Boss Multi-Effects for Electric Guitar

Sound synthesis for guitar players? Exactly! Ladies and gentlemen, from now on sound synthesis no longer is the privilege of the sole keyboard players! But was it really the case until now? Whatever... Let's make it short (I'll edit this review when I'm more experienced with it. I've only had it since early September, have already created a dozen sounds with it and used it twice live). Here are a few constatations: - the SY300 has NOTHING TO DO with whatever was available before and usurped the name of "guitar synth". Nothing to do. I won't quote any brand, but there are not so many to sell guitar synth pedals that sound nothing serious. - the SY300 is not to be compared with all the Roland GKxx-type MIDI pickups, either in technology or the approach of their practical use to make music. These MIDI pickups (hexaphonic guitar pickups) are used to trigger real, sampled sounds of piano, sax, violins (and so on) and even... guitars (sic, getting a guitar sound while playing the guitar, how amazing!). Nothing to do either. As far as I'm concerned I never took this road, if I want to play the piano i play the piano, or ask a piano-playing friend to do this for me. But this is up to everyone and the SY300 is absolutely not a competitor for such systems. And, don't forget, the input source of the SY300 is SOUND! Not a MIDI value! A great difference, isn't it? Just to say that, of course, no hexa MIDI sensor is needed to use the SY: your guitar’s standard jack will do. - so the SY300 is a synth! Yes, a synth which input is whatever you feed it with – not literally, of course, what I mean is, the SY300 accepts all sorts of sound sources, not only guitars but really all sorts of sound sources, even mic’ed voices. - It features three oscillators, LFOs, filters and so on - it also features a multieffects that leaves behind most dedicated multieffects you can find these days. I’m a former HD500 user so I can compare: soundwise and regarding ease of use, they don’t compare. Direct feature editing is as simple as it was difficult to edit the HD500 without using Line6’s software editor. Boss also released a soft editor for the SY300, I do use it but I can just as easily configure everything with the box in standalone, with no GUI. A definite plus in my eyes. The SY300 is a synth, which involves that if you have no technical knowledge whatsoever regarding sound synthesis you’re gonna have a hard time developing your own sounds with it (the multieffect function left aside). It is indeed necessary to know at least a few things in that regard to use the SY300 for something else than the original presets which I’d call, err… pure sh*t, except for 4 or 5 out of 70. I personally learnt it all with a few Korg synths (including the MS20 and DSS-1, many years ago) and now I still use the Micro Korg, a real wonder that has all the roots of what you can do with a synth and a keyboard. So the SY300 has three oscillators, independant from each other (of course), which can be activated or not. Each has several associated parameters including waveform and pitch – try to imagine all you can do with just the three oscillators oneach with a differet waveform, different pitch and so on… Then come the filters : length, cut, resonance,. I’m not detailing everything here but these parameters are enough to show that we are here in the world of sound synthesis and that, obviously, the sound creation possibilities are almost infinite, and I’m only mentioning the synth’s basics. The SY300 offers many more wonders such as a small 16-step sequencer that you can set up as you like. This pedal (sounds a bit restrictive compared to how powerful it is but hey, it is meant to be activated using your foot) also features a tuner, and allows to associate CTL switches to precise functions (like opening the filters on a patch). Let’s now consider routing, or how the sound « travels » through the synth. This is one of the SY300’s strongest points. You can route oscillators it almost any way you like, just like the multieffect if you use it (you don’t really have to if you don’t want to). While it only has one “in” (which is way enough), the SY300 offers two “out” busses, MAIN and SUB (stereo or mono/L if need be). It is possible to assign the oscillators’ and effects’ routings to either, or both. As far as I’m concerned, for now, I only use the SUB out (I’ll explain why in a minute). There’s also a THRU jack output which allows keeping the raw, unprocessed guitar sound, unaffected bu the SY300’s sound synthesis modules (unless of course a stompbox or another