Glad to see another video on these units. Most of the Boss micro-rack units are fairly decent but unremarkable. However, the RPS-10 (Pitch Shifter Delay) and RSD-10 (Sample Delay) have some very interesting tricks up their sleeve. The pitch shifter unit can be pitch-controlled by an external audio source (so you could run a guitar through the unit, with a synth arpeggio sequence controlling the pitch input for a weird effect). And the Sample Delay unit makes small sample snippets of the incoming signals, the rate of which can be controlled by a gate-signal input on the back of the unit. For anyone looking to do some weird and experimental stuff, these particular two Boss units are really unique and worth seeking out.
Hi @lukecapitani4741 Thanks for the idea on the RPS-10. I may try to set something up with this unit. Unfortunately the RSD-10 is not within the owners collection and I don't know any other musicians that have these hidden in there storage. So for the time being that one may just need to stay on the ideas page. Jon
Hi. Thanks for the video. This is an interesting topic. While I was already a Roland fan in 1985, I was not really attracted to the micro rack series effects. I wonder why, but perhaps it's because effects like overdrive or compressor were seen as effects for guitar players. Here's a line from the Boss webpage (about vocal effects). They're saying the micro rack series was popular amongst guitarists and was also used by vocalists: In 1985, 9 years after launching the first BOSS pedal, CE-1 Chorus, BOSS entered the pro-audio market by releasing a series of half-size rack units that are now known as the Micro Rack Series. The range consisted of 14 different units (including the power supply) and now, more than 30 years later, there is still significant interest in these units on second-hand marketplace sites. The Micro Rack Series was popular amongst guitarists of the time, however, three of them also found their way into the hands of vocalists; the RCL-10 Compressor, the RRV-10 Digital Reverb & the RDD-10 Digital Delay, and this didn’t go unnoticed by BOSS.
Hi @midimoog Thanks for the information. I had read something similar, but as I said in the video I question the target audience for these devices. Maybe they found use in the studio market, but for live use I can’t see them being practical. As I said in the video many keyboard players that I knew in the 90’s used these in their rigs, but my conclusion, per the video was for a few dollars more the combined effects units gave a better result. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK I think that was the case for keyboard players: Multi-effectors were hitting the market and that worked better, yes. Midiverb/SPX90/DEP-5 appeared in 1986 and that's coincidentally two years from the micro racks. We wanted digital reverb and digital chorus back then. In my case, I bought a DEP-3 for reverb and a second hand REV7 for symphonic chorus. edit: Sorry that was only one year (basic math...)
Hi @midimoog Don’t worry about the maths, after the week I have had 2+2=5 for me! I bought a second hand MIDIverb as my first effects unit in 1991. The dimensions to the sound that this gave me was fantastic for my Yamaha DSR2000 and Yamaha FB01 which is what I was using at the time. Only later did I get the more sexy stuff! Jon
They were Boss' attempt to grab some of the Rocktron people that were buying that stuff. At least that's what I always thought. I bought one of those. They were expensive compared to a pedal. Mine came with a brass belt buckle that Said Boss and something like 197X - 1986. I used it as a key ring for over 25yrs then I lost my keys. BTW over here in the states American guitarists in the 80's used rack gear a lot!
Hi @twintriode I guess that they thought that you were going to stride onto stage, with you finger looped through the belt straps in a line dance fashion and thus give them some free advertising. Lol. It is a shame that your keys were lost as that buckle might have been worth a few dollars now! I agree that they were expensive for what they were, and the boss pedal range at less than half the price would have met most users expectations and requirements. It is interesting that you state that US based guitarists used rack mount equipment in the 80’s. Rack mounted guitar processing, while being around for over 30 years has not been really used on this side of the pond, with most of the guys I know electing for elaborate pedal boards to achieve the results. Jon
guitar rack units had a bit of a moment in the 80s. it started when guys uys wanted to integrate their studio gear with their live rig and that eventually lead to purpose-built rack units. lots of bad digital reverb soon followed lol.
Hi, thanks for your demo! I started using Boss BX-100 spring reverb and a Boss flanger pedal 1983 with my first synths. The Boss RDD-10 and Alesis Midiverb replaced these in 1985. Please make a demo of the RDD-20 before returning them, if you have the chance. I remember making some nice flanger/phaser/chorus FX's with my RDD-10, although somewhat noisy 🙂/CJ
Hi @cjk-28-JockeK Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately the 4 units demonstrated are the only units lent to me by the owner. I would have loved to do a video with the digital delay and chorus, as I have used these in the pedal format to great effect in the past. I can into keyboards in 1989 and my first effect unit was a second hand Alesis Midiverb, which supplied me with everything I needed for a few years. As I said in the video I always wanted the BOSS units, but after playing with them following the load I was to be frank a little bit underwhelmed. Jon
You are using them in a traditional manner, which is missing the point on these completely... The ROD 10 houses multiple iconic distortion circuits. You put the RGE before (and/or after) the distortion to shape the overtones created. The chords and timbre you fed it were limited. Quintal voicings are a good starting point. The RPS has cv over hold and pitch shifting(!), diligent use of which transform it into an instrument of near limitless sonic exploration. These will forever keep their value, and likely increase in price.
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Glad to see another video on these units.
