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Been watching a lot of me90 vids deciding on a unit and now getting ahead of the learning curve now that I’ve ordered mine. This is the most informational video on how to use the thing I’ve come across. Thanks for making getting multi fx less frustrating.
I LOVE mine now that I did the 4 cable method. Literally the BEST money I have ever spent on gear in 20 years of playing. So easy to use and so versatile. The only complaint I have is the writing is too small on the controls. It sounded kinda bad just going into the front of my amp. 4 cable is the way. The computer editor sucks though.
Yeah it’s a great way to use the unit. Maybe get one of those Helping Hand things with the magnifying glass to help you see the writing. I know I need one! 😜😜😜
One thing overlooked is the ME-90 has far more switches than many of the higher end units, meaning in manual mode you have a lot more control over the individual effects. However, the one big issue for me is the poor implementation of tap tempo. In manual mode you have to hold down the delay on/off footswitch to change to tap tempo mode, and hold it down again to turn the fx off. I think it would be better if you could allocate the ctrl footswitch to tap tempo!
Jon Fine here. I’m a retired professional guitar player, I quit playing in 2016 when I fractured several vertebrae and lost the ability to walk. I haven’t picked up a guitar in years, and my chops are gone. I’d like to get back into it, but I haven’t had an FX unit in years; my old Digitech unit died on me years ago and I haven’t bothered to replace it. I’m looking pretty seriously at this new Boss unit-I had good luck with Boss pedals in the past, and my first multi-FX unit was a Boss ME-5-that should tell you how long ago it was! The state.of the art in multi-FX has improved greatly since I quit playing. I don’t mind programming, but I hate diving through menus like I had to do with the Digitech stuff-hit the wrong button, or the right one at the wrong time, and I’d get totally lost in the weeds with no idea of how to get back to where I’d been. Knobs, give me knobs, so I can see my settings! The ME-90 looks like it might be what I need, as long as it’s not too big; I need to reach the pedal and all the switches with my left foot, from a wheelchair. Anyway, I liked the video-you get a Like from me!
Hi Jon. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch my video and share your thoughts. I'm sorry to hear about the challenges you have faced but it's very brave of you to push yourself back into playing and I for one am cheering for you. I think the ME90 has great features for the price. The hands on controls are definitely a plus. Ordering effects might be a little frustrating as there are limitations there but the quality of what you get for the money is really good. And if you go into manual mode, the big foot switches activate each individual module making it easy to control individual effects right on board. So that may help you. Good luck with your purchase and hope to hear from you again!
Go for it Jon. Sad to hear what’s happened to you. I hope this gives you the inspiration to get back into it. As long as you enjoy it, that’s all that matters. Greetings from England 🏴
@@LonelyRocker Hey Jon, I just recently bought my first Boss ME-90 and am having a hard time with it but I will learn how to use it. I have a friend who lost the use of his legs and decided to give him my old guitar processor (Korg AX3000G). Please give it a try, if you're not happy with it you can return it for a full refund at Guitar Center. I'm going to give mine a few months to figure out how to use it, if I'm not happy with it I'll sell it to someone who will be happy with it.
Good to know that you are looking for ways oround this trouble, brother. Remember the song “take these bronken wings and learn to fly”. Shout out from Brazil. 👍
Here’s a tip… If you have a Hughes and Kettner Red Box lying around, try running your ME-90 (line setting) into it and XLR into your FRFR. It preps the signal for full range in a really nice way. Compensates for not having low/high pass filters onboard the ME-90.
Hi, great video, just bought a Fender Tone Master Twin and I am seriously thinking of getting a Boss me-90, what's would be the setup to have it setup since there is no return on send on the amp? Thanks
If the 4 cable method is used, how or where could we insert other specialty/boutique pedals that aren’t on the ME90? For instance, I would like to keep using my RC5 Boss looper instead of the stock Boss looper on the ME90 due to its extra functionality.
I actually made a Short about adding an EQ pedal to the 4 cable method. It's not a direct answer to your question but this is the easiest way for me to give you an idea how you would go about doing that: th-cam.com/users/shortsHHM8wAUDeZU?si=Tnr3IIaxvK2XVmgh
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I picked this up recently and am trying to figure out if the Recti-Stack "selectable options" could also be loaded in manual mode. Would you happen to know?
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I believe the selectable options are bonus features only available in the software. There are designed limitations on the ME90 and that’s one of them. Great unit though!
Quick question: If you're using the four cable method and bypassing the ME-90's preamp to use the unit at as multi-effects unit only, what output setting would you use, the one that says input or the one that says return? THANK!
I'll be very honest. That output setting is VERY confusing. Best to hook it up and experiment. It makes no sense to me so I just cycle through settings until it sounds right....
The ME90 just doesn't have a lot of deep tweaking for things like that. It has a series of templates but that's not the most ideal if you need some custom tweaking at the input stage.
Thanks! I gave thought to doing that after I did my TONEX video but I realized I can't authentically deliver the tone on TH-cam because I would have to mic the FRFR Cab!!! So the viewers could never really hear it as I would in the room.
@@LonelyRocker Just curious but how does that make it any different then micing an amp that people have been doing for ever on youtube. I mean you would be doing the same thing correct? Or is there something I'm missing about that theory.
The mic to preamp to recorder is as much a part of the tone as the amp and speaker. A model of an amp already includes those things within the model. An FRFR speaker is designed NOT to colour the amp model you are playing through it. If I then mic a flat response cabinet and run it through a preamp to amplify that mic I'm now adding colour to that signal so you won't be hearing a true representation of the tones coming out of the FRFR cab. I hope that makes sense!
This is super helpful, thank you! Yours is the first video I've found to share these tips. I'm still pulling out my hair over Manual Mode. How do I get it to remember the dial settings? It always powers up in Memory Mode? When I switch to Manual it remembers the effects and on-off state but not the parameters. I updated the firmware and have both USB and BT connections available to me. Is there a magic toggle in Tone Studio? Jon Petaluma, CA
Thanks so much! You know, I'm fumbling a bit with that too. I saved some settings using Boss Tone Studio for a follow up ME90 video that I released today. After I powered off the unit and turned it back on the settings were gone. I'll dig into that soon to see if I figure it out. I could post a short or a community post about that if I figure it out...
@@LonelyRockerI'm enjoying your content, thanks. I gave up on the ME-90. I found an ME-50 & ME-70 locally for much less than I paid for my fully optioned 90. The preamps weren't the selling point of the 90 for me, but the 70 has the COSM models if I want to go ampless someday. I am already enjoying the the way the stomp parameters aren't volatile. I hope you have success getting yours to behave on power up 👍
This video is a very good and thorough presentation of tips to get the most out of this device. The backing tracks are so distracting and terrible sounding. I'd love to hear the guitar by itself.
That’s hard for me to answer because we all have different expectations. At its core, sure this can get it done live. Will it be for everyone? No. But this could be a cheap, great sounding solution for some gigs.
Is the 4CL a must ? I’ve a fender tonemaster deluxe reverb, so no FX input - would be great to get your thoughts on the optimal set up for this type of amp ?
Nothing with guitar is “a must”. Pedal order is always debated. But conventional thinking places boosts and drives before the preamp and modulation and time based effects after. The 4CM just gives you the option to do that. Without a loop all effects end up before the preamp which means you have no ability to change that order. So now it’s up to your ear. You also have no ability to bypass the amps preamp so you can never get a true sense of the me90 amps because you end up with a preamp into a preamp. So best advice is to experiment to see what combinations work with your amp. Hope that helps!
@@LonelyRocker thanks loads, this is really helpful. I was mainly planning on not using the preamps unless into speakers so at least no pre-amp into pre-amp.
That defeats the purpose of the 4 cable method. If you want the me90 preamps you can just go direct out of your me90 into the return of the amp or straight into your amplified speaker.
@@LonelyRocker I have an Orange micro dark, it doesn't have a clean sound. I want to bypass it when i want a clean sound, like 'natural' from the me-80 preamp section , but also use it when I want to use distortion. just like you would on an amp with two channels (clean/gain) Is there method available? Doesn't have to be the 4 cable methods.
@LeStr3l0k to bypass the preamp on that amp plug your guitar into the me90 and the output of the me90 into the return of the orange. Without external switching there isn’t a way to be able to switch between a 4 cable method and going directly into the return.
Hello. I'm having difficulty being able to open the output setting and it's stuck on "tube combo 212 input" and can't change it. What's the problem with this??
