BOSS announce GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor
BOSS introduce a new portable powerhouse multi-effects unit
BOSS have announced a brand new addition to their effects line up, the GT-1 Guitar Effects Processor, a compact multi-effects unit driven by the flagship GT-series engine. With a huge selection of amps and effects, the GT-1 offers a light, portable package with with a streamlined interface for quick and easy sound creation.
Adopting a sound engine derived from the flagship GT-100, the GT-1 includes staple overdrive/distortions, choruses and delays, and BOSS' own cutting-edge MDP effects. Numerous COSM amps are also included, as well as a looper for enhancing solo playing sessions.
The modern design of the GT-1 makes it easy to slip in a guitar bag accessory pouch and the option of AC or battery power delivers mobile flexibility for performing and practicing anywhere. Up to seven hours of battery life from four AA-size batteries makes the GT-1 a serious contender for the most powerful mobile multi-effects ever.
A straightforward interface, means that the GT-1 is simple to use for both beginners and effects enthusiasts alike. The Easy Select function allows users to quickly find patches by genre, distortion, or effect type, while Easy Edit lets them tweak drive, modulation, and echo tones to perfection with little effort. Coupled with the free patch collections available from the BOSS Tone Central website, the GT-1 has all your effects covered.
The GT-1 supports USB connectivity, allowing users to record and re-amp tones with DAW software and interface with BOSS Tone Central and BOSS Tone Studio.
BOSS GT-1 Features:
- Flagship-class BOSS sound engine squeezed into a light and compact floor unit
- Modern design with no hard edges enables safe transport in a guitar bag
- Easy Select and Easy Edit functions for quickly choosing and tweaking patches
- Four AA batteries provide up to seven hours of playing time for busking and mobile gigs
- Onboard control switch and expression pedal; footswitch/expression pedal jack and USB
- Download ready-to- play pro patches for free at BOSS Tone Central
SUMMER NAMM 2016: Boss Waza Craft CE-2w
The latest Waza Craft pedal brings multiple flavours of classic chorus tones.
Boss have announced a brand new addition to their Waza Craft line, the CE-2w Chorus. With a default sound based on the original 1979 CE-2 Chorus the Waza Craft model adds an expansive new sound field with stereo output, which was unavailable in the mono CE-2. An additional CE-1 mode fully reproduces the stereo chorus and vibrato sounds of the legendary CE-1, with the addition of variable chorus depth not available in the original pedal. To commemorate the birth of BOSS effects, the CE-2W is made exclusively in Japan, just as the original CE-1 and CE-2 were.
Boss Waza Craft CE-w Features:
• Special edition Waza Craft pedal delivers the ultimate BOSS tone experience
• Standard mode provides a perfect reproduction of the legendary CE-2 sound
• CE-1 mode features chorus and vibrato, authentically reproducing the two stereo sound modes in the world’s first chorus pedal
• Includes new sounds not available in the original pedals, including CE-2 stereo output and variable depth for CE-1 chorus sounds
• Rate and Depth knobs provide fine sound adjustment in both pedal modes
• Premium all-analog circuitry with bucket-brigade (BBD) delay line
• Made in Japan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of BOSS effects
• BOSS five-year warranty
Check out Boss' demo of the CE-2w:
NAMM 2016: Boss BC-1X Bass Comp
This multi-band compressor utilises the impressive MDP technology.
Boss have announced a brand new bass pedal for 2016, the BC-1X Bass Comp.
With a transparent and powerful sound, and easy to use operation, provides studio-level multi-band compression specifically optimized for the needs of performing and recording bassists. Boss' advanced technology allows the player to dial in a wide range of compression without altering their fundamental bass tone.
Boss BC-1X Bass Comp Features:
• Ratio, Threshold, Release, and Level controls found in studio compressors.
• A 16-segment gain reduction meter clearly displays the amount of compression at all times.
• MDP engine analyzes the signal and applies the appropriate amount of multi-band compression based on frequency range and playing dynamics.
• Pro-level performance, with ample headroom for hot signals from active basses.
