Boss ME-90 Effects Processor: Time to see a REAL review.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 มิ.ย. 2024
- Boss ME-90: Fed up of sponsored reviews? Here's a REAL truthful in depth review of the Boss ME-90 effects processor pedal.
BOSS ME-90 new release so I watched review after review | typical sponsored reviews that don't tell you what the ME-90 is really like for regular musicians. So I did. Completely independent review.
Contents:
0:00 Start
0:13 Intro & Preamble
0:15 ME-90 out of the box
1:45 Quality inside the unit
2:50 Internal construction
4:16 Rear I/O connections
5:27 Boss Bluetooth socket
6:15 Quick front control overview
8:05 Memory or manual mode
8:49 Opinion so far
10:46 Operational abnormality
11:26 The manual matters!
11:45 Ease of use?
13:09 About the buyers
13:48 More about Bluetooth
14:48 USB cable NOT!
15:05 Closeup effects overview
15:23 Output switch
15:39 Compressor & FX1
18:51 OD/DS pedal
20:37 Modulation pedal
21:38 Delay pedal
22:49 Preamp section
23:52 Noise suppressor
24:24 EQ & FX2
24:54 Reverb control
25:41 Pedal FX control
26:24 System settings
27:13 Control pedals
27:46 Software
32:30 IR's
33:34 General thoughts
34:27 Missing stuff
36:26 Things I liked
38:21 Things unliked
39:28 Warranty
40:01 Score
41:40 Intro to playing
42:51 Playing
What you will learn:
Is this ME-90 really any good?
What does the ME-90 cost?
Is the overall quality good?
Warranty? How long is it?
Related web links:
My website: tonymckenzie.com
Boss website: www.boss.info/uk/products/me-90/
Boss Video: • BOSS ME-90 Guitar Mult...
That's just like Boss and Roland. They NEVER tell non sponsored reviewers about soon to be released products and that's the case with me and the ME-90. I have been reviewing (and using) Roland and Boss music gear for as long as I care to remember and so once I saw the ME-90 it was time for an 'ordinary guy' to take a closer look.
All those reviews I watched of the boss me 90 (ME-90) actually became a chore. Over and over I heard things like "What else could you want", "The ultimate processor", "Effortless multi FX tones", The usual and cynical "Game changer", and let's not forget "Modeling without the hassle". It does after a while become so predictable and some people believe all of that. I don't!
But in reality, I saw things rather different than the 'sponsored' video boys. You see, I have only what I actually see in front of me from my ACTUAL PURCHASE to show in a truthful review, there is no external pressure on me, no free pedal, nothing to add except what I find, so my ME-90 review is entirely a true reflection of what I found - and what was missing too in my opinion!
Are you ready to hear what the Boss ME-90 Effects Processor has to say? In this real review, I'll give you a detailed rundown of what this pedal is all about.
If you're looking for a metal guitar multi-effects pedal, then you need to check out the Boss ME-90! This pedal has everything you need to create great metal guitar sounds. From distortion to modulation, this pedal has it all! In this real review, I'll give you a detailed rundown of what this pedal is all about, so stay tuned!
So in this video I set out to show the features and benefits of the Boss ME-90 for the majority of either starting out guitarists, or semi-pro guys that want an effects pedal that is more maybe old style than new style, but has the added advantage of some software (if it must be part of the reason to buy) and an intro to IR's etc.
While I show you lots in this video that NO-ONE never does, I do also show just how simple the ME-90 is for ease of use, quality, warranty, expected costs and so on.
I do think this effects processor from Boss is value for money and does offer a sort of hybrid effects unit especially useful for those that don't want the whole plethora that digital only could add. It feels like a 90% Analogue and 10% digital unit, although the truth is it all seems to be a digital unit inside.
I do run through the control section in some depth for musicians.
This is a very robust device and surely will withstand the rigors of getting thrown around a little.
Both Tony McKenzie and Levi McKenzie reviewed this device without ANY discussion with music gear retailers or makers and we have spent considerable time creating this video entirely as I said and at my own expense:
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE, RING THE BELL, AND THUMBS UP to give my channel a boost and thank you for watching - I hope the video is enjoyable for you and that you see the tings in it that other reviews NEVER show!.
(c) A B McKenzie and www.tonymckenzie.com 2009-2023
All Rights Reserved. All Trade Marks Acknowledged
Visit tonymckenzie.com for more incredible reviews or my TH-cam channel
#boss #bossme90 #effects #processor #guitarist #tonymckenzie #effectspedal #effectspedals - เพลง
Thank God. These sponsored, no-info, release day pedal demos are becoming a nightmare to navigate. Appreciate you!