TIRED OF TONE STUDIO AND ALL OTHER COMPUTER CRAP JUST TO PLAY GUITAR BUTTON. --------> 🛑 I bought this specifically because I’m so sick of tweaking my Kemper, Helix, QC, MX5, ToneX and AxeFx via computer. 10 years of that shit and I’m DONE with all of them. No more apps, Bluetooth, needing to be a freakn PhD in computer science and a music engineer. Buy this if you just want to play with badass tones with very little effort. It’s a GREAT device.
This is the best video I've seen on this product. Thank you fur all the useful/productive info! The little things, as showing how/if these have a cab sim thru, or not. 🤘🖤🖤🤘
Great video! I just got mine and so far it’s awesome. I’ve been just trying all the patches and messing around but now I’ll get serious with it. Thanks for the good tips.
Hey brother, great video ! I would have to say the best one I have seen on the me90 ! So I just bought the uafx lion and I'm running it into the input of the me90 using the 4 cable method like you described. Is there anything you think I should do differently ?
Thank you so much!!! You could try just plugging it into the SEND/RETURN of the ME90 and turn off the ME90s preamp, turn off the Lions Cab IR and load your Cab into the ME90. Then experiment with ME90 effects in different parts of the signal chain. I suspect you will get the best results that way. Good luck and have fun!!!
@@LonelyRocker Hi Dan, I'm going to hook up my ME90 to my Blackstar Amped 1 (Amp) using the 4cm as you outlined in your video.. just a quick question if you get a spere minute.... if i want to use a tradition distortion pedal in conjunction with the above 4cm do i just plus it in from of the amp (Amped! in the normal way. guitar > distortion pedal ≥ Amp, I assume it wont effect anything on the ME90... any tips much appreciated
@siena9594 Yes. You can definitely put your distortion before the amp. Absolutely. That will help to create your initial tone the the 4CM and your ME-90 will wrap around that. Have fun with it!
I would just plug the WAH through the input of the ME90. So insert it first in the chain and connect the 4 cable method as I describe just with the WAH inserted in the front. You'll need 5 cables :)
Another great video! I’ve watched almost all the videos on this unit and you’re the only person to mention the 4 cable method, are you happy with hooking it up this way? Also, does the Tone Studio app work with an iPad? Thanks again!
Thanks so much! I'm sure someone else must have covered it somewhere but I wanted to make it as crystal clear as possible. I'm still experimenting with the 4 cable method. I love it in concept. The Cab IR section gave me a little trouble but the software will improve I'm sure. BTS does work with the ME90 but you need the Bluetooth adapter to connect. Hope this helps!
I wanted that 4 cable function so bad! So, I sold my ME-80, saved up some extra dough, and eventually got the ME-90. It was a total waste. The ME-80 was a much nicer experience. The ME-90 4 cable method didn't have sonics of other products -- even older products. The Vox Tonelab comes to mind as having a better sound. The difference in price was not worth it. In the end, I miss my ME-80 for what it was and regret selling it.
I just bought the ME 90 and pleased so far. However, I am getting a lot of noise when I go to some distortion effects. Should I try to use the noise suppressor function (edit+bank)?
By far the most comprehensive video I've found on the ME-90 - for example, you're the only demonstrator I've seen to showcase the four-cable method! I also appreciate your demo tunes...you've got great writing chops; it's nice to hear gear demoed over diverse, intelligent and "realistic" tunes. Bravo!
My pleasure!!! I'm sorry, I didn't test that. The ME90 does have less customization ability than the bigger units and you can see the limitations in Boss Tone Studio. Sorry I couldn't answer that one specifically.
@@LonelyRocker no worries, and thanks for the response... after further research, it appears that deeper expression functionality with this unit is in fact limited...
That was my feeling. Boss puts limits on products in their lower categories. I'm sure it could easily do it but that's how they separate their product lines...
So, you Connect your me90 and amp with 4 cable method… And you use a revv amp…right? When you setup the kind of amp which do you select ? And if i don’t wrong you select pre for the send return.
Great video. Thanks for the tips. I'm old & old school and have no interest in hooking up my computer to all the gear. Do you recommend the ME 90 to just plug straight into an amp and use for effects? You sort of covered this with the 4 cable method, but I don't even want to do that - just plug it in and play.
Thanks! Sure you can do that. Effect order is really the issue. I prefer my reverbs and delays after the amp but you can still have a lot of fun with this if you just plug it straight in. Why not!
You can totally do it on the pedal. In manual mode you can turn all of the modules on and of as you like, including the preamps. Just one stomp on a button. Easy!
Glad you liked it! If you want the looper to capture everything from the ME90 just take the main out from the ME90 before it hits your speaker. Hope that helps!
Hello! Thanks for the nice video. I have a question: can I plug the ME-90 directly into the input of my amp? I have a Marshall MG10G. This would be the first time playing with effects and I'm a little confused about how to connect these things together.
Sorry for my slow response. You can but remember this has built in virtual amps so in essence you are plugging an amp into your amp's preamp if you go through the input. If you sue the 4 cable method through the effects loop you have control over where the preamp is in the chain and you get better placement of effects before and after the preamp. If you do plug into your amp's input I would turn off the preamp block and just use the effects. Hope that helps!
@@LonelyRockerI'm also new to the multipedal and effect loop world, so excuse my naivety. But I tried plugging the ME-90 directly into the return input on my amp, but after trying all options on output there is still no sound. Am I missing something?
Hi, very good video, not too long and quite informative. Been fiddling with the ME 90 for the last few days. I enjoy mostly manual mode over patch selection. I wonder, as it is not quite clear to me, is it possible use 4 cables method while still freely selecting effects as I go through ?
@@LonelyRocker Yes I already have Bluetooth adapter, and have the app, but can you load IR's via the app? Can you import IR's you have downloaded into the ME 90, via the app, much thanks if you can help me out 🙏🤟
@screamingunderbelly oh sorry. I don’t have the adapter so I can’t check that. But check in with boss support. I’m sure they can help you. Let me know what you find out.
Great video. I have a Katana 50 MkII. It has a power amp in block (which bypasses the amp's built in effects), but no send / return ports. Does the power amp in port basically negate the need for the 4 cable method? I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.
Thanks! I don’t have a Katana so I can’t be very specific but I know that is a very different thing. An effects loop in a real tube amp will respond very differently than a digital amp. I know the ME90 and the Katana share some amps and effects and are actually designed to work together. So I wouldn’t think about the 4 cable method in your case and just find the connection to your amp that suits your needs. I hope that sort of helps 😎
@@mfohr I've been doing a bit of testing. In some cases (like on cleaner settings) it sounds good through the guitar input with the me90 set to gt. Input (probably because the preamp in the amp is set properly to work with that speaker). So you might be able to use it as a stomp box without the preamp switched on. I'm using that less and less as i learn how to dial in the right settings with the power amp Input. In all cases use line for the power amp in. It sounds great to my ears.
Bonjour Je ne suis pas tres bon en anglais. Mon ME-90 est branché dans le Power amp in de mon KATANA MK. Quand je suis en mode GT" amp le son n'est pas bon mais quand je suis en mode Line le son est bon. Est-ce normal? Hello I am not very good in English. My ME-90 is plugged into the Power amp in of my KATANA MK. When I am in GT" amp mode the sound is not good but when I am in Line mode the sound is good. Is this normal?
Others have asked this question because they found the same thing as you. I have sent a message to Boss. I will share on my channel if and when I get an official answer!
Hi, I found for me, that Line mode sounds much better then G.amp mode with Tube Marshall DSL1 Combo. I cant understand why we need to use cab sim, with real cab? I use 4 cable method.
That feature is not great. It leaves too much to interpretation. I asked Boss about it but never got any feedback on it. They need to make how to set that very clear.
Did you try playing with the Gt. Amp/Line switch? I don't know how you are using this but start there. If you can hook it up to a computer try the different profiles in Boss Tone studio....it can be weird if you get this wrong for you setup...good luck!
In 8:15 when you click on S/R is that an on/off option? If you can click it, and when you click it, does it turn off the amp's preamp and let's you use it as a power amp? That'd mean you could use your amp one preset and your boss preamps on other presets. Can you confirm this? Because I know the gx-100 can do this in a single chain Thanks
I believe you can. I don't have it with me at the moment because I'm on vacation but I'm pretty sure any block can be turned on and off. That being said, the ME90 is not designed to be as flexible as the GX100 and has little things that can frustrate you. By design so people buy the bigger units if they want those kind of features ;)
Because I’ve been a guitarist for numerous years, my first question wasn’t what the BOSS ME series, or this unit, was all about, it was: Q: When practicing, how is the audio streaming from a mobile device (such as an iPhone) using the BOSS BLUETOOTH Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor?
This is probably a really really dumb question, but what happens if I use the 4CM and switch off the pedal's pre-amp and then connect my headphones to the pedalboard?