NAMM 2016: Boss Waza Craft VB-2W Vibrato
The classic Boss vibrato pedal returns!
The VB-2W is the latest addition to the highly regarded Boss Wasa Craft series. Following suit with the rest of the Wasa Craft pedals, the VB-2W is an adapted incarnation of the original Boss VN-2 which circulated between 1982 and 1986 and is now a rare and highly sort after pedal.
Pedalsandeffects.com owner; Juan Alderete went as far as to sight the pedal as one of his all time favourite effects, and despite the original pedal's high resale value, went as far as to buy a 2nd VB-2 should his ever break.
The VB-2W offers players the ability to achieve consistent and controlled vibrato effects without the need to bend a string and in more extreme settings offers otherworldly warble that has been embraced by ambient and prog musicians everywhere.
The VB-2W boasts and enhanced custom mode that offers more extreme settings to suit the needs of a modern player along with a jack input for expressive playing allowing the effect depth to be controlled by an exterior expression pedal.
NAMM 2016: Boss VO-1 Vocoder
Boss' new pedal is living on a prayer.
Boss have announced a brand new compact pedal, the VO-1 Vocoder. Here's what Boss themselves have to say about this unique pedal:
"The VO-1 Vocoder harnesses the expression of the human voice by allowing the user to control the tone of their instrument via vocal manipulation. While keyboardists have used vocoders to create voice-like textures with synthesizers for decades, guitar and bass players have had limited access to this capability. Now, the VO-1 gives them this inspiring creative tool in a battery-powered stompbox that’s simple to operate."
Boss VO-1 Vocoder Features:
• Vintage mode produces the familiar synthesized voice sounds heard on numerous pop and electronic music records.
• Advanced mode offers an array of all-new vocoder tones.
• Talk Box mode provides the famous “talking” lead guitar tones first popularized in the 1970s, but without the complication and hassles of a traditional talk box rig.
• Choir mode creates rich, impressive vocal textures from a direct instrument input.
• 1/4-inch input for connecting a guitar, bass, or other instrument, plus an XLR mic input to drive the vocoder engine.
• Tone and Color knobs provide a wide range of sound variation over the selected mode, while Level and Blend knobs control the overall volume and direct/effect mix.
• Send and Return jacks are also provided, allowing the user to patch in an external effect and apply it to the direct sound.
SUMMER NAMM 2015: Boss announce DD-500 Delay
Boss extends their delay range with a new triple pedal unit.
From the press release:
Hamamatsu, Japan, July 8th, 2015 — BOSS is proud to introduce the DD-500, the most powerful and versatile digital delay pedal ever made. Filled with newly developed BOSS technology, this amazing stompbox offers 12 distinctive delay modes and extraordinary audio quality, along with deep editing controls, a graphic display, patch memories, MIDI, and much more. Small in size and massive in creative potential, the DD-500 allows musicians to create any delay sound they can imagine, and then some.
The DD-500 delivers its sophisticated sound-making capabilities in a compact design that fits easily on any pedalboard. Each delay mode has been carefully crafted for a unique sonic personality and highly musical tones at every setting, realized by high-powered DSP running at 32-bit/96 kHz.
Included among the DD-500’s 12 modes are basic delays, warm analog and tape echo types, pattern-based effects, and complex modern delay lines that employ pitch shifting, filtering, and other unique processing. The pedal’s Vintage Digital mode offers BOSS’ first emulations of sought-after classics from the 1980s, including the legendary SDE-2000 and SDE-3000 rack units from Roland and the BOSS DD-2, the first stompbox digital delay.
Hands-on knobs allow users to quickly shape essential parameters and create great sounds right away. Each delay type also includes a semi-parametric four-band EQ, modulation, ducking, and many other parameters, enabling a huge range of tonal refinement. The large, integrated LCD fully supports the DD-500’s immense capabilities, providing clear visibility of delay time, patch ID, and more on one screen, plus intuitive navigation for detailed parameter tweaks, naming, and system management.