effect is places before the SY300 in in the chain). Let’s get back to how I use it sor shows (or in the studio, for recording or rehearsal). Here’s how it goes: - guitar plugged first into the SY300’s INPUT jack - a jack comes out of the THRU out (raw, unaffected guitar signal) to my pedalboard. Yes, I have kept my good ol’ analog stompboxes (see pic), with the likes of Maxon OD, chorus, Boss DD20 and so on, YET I’m gonna dig deeper into the SY300’s multieffect section as the chorus and delays I’ve tried so far are very good, just like the OD/Dists (hey, there's even a metal zone sound!). - The pedalboard goes straight to the amp - The SY300’s sound comes out of the SUB jack outs to one of my PA’s stereo inputs. NEVER route the SY300 towards an amp!! Well, of course you can do what you please, but it just sounds awful, and by the way it wasn’t even designed for that. If Boss made it this way and included two stereo outs, it’s not just like that. During the show, I activate the synth when needed using the left on/off switch. Before that, I will have changed (or not) the patch using the CTL2(up)/CTL3(down) switches to change patches instantly. No latency, neither when changing patch or when playing. Really great, and I haven’t even yet mentioned the sound… The sound, by the way : I’m currently using a dozen different patches (none of the factory ones, or deeply remodelled from some of them). My arsenal is quite simple: “synth strings”-type sounds, some fat moog-style leads (EVERYTHING is possible with chords), a metal zone (with no oscillators, well, just like a real MT2 except I can add a reverb, delay, compressor and so on if need be) and other great sounds, some old-sounding but all come well with the band’s songs, which is what matters. Sounds are synthesized sounds, keep that in mind,. Once again, we’re not here expecting perfect modelling of a symphonic orchestra or a big band, but frankly, even only for the strings, it does the trick. I am approximately at 10% of what I can get out of this SY300, so I’ll update my review later in a little time. There also is a great US-based forum where a lot of SY300 users exchange reviews, advices and even patches. Here it is: http://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?board=189.0 There are also a lot of SY300-related videos on Youtube, but I’d say 80% of them are hopelessly useless, with people only reviewing the 70 (bad-sounding) factory presets, which are just as useless as those videos. In a nutshell, I wouldn’t hesitate to say the SY300 is a real turning point, not only regarding synth guitars (how I HATE this expression – it just should be banned!) but even sound synthesis. For synthesis addicts, who never dreamed to activate the ADSR adequation with the palm of their hand – not with a keyboard and keys? Well, Boss made it with the SY300. Incredible, but true, my friend! :) Your guitar-player’s hand does it all ! (well, technically essentially the attack and release, the decay and sustain can be set up within the SY). Overall, it’s really, really good! :) Eric EDIT : some soundcloud sound samples : http://www.soundcloud.com/sy300

I picked this up dirt cheap! IDK why? It has ALOT of features and uses! Guitar, vocals, FX processor! Great Amps and dynamic quality of real tube amps! Specs= BOSS GT-001 Guitar Amp/Effects Processor and USB Audio Interface Features: -High-quality 24-bit/44.1kHz audio recording via USB -Record with your favorite microphone via the XLR input -Process your voice or acoustic guitar too, with specially-designed patches for vocals and acoustics -Start exploring right away with 200 built-in patches, with 200 user slots to store your own creations -Play your software instruments with your guitar, thanks to built-in guitar-to-MIDI conversion -Create and organize your own patches with the BOSS Tone Studio software (free download for Mac/PC) -Connect your own expression pedal or footswitches for even more control over your sound -Four knobs give you fast access to your patch's parameters -External audio input lets you connect your music player, drum machine, etc. I have a Zoom G3 and in comparison the Zoom has higher fidelity but slightly less dynamics on the amp tones. May be the Zoom's 32 bit processing vs the BOSS's 24 bit? It has all the amps of the $500 floor unit too! The Marshall Plexi "Brown Sound" is the best I've ever heard! EVH true tone there. Great tracking on the Gtr to MIDI coversion too. Lots of EQ's on this and great FX. Large FX chain too of everything most want/need. Best acoustic sim I have ever heard! Worth way more than the $300 price IMO.