No dumb questions. You’ll probably just hear the me90 stage of effects. You won’t hear your amp that way. I’m wondering if you’ll hear anything at all. Try it out!
I want to turn of AIRD Mode in all presets because in LINE with headphones it sounds much better to me settiing tu USER 1 where is basically off the AIRD. I can do it manually on each preset, but can't save it (ony in a new copy of the preset). So every time I have to change it and it's frustrating. Is there a way to do it?
The ME90:is a little,finicky but you can save presets in the user section. Hard to say why you are having issues saving. Use Boss Tone Studio to make your presets. It’s easier.
@@LonelyRocker i can save, you did not get the point. Long pres edit and press foot switch nr.2 to instantly change output to user 2. I want to set this for all presets without having to save a copy of each one. A global setting output is missing.
Hi Dan, great video, very useful. I'm planning on buying a H&K Tubemeister deluxe 40 & the ME90. I would use the preamp of the TM40, and just the effects of the ME90. Two questions: 1. Do those two communicate well with each other via the 4 cable method? 2. Could I switch the 3 channels of the TM40 via the ME90? Or should I hook the H&K FSM432 up to switch channels, and does that communicate well with the Me90 :) ? Total noob in the world of multiFX. Gracias! Greetings from Belgium
Thanks! Sorry for my slow response. That would be a great match! I have the grandmeister deluxe 40. That has built in fx. The ME90 would be a great effects solution for the TM. Switching won’t communicate so that will require a little pedal dancing but you should get some nice tones. Have fun with that!
Ok so far I really am enjoying the me 90 but the weird thing I'm running into is when I run it into my IO via the left mono out using the same gain I do when running directly from my guitar ,I have to turn the volume on the ME90 all the way up to get an even remotely decent signal. Now I haven't tried the USB into my daw yet so I will try tomorrow . But you would think I could get a better signal than that . And I do have it in line mode on both the board and IO. When I use just the ME90 alone and run it into the headphones it has great volume with the main volume barely past 9:00
That's weird...so hard to diagnose form here. Could be many things. Try going USB and see how that works. It's the better way to record anyways and you can record DIs at the same time. Let me know what you figure out...
Thank you for a great vid!!!!! A question re. the effect loop: I'd like to use my Boss DD500 *after* the ME90's delay block, but from your video at 7:00 it looks likes the SR Blok is *before* the ME90's delay block. Is there a way to put the effect loop after the ME90's delay, so like really at the end of the chain? I regret very much that Boss dropped the long delay (6s) of the ME-80. I could even do frippetronics on the ME80. Sadly, I find that the ME90's 800 ms maximum delay time is but a sad joke :-( But I could use the ME90's reverse delay then use the DD500 for long delay times. Thank you for your help!
My pleasure! The one limitation on the ME90 is the limited ability to order the effects. It’s kind of pre set as I described in the video except for the two settings I mentioned. That’s the one big downside. I think they do that because the controls are fixed on the pedal so maybe it would get confusing. Hope that helps!
Hey there I’m a bit new to understanding the use of the effects loops on amps and whatnot. So I have a boss rc 600 looper, the me 90 and an amp with an effects loop and was wondering what would your recommendation be to use all these together in the best way possible? I’ve plugged the guitar into the me 90 and the output to the amp whilst running the rc 600 through the effects loop on the amp. Is this an ok way to set it up?
Think of the loop station as a recorder. You want to capture finished sounds with it. You can take the output of the me90 and go straight into the 600. You can experiment with recording dry amp tones and adding fx on the 600. That would be a start. Hope that helps!
this is actually all one would ever need in terms of amps and effects.. more complicated effects and 2 channels,etc is something thats more like a gimmick which sounds great but somthing thats you can live without..
Is there a global or parametric EQ available in Tone Studio like there is for the Katana or are you limited to the three knob Bass, Mid, Treble on the unit?
When you connect your ME-90 to your computer via USB, what inputs and outputs appear in your DAW settings? I am using reaper and have the ME-90 selected as my device and when I go to change the Input in the drop-down menu I get options that say “Output”. Makes no sense. I am wondering if you see something similar when connecting. There aren’t any videos on TH-cam covering this so I am hoping you can help me out. Thanks!
Hi there. That’s strange. I just see the 4 ME90 inputs. I don’t know Reaper so very hard for me to suggest what may be wrong. It could be within the DAW. It could be a conflict on you computer. Can you test another DAW just to see what inputs you see? If it’s the same then I would explore issues at your system level. Hope that helps a little!
I have a Strat with Duncan: two HotRails and one CoolRails. Do I need to be concerned with the HotRails being too hot to get a good clean sound out of the clean preamp models? For example, I really like the clean Twin sound. Within the ME-90, can the guitar's input level be dialed back so as not to easily get clipped sound? Or does one just need to lower the gain knob within the Twin preamp model?
The simplest answer is you would treat this like any amp. The volume on your guitar is part of the signal chain. Use it as you need it. You also have good gain and level control on the ME90 too. Tweak them all until you get the tone you desire. :)
Yes. I found the settings when I switched to "amp" which is counter intuitive if you ask me, you need amp models when using line mode not amp mode. 😂to me anyway it seemed odd.
"Best" relates to your gear. What worked for me may not be the best option for you...depends on what you are connecting your ME90 through...This feature is a bit confusing so I just cycled through the options until I settled on the one that sounded "best"...I may not be right!!! ;)
Hey there! Thanks for such an awesome an complete explanation on the 4 cable method! I just have a question. Can you use this method and use the unit as a usb interface at the same time? I want to know if you can record the sound of your separate, physical amp directly into your DAW without having to mic it. Sorry if it is a dumb question and thanks again!!!!
Thank you! Glad you found this helpful. This is not a dumb question at all! You can use the 4 cable method to loop the fx into your amp but the sound of the amp has to get to your computer. It's not running out of the ME90. You'd either have to hook it to a cab and mic it, as you suggested, or take the speaker out into a load box and then into another interface. The ME90 is a great interface for recording itself and DI tracks but ti can't do double duty...hope that helps
@@LonelyRocker Oh I see.. That makes a lot of sense. I´ve always played wihout an actual amp/cab. Always straight into a digital amp modeller and effects unit (Moore GE-200, Ampero 2 Stomp, Fractal FM3) with headphones and recording into a DAW is very easy like that. But now I want to try an actual amp/cab and your explanation helps me understand how I would have to get the sound from the amp in to the computer though I thought there was a quicker way that did not require an additional interface or any mic´ing :( But thanks again!!
I bought this and my old man self is having problems? I cant seem to load all the preloaded patches? Always pays P8 or P9, or U2 whatever that means? Think my unit is messed up? Thanks
P stands for preset and U stands for User. Presets are shipped with the unit and the User slots are where you save your own presets. So what you are seeing is correct. I show you in the video how to switch to manual mode. That’s the more old school way where you turn effects on and off by just stomping on their respective pedal. Hope that helps!
to me plugged into my katana (just straight into the input - nothing fancy) it sounds WAY better switched to line at the back - which is the opposite of how its supposed to work?
I’m admittedly confused about that setting. I’ve mentioned it to Boss. I’m sure there will be updates to all of this. That’s why I suggested using your ear to decide. If it sounds good to you then that’s what it should be. But even then it still makes you wonder.
I have a ME-90 as well and for me it always sounds best switched to line at the back. I just use presets without an amp block when connected to the input of a real amp. Pretty confused by the setting as well.
Hi 🙂thanks for this video, it is very helpful! I have a question: using the ME-90 with the 4 cable method with an amp (I'm using a Blackstar dept.10 dual-distortion as it was the amp), where would you add a noise gate? I know the ME-90 already has it, but I need to add one more because it is still a bit too noisy. Should it be straight after the guitar (so into the ME-90 input)?. Thanks in advance.
Thanks! Always best to experiment with your noise gate placement. There is even a 4 cable method for setting up a noise gate. But in your case try right after your guitar and then try right before the main input of your amp and see which one performs better. You can insert it anywhere in the 4 cable method to see where it performs best but first try the 2 I suggested. Let me know how it goes!
@@LonelyRocker On the unit, select whether the SEND/RETURN comes before the preamp or after the preamp in the signal chain. Switch to Manual mode, and press Edit until S0 appears. Use bank switches to swap between S0 and S1, where the former comes before, and the latter comes after the preamp. Press Write. I found this but can't seem to find S0 or S1 It doesn't come up no matter what.
Thanks so much! Not sure my VIDEO production process will garner much interest but who know, maybe a look behind the curtain one day. As for my recording process...that will get plenty of looks. Cheers!