Indeed they are... I did watch some/many and it's sort of very much of the same, then the same, then the same... etc. And thanks for watching.
Using this unit live with a band is killer. It truly is hands on like a bunch of pedals on a board but way more versatile.
I mean, it really does anything you would need to play out, and it sounds great if you know how to tweak knobs right. At the same time, it's not clunky and convoluted.
It's compact yet still has a very sturdy expression pedal, and it's very easy to program.
Again. A lot of people get caught up in stuff that just won't matter live at all... this unit is GREAT. If you want to play more than menu dive I HIGHLY recommend the ME 90...
And it's built like a tank, too.
And the amp modeling is great.
Subjective though....
Thanks for the info. Well as you can see its different stuff for different people, Levi was not too fussed... it does meet the needs of many guys particularly if they are new to guitar. Tanks for the post and for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom Yes, everything's subjective and everyone knows that, that's a non-point.
I love mine and gig with it every weekend! Traded in my ME80 for it
Great work Tony/Levi, the effort that you put into your reviews is the gold standard. As I said in a previous review……..please don’t be put off by jealous people who might criticise. All the hard work you put into your channel is very much appreciated by many people. Mark G
Thank you Mark. and thanks for watching.
Great Review Tony as always nobody goes inside these units but you do and I appreciate that this way you know what you’re getting and you can see the quality or lack of, Levi is one hell of a player Tony and I know you proud of him ,I’m glad your back doing these reviews always a pleasure watching thank you and continue putting out these great informative videos Tony!!!
Appreciated... and thanks for watching...
Awesome, thanks for the review, it helps--and two thumbs up to Levi!
Glad it was helpful! and Yes Levi really enjoyed it all... Thanks for watching.
I gigged an ME-70 for years straight into my tube amp as a pedalboard. Loved it.
Tried a Headrush, but it had way too much going on. Sold that and got the ME-90…
For me it’s what I’m lookin for. I can give lessons with it, take it to a gig, or put it on my desktop and record. The latter is where the IRs matter. The unit has a tight sound and takes external pedals very well…
but if I was a beginner, I’d get confused as hell by the ‘parameters’. But, I have a keyboard that is designed the same way.
AND WHY in the hell is the tuner part of the manual/memory pedal?!
Good points.... and thanks for watching.
I’m astonished!
Your style & manner make me smile…I’m grateful for your in-depth review.
The guitar solo at the end plummeted me headfirst into uncharted areas of ecstasy, only a Mongolian monk has known.
I’m giving you 10 out of 10.
I used to be a mongolian monk... but when someone asked me about the apple, orange, and a piece of string, I had to decline to tell them what I do with it :) Thanks for the kind comments and of course for watching.
Love your work - thanks!
Thank you... and for watching too.
Great as always ,,, Thanks Tony !
My pleasure!
You're back! 😃
Of course :)
i have to say thanks for another great review guys, i do like boss and still have an me50 from about 20yrs back and it works perfectly , if i had to spend 300 quid id just buy a blues driver, a chorus and a delay , thats all id need .
Similar money... but what about the 'convenience'... but there are many plus and minuses of course. Would you use these IR's? Levi did not care... Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the in-depth review Tony. My friends and I get to play live a fair bit around the university campus, and stuff like the ME90 is really useful because the venues don't have amplifiers, and the local sound crew really hate amps and often force all the guitar players to go DI. Multi-fx units like these with IR-loading really help to improve the overall sound. IRs are not always necessary, we gig old school Pods and stuff and they work great. But it's really important to have some kind of DI solution. Real amps are often a big, troublesome luxury!
Yes I get that, but there are so many IR type devices these days... it makes the mind boggle. Some will tell you the TONEX is the answer... but I won't - its too dependent on software. I guess at least with this device there is a good element of hardware in use. Thanks.
Damn, now there's the difference between an audio engineer and a "sound guy". If you bring an amp to your gig (crazy, right?) and the guy at the board refuses to mic it up? That's a "sound guy". Sorry you dealt with one!
I guess he forgot the "engineer" part of his job descrioption!
"Yeah!" Love the enthusiasm :) Mine arrived Friday. Be sure to change your AIRD Output as it has a massive impact to sound w/out IR's. I set mine to "Katana-100 Input" as it sounded the most natural "to me".
