In 2006, Boss rolled out the RC-2 as a compact, pedalboard-friendly iteration of the popular RC-20XL loop station. Housed in the regular-size Boss pedal case, the RC-2 packs a surprising amount of features in a stompbox package.
The RC-2 can record and store up to 16 mono minutes of audio, either from your own instrument or other external input devices, such as MP3 players/recorders. Each of your layered loop creations can be stored to one of 11 internal patch preset locations. As powerful as this little Loop Station is, it's easy to use with clearly labeled buttons and knobs with no hidden menus or commands to impede the creative process. It records, layers, and loops, but it has other powerful features, such as a jam-along Rhythm Guide, Auto Start, Tap Tempo, Loop Quantize, and Undo/Redo.
This 2007 Boss RC-2 shows some wear and tear, but it functions 100% as it should. The Mode knob is bent, but it turns and changes the mode without issue. We are tempted to bend it back into place, but for fear of breaking a part that's hard to replace, we're going to leave that decision up to the next owner.
Within a few years of its release, the RC-2 basically became the standard for loop stations, and it's easy to see why. It's easy to use, chock full of features, and it doesn't get in the way your creativity!