Boss RC 5 (or Yet Another Looper + Drum Machine thread)

[Wretched Banana]

I have a very specific question: Does the RC 5 have serviceable drums?

Requirements:
- I need drum patterns strictly for practicing at home, no live use at all.
- I need something ready to go. I have zero interest in investing time in drum programming, let alone learning how to do the programming in question.
- I tried SDRUM thinking I'd love it. It's a no go. I realized that my creativity is a limiting factor, I'm not equipped to come up with good patterns beyond the bog-standard stuff.

I'll eventually invest in a looper as well, so might as well do it now. RC 5 looks like a good fit, but there is no detailed review of the rhythm functionality anywhere. I don't need production quality samples, but I need something that doesn't suck the joy out of practice either.

Can anyone chime in? RC 5? Or invest in Beat Buddy + separate looper?

 

[Adamixoye]

I'm always pro Beat Buddy any time it comes up. For the full version I use the programming, which I realize you said you weren't interested in. But it's still a fantastic plug-and-play device. If you are dead set against programming maybe you can get by the with Mini version.

 

[Wretched Banana]

I'm always pro Beat Buddy any time it comes up. For the full version I use the programming, which I realize you said you weren't interested in. But it's still a fantastic plug-and-play device. If you are dead set against programming maybe you can get by the with Mini version.

I'd still prefer the RC 5 if it has acceptable quality drums so that I get a looper in the package... That being said, I'm convinced that Beat Buddy has the best quality drums so that's definitely my plan B.

I know the Mini can't get the updates for it's big brother, and I know there were quite a few major changes made recently. Do you know if there's anything important that I'd be missing out on if I go with the Mini? $100 is a siginficant difference, and I have no use for midi or programming.

 

[Adamixoye]

Mini is just if you want a basic drum machine that does fills and switches between two different parts back and forth. Nothing more nothing less.

Full Beat Buddy is for downloadable content, programming your own beats, songs with more than two parts, MIDI, other live performance features like switching to double time or half time, etc.

 

[Wretched Banana]

Now that I think about it, if I can't get a looper bundled in, maybe I don't need this in pedal form at all. Something like the good old Alesis may be a more affordable option.

 

[EitherOr]

Those oldish alexis drum machines have input for pedals to start/stop/fill/etc so you can still have some control while playing, so might be a good choice if you find a cheap used one.