says factory reset with memory + system (backup first).

TWO Track mind Two tracks, 99 memoriesBoss RC-500 Loop Station · Pedal Zines № 04