Do you have experience maybe with bos nextone or Laney cub-super 12. Both have fx-loop so for both i will be able to use 4cm. I just wonder if a small tube amp will fit better then bosses transistor. I just need it for a late night home playing and i don’t want to invest in number of boss pedals. Therefore me-90 plus an amp.
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful! I haven't used either but I personally would always lean to the tube amp. To me it's more fun and I like driving different things into the amp to change up the tone. But you need to play through them yourself to know which one feels right. But since both have an effects loop you can 4CM with both of them...good luck convincing the wife! ;)
This unit would be perfect if you had controllable outputs so I can run one out to amp and one out to front of the house with the built in amp. Just asking if you can confirm this is not possible.
Thank you! Technically it should be but as of this version you can't seem to turn off the Cab IRs. I realized that just after I finished the video. Though I hope as they update the software they will introduce that option. Because it should be able to do what you are asking...
I bought one, but it sounded different, not like yours or other demos, I directly connected its output R to my boss Katana 50 power amp in, and the switch is on GT amp, not line, so what is wrong?
That's really hard to say from here. I mea. each player sounds different and every environment is different. Start with headphones and see ig it sounds good...Then switch to the speaker and cycle through all switches and modes until you find one you like. Good like!
@@LonelyRocker i tried to get a good clean tone, but never found a good one, I like your clean tone, but couldn’t get one like yours, can give me a hint for the settings? Thanks
Sure you can but it's not the best way to use it. You can't really use the models properly and your pedal order won't be optimal. But for simple practising it's fine....
@LonelyRocker I can always use the software if I want to change something is my logic just fed up with blackstar insider not loading everytime I want to change sound 😑🤣 thanks for the help though 🙏
Heading into month 2 of waiting on my pre-order 😑. Great vid!!! Question: can you clock Logic to 96k and use the 90 as a USB front end? It’s listed as a 48k device only.
Thanks!! Didn't know there was such a wait list for it. I would be careful about mismatches. I actually just tried recording in 96K in Logic and it worked. I can't vouch for stability or the quality of the up convert but it did work and sounded fine in my quick test. For what that's worth....
Yeah i think the bulk of the units are still on a boat in the pacific, or maybe a port or some slow moving train. 96… Interesting did you see any change in the Resulting Latency roundtrip time?
Ha! I only did a small test. I find latency can get worse deeper into a project. I only recorded two tracks and there was no noticeable latency. But I suspect that will get worse the more you have in a project...
Can the ME90 go straight into a Katana Power Amp In jack on the back? If so, then can the ME90 be the main system while the Katana is simply now a power amp/speaker?
Absolutely. Whether using a tube amp or something like the Katana the ME90 can handle preamp duties and the amp, as you described, can assume the role of the power amp.
@@LonelyRocker I'm getting an "ah ha" moment understanding this... So if I use the Power Amp IN on the back of the Katana (MK2 100 Artist), then the ME-90 is pretty much the whole system (except the speaker). But if I use the 4 cable method, then the Katana still plays a role? Am I understanding this? And Thank you!
The 4 cable method is when you want to use a real tube amp and want to be able to place your boosts and drive pedals before the REAL preamp and have your time based and modulation effects to happen AFTER the physical preamp but before the power amp. It's like inserting the preamp in your amplifier inside the ME90. In this case you would turn the preamp block on the ME90 off. Hope that makes sense.
@@LonelyRocker Thanks for being so helpful. I’m in the learning phase with an ME90 and Katana amp. I kind of get what you’re saying. You said a “real tube amp.” My Katana is not real tubes but modeling/digital (but perhaps you are simply referring to a real amp?) I’m only confused in differentiating between Pre Amp/Drive pedals/power amp in Katana versus ME90. I couldn’t follow which was which. I’ll keep rereading your response. Thank you.
I recently purchased the ME-90 but I do not have the drop down list of different amp/speaker simulators as shown in your video at 3:42. Am I doing something wrong? I have updated the firmware, etc but I only have 1 option available when I try to adjust this setting and it appears “greyed out” and is not selectable. Thanks for the informative videos!
My pleasure! Are you talking about in Boss Tone Studio? Not sure why that would be happening unless it’s not configured properly. I’d contact Boss support. Good luck!
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Been watching a lot of me90 vids deciding on a unit and now getting ahead of the learning curve now that I’ve ordered mine. This is the most informational video on how to use the thing I’ve come across. Thanks for making getting multi fx less frustrating.
Oh thanks so much. So glad you found the helpful. Cheers!
I LOVE mine now that I did the 4 cable method. Literally the BEST money I have ever spent on gear in 20 years of playing. So easy to use and so versatile. The only complaint I have is the writing is too small on the controls. It sounded kinda bad just going into the front of my amp. 4 cable is the way. The computer editor sucks though.
Yeah it’s a great way to use the unit. Maybe get one of those Helping Hand things with the magnifying glass to help you see the writing. I know I need one! 😜😜😜
One thing overlooked is the ME-90 has far more switches than many of the higher end units, meaning in manual mode you have a lot more control over the individual effects. However, the one big issue for me is the poor implementation of tap tempo. In manual mode you have to hold down the delay on/off footswitch to change to tap tempo mode, and hold it down again to turn the fx off. I think it would be better if you could allocate the ctrl footswitch to tap tempo!
I guess there is always something. It has a ton of control for the price point but it’s not perfect.
Jon Fine here. I’m a retired professional guitar player, I quit playing in 2016 when I fractured several vertebrae and lost the ability to walk. I haven’t picked up a guitar in years, and my chops are gone. I’d like to get back into it, but I haven’t had an FX unit in years; my old Digitech unit died on me years ago and I haven’t bothered to replace it. I’m looking pretty seriously at this new Boss unit-I had good luck with Boss pedals in the past, and my first multi-FX unit was a Boss ME-5-that should tell you how long ago it was! The state.of the art in multi-FX has improved greatly since I quit playing. I don’t mind programming, but I hate diving through menus like I had to do with the Digitech stuff-hit the wrong button, or the right one at the wrong time, and I’d get totally lost in the weeds with no idea of how to get back to where I’d been. Knobs, give me knobs, so I can see my settings! The ME-90 looks like it might be what I need, as long as it’s not too big; I need to reach the pedal and all the switches with my left foot, from a wheelchair. Anyway, I liked the video-you get a Like from me!
Hi Jon. Thank you so much for taking the time to watch my video and share your thoughts. I'm sorry to hear about the challenges you have faced but it's very brave of you to push yourself back into playing and I for one am cheering for you. I think the ME90 has great features for the price. The hands on controls are definitely a plus. Ordering effects might be a little frustrating as there are limitations there but the quality of what you get for the money is really good. And if you go into manual mode, the big foot switches activate each individual module making it easy to control individual effects right on board. So that may help you. Good luck with your purchase and hope to hear from you again!
Go for it Jon. Sad to hear what’s happened to you. I hope this gives you the inspiration to get back into it. As long as you enjoy it, that’s all that matters. Greetings from England 🏴
I had an old 3rd or 4th hand ME-5, The ME-70 is so much easier, ME-90 looks to work the same only with more stuff but same method.
Go for it.
@@LonelyRocker Hey Jon, I just recently bought my first Boss ME-90 and am having a hard time with it but I will learn how to use it. I have a friend who lost the use of his legs and decided to give him my old guitar processor (Korg AX3000G). Please give it a try, if you're not happy with it you can return it for a full refund at Guitar Center. I'm going to give mine a few months to figure out how to use it, if I'm not happy with it I'll sell it to someone who will be happy with it.
Good to know that you are looking for ways oround this trouble, brother. Remember the song “take these bronken wings and learn to fly”. Shout out from Brazil. 👍
Here’s a tip… If you have a Hughes and Kettner Red Box lying around, try running your ME-90 (line setting) into it and XLR into your FRFR. It preps the signal for full range in a really nice way. Compensates for not having low/high pass filters onboard the ME-90.
Cool tip! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you sir. really help me a lot
My pleasure!! Glad it helped!!
Hi, great video, just bought a Fender Tone Master Twin and I am seriously thinking of getting a Boss me-90, what's would be the setup to have it setup since there is no return on send on the amp? Thanks
If the 4 cable method is used, how or where could we insert other specialty/boutique pedals that aren’t on the ME90? For instance, I would like to keep using my RC5 Boss looper instead of the stock Boss looper on the ME90 due to its extra functionality.
I actually made a Short about adding an EQ pedal to the 4 cable method. It's not a direct answer to your question but this is the easiest way for me to give you an idea how you would go about doing that: th-cam.com/users/shortsHHM8wAUDeZU?si=Tnr3IIaxvK2XVmgh
Great video! Thank you for sharing. I picked this up recently and am trying to figure out if the Recti-Stack "selectable options" could also be loaded in manual mode. Would you happen to know?