BOSS ME-5 -UPGRADE KIT - just £13.99 Few people realise that the ME-5 incorporates the classic BOSS pedal internals that are now vintage in their own right including the: CS-2, DS-1, OD-2, RV-3, EQ-1, CE-2, DD-2, BF-2 all together with a switchable Noise Suppressor that calms the proceedings. NOW THIS all up-to-date set of BOUTIQUE Patches which gives you many great new sounds such as: Univibe, Vibratone, (and other Leslie effects), Rangemaster, Fuzz-Face, Tweed and driven Deluxe Reverb emulations, classic JTM45, Rockabilly, Bluesbreaker, 'Rectified' and 'Twang' - all classic tones in various states - and not modelled!! These new sounds can be uploaded either via sysex/midi and your PC or by manual input from the parameters chart provided. Click the link where to hear them and more details. https://boss-pedals.jimdo.com Set also contains a wealth of Editor software, MIDI utilities and other apps so that you can fully integrate your BOSS ME-5 into your music/studio software setup. Contact direct: via boss-pedals.jimdo.com £13.99 - inc shipping worldwide

(Originally written by pierrelaforge/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Features: Already described on this page... Generally speaking I would say the Boss ME50 offers the following advantages: - direct access to the parameters (no complicated menus, etc.) - Comprehensive connections: stereo output on TS phone jack, line output with a tiny integrated preamp, line input to feed your favorite CDs... - Very good tuner (much better than in most multieffects...) I do miss a USB port to connect the unit to a PC. It's a must have in the DAW era. ***TIP*** You can plug a standard amp footswitch into the ME50 footswitch connector to control the mic simulation and the compressor (it worked with my Laney dual-channel footswitch). Useful... UTILIZATION Very easy to use, beginners shouldn't have any problem. What about the user's manual? I haven't opened it except to set the expression pedal (see paragraph below)!! Note: you'll have to calibrate your expression pedal if it suddenly turns on and off when you try to control the volume with your foot (see manual: push a button while you turn off the unit, blah blah blah). After that, set the switch value to "2" ("1": the switch is too responsive; "6": you'll have to depress like a madman). SOUND QUALITY Distortion effects: 2 or 3 are really nice (like a RAT or Tube Screamer) but most of them don't sound very good especially with a high gain! The metal distortions and the crunch sounds sound quite artificial. Reverb effects: the hall verb is great, but the other two settings are unusable (cathedral, etc.) Delay effects: nothing to say... Wah-wah effect: quite good... Compressor: ok. But you cannot set it correctly with only two parameters... Hard settings can easily generate feedback so I don't use the compressor. OVERALL OPINION I used it 2-3 years and just sold it a few days ago. The unit is alright and, of course, the sound also depends on the amp you're using. It will produce powerful sounds with a decent tube amp. It sounds better with high gain sounds than with clean or crunch sounds. I recommend you to use it in manual mode in order to control the effects with a footswitch...Don't use the sound bank mode where effects are assigned to A1, A2, etc. Why? Because in bank mode you'll get a short silence every time you switch... You won't have that problem in manual mode.

Compressor, overdrive/distortion, eq, delay, chorus/flanger, reverb It's all digital, except the distortions, which are analog, according to the manual. UTILIZATION Very easy to use. Really awesome. SOUND QUALITY The compressor is very good and, especially, silent. The delay and chorus are very good, just like the reverbs. The flanger is a bit less precise and watch out for extreme settings, because the sound turns muddled. The distortions aren't really bad at all. OVERALL OPINION I've been using it for 17 years It's awesome for clean sounds, but not so for distortion, although you can always add distortion pedals before it. In short, a relic, not uninteresting for fans of clean sounds, if not expensive. It lacks a phaser, though.

