The Nux does work with the RC-5 and it is half the price of the Boss one. Also I think I prefer the side-by-side switch arrangement.
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Thanks - Iāve been pretty impressed with other gear from NU-X.
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So far Iāve only bought one NUX product. Itās an itty bitty portable amp that can run on battery (and also works as a bluetooth speaker). Works great for travel, such as if I go camping. I can also go to a campfire jam type thing and not overpower the acoustic guitars. It really does have some limited uses, honestly. Most of the time in those scenarios, Iāll be playing an acoustic guitar, anyway.
But it does have a handful of drum rhythms I can access (via the app) and itās currently the way I can connect headphones. So this is currently how I can play āsilentlyā which isnāt really an option with an acoustic. It can also apply a limited number of effects. This is what I use when truly silent play is a priority.
Now that I have the Boss Rhythm Partner, I donāt tend to use the drums in the NUX amp unless Iām already using it for silent play with my electric. The Rhythm Partner is close to the same size, can run on batteries, and can take an aux input (not BT, but I can plug a music player straight into it). It has a line out, but not a headphone out.
On another note, Iām trying to prioritize which of the pedals in my list should be my next one. I ordered the OD pedal long enough ago (took about a month to get built) that Iām probably fine getting another now (unless itās the beat buddy, since that one has a pretty premium price). I think Iām leaning towards the looper since it has the widest variety of uses. But it also makes sense to get a tuner pedal, given that Iāll be using it pretty much anytime I pick up my electric guitar (whether I use the looper or not).
Doesnāt really make sense to get the POG yet, since my intent is to use that one with the looper, anyway. And the Beat Buddy is expensive enough that I probably ought to wait another paycheck or two.
In my opinion, the looper is the first pedal everyone should get. Itās a superb practice tool, I use mine (at least two of the three I own!) every day.
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hearing this sort of advice pretty frequently is a major reason why the looper is what Iām considering next.
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Itās a bit tricky advising you on this one. You seem keen on the Beat Buddy, but also plan to get a looper. You may find that if you get a looper with decent drums included, that you donāt actually need the Beat Buddy at all. However, if you do end up getting the BB first then you will need to buy a looper that can integrate with that.
If you are trying to add drums to a loop then there has to be some way of synchronising them. Thatās the beauty of the RC-5 - it does it for you. Loops are automatically made to fit the beat.
Iād suggest checking out the Boss loopers and seeing if you think the drum sounds are good enough for your purpose. Maybe the Boss RC-10R would be a good compromise option.
thatās the other big reason the beat buddy is lower on the list. There are some things it can do that Iām pretty sure are things I want. Namely the software ability to program your own rhythms before you start playing. I already play some songs where Iād like a drum rhythm, but the time signature changes during the song and the tempo changes and so on. The ability to essentially tell the BB to start and/or switch songs is a plus for me. Maybe as I grow in my playing Iāll feel more comfortable controlling all those functions live.
Would I use drum rhythms that are built into a looper pedal if I had it? Sure I would. Maybe theyād hold me over for awhile that I wouldnāt buy the beat buddy for awhile. Maybe it would just make me want the extra software control and programmability even more. Iām a lot less clear about how much the Boss Tone Studio software lets you do. If it lets you program rhythms similarly or just lets you download new pre-made ones onto the pedal. I suppose Iād learn the answers to those questions if I got the looper first and started experimenting with it.
Iāve just been looking at the RC-10R.
The 10R can do what you need I think. You can have two separate tracks (and their related loops) and switch between them at any time. It can put in a fill in the changeover.
Check out the features - plenty of YouTube videos. In fact. Iām thinking I may need to sell my RC-5 and get one myself. I think it addresses most of the small annoyances I have.
The 10R can also load your own SMF rhythms.
i see what youāre saying. I think I spy independent knobs for rhythm volume and loop volume, too. reading a bunch of reviews, though, I do see a fair number who think bossā drum stuff is weak compared to the beat buddyās. do I want to spend that much on something thatās lackluster for such a major part of its function? the price on it is tipping a little bit into the range where I want to be certain itās something Iāll like.
I was a little tempted today when I saw that the guy I bought the pedalboard and power supply from listed a Boss RC-1 for sale.
Yeah, I saw that and it really appeals to me. I am adjusting levels a lot and it is pain to do it through menus.
Fair enough. I think the Beat Buddy is widely considered the best for this. Iām only playing in my small studio so not a concern for me.
No midi so wonāt sync with a Beat Buddy.
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Is live looping to goal here? You are starting to look at a pretty sophisticated set up with loopers and drum machines connected with midi.
When I use a looper (RC5, RC600 or NuX Loop Core) I am either using it just to play a simple rhythm (effectively a metronome) or Iām putting down a simple loop to jam over. I have used them live, but rarely - itās a whole other skill!
If you want to program verse / chorus / bridge drums / backing tracks for home use then an alternative could be to use a DAW. I use Garageband which can easily do this, I assume other DAWs can too.