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I believe the selectable options are bonus features only available in the software. There are designed limitations on the ME90 and that’s one of them. Great unit though!
Quick question: If you're using the four cable method and bypassing the ME-90's preamp to use the unit at as multi-effects unit only, what output setting would you use, the one that says input or the one that says return? THANK!
I'll be very honest. That output setting is VERY confusing. Best to hook it up and experiment. It makes no sense to me so I just cycle through settings until it sounds right....
Is there a way to setup guitar input level? Active Vs passive pickup and impedance?
The ME90 just doesn't have a lot of deep tweaking for things like that. It has a series of templates but that's not the most ideal if you need some custom tweaking at the input stage.
Great video but is there any chance of you playing it thru an FRFR like so many of us out here that want to use it direct to PA. Thanks
Thanks! I gave thought to doing that after I did my TONEX video but I realized I can't authentically deliver the tone on TH-cam because I would have to mic the FRFR Cab!!! So the viewers could never really hear it as I would in the room.
@@LonelyRocker Just curious but how does that make it any different then micing an amp that people have been doing for ever on youtube. I mean you would be doing the same thing correct? Or is there something I'm missing about that theory.
The mic to preamp to recorder is as much a part of the tone as the amp and speaker. A model of an amp already includes those things within the model. An FRFR speaker is designed NOT to colour the amp model you are playing through it. If I then mic a flat response cabinet and run it through a preamp to amplify that mic I'm now adding colour to that signal so you won't be hearing a true representation of the tones coming out of the FRFR cab. I hope that makes sense!
This is super helpful, thank you! Yours is the first video I've found to share these tips.
I'm still pulling out my hair over Manual Mode. How do I get it to remember the dial settings? It always powers up in Memory Mode? When I switch to Manual it remembers the effects and on-off state but not the parameters.
I updated the firmware and have both USB and BT connections available to me. Is there a magic toggle in Tone Studio?
Jon
Petaluma, CA
Thanks so much! You know, I'm fumbling a bit with that too. I saved some settings using Boss Tone Studio for a follow up ME90 video that I released today. After I powered off the unit and turned it back on the settings were gone. I'll dig into that soon to see if I figure it out. I could post a short or a community post about that if I figure it out...
@@LonelyRocker That would be great. You can count me amongst your newest followers.
Thank you so much! Thrilled to have you aboard!
@@LonelyRockerI'm enjoying your content, thanks. I gave up on the ME-90. I found an ME-50 & ME-70 locally for much less than I paid for my fully optioned 90.
The preamps weren't the selling point of the 90 for me, but the 70 has the COSM models if I want to go ampless someday. I am already enjoying the the way the stomp parameters aren't volatile.
I hope you have success getting yours to behave on power up 👍
@JonNewquist thanks so much. Hey if it works for then that’s the right gear. Enjoy it!
Does the boss me-90 have a built in tuner?
Yes it does….
This video is a very good and thorough presentation of tips to get the most out of this device. The backing tracks are so distracting and terrible sounding. I'd love to hear the guitar by itself.
It’s like sweet and sour for you I guess 😂
Do you recommend for live playing vs more expensive options?
That’s hard for me to answer because we all have different expectations. At its core, sure this can get it done live. Will it be for everyone? No. But this could be a cheap, great sounding solution for some gigs.
Is the 4CL a must ? I’ve a fender tonemaster deluxe reverb, so no FX input - would be great to get your thoughts on the optimal set up for this type of amp ?
Nothing with guitar is “a must”. Pedal order is always debated. But conventional thinking places boosts and drives before the preamp and modulation and time based effects after. The 4CM just gives you the option to do that. Without a loop all effects end up before the preamp which means you have no ability to change that order. So now it’s up to your ear. You also have no ability to bypass the amps preamp so you can never get a true sense of the me90 amps because you end up with a preamp into a preamp. So best advice is to experiment to see what combinations work with your amp. Hope that helps!
@@LonelyRocker thanks loads, this is really helpful. I was mainly planning on not using the preamps unless into speakers so at least no pre-amp into pre-amp.
My pleasure!
Can you bypass pre-amp of your amp using the 4 cables method and use a pre amp from the Me-90 instead?
That defeats the purpose of the 4 cable method. If you want the me90 preamps you can just go direct out of your me90 into the return of the amp or straight into your amplified speaker.
@@LonelyRocker I have an Orange micro dark, it doesn't have a clean sound. I want to bypass it when i want a clean sound, like 'natural' from the me-80 preamp section , but also use it when I want to use distortion. just like you would on an amp with two channels (clean/gain) Is there method available? Doesn't have to be the 4 cable methods.
@LeStr3l0k to bypass the preamp on that amp plug your guitar into the me90 and the output of the me90 into the return of the orange. Without external switching there isn’t a way to be able to switch between a 4 cable method and going directly into the return.
Hello. I'm having difficulty being able to open the output setting and it's stuck on "tube combo 212 input" and can't change it. What's the problem with this??
Did you flip the line/gtr switch on the back of the ME90?
Will it switch your real amps channels?
That might be a lot to ask of this simpler modeler...
TIRED OF TONE STUDIO AND ALL OTHER COMPUTER CRAP JUST TO PLAY GUITAR BUTTON. --------> 🛑
I bought this specifically because I’m so sick of tweaking my Kemper, Helix, QC, MX5, ToneX and AxeFx via computer. 10 years of that shit and I’m DONE with all of them. No more apps, Bluetooth, needing to be a freakn PhD in computer science and a music engineer.
Buy this if you just want to play with badass tones with very little effort. It’s a GREAT device.
😂😂😂😂😂
Brilliant thank you! The first person to clearly explain the four cable method/amp effect loop👍👍👍
My pleasure and thank you! So glad this helped 😎🤘🏽🎸
Too complex for ,just use the manual settings😅
You can do that too! 😂😂
This is the best video I've seen on this product.
Thank you fur all the useful/productive info!
The little things, as showing how/if these have a cab sim thru, or not.
🤘🖤🖤🤘
Glad you enjoyed it! Very much appreciate your kind words :)
Great video! I just got mine and so far it’s awesome. I’ve been just trying all the patches and messing around but now I’ll get serious with it. Thanks for the good tips.
Thank you so much!!! Enjoy yours. Glad I could help with some tips!!!!
Hey brother, great video ! I would have to say the best one I have seen on the me90 ! So I just bought the uafx lion and I'm running it into the input of the me90 using the 4 cable method like you described. Is there anything you think I should do differently ?
Thank you so much!!! You could try just plugging it into the SEND/RETURN of the ME90 and turn off the ME90s preamp, turn off the Lions Cab IR and load your Cab into the ME90. Then experiment with ME90 effects in different parts of the signal chain. I suspect you will get the best results that way. Good luck and have fun!!!
Great video, one of the best ME-90 'how to ' videos so far... nice job!
Wow. Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!
@@LonelyRocker Hi Dan, I'm going to hook up my ME90 to my Blackstar Amped 1 (Amp) using the 4cm as you outlined in your video.. just a quick question if you get a spere minute.... if i want to use a tradition distortion pedal in conjunction with the above 4cm do i just plus it in from of the amp (Amped! in the normal way. guitar > distortion pedal ≥ Amp, I assume it wont effect anything on the ME90... any tips much appreciated
@siena9594 Yes. You can definitely put your distortion before the amp. Absolutely. That will help to create your initial tone the the 4CM and your ME-90 will wrap around that. Have fun with it!
Nice one Dan , thanks
Thanks for the video. I want to add wah pedal on 4cable set up on boss me 90 because I want to use the overdrive of my amp. How do you connect it?
I would just plug the WAH through the input of the ME90. So insert it first in the chain and connect the 4 cable method as I describe just with the WAH inserted in the front. You'll need 5 cables :)
Another great video! I’ve watched almost all the videos on this unit and you’re the only person to mention the 4 cable method, are you happy with hooking it up this way? Also, does the Tone Studio app work with an iPad? Thanks again!
Thanks so much! I'm sure someone else must have covered it somewhere but I wanted to make it as crystal clear as possible. I'm still experimenting with the 4 cable method. I love it in concept. The Cab IR section gave me a little trouble but the software will improve I'm sure. BTS does work with the ME90 but you need the Bluetooth adapter to connect. Hope this helps!