Boss GT-8...wow. Loads of effects.Loads of amp models.Loads of DISTORTION pedal models! Sheesh...what will they think of next? Anyway this guy has MIDI,USB,PCP... lol. All digital..I think..unless there is something analog on the compression and e.q.'s. Definitely ZERO tubes in this baby. Everything seems to be a model of something. Foot pedal...definitely not rack mountable, (but they do have the GT8 studio version... twice the price... not sure the benefits.. besides sticking it in a rack and then having to buy ANOTHER footcontroller.. grrrrr) UTILIZATION Um...Very simple as far as programming, saving presets, etc. Pretty intuitive, but you will need to consult the manual.... which compared to the manual for the Digitech GSP2101 (yeah, yeah...I have a review out for that) is very, very simple. It is pretty straightforward, but like anything else, when you want to really seriously build your own presets from the ground up..you will have to use the manual..(sorry kids!) Lots of knobs, dials and buttons... so for sound shaping, amp models,distortion models.. easy to get started. The presets are actually not terrible either... so... you can hit the ground running. SOUND QUALITY Mmmm.. varies. I am not so crazy about the cab models...I prefer running this into a tube poweramp, then into closed back cabs as a preamp. Quiet. Exciting high gain models.. clean models are good, certainly usable... bordering on very, very good. I have heard a lot of complaints about digital artifacts and fuzziness from this unit. I think with a good tube power amp, it adds an organic flavor, and couple this with some good warm speakers you can get a bit more tube life and more active harmonics. The effects on this unit are not great...I guess I would compare them all to floor pedal type effects. No TC or Eventide here. They are missing the parameter controls and quality that you would expect from any world class effects unit, but it is certainly usable for live work as an all-in-one solution... very convenient and easy to tweak according to the venue. The highlight models would be the 5150 and Soldano models...not spot-on, but lots of fun. Pinched harmonic madness with either of those. Wah models are surprisingly decent..fair amount of variation and gets very close to Crybaby's etc. Using Les Pauls,Strats,Tele's, other metal-ly type guitars. Run it into a Carvin T100 power amp into a pair of Eminence Cannabis Rex equipped closed back cabs. Sometimes run a Keeley TS-9 and Vox Clyde reissue on the front end for variation. OVERALL OPINION Had this unit for about 2 years now...I like the portability of it, the amount of effects and truly, the overall quality of models/effects are great for such a compact package. You could just take this to a gig and hook it up to the mixing board. Not the greatest and most real deal for dynamics, but it would work as a great backup or for low level type gigs. Instant upgrade hooked into a tube amp and good cabinet. Brings it into more real amp territory.I play a lot of different things...I think this is probably overall superior in realism over the Line 6 floorboard alternatives...( At least for the 2 high gain models.. ) and although I would never really consider going into the studio to cut an album with this (or anything from Line 6 for that matter) It is a great value for overall quality and quantity of effects. Perfect live solution.. with an effects loop to add whatever extra "gotta have" effects into the mix.

The Boss GT-10 Multi-effects unit has just about every effect a gigging musician will need. Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Harmonist,Advanced Amp modeling and much, much more. Boss uses a new technology they call COSM or Composite Object Sound Modeling. While the average guy doesn't have to know what that is exactly, it equates the best sounding Boss multi effects unit to date. The GT-10 is equipt with USB capability, Parralel Effects chain, MIDI capability, and a digital out making recording a snap. It also comes with an expression pedal for various functions including wah, channel blending, pitch bends, and more. UTILIZATION Having been through several BOSS muti-effects units in the past including the GT-8 which was incredibly hard to figure out, the GT-10 is light years ahead as far as ease-of-use. I had it producing great sounds in ten minutes with the EZ Tone function. It took me ten minutes in the past to know the GT-8 was way too complicated and was going back to the store. It also took ten minutes to know the GT-10 was the perfect unit for me and was never going back. The menus are intuative enough for the average guy to understand and manipulate. When I did get stuck, the users manual was clear and concise enough to help me figure it out. SOUND QUALITY The sound quality is fantastic and works perfect through the effects loop on my guitar amplifier. The level control in an easy to access place on the top allows me to blend my volume by foot while on stage to match the loop level. In some cases the GT-10 produces such great tones, I will volume the unit up to allow its tone to dominate my amplifier's core tone. OVERALL OPINION Overall the GT-10 is the gigging musician's best friend. I now have two because I can't imagine going on stage without it. I love its ease of use and the fact that it can do just about anything I need it to in the context of a cover band playing many styles and types of music. The phrase looper is a great feature and is a great way to lay down a simple rythem and practice over it. Some people complain they need stomp boxes as the quality of a multi-effects unit usually falls short. Those players may not have tried the GT-10. The sound quality is unmatched by any unit I have owned or tried in the past. It has also been extremely road worthy and I have had no problems. If I had to find one thing that would be an improvement, it might be an extra long power chord for those places where power is tough to get to. All in all the GT-10 is a great choice and well worth the price!