Iād had both a looper and drum pedal on my vague list of wants for awhile but didnāt see many immediate uses for them, home or live.
my wife started playing a song a few weeks ago, as she decided to perform it for an open mic. it sounded like something I could jump in on, so I grabbed my electric and started playing along. I forget exactly what I was playing, but I was doing some sort of rhythm that I think included both strumming and arpeggiating (my wife was strumming her uke and singing). I was just playing whatever sounded good within the framework of the chord progression of the song that I felt paired well with what my wife was doing. It sounded cool, but there was a riff in there, too, that would have been awesome to include on top of the rhythm. another song she was working on for that particular open mic had a signature bass line that I could totally play. so that got me thinking about the looper and a pedal that can mimic a bass.
My wife has been bugging me to learn to play bass for quite awhile. ukulele bass, in particular, but sheās not too picky. A friend of ours whoās in a local band brought up the pedal for the first time a long while ago, but again, I didnāt see an immediate use for it so it wasnāt high on my priority list.
with drums that I could program for specific songs and otherwise have a bit more control over, Iād definitely use drums a little more often than I currently do for home play and practice. With the POG or similar, Iād have a few different ways I could use the looper for either practice or live play.
As Iāve mentioned already, I have the Boss Rhythm Partner that can play straight rhythms easily enough. It doesnāt have fills, but it does have a TON of variations. Itās my metronome, basically. If I connect a pedal to it, it can change between different rhythms (and I think also time signatures), but itās something Iād have to stay on top of and tap that pedal in time during play. And for something that Bossā legal paperwork says you donāt have license to use in performances (either online or live), I donāt think I want to bother going there.
so basically, yes, the answer is for both live playing and also home use. Not necessarily that theyād both be used for every song, but theyād both get used. and obviously Iād need to practice with them a lot before I got good enough to use them in a performance. and if I got good enough at using them, we could totally play together and have a full band while I controlled the pedals live.
As for the DAW thing, yeah, I get it. Even Guitar Pro can sorta do some of this. But I donāt really have a workflow to involve a DAW into my playing unless Iām actually recording something. And I donāt particularly care to. When I play, I like to be able to step away from the computer. Not that I always do, but Iām trying to do it more.
good point. so the RC-5 looks like it would do what I want from a looper standpoint and have a little bit of drum stuff I could use in the meantime while I save for the drum pedal I really want. and have capacity to add extra controls (pretty sure Iāll want thisā¦just have to space out the purchases) and also do midi sync.
Would I be correct in saying that I could theoretically have two instruments plugged into the A and B inputs so I could make loops with two different instruments? not an immediate use, of course, but something to grow into maybe?
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Yes, stereo inputs and outputs, so you can feed in two different instruments.
I should also point out that if you buy āgoodā pedals (ie ones with a strong reputation or big brand names like Boss or MXR) you can sell them again fairly easily and get a decent amount of your money back. Especially if you also bought them second hand in the first place. Iāve bought and sold stuff on Reverb in the past, but I now use a local shop that sells on commission.
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This is a fact. Good pedals go for good money. For sure save the box.
As Josh at JHS says
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good to know itās there in case I decide I want to use it.
any advice against purchasing said used pedals? The OD I got came from a small builder, so used ones arenāt exactly widely available. But for stuff thatās more common and more widely available, is there a reason NOT to buy used?
Iād rather save a few bucks if I can.
Iām definitely amused by seeing as many of these RC-5 pedals listed for notably more than either GC or Sweetwater are selling them for brand new right now. But most of them are less. Some for enough less that Iād definitely take advantage if there arenāt any big gotchas I need to look for.
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I suppose ya could buy a product that donāt work, if ya donāt check it out first. Or have to deal with some schmuck thatās the seller. The schmuck ya canāt get around short of just leaving the scene. The bad product ya can get around by testing prior to purchase. Of course, I suppose ya can get unlucky and try something first and still have it fail shortly there after. Not much ya can do about that.
Other than that.
About half my gear was bought used.
Iāve only dealt with one schmuck. And he was fine till I decided I didnāt want what he was selling. Then he became a schmuck.
About half of my pedals (which aināt a whole lot) were bought used. All have suited me just fine. All have stayed working, and some were cheapo pedals (joyo) to start with.
2 of my three amps are used. They suit me fine and were generally more expensive than a pedal. 2 of my 3 guitars are used. I love them both and have now had them for years.
One other good aspect of used is ya can get obsolete items.
While Iāve not got any obsolete pedals, I for sure got obsolete amps and guitars. Both of which I was searching out prior to purchase. In other words, I knew what I wanted and was looking for. fwiw. When looking for something like that, yaād best snatch it up unless thereās something horrible wrong with it. The two obsolete amps I got seem to have been sheer luck in finding what I wanted. Iāve not seen a used one of either of them since purchase years ago. And I do watch the want adsā¦
imho.
Save your bread. Buy used. Itās a good idea. Generally. 
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Used is generally fine. A lot of really good pedals are made for only short runs, are limited edition type production or not even made any more. So you may only find those used, or if lucky new old stock.
I am a member of the JHS Scotts Tots group and there are guys and even some girls who search all over looking for coveted pedals in any conditions and will fix them up restore to former glory. Its a big thing.
Also some pedals are known for the their extremely solid base for modding capability, so people seek them out. For example the older DS-1 with the through hole board components. You can find them for as little as $45 to $50 USD. But the black labels DS-1s from 1984 with a box are around $200 USD, I would not be modding those. Lol.
Also if buying used watch for shipping costs that can eat up savings