Hi, is the audio interface compatible with an iPad Pro? Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺
I’m sorry but I’ve never tried it but it’s certainly possible. Cheers from Canada 🇨🇦
I wanted that 4 cable function so bad! So, I sold my ME-80, saved up some extra dough, and eventually got the ME-90. It was a total waste. The ME-80 was a much nicer experience. The ME-90 4 cable method didn't have sonics of other products -- even older products. The Vox Tonelab comes to mind as having a better sound. The difference in price was not worth it. In the end, I miss my ME-80 for what it was and regret selling it.
That’s too bad. Maybe you just need to figure out the nuances of the ME90.
@@LonelyRocker no way. The beauty of the ME-80 was the simplicity. It's amazing how much harder it was to get decent sounds in the ME-90.
I’m assuming the 4 cable method would be the same if using the ME-80?
Yeah. The 4CM is pretty standard for any device with a Send and Return.
I just bought the ME 90 and pleased so far. However, I am getting a lot of noise when I go to some distortion effects. Should I try to use the noise suppressor function (edit+bank)?
Hard to say from here. Watch the gain levels with distortion blocks. Play with levels to see if you can remove any unwanted noise.
@@LonelyRocker thanks so much, I'll check out your suggestions.
Cool video! Boss rules!
Cheers from Portugal 🤘🍺🇵🇹
Thanks so much! Cheers from Canada!!
the ME products are ALWAYS killer!
Not bad at all!
By far the most comprehensive video I've found on the ME-90 - for example, you're the only demonstrator I've seen to showcase the four-cable method!
I also appreciate your demo tunes...you've got great writing chops; it's nice to hear gear demoed over diverse, intelligent and "realistic" tunes. Bravo!
Thank so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed this. I’m trying to find a good balance of value and entertainment. Cheers!
great video thanks! Is it possible to modulate delay feedback with pedal? or is there a remote expression pedal that is configurable for same?
My pleasure!!! I'm sorry, I didn't test that. The ME90 does have less customization ability than the bigger units and you can see the limitations in Boss Tone Studio. Sorry I couldn't answer that one specifically.
@@LonelyRocker no worries, and thanks for the response... after further research, it appears that deeper expression functionality with this unit is in fact limited...
That was my feeling. Boss puts limits on products in their lower categories. I'm sure it could easily do it but that's how they separate their product lines...
So, you Connect your me90 and amp with 4 cable method…
And you use a revv amp…right?
When you setup the kind of amp which do you select ?
And if i don’t wrong you select pre for the send return.
I will probably run it ito my 2 channel guitar amp. Will this do Amp channel switching?
As far as I know it can't switch an amp.....
@@LonelyRocker ok thanks. That would be perfect.
Where did you get this?
3:44 . Is this cab sim??
See you asked this in my FB group….hope we got you sorted….
Great video. Thanks for the tips.
I'm old & old school and have no interest in hooking up my computer to all the gear.
Do you recommend the ME 90 to just plug straight into an amp and use for effects?
You sort of covered this with the 4 cable method, but I don't even want to do that - just plug it in and play.
Thanks! Sure you can do that. Effect order is really the issue. I prefer my reverbs and delays after the amp but you can still have a lot of fun with this if you just plug it straight in. Why not!
Thanks for this excellent video about the ME-90! I am most interested in studio use for home recording without an amp and this video really helped!
My pleasure! So glad you found this helpful. Happy Holidays!
Good thing this is made for dumb folks like me 😃
Haha! Never dumb...just always learning :)
Hi. Would it be possible to disable the preamp through the unit or I have to use boss tone studio to disable
You can totally do it on the pedal. In manual mode you can turn all of the modules on and of as you like, including the preamps. Just one stomp on a button. Easy!
Thanks for the reply. Really appreciate it.
Cool stuff Dan! Very good video and the tones were great too!
Thanks so much Jon!
Cool overview! How would you set up an external looper that comes at the very end of the chain?
Glad you liked it! If you want the looper to capture everything from the ME90 just take the main out from the ME90 before it hits your speaker. Hope that helps!
Hello! Thanks for the nice video. I have a question: can I plug the ME-90 directly into the input of my amp? I have a Marshall MG10G. This would be the first time playing with effects and I'm a little confused about how to connect these things together.
Sorry for my slow response. You can but remember this has built in virtual amps so in essence you are plugging an amp into your amp's preamp if you go through the input. If you sue the 4 cable method through the effects loop you have control over where the preamp is in the chain and you get better placement of effects before and after the preamp. If you do plug into your amp's input I would turn off the preamp block and just use the effects. Hope that helps!
@@LonelyRockerI'm also new to the multipedal and effect loop world, so excuse my naivety. But I tried plugging the ME-90 directly into the return input on my amp, but after trying all options on output there is still no sound. Am I missing something?
Hi, very good video, not too long and quite informative. Been fiddling with the ME 90 for the last few days. I enjoy mostly manual mode over patch selection. I wonder, as it is not quite clear to me, is it possible use 4 cables method while still freely selecting effects as I go through ?
Thanks so much!! Yes, you could use it in manual mode with 4 Cable Method. Just keep the preamp block off.
Oh, it's all far too complicated for a simple singer - but I enjoyed the guitar playing! 🙂
Haha! Thanks Dave!!!
Is there a way to IR loader with your mobile phone if you haven't got a PC? 🙏
You can connect to your phone but you need the Bluetooth adapter which is sold separately.
@@LonelyRocker Yes I already have Bluetooth adapter, and have the app, but can you load IR's via the app? Can you import IR's you have downloaded into the ME 90, via the app, much thanks if you can help me out 🙏🤟
@screamingunderbelly oh sorry. I don’t have the adapter so I can’t check that. But check in with boss support. I’m sure they can help you. Let me know what you find out.
@@LonelyRocker Thanks my brother 🙏🤟
Wait it has an audio interface built in?
Absolutely!
WELP, THIS IS CERTAINLY A STEP UP FROM MY ME-50...GREAT PLAYING ON THE DEMO SOUNDS AND AWESOME OVERVIEW!
Thank you so much! Yeah, these devices are getting so good….and cheap! Yours is a classic now 😎. Thanks for checking out the video!
Great video. I have a Katana 50 MkII. It has a power amp in block (which bypasses the amp's built in effects), but no send / return ports. Does the power amp in port basically negate the need for the 4 cable method? I'm just wondering if I'm missing something.
Thanks! I don’t have a Katana so I can’t be very specific but I know that is a very different thing. An effects loop in a real tube amp will respond very differently than a digital amp. I know the ME90 and the Katana share some amps and effects and are actually designed to work together. So I wouldn’t think about the 4 cable method in your case and just find the connection to your amp that suits your needs. I hope that sort of helps 😎
@@LonelyRocker Yeah it sounds pretty good anyway. I need to crank it up though and give it a real test.
I am going to try the ME90 through my Katana 50 mk2 as well. What setup worked best for you? Input or Power Amp in?
@@mfohr I've been doing a bit of testing. In some cases (like on cleaner settings) it sounds good through the guitar input with the me90 set to gt. Input (probably because the preamp in the amp is set properly to work with that speaker). So you might be able to use it as a stomp box without the preamp switched on. I'm using that less and less as i learn how to dial in the right settings with the power amp Input. In all cases use line for the power amp in. It sounds great to my ears.
Bonjour Je ne suis pas tres bon en anglais. Mon ME-90 est branché dans le Power amp in de mon KATANA MK. Quand je suis en mode GT" amp le son n'est pas bon mais quand je suis en mode Line le son est bon. Est-ce normal?
Hello I am not very good in English. My ME-90 is plugged into the Power amp in of my KATANA MK. When I am in GT" amp mode the sound is not good but when I am in Line mode the sound is good. Is this normal?
Others have asked this question because they found the same thing as you. I have sent a message to Boss. I will share on my channel if and when I get an official answer!
Hi, I found for me, that Line mode sounds much better then G.amp mode with Tube Marshall DSL1 Combo. I cant understand why we need to use cab sim, with real cab? I use 4 cable method.
That feature is not great. It leaves too much to interpretation. I asked Boss about it but never got any feedback on it. They need to make how to set that very clear.
Bro what is wrong with my me90. Sound absolutely horrible compared to this. Distortion sounds like a 50 dollar amp for real
Did you try playing with the Gt. Amp/Line switch? I don't know how you are using this but start there. If you can hook it up to a computer try the different profiles in Boss Tone studio....it can be weird if you get this wrong for you setup...good luck!
Great help, thank you
Glad it helped! Cheers!
In 8:15 when you click on S/R is that an on/off option?
If you can click it, and when you click it, does it turn off the amp's preamp and let's you use it as a power amp?
That'd mean you could use your amp one preset and your boss preamps on other presets.
