Three different overdub modes are available—including one that lets you replace the current sound in a loop track while it’s playing—plus a new Bounce In function for capturing multiple tracks into one. Additional control of the RC-505 MkII comes in the form of two expression/footswitch sockets and old school 5-pin DIN socket MIDI.

Pushing and turning an encoder increases the amount of adjustment but, for some parameters (such as delay times that go up to 2000ms), it can still take quite a while to reach the value you want. Many newly added target functions are tailor-made for foot control, perfect for looping musicians who have their hands occupied with a guitar, keyboard, and other instrument. Personally, I’d be tempted to replace those encoder caps with rounder ones, but, as you can probably tell, I’ve reached the nit‑picking stage. For example, the handling of polymetric patterns is ripe for improvement and, at the very least, a bar counter should be added.phrase memories provide onboard storage for phrase track data, various playback and effects settings, and more. The first of these is not only essential during the recording/overdubbing process but it also provides a temporary layering function during performances. The LCD is a simple monochrome affair of 128 x 64 pixels and beneath it are four black encoders that, along with some of the buttons, blend mysteriously into the black background, a design trend only Douglas Adams could have predicted. Other time‑savers to set up for convenience might include tying tracks to specific inputs or to certain sub outs, or setting up unusual loop lengths. Neck aches aside, it’s so much faster adjusting four parameters at once, and the new Edit buttons mean that tweaking before effect activation is actually quite slick now.

At the extremes the digital processing this involves becomes starkly audible, which may or may not be your bag, but shifts of around ±20bpm are handled with minimal degradation, depending on the source.

I’m happy to report that the destination track can be much longer than the source(s), incorporating mixing and effect tweaking on the fly.

The Loop Station can route the incoming USB audio to its line-out or sub mix, or use it as a loop input, which is where the real fun lies. The RC-600 is the do-it-all floor unit, offering six stereo tracks, advanced foot control, and deep dives for players who need to customise their looping experience in detail. Familiar processors include filters, octave effects, slicers, phaser, flanger and chorus, but the real magic is in the more exotic entries, with names such as Twist, Rise, Electric and Robot. If you have questions about operating your Roland product, please check our Knowledge Base for answers to the most common questions. Enigmatic beatboxing behemoth Inkie demonstrates exactly how he created his eerie track “Switcher” using the RC-505mkII.With the RC‐505mkII’s expanded connectivity and onboard audio processing, you can do more with less external gear. This is the story of a modern art form, from the trailblazers of the NY beat battles to the BOSS RC-505mkII Loop Station. If your live or studio rig has been gradually shrinking over the years, now could be a timely reminder that large doesn’t necessarily mean bad — it might translate to a more direct, welcoming interface.