Noise Gate can be turned to Zero by holding Edit or Write (I'm not in front of my unit) and Pressing the Down Bank. No need or ToneStudio.
I've got a GT-1. It has the same CPU/COSM as the ME-80. I find the A-I-R-D is better sounding than COSM. Sounds as good as the GT-1000.
I've used D'Addario power supplies with BOSS gear for years with no issues.
Thanks for the hard work! Best Regards and Best Wishes!
Thanks for pointing out several of the features that were missed by this review. The ME-90 uses the same AIRD tech as the Boss GT-1000 and the cost of the ME-90 is about the same as a single effect Strymon pedal. The ME-90 will sell like hotcakes and allready is. Should it come with a Boss PS120 power supply included?......maybe but whining about a .60 cent USB cable is petty. Buy a quality USB C data cable to ensure error free data transfers and future updates.
@factoryrat405 Please stop being antagonistic. It's not necessary. You disagree... that's it.
The turn to zero for the noise gate is actually not off. It's only turnable off in the software. I don't disagree that 0 won't be heard of course... but nowhere was there actually an on and off unless you used the software for some strange reason. Thanks for the points... I'm of course not perfect and don't claim to be, but I really tried to show a fair overview, while including some of the stuff like no power supply for example, and the Andertons power supply Ha I absolutely would not use that. There ARE compatible power supplies of course like you say, but if someone just plugs any old thing in and pops the pedal then I always try and 'steer' them to using the correct PSU. Great points and appreciated.
From page 13 of the official released Boss ME-90 Parameter guide. "When the Noise Suppressor setting is turned to 0 , the noise suppressor is turned OFF.
Great review Tony. I have one and I love it
Yes very good especially for the money! Thanks for watching.
Great idea to have another player to demo the sound the kit can make - always good to compare the ‘touch’ of different players as well as demands given the particular style the kit will service. Perhaps this shows a better business model for manufacturers and retailers than the current market ‘hogwash’ ! More power to your elbow :-)
Thanks and glad you get the idea too ;-) and thanks for watching too.
Thanks Tony. Big help.
Hey Jim... trust you're doing OK. Regards... Tony
Hi Tony I’m a beginner with effects so should I go ME90 or Gt1 ?
I would opt for the ME-90... newer tech... thanks...
I saw some other demonstrations and I thought this product sounded quite good and I actually went out and bought it but I think that this particular video is very good and detailed.
A nice methodical dive into this that is takes time and take things nice and slow and I think that's a very valuable and that's course I figured that if you had a 47-minute the video that the other be some more details than what's usually out there so yes I agree it was a very well done video and I appreciate it thank you
Glad it was helpful! My aim is to as much as possible offer information that will NEVER be shown on the regular 'sales' type reviews out there. I have always thought it does make aa difference and the subscribers generally agree... and thanks for watching.
Thanks for the good, honest and informative review. Boss really did cheap out on this... Not only lacking a usb cable, but there is no power supply included. And get this... they advertise this as a bonus because it's portable and can run on batteries anywhere you take it! The ME line could always take batteries. The ME-90 isn't such a great deal in Canada with a street price of $500 before tax. Of course everything is costing more it seems. What can you do...? Thanks again to you both! Good playing, Levi.
Yup... Expensive here, and in Quebec there's a double tax!
Very good points. I agree. It was reasonably obvious to me that 'strangely' Andertons were offering this 'power supply' (yuk it was cheap and horrible really) by 'chance'. I don't think so... it was not by chance. Now who would use batteries at a gig? Maybe some would but it would not be me. I loved the 'use Roland' power supply only on the case, and there was the Andertons power supply :) Thanks for the post... and glad to help. Thanks for watching.
It will run off a 1spot. It only needs like 280 Ma to run. That's not an omission, that's doing me a favor, I don't need another cord. Boss hasn't shipped USB with their stuff for years, everyone likely already has 5 of the cables needed already.
You can in fact turn the noise gate off from the panel. Almost everything is there under the edit button. The only things that I’ve found that aren’t is the IR loader and the effects swaps on the 11th knob position.
Well I could turn it down, but not off - from the front. You might be right - bear in mind ha I see so much gear... after a while they all melt in to each other :). Thanks for the post and that other info too. Thanks for watching.
Hi Tony, good review btw.
May I have a request? I really want you to review an effect modeller that is called Korg AX3000G. It came out at the same time as the Zoom GFX8, maybe in the year 2003.
I know it's an old guitar effect but I wonder why the company didn't make any other pedals?
I still have one and