Can you confirm this? Because I know the gx-100 can do this in a single chain
Thanks
I believe you can. I don't have it with me at the moment because I'm on vacation but I'm pretty sure any block can be turned on and off. That being said, the ME90 is not designed to be as flexible as the GX100 and has little things that can frustrate you. By design so people buy the bigger units if they want those kind of features ;)
Because I’ve been a guitarist for numerous years, my first question wasn’t what the BOSS ME series, or this unit, was all about, it was:
Q: When practicing, how is the audio streaming from a mobile device (such as an iPhone) using the BOSS BLUETOOTH Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor?
Unfortunately I don't have the adapter so I couldn't tell you! :)
This is probably a really really dumb question, but what happens if I use the 4CM and switch off the pedal's pre-amp and then connect my headphones to the pedalboard?
No dumb questions. You’ll probably just hear the me90 stage of effects. You won’t hear your amp that way. I’m wondering if you’ll hear anything at all. Try it out!
I want to turn of AIRD Mode in all presets because in LINE with headphones it sounds much better to me settiing tu USER 1 where is basically off the AIRD. I can do it manually on each preset, but can't save it (ony in a new copy of the preset). So every time I have to change it and it's frustrating. Is there a way to do it?
The ME90:is a little,finicky but you can save presets in the user section. Hard to say why you are having issues saving. Use Boss Tone Studio to make your presets. It’s easier.
@@LonelyRocker i can save, you did not get the point. Long pres edit and press foot switch nr.2 to instantly change output to user 2. I want to set this for all presets without having to save a copy of each one.
A global setting output is missing.
Hi Dan, great video, very useful. I'm planning on buying a H&K Tubemeister deluxe 40 & the ME90. I would use the preamp of the TM40, and just the effects of the ME90. Two questions: 1. Do those two communicate well with each other via the 4 cable method? 2. Could I switch the 3 channels of the TM40 via the ME90? Or should I hook the H&K FSM432 up to switch channels, and does that communicate well with the Me90 :) ? Total noob in the world of multiFX. Gracias! Greetings from Belgium
Thanks! Sorry for my slow response. That would be a great match! I have the grandmeister deluxe 40. That has built in fx. The ME90 would be a great effects solution for the TM. Switching won’t communicate so that will require a little pedal dancing but you should get some nice tones. Have fun with that!
Ok so far I really am enjoying the me 90 but the weird thing I'm running into is when I run it into my IO via the left mono out using the same gain I do when running directly from my guitar ,I have to turn the volume on the ME90 all the way up to get an even remotely decent signal. Now I haven't tried the USB into my daw yet so I will try tomorrow . But you would think I could get a better signal than that . And I do have it in line mode on both the board and IO.
When I use just the ME90 alone and run it into the headphones it has great volume with the main volume barely past 9:00
That's weird...so hard to diagnose form here. Could be many things. Try going USB and see how that works. It's the better way to record anyways and you can record DIs at the same time. Let me know what you figure out...
Thank you for a great vid!!!!! A question re. the effect loop: I'd like to use my Boss DD500 *after* the ME90's delay block, but from your video at 7:00 it looks likes the SR Blok is *before* the ME90's delay block. Is there a way to put the effect loop after the ME90's delay, so like really at the end of the chain?
I regret very much that Boss dropped the long delay (6s) of the ME-80. I could even do frippetronics on the ME80. Sadly, I find that the ME90's 800 ms maximum delay time is but a sad joke :-( But I could use the ME90's reverse delay then use the DD500 for long delay times. Thank you for your help!
My pleasure! The one limitation on the ME90 is the limited ability to order the effects. It’s kind of pre set as I described in the video except for the two settings I mentioned. That’s the one big downside. I think they do that because the controls are fixed on the pedal so maybe it would get confusing. Hope that helps!
@@LonelyRocker it does. Thank you again 👍
Easily the best video on the ME-90, especially connectivity-wise. Thank you.
Wow, thanks! Glad you enjoyed this!
Hey there I’m a bit new to understanding the use of the effects loops on amps and whatnot. So I have a boss rc 600 looper, the me 90 and an amp with an effects loop and was wondering what would your recommendation be to use all these together in the best way possible? I’ve plugged the guitar into the me 90 and the output to the amp whilst running the rc 600 through the effects loop on the amp. Is this an ok way to set it up?
Think of the loop station as a recorder. You want to capture finished sounds with it. You can take the output of the me90 and go straight into the 600. You can experiment with recording dry amp tones and adding fx on the 600. That would be a start. Hope that helps!
this is actually all one would ever need in terms of amps and effects.. more complicated effects and 2 channels,etc is something thats more like a gimmick which sounds great but somthing thats you can live without..
This does the job for sure!!!
Using the 4 cable method does this ME-90 have the abilty to change chanels on the amp from clean to lead?
That's a great question but my guess would be no. There's no way to send that information as far as I can tell...
Is there a global or parametric EQ available in Tone Studio like there is for the Katana or are you limited to the three knob Bass, Mid, Treble on the unit?
That's one of the limitations. No ParaEQ. Just the 3 band. I may be cooking up a separate video about that. Stay tuned!
When you connect your ME-90 to your computer via USB, what inputs and outputs appear in your DAW settings?
I am using reaper and have the ME-90 selected as my device and when I go to change the Input in the drop-down menu I get options that say “Output”. Makes no sense.
I am wondering if you see something similar when connecting.
There aren’t any videos on TH-cam covering this so I am hoping you can help me out. Thanks!
Hi there. That’s strange. I just see the 4 ME90 inputs. I don’t know Reaper so very hard for me to suggest what may be wrong. It could be within the DAW. It could be a conflict on you computer. Can you test another DAW just to see what inputs you see? If it’s the same then I would explore issues at your system level. Hope that helps a little!
This helps a lot. I wish I could post a screenshot here lol.
I will try a different daw and see what comes up. Thanks!
Is it possible to use me-90 as an Audio Interface (like scarlett) and play with Amplitube 5?
Absolutely. Just connect it via USB….i believe I talked about that….
@@LonelyRocker thanks for the answer)
Is there a way to turn the effects loop on and off so I can have a pedal plugged in there and use it as part of a preset?
Yes I believe you can bypass the loop but it only has one loop. Complex switching is not something the ME90 does well...
Great run down thank
Glad you enjoyed it!
I have a Strat with Duncan: two HotRails and one CoolRails. Do I need to be concerned with the HotRails being too hot to get a good clean sound out of the clean preamp models? For example, I really like the clean Twin sound. Within the ME-90, can the guitar's input level be dialed back so as not to easily get clipped sound? Or does one just need to lower the gain knob within the Twin preamp model?
The simplest answer is you would treat this like any amp. The volume on your guitar is part of the signal chain. Use it as you need it. You also have good gain and level control on the ME90 too. Tweak them all until you get the tone you desire. :)
@@LonelyRocker Thank you... much appreciated. ✌
I can't seem to be able to select aird outputs. It's stuck on twin 2x12 input and greyed out. Help anyone?
Did you play with the line/gtr switch on the back?
Yes. I found the settings when I switched to "amp" which is counter intuitive if you ask me, you need amp models when using line mode not amp mode. 😂to me anyway it seemed odd.
With the output selection what did u find the best using 4 cable method
"Best" relates to your gear. What worked for me may not be the best option for you...depends on what you are connecting your ME90 through...This feature is a bit confusing so I just cycled through the options until I settled on the one that sounded "best"...I may not be right!!! ;)
Nice info! And, that was a m-f'er of a solo at 8:38 !!! \,,/
Thanks so much! I forgot about that bit. Had to go back and check it out. I may need to bring that out again sometime! :)
Does the me 90 have a looper
It actually does...you can record up to 38 seconds....
@@LonelyRocker ooh beautiful 🔥 🔥
Old school boss fan. Melodious punk. Prescott, AZ.
Sweet! Cheers from (North of) Toronto Canada!
Hey there! Thanks for such an awesome an complete explanation on the 4 cable method! I just have a question. Can you use this method and use the unit as a usb interface at the same time? I want to know if you can record the sound of your separate, physical amp directly into your DAW without having to mic it. Sorry if it is a dumb question and thanks again!!!!
Thank you! Glad you found this helpful. This is not a dumb question at all! You can use the 4 cable method to loop the fx into your amp but the sound of the amp has to get to your computer. It's not running out of the ME90. You'd either have to hook it to a cab and mic it, as you suggested, or take the speaker out into a load box and then into another interface. The ME90 is a great interface for recording itself and DI tracks but ti can't do double duty...hope that helps
@@LonelyRocker Oh I see.. That makes a lot of sense. I´ve always played wihout an actual amp/cab. Always straight into a digital amp modeller and effects unit (Moore GE-200, Ampero 2 Stomp, Fractal FM3) with headphones and recording into a DAW is very easy like that. But now I want to try an actual amp/cab and your explanation helps me understand how I would have to get the sound from the amp in to the computer though I thought there was a quicker way that did not require an additional interface or any mic´ing :( But thanks again!!
