Build Quality:4.9 out of 5 stars
Hardware:4.8 out of 5 stars
Electronics:4.8 out of 5 stars
Sound:4.8 out of 5 stars
Value:4.9 out of 5 stars
Average:4.8 out of 5 stars

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Pros:

  • Quiet operation
  • True bypass
  • Great boost
  • Good quality

Cons:

  • Gain 2 knob is not easily accessible on the fly
  • Volume knob alters your tone a bit

Music is such a queer thing – you would think that it requires special and exciting equipment in order to be interesting, while in reality, you need the simplest things. Those inaudible yet powerful effects can do more to your sound than the warmest and most saturated distortion. I am not trying to say that recognizable audio effects are not amazing for your overall performance. I am just saying that sometimes you just need a unit that will add extra ‘oomph’ to your sound and make it stand out even more. After all, nobody will care about your multi-layered effects if the notes are simply inaudible. And that is where boost pedals come into play.

They do not do anything crazy – rather they are extremely straightforward in their nature. But it takes a single chord to notice just how much difference they make. Do not even get me started on the expensive variations that take your sound from 5 to 10. In my opinion, boosters are superpowers that any musician needs to beat all those frightening villains (i.e. disasters that can happen on stage). Today we are going to talk about Xotic – a brand that holds the leading role in the world of boosters. They have put together a second version of their famous RC Booster to make our lives so much better. Let’s begin this journey and discuss all the capabilities of this one!

Features

Judging from the nature of boosters, you might not exactly think that they can be versatile. After all, they just have to strengthen your signal and add some gain to it, right? Well, trust me my friend, that is a piece of crap. Xotic RC Booster V2 proves that even such minimalistic units can have a wide range of features that will help you in the process of making your sound better. It goes without saying that this bad boy is built with high-grade components, with all the hardware being protected with a sturdy, rugged chassis.

The design will remind you of those futuristic movies with its high shiny silver surface that almost looks like a mirror. It has white knobs and colorful LEDs that spice things up and turn this pedal into a showstopper device. But we have way more interesting things to talk about. Unlike your typical boosters, RC Booster V2 offers two different gain stages that add up to 20dB of clean boost to your sound. It has two footswitches that enable you to switch between these stages on the fly. In addition, it has a two-band EQ that adds or cuts 15dB in your frequencies.

This way you can boost and equalize your signal simultaneously and enhance the qualities that your instrument might lack a bit. This fella can be powered either with a 9V battery or a 9 to 18V adapter. The latter will give you, even more, headroom to maintain the transparency and clarity of the effect. This baby is truly magnificent as its properties will force you to have it on all the freaking time. Boosting your sound has never been more enjoyable!

Controls

The control panel is the most beautiful thing about this unit, in my personal opinion. There is something really sleek about those white knobs and the color combination of complementary LEDs. Plus, there is one encoder that is an LED itself so everything is shiny over here. The set of encoders is intuitive, as you have everything to tweak your sound meticulously. This way your boosting experience becomes more professional and achieving studio-quality sounds becomes a piece of cake. To understand exactly what I am talking about, let’s break everything down below.

The section starts with Gain 1. It alters the amount of gain that is added in the first stage. Below you will see Volume which modifies the level of the overall output and really accentuates the boost you add. Next to these two, you will see the shiny knob I mentioned above, i.e. Gain 2. It does the same thing as Gain 1 but for the second stage, enabling you to pair these two for maximum results. Then we have individual knobs for Bass and Treble, making it possible to accentuate or tone down the desired frequencies with ease. As I have mentioned above, we do also have two footswitches that add up to the convenience of this one. The first one is labeled as Gain 1+2 and allows you to add a second gain stage, while the second one activates the whole pedal.

RC Booster Sound

The sound of Xotic RC Booster V2 will pleasantly submerge you in waves of beautiful feelings. It immediately activates its superpowers as you plug it in and when you mess around with knobs slightly, you start hearing the added body of your signal. With subtle settings, it enriches the spectrum and makes your sound fuller. As you start cranking it up, you notice that your sound becomes unstoppable – everyone can hear it and enjoy the smoothness of its texture. As you enhance bass frequencies, you receive a lower end that is really saturated with character.

The same goes for the trebles that can add those necessary harmonics. The character of RC Booster V2 is 100% transparent – it will not color your tone and that is guaranteed. Though it changes your sound just a bit but in a positive way – there is something about its ambiance that just makes everything sound better. This pedal is definitely a must-have for those who love professional sounds and are picky with their tone.

Conclusion

Xotic has always been a brand that does not go too high in the price range, yet always sets the highest bar with quality. Their sounds speak a different language – a language that only purist ears can understand. RC Booster V2 is one of the best boosters out there and those who have played with the previous version will definitely know what I am talking about. Just when you thought that those sounds could not get better, Xotic created something that is even more amazing. Good luck!

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