RC3 Converter

Extract text from Loop and genealogy files (RC3)

Select File
Drop or upload your .RC3 file

Online File Converter

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How to extract text from your RC3 file

Click the "Select File" button above, and choose your RC3 file.
You’ll see a preview, if available.
Click the "Convert file to..." button to extract text information.

Convert RC3 to another file type

To convert RC3 files to another format, you need Boss Tone Studio or other Settings software.

Convert a file to RC3

To convert other file formats to the "Configuration File" file type, you need software like Boss Tone Studio or a similar tool.

About RC3 files

The .RC3 file extension serves three distinct, niche purposes, with the most common being a configuration file for Boss Loop Stations (specifically the RC-300 and RC-3).

1. Boss Loop Station Settings (Primary)

Found typically as MEMORY.RC3 inside the ROLAND\DATA folder of the device, this file acts as the "brain" of your loop. While the actual audio is stored in separate WAV files, the .RC3 file contains the binary metadata: tempo, time signature, rhythm guide patterns, and pedal assignments.

The Problem: Because it is a proprietary binary format, you cannot double-click to open it in Microsoft Word or a text editor. Users often mistakenly try to convert this file to MP3, resulting in errors.

The Solution:

For Audio: Ignore the .RC3 file and locate the corresponding WAV files in the WAVE folder. These can be converted to MP3, AAC, or FLAC using standard audio converters.
For Settings: To "convert" or view these settings, you generally need to load the file back onto a Boss device or use community-developed scripts to parse the binary data into a readable TXT or XML format for archiving.

2. Genealogy Project Database

Less frequently, an .RC3 file is a legacy database component used by older genealogy software like The Master Genealogist (discontinued) or early versions of Family Tree Maker. In this context, it functions as a JetDB (Jet Database) fragment holding family tree records. These files are notoriously difficult to open without the original software. The best "conversion" method is to reinstall the legacy software and export the project to a standard GED (GEDCOM) file, which can then be imported into modern tools like Ancestry or Gramps.

3. Call Recording

Rarely, this format is used by the GSAPRO Call Recording System to store encoded audio streams. These are often proprietary wrappers around standard audio data. Converting these usually requires the original playback utility to export to WAV.

Convert.Guru analyzes your RC3 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.

Users also converted CR3, RC2 and JPG files.

FAQ

If you want to convert RC3 file to JPG, OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D, STL or PLY, you can use Boss Tone Studio or similar software from the "Loop Station Settings Backup" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….

To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to RC3, try Boss Tone Studio or another comparable tool in the "Loop Station Settings Backup" category.

The RC3 Converter Story

The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our RC3 converter.