I bought this and my old man self is having problems? I cant seem to load all the preloaded patches? Always pays P8 or P9, or U2 whatever that means? Think my unit is messed up? Thanks
P stands for preset and U stands for User. Presets are shipped with the unit and the User slots are where you save your own presets. So what you are seeing is correct. I show you in the video how to switch to manual mode. That’s the more old school way where you turn effects on and off by just stomping on their respective pedal. Hope that helps!
@@LonelyRocker thanks man. Subbed
My pleasure and SWEET! Hope to hear form you agin soon!
to me plugged into my katana (just straight into the input - nothing fancy) it sounds WAY better switched to line at the back - which is the opposite of how its supposed to work?
I’m admittedly confused about that setting. I’ve mentioned it to Boss. I’m sure there will be updates to all of this. That’s why I suggested using your ear to decide. If it sounds good to you then that’s what it should be. But even then it still makes you wonder.
I have a ME-90 as well and for me it always sounds best switched to line at the back. I just use presets without an amp block when connected to the input of a real amp. Pretty confused by the setting as well.
Hi 🙂thanks for this video, it is very helpful! I have a question: using the ME-90 with the 4 cable method with an amp (I'm using a Blackstar dept.10 dual-distortion as it was the amp), where would you add a noise gate? I know the ME-90 already has it, but I need to add one more because it is still a bit too noisy. Should it be straight after the guitar (so into the ME-90 input)?.
Thanks in advance.
Thanks! Always best to experiment with your noise gate placement. There is even a 4 cable method for setting up a noise gate. But in your case try right after your guitar and then try right before the main input of your amp and see which one performs better. You can insert it anywhere in the 4 cable method to see where it performs best but first try the 2 I suggested. Let me know how it goes!
Thanks man! I'll keep you posted! Any suggestion for a good noise gate without spending a fortune?
My pleasure! Check out the Revv G8. Great pedal! th-cam.com/video/PjIuKzT4nGs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=B6BV2YP5PIKSnSuM
Ok what I really need is how the heck do I change effects loop from pre to post?
It's easy to do in Boss Tone Studio...on the device...NO IDEA!!! :)
@@LonelyRocker On the unit, select whether the SEND/RETURN comes before the preamp or after the preamp in the signal chain.
Switch to Manual mode, and press Edit until S0 appears.
Use bank switches to swap between S0 and S1, where the former comes before, and the latter comes after the preamp.
Press Write.
I found this but can't seem to find S0 or S1 It doesn't come up no matter what.
well produced. more video on your production side please.
Thanks so much! Not sure my VIDEO production process will garner much interest but who know, maybe a look behind the curtain one day. As for my recording process...that will get plenty of looks. Cheers!
Best review and instruction for me-90. Thank you.
Now i have to convience my wife only that gt-1 is not for me any more.
Do you have experience maybe with bos nextone or Laney cub-super 12. Both have fx-loop so for both i will be able to use 4cm.
I just wonder if a small tube amp will fit better then bosses transistor.
I just need it for a late night home playing and i don’t want to invest in number of boss pedals. Therefore me-90 plus an amp.
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful! I haven't used either but I personally would always lean to the tube amp. To me it's more fun and I like driving different things into the amp to change up the tone. But you need to play through them yourself to know which one feels right. But since both have an effects loop you can 4CM with both of them...good luck convincing the wife! ;)
This unit would be perfect if you had controllable outputs so I can run one out to amp and one out to front of the house with the built in amp. Just asking if you can confirm this is not possible.
You can actually do that via the USB but not the analogue outputs unfortunately.
@@LonelyRocker darn. Thank you so much for letting me know.
Hi great video, can this unit be plugged into a power amp and then speaker cabs?
Thank you! Technically it should be but as of this version you can't seem to turn off the Cab IRs. I realized that just after I finished the video. Though I hope as they update the software they will introduce that option. Because it should be able to do what you are asking...
@@LonelyRocker ok thanks
I bought one, but it sounded different, not like yours or other demos, I directly connected its output R to my boss Katana 50 power amp in, and the switch is on GT amp, not line, so what is wrong?
That's really hard to say from here. I mea. each player sounds different and every environment is different. Start with headphones and see ig it sounds good...Then switch to the speaker and cycle through all switches and modes until you find one you like. Good like!
@@LonelyRocker i tried to get a good clean tone, but never found a good one, I like your clean tone, but couldn’t get one like yours, can give me a hint for the settings? Thanks
Ha! I honestly don't remember...different guitars maybe? Just keep twisting dials! You'll find something sweet :)
How do you adjust the overall volume of the pedal?
With the output dial?
Can you use 2 jack leads 1 through the input and the guitar and one from the output to the amp like single distortion pedals?
Sure you can but it's not the best way to use it. You can't really use the models properly and your pedal order won't be optimal. But for simple practising it's fine....
@LonelyRocker I can always use the software if I want to change something is my logic just fed up with blackstar insider not loading everytime I want to change sound 😑🤣 thanks for the help though 🙏
I hope in future updates they fix the spring reverb. It's not right.
I assume they will make improvements based on customer feedback. I have a small list of things I'd like to see updated too :)
I thought you were going to teach something but what you really wanted was for someone to watch you play guitar...smh
Heading into month 2 of waiting on my pre-order 😑. Great vid!!! Question: can you clock Logic to 96k and use the 90 as a USB front end? It’s listed as a 48k device only.
Thanks!! Didn't know there was such a wait list for it. I would be careful about mismatches. I actually just tried recording in 96K in Logic and it worked. I can't vouch for stability or the quality of the up convert but it did work and sounded fine in my quick test. For what that's worth....
Yeah i think the bulk of the units are still on a boat in the pacific, or maybe a port or some slow moving train. 96… Interesting did you see any change in the Resulting Latency roundtrip time?
Ha! I only did a small test. I find latency can get worse deeper into a project. I only recorded two tracks and there was no noticeable latency. But I suspect that will get worse the more you have in a project...
Enjoyed the video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
So now you truly got the "Best Of Both Worlds" - took a day to get to your vid - first thing noticed - no else see it?? 😮
Ha!! Nicely played!!!!! Details to follow :)))))
@@LonelyRocker is the room big enough for that elephant - lmao 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Can the ME90 go straight into a Katana Power Amp In jack on the back? If so, then can the ME90 be the main system while the Katana is simply now a power amp/speaker?
Absolutely. Whether using a tube amp or something like the Katana the ME90 can handle preamp duties and the amp, as you described, can assume the role of the power amp.
@@LonelyRocker I'm getting an "ah ha" moment understanding this... So if I use the Power Amp IN on the back of the Katana (MK2 100 Artist), then the ME-90 is pretty much the whole system (except the speaker). But if I use the 4 cable method, then the Katana still plays a role? Am I understanding this? And Thank you!
The 4 cable method is when you want to use a real tube amp and want to be able to place your boosts and drive pedals before the REAL preamp and have your time based and modulation effects to happen AFTER the physical preamp but before the power amp. It's like inserting the preamp in your amplifier inside the ME90. In this case you would turn the preamp block on the ME90 off. Hope that makes sense.
@@LonelyRocker Thanks for being so helpful. I’m in the learning phase with an ME90 and Katana amp. I kind of get what you’re saying. You said a “real tube amp.” My Katana is not real tubes but modeling/digital (but perhaps you are simply referring to a real amp?) I’m only confused in differentiating between Pre Amp/Drive pedals/power amp in Katana versus ME90. I couldn’t follow which was which. I’ll keep rereading your response. Thank you.
I recently purchased the ME-90 but I do not have the drop down list of different amp/speaker simulators as shown in your video at 3:42.
Am I doing something wrong?
I have updated the firmware, etc but I only have 1 option available when I try to adjust this setting and it appears “greyed out” and is not selectable. Thanks for the informative videos!
My pleasure! Are you talking about in Boss Tone Studio? Not sure why that would be happening unless it’s not configured properly. I’d contact Boss support. Good luck!
Thanks for the response. Yes, I have the issue when using Tone Studio. I contacted Boss for some Tech support. Cheers!
Update: the output switch has to be set to GTR Amp, not Line Out. Now everything works as it should.
Ahhh. I should have known that. Thnx for the clarification!
awesome vid, Rho here, sub-ed now mate
Thanks so much! Glad to have you here! 😎🎸🤟🏼