Boss ME-50

I bought this effects pedal long ago as I was on a budget and wanted a Wah, chorus, phaser, distortion, and pretty much everything in one box just to test out and experiment without breaking the bank.

I'm not a techie so I won't even try and explain the details. You can check out some of the other reviews for that.

UTILIZATION

General configuration/setup is simple enough. I'm someone that avoids reading manuals when possible, whether it's to learn how to use an effects pedal or how to play Monopoly. With that in mind, I was still able to get a lot out of this pedal.

SOUND QUALITY

I used my telecaster with it. I loved the fact that I was able to use an octaver, wah, harmony, etc with the expressive pedal along with a ton of other effects, but that I did so without paying much at all.

However, I will say many of the effects lacked in quality (which was to be expected). i.e. the coveted wah sounds nothing like a crybaby

OVERALL OPINION

Loved the price, loved all the capabilities, probably would've loved it more if I took the time needed to truly learn how to use all capabilities, but did not love the quality so much. However, for higher quality I'd expect to spend upwards of $400. All-in-all a good multieffects pedal for a beginner/intermediate musician.

This thing is very comprehensive if you have a basic setup like myself...No you can't use the 4 cable method as it has no loop...It can do everything else....

Specs:

AD Conversion
24-bit + AF method*

DA Conversion
24-bit

Sampling Frequency
44.1 kHz

Patches
30 (user)

Effects
Tone Modify, Compressor, Overdrive/Distortion, Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Harmonist, Tremolo, Pan, Vibrato, UNI-V, Rotary, Delay, Reverb, Noise Suppressor [effects for expression pedal]: Foot Volume, Wah, Resonance, Voice, RIng Modulator, Bend (+1 OCTAVE, -1 OCTAVE)

Nominal Input Level
INPUT: -10 dBu, AUX IN: -10 dBu

Input Impedance
INPUT: 1 M ohms, AUX IN: 100 k ohms

Nominal Output Level
-10 dBu

Output Impedance
2 k ohms

Display
7 segments, 1 character LED

Jacks
INPUT jack, GUITAR AMP jacks L (MONO) /R, AUX IN jack (Stereo Mini type), PHONES/LINE OUT jack, AC Adaptor jack

Power Supply
DC9V: Dry battery (R6/LR6 (AA) type) x 6, AC Adaptor (PSA series: Optional)

Current Draw
120 mA
* Expected battery life under continuous use: Carbon: 3.5 hours, Alkaline: 12 hours. These figures will vary depending onthe actual conditions of use.

Accessories
Owner's manual, Dry Battery (Alkaline: LR6 (AA) type) x 6, Roland Service (Information Sheet)

Options
AC Adaptor: BOSS PSA series, Foot Switch: BOSS FS-5U

Size and Weight ( incl. batteries )

Width
384 mm
15-1/8 inches

Depth
225 mm
8-7/8 inches

Height
102 mm
4-1/16 inches

Weight
3.2 kg
7 lbs.


UTILIZATION

Very easy to use...Nothing but simple knobs that are clearly labeled...Plug and play...The manual is excellent and the presets give you a great start...Tweak from there....The sounds are just like the BOss pedals so I never understood why I don't see more of these around...

SOUND QUALITY

All my guit fiddles like this box....The OD boosts are excellent, there's compression that is ok, sound sculpting like a BBE, reverb that is passable, delay that is, well delay....There's also modulation that kinda sucks but I don't like chorus....

Overall, this thing is an all-in-one box that covers the ground of many BOSS pedals at a fraction of the cost....Worth every penny and built well to boot!

OVERALL OPINION

I like all the features....The OD Boost is nice...The reverbs are sufficient....They are all fine...If you have used Boss pedals before, that is the tone...For the price, you get a TON with this thing...

I don't like the fact that it has no loop...The 4 cable method would be nice with this...It also lacks usable midi...

This is a unit I don't use regularly but when I need something...It's an all-in-one BOSS pedal shop..

I'd buy again!

I found this little number on samedaymusic.com for $296. they gave me free 2-day shipping on my order, and it arrived in pristine condition.

I love the effects. that's exactly what it's for. its design is simple and relatively easy to figure out, so the learning curve is minimal. the quality of the sound is gorgeous. its got a noise gate built in (user adjustable) as well as a compressor/sustainer, so you can pretty easily make a $300 guitar sound like a $1300 guitar. tone modify is very subtle but noticeable, so your guitar still sounds like it should. i heard one guy complaining about the reverb being out of wack and not having a good, even setting, but i think the reverb is perfect for me. i had no trouble adjusting it to any level. the OD/DS is versatile and very nice. any type of distortion you want can be found here. modulation is nice, although i don't particularly care for some of the ones on the unit. i mainly use the flanger or chorus. delay is fantastic. you can set it to any delay mode, including reverse and tap. the control you have over the effects is right where it should be: in your hands and in good quality.

i love my me-50, but the memory modes are a little difficult to get right. it takes more tinkering than i'd like, but i prefer not to use these functions anyway and i think that most people don't care about it.

it's boss, so i know it's solid. i highly doubt it will break.

It's boss! it's all the boss effects! you'll save hundreds by getting this, and you know you'll get flawless quality. fall in love with playing guitar all over again and get this unit.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

$290 in a store in mexico

i LOVE this baby, it has a lot of distortion types to chose from, delay is really accurate, and it is perfect for me, i play industrial rock so i couldn`t ask for more

i dont like the switching delay (even though i never really use it) and it needs more outputs, everything else is perfect

it is awesome (i don't really have the balls to drop it, but it can take my kicks when i play so it's preety much everything i need

it's the second best thing that has ever happened to me

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com