Why on God's green earth would I be reviewing a product released almost 15 years ago? Well, you'll see as the review rolls on. The GT-3 is a tank. Solid metal casing (blue)with indestructible switches and LED, and 3 green boards on the inside and tough, top of the line jacks that they don't use anymore. I have used this thing for almost 15 years, gig after gig. Probably close to 2,000 gigs if you include studio stuff. It has been used in almost every state in the union, Mexico and Canada. As a working player, I have used it for country, rock, metal, punk, rap and hip hop, randb, jazz, fusion, jam band, and everything else under the sun. I purchased this unit when I was working at a now defunct music store in middle Tennessee. Saw it at a Namm show and was impressed. I was getting fed up with the squirrel-y nature of my pedal board at the time and since I was gigging all the time and getting some road work, I needed something that sounded great and was TOUGH. It turned out to be the most consistent and usable piece of gear I have ever purchased in 20 years of professional music making. I am not sure how much I paid for it, but it was 3% above wholesale. I think it was around $200-$250 dollars in the mid-late 90's. ANALOG DISTORTION!!!! That's what makes this unit a gem. All of today's multi efx floor units use digital circuitry to create their distortion flavors. Today's floor boxes have TONS of amazing bells and whistles, while ignoring the fact that digital distortion is just not what pro players use. Ever heard a pro player in an interview say how much they love their modeled distortion? Me neither. The distortions on the GT3 are created on a green boards inside the unit that copy the circuits of various Boss stomps. You want a DS-1? The circuit is there. You want a Metal Zone? The circuit is there. Not a modeled replication, but the real thing. And to me, that is worth the price of admission alone. And there is a BUNCH of usable distortions in this box. Everything from touch sensitive light overdrive, to blues crunch, to 70's rawk to metal to shred and everything in between. Also, the first thing I did when I got the unit was to test the bypass and see if there was any change in tone. I did an a/b test with the guitar into the unit into the amp vs. the guitar into the amp. No change in tone. Just like using a single Boss stomp. No loss of dynamics either. Boss is known for how clean their bypass is on their individual stomps, and they did it with this unit. Can't say the same for many of the multi's I've tried over the years. The other thing I like about the unit is that while there aren't as many crazy efx as you find in multi's today, there is plenty of usable stuff. The choruses, delays and reverbs are clean, clear and crisp. They use a separate green board inside the unit for the digital stuff. Digital time based efx and analog distortion. The way God intended. I don't use the 'gimmick' efx such as the slicer and the vowel effect very often. But they are in there and work great. And programming patches is a breeze at this point. Depending on what gig and rig I'm using, I use the unit on the 'front end', in the amp's efx loop, or the 3 cord system that goes like this: guitar>GT3>distortions>amp>amp loop out>GT3 loop in>time based efx>GT3 loop out>amp loop in. The only nick on the unit is that the Wah kinda sucks. I put my own wah in front of the unit. The synth tracking is weak, but this problem is prevalent in all boxes that work with analog guitars. A uni-vibe is noticeably absent. But if you use the basics; distortion, chorus, flange, phase, delay, reverb, modulation, whammy, envelope, ring modulation, eq, this box is the best multi that has ever been made. Almost 15 years and close to 2,000 gigs and not one problem. Not one. A look under the hood reveals a simple design and construction that is part of the GT3's toughness. Nuff said. There are a ton of these things on Ebay and Craigslist. And they are cheap. And while they don't have all the crazy 'gimmick' efx that today's multi's have, the GT3's efx palate is full of top notch, usable stuff. And since it doesn't suck tone, you can use your own stomp favs with it. I believe that this box is the best multi ever built. I have tried all the Boss multi's, Digitech's GNX, and Vox's tone lab stuff, and the GT3 has the best FEEL and USABILITY of anything I've tried. I know a few pros who have put them in their pedal boards just for the distortions! This pedal is in my opinion, an underrated classic. If you've ever looked at a multi and said 'I'll never use HALF of that!' and then said 'Jeez, what does all that stuff do to your signal?' then check the GT3. You'll be glad you did. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Given by my uncle since he's retired from music. This unit is awesome. The effects are great and totally user-friendly / easy-to-use. I don't even need the instruction manual the first time i operate it. Almost suitable for all music genre. The distortion and overdrive the effect can give are quite impressive, especially for an old model of the BOSS multiple effects. Im definitely not gonna sell it away! The only thing i don't like about this unit is the plastic casing. Other than that everything's perfect. This unit is fragile since its casing are made of plastic. The unit design are well simple, but that doesnt matter. What matters most in MULTIPLE-EFFECTS is the SOUND EFFECTS QUALITY they can give, the DURABILITY of the unit & the USER-FRIENDINESS of the unit functions. Suitable for all players and functions. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I aquired this unit at Guitar Center in sunny southern CA. Paid $395.00 for it which is very reasonable. This is the ultimate Boss processor.Bar None! The amp modeling (COSM if you will) is a lot more realistic than in other G models. What really is cool is the built in speakers which are really "loud" for their size. I could not even get them to distort at high volumes. I also dig the fact that you can plug the USB into your PC and visible make edits and create patches. This unt would be the only one a guitarist would need if it only came with a footswitch! I use mine "live" by setting it on an unobtrusive table next to me and turn the patch knob to go between patches. This unit is highly rugged and strikingly gorgeous. Like all the other Boss upper end processors, this thing is built like a tank! If you're really looking to upgrade your existing set up, this unit is the one and only! Recordings made with this unit are no less than "stellar". What are you waiting for? Get yours today! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased over Ebay from private seller in Chicago, USA Updating from Boss ME 5 effects unit. I paid $400 U.S for the unit. Everything! Has so many effects which are preset and can also be modified by the user. Patches can be downloaded from the Internet - especially from GTCentral - a great site for all Boss GT effects units, and downloaded into the GT 6 easily. Amp and speaker configurations sound very much like the originals! I have owned a number of amps ranging from Marshall stacks to Fender and Peavey combos and the sound is very comparable. Will just take a while to learn all the features but this isn't a criticism, more that I have to pull my finger out and spend some time with the unit! Usual Boss quality - tough as nails construction and ongoing performance. My old ME 5 unit is at least 15 years old and has been used live all that time and proved to be very reliable. A great quality unit which is very affordable for all the features that come with it. I'm really looking forward to extending the unit's capabilities ( and mine!) Dale Victoria Australia This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I got this piece of heaven at the GUitar Center in Ohio used for a little under $100.00 Man this thing is sweet. I was a big fan of the Boss Metal Zone pedal but was looking into getting some delay and wah going on. So I did some research and liked what I heard, this thing has great distortion, everything from bluesy overdrive to full out Metal Zone saturation. The effects are also nice you can adjust them on computerized knobs which is cool and quite easy. I've heard people complain about the wha and it's true that it doesn't have the sweep of a crybaby but it'll get the work done. The only thing I don't like is that it's made of plastic. I can stomp pretty hard sometimes but so far it's a trooper. Good, just the plastic issue. This is a great piece of equipment if you are considering buying one I would definately urge you to do so. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com