With its freely assignable controls, the DD-500 offers unmatched creative expression and performance flexibility. By default, the A, B, and TAP/CTL switches provide control for two patches, bypass, bank selection, tap tempo, and more. However, they can be customized to operate in alternate ways, such as providing top-level access to three different delay patches, or controlling various real-time functions like Warp, Twist, and many others. Additional parameters can be controlled via an optional expression pedal or external switches, and MIDI I/O opens up even more options with advanced setups.
Along with its other capabilities, the DD-500 includes an independent Phrase Loop function with up to 60 seconds of stereo recording time (120 seconds in mono). USB is on board as well, providing a simple computer connection for patch backup and MIDI control with DAW software.
SUMMER NAMM 2015: Boss announce RV-6 Reverb
A new reverb from Boss? WHAT?
From the press release:
Hamamatsu, Japan, July 8th, 2015 — BOSS is pleased to announce the RV-6, an all-new compact reverb pedal with studio-grade sound. Powered by cutting-edge technology and the legendary tone expertise of BOSS engineers, the RV-6 makes it simple for guitarists to dial up inspiring reverb tones for any song or style.
With its high-end audio quality, wide-ranging versatility, and ease of use, the RV-6 takes stompbox reverb to a new level of performance. Users can select among eight distinctive reverb types, which feature newly developed algorithms driven by the latest BOSS DSP.
Reverb types include standards such as Room, Hall, Plate, and Spring, providing a broad selection of tones to complement any musical genre. Also on hand are powerful Modulate, Dynamic, Shimmer, and Reverb+Delay types, which offer the lush, expansive reverb sounds sought by many modern players.
Using the RV-6 is quick and intuitive—just select a sound mode, tweak the Time, Tone, and Level knobs to taste, and play. But despite its simple operation, the RV-6’s sound is rich and sophisticated. Each mode includes a huge range of detailed internal reverb parameters, all perfectly tuned for guitar by BOSS with direct input from pro players and sound engineers. Even as the selected mode is adjusted with the Time and Tone knobs, many parameters are simultaneously balanced inside to create the ideal voicing for every setting.
The RV-6’s convenient auto-switching jacks support mono, mono-to-stereo, and stereo-to-stereo operation, allowing users to integrate with any pedal chain. And by plugging into the B input only, the RV-6 outputs a 100-percent wet sound, great for working with more complex rigs that employ parallel processing chains and mixers. There’s also a jack for controlling the effect level in real time via an optional expression pedal.
MUSIKMESSE 2015: Boss SY-300 Guitar Synth and PW-3 Wah
The granddaddys of pedals release a compact wah and synth powerhouse.
With Roland mainly focusing on new pro audio tech (and some additions to the Blues Cube lineup), Boss' MUSIKMESSE guitar lineup is slim but rather intriguing. The granddaddys of the pedal market are showing off two brand new products, the SY-300 Guitar Synthesizer and PW-3 Wah Pedal.
The SY-300 is billed as a "true analogue-style synth for guitar" and, crucially, does not require any special pickup to operate. Taking a regular 1/4" jack input, the SY-300 delivers latency free response and comes pre-loaded with 70 ready-to-play patches. It is also compatible with Boss' Tone Studio software, allowing the user to create, edit, store and transfer up to 99 custom patches via the USB. Boss claim that the SY-300 also works with bass, making it a possible competitor for the Mark Bass Super Synth, which uses similar USB edit technology.
The SY-300 is listed at £499.
Boss also unveiled the new PW-3, an all-analogue wah in rugged housing. Designed to save precious pedalboard real estate, the PW-3 has a compact form factor and is build out of die-cast aluminium. Interestingly, the PW-3 also gives you some different sonic options by including Rich and Vintage modes, switchable on the back panel. Rich gives a fuller tone and avoids some of the low end roll-off present with many wahs, while switching to Vintage puts you back in familiar traditional territory.
The PW-3 is listed at £95.
Top 5 Rarest Boss Pedals
In this video, Mark counts down the top 5 rarest Boss compact pedals ever made...
In this video, Mark counts down the top 5 rarest Boss compact pedals ever made...