BOSS Gt-1B Bass Effects Processor

There is so much to like about this. The number of effects you get is just amazing and I can't even imagine what it would cost to buy all the pedals separately. There are overdrives, dynamics, modulation, delay, reverb etc etc etc, and you can use seven at a time in any order you want. The expression pedal can be used for volume, wah or pitch bend. There's a control footswitch that can be used to switch effects in and out, and if you want to get clever you can use it to resync the internal "wave pedal", so for example you could trigger a cyclical wah in time with your track (set the bpm first and use ctl-1 to trigger the wah and set the pedal position to 0). The Tone Studio software makes editing and managing patches really easy, and there's a good library of presets at Boss Tone Central to get you started.I could go on all day, but to be honest this really makes me want to pick up my guitar and play it. And in case you're wondering, I didn't get any money or freebies for writing this - I am genuinely very happy with this product and I would recommend it to anyone.

I'm a multi-fx nut so I decided to buy the Boss GT-1 and I'm glad that I did because it's one of the best units from Boss that I have played in a long time. I believe the amp sims and effects on here are the same as the GT-100 but, as I haven't played through the GT-100, I can't comment and can only take the GT-1 at face value.The unit appears to be made of heavy duty plastic and the footswitches are solid. The construction is as you would expect from Boss and I suspect the reliability is the same also. In the last 20 years of buying Boss products I've only had one fail on me - a DD-7.You can hook this up to your Mac / PC with a USB cable, however this is _not_ supplied so you will need to buy your own. It doesn't come with a power adapter either and I would strongly recommend you buy one, if you don't have one, as this thing will eat through batteries like there's no tomorrow.Once you do get it connected to your computer you have you install all the drivers and then you can install the Boss Tone Studio software, which lets you tweak patches or download patches, and you can update the firmware on the GT-1.It really does sound great. Some of the factory patches are actually pretty good and will probably only require a few EQ tweaks to get them sounding good with your amp or DAW. Editing the patches on the unit is easy, but I prefer to edit them via the Boss Tone Studio software, which makes it even easier and, again, I would recommend this option.Overall, I'm very happy with the GT-1 and glad that I bought it. If you're looking for a cheap multi-fx / amp modeller, then this is your unit. There are loads of effects, amp models, eq tweaks, cabinet options, that this thing will cover a lot of ground in any style of music.

Very good compact multi-effects unit. I don't use the (over-the-top) presets, but combine individual effects to create my own patches. The modulation effects (chorus, flanger, etc.) are very good, as are the delays. It has a useful compressor and acoustic guitar simulator. It's cheaper and takes up less pedalboard space than getting separate pedals or the Boss GT-100. The software editor is good and the USB connection means you can use it as a recording interface with DAW software. The amp modelling in the preamp is fine - not a substitute for my valve amp, but good for late night practice with headphones. The overdrive and distortion effects are not great - I'd put analogue overdrive pedals in front of it for that. The tuner also isn't great - I'd get a tuner pedal. My set-up: TC Electronic Polytune Mini 2 tuner, Tone City Sweet Cream overdrive, Boss BD-2 overdrive, the Boss GT-1, Boss PSA-230 power supply, Stagg 5 Way Power Supply Cable and Pedaltrain Metro 24 pedalboard - a full set of effects on a board for £470. You could easily spend £750 on separate pedals! Overall a very good multi-effects pedal.

Bought this primarily to add a bit of controllable reverb, delay, compression and EQ to my acoustic guitar.I also bought a cheap 2 button toggle pedal to allow me to have 2 CTL switches and a tap tempo on the delay.Out the box it sounded a bit harsh on my trace acoustic amp but with some tweaks to the master EQ it sprang into life.Delays are nice and varied.Reverbs are OK, would have liked to have been able to have the reverb as loud as the dry signal for some volume swell effects.The acoustic processor brings some nice tonal adjustments and with the right tweaks, it makes your guitar sing.Programing on the unit is straightforward if you are used to these kinds of units and you can also assign the 3 rotary knobs to almost ant effect parameter for live tweaking.There are also 4 assignment controls per patch that can be used in conjunction with the CTL and expression pedals to manipulate effect parameters like toggling long/short Reverbs without changing the patch and having harsh cut offs.The chorus is also very nice, which is expected from a boss unit.The pitch shifter is a bit pants, very warbly on clean sounds, passible when using distortion/OD.The other modulation effects all sound fantastic, particularly the rotary speaker.Using my electric, the amp sims sound great as do the various distortion/overdrives.The editing software for the PC is very user friendly and is great for learning all the tweaks you can apply using the assignments.Build wise it ferls quite sturdy and it should be able to last a good few years of playing.Overall I'd say this is a great wee unit, but the 2 extra toggle pedals are a must to unleash its full potential.If you are looking for a budget multi effects but not a budget sound, this has it in spades.