Most of the Boss micro-rack units are fairly decent but unremarkable. However, the RPS-10 (Pitch Shifter Delay) and RSD-10 (Sample Delay) have some very interesting tricks up their sleeve. The pitch shifter unit can be pitch-controlled by an external audio source (so you could run a guitar through the unit, with a synth arpeggio sequence controlling the pitch input for a weird effect). And the Sample Delay unit makes small sample snippets of the incoming signals, the rate of which can be controlled by a gate-signal input on the back of the unit. For anyone looking to do some weird and experimental stuff, these particular two Boss units are really unique and worth seeking out.
Hi @lukecapitani4741
Thanks for the idea on the RPS-10. I may try to set something up with this unit. Unfortunately the RSD-10 is not within the owners collection and I don't know any other musicians that have these hidden in there storage. So for the time being that one may just need to stay on the ideas page. Jon
Hi. Thanks for the video. This is an interesting topic.
While I was already a Roland fan in 1985, I was not really attracted to the micro rack series effects. I wonder why, but perhaps it's because effects like overdrive or compressor were seen as effects for guitar players.
Here's a line from the Boss webpage (about vocal effects).
They're saying the micro rack series was popular amongst guitarists and was also used by vocalists:
In 1985, 9 years after launching the first BOSS pedal, CE-1 Chorus, BOSS entered the pro-audio market by releasing a series of half-size rack units that are now known as the Micro Rack Series. The range consisted of 14 different units (including the power supply) and now, more than 30 years later, there is still significant interest in these units on second-hand marketplace sites. The Micro Rack Series was popular amongst guitarists of the time, however, three of them also found their way into the hands of vocalists; the RCL-10 Compressor, the RRV-10 Digital Reverb & the RDD-10 Digital Delay, and this didn’t go unnoticed by BOSS.
Hi @midimoog
Thanks for the information. I had read something similar, but as I said in the video I question the target audience for these devices. Maybe they found use in the studio market, but for live use I can’t see them being practical. As I said in the video many keyboard players that I knew in the 90’s used these in their rigs, but my conclusion, per the video was for a few dollars more the combined effects units gave a better result. Jon
@@TheMusicTechGuyUK I think that was the case for keyboard players: Multi-effectors were hitting the market and that worked better, yes.
Midiverb/SPX90/DEP-5 appeared in 1986 and that's coincidentally two years from the micro racks. We wanted digital reverb and digital chorus back then. In my case, I bought a DEP-3 for reverb and a second hand REV7 for symphonic chorus.
edit: Sorry that was only one year (basic math...)
Hi @midimoog
Don’t worry about the maths, after the week I have had 2+2=5 for me!
I bought a second hand MIDIverb as my first effects unit in 1991. The dimensions to the sound that this gave me was fantastic for my Yamaha DSR2000 and Yamaha FB01 which is what I was using at the time. Only later did I get the more sexy stuff! Jon
They were Boss' attempt to grab some of the Rocktron people that were buying that stuff. At least that's what I always thought. I bought one of those. They were expensive compared to a pedal. Mine came with a brass belt buckle that Said Boss and something like 197X - 1986. I used it as a key ring for over 25yrs then I lost my keys. BTW over here in the states American guitarists in the 80's used rack gear a lot!
Hi @twintriode
I guess that they thought that you were going to stride onto stage, with you finger looped through the belt straps in a line dance fashion and thus give them some free advertising. Lol. It is a shame that your keys were lost as that buckle might have been worth a few dollars now!
I agree that they were expensive for what they were, and the boss pedal range at less than half the price would have met most users expectations and requirements.
It is interesting that you state that US based guitarists used rack mount equipment in the 80’s. Rack mounted guitar processing, while being around for over 30 years has not been really used on this side of the pond, with most of the guys I know electing for elaborate pedal boards to achieve the results. Jon
guitar rack units had a bit of a moment in the 80s. it started when guys uys wanted to integrate their studio gear with their live rig and that eventually lead to purpose-built rack units. lots of bad digital reverb soon followed lol.
Hi @myguitardidyermom212
All my guitar friends stuck to the BOSS style pedals in a pedal board, so I saw only a few rack mount environments. Jon
Hi, thanks for your demo! I started using Boss BX-100 spring reverb and a Boss flanger pedal 1983 with my first synths. The Boss RDD-10 and Alesis Midiverb replaced these in 1985. Please make a demo of the RDD-20 before returning them, if you have the chance. I remember making some nice flanger/phaser/chorus FX's with my RDD-10, although somewhat noisy 🙂/CJ
Hi @cjk-28-JockeK
Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately the 4 units demonstrated are the only units lent to me by the owner. I would have loved to do a video with the digital delay and chorus, as I have used these in the pedal format to great effect in the past.
I can into keyboards in 1989 and my first effect unit was a second hand Alesis Midiverb, which supplied me with everything I needed for a few years. As I said in the video I always wanted the BOSS units, but after playing with them following the load I was to be frank a little bit underwhelmed. Jon
You are using them in a traditional manner, which is missing the point on these completely...
The ROD 10 houses multiple iconic distortion circuits. You put the RGE before (and/or after) the distortion to shape the overtones created. The chords and timbre you fed it were limited. Quintal voicings are a good starting point.
The RPS has cv over hold and pitch shifting(!), diligent use of which transform it into an instrument of near limitless sonic exploration.
These will forever keep their value, and likely increase in price.
Hi @lebannerfan65
Thank you for the update. I will take the comments into account if I get the chance to shoot some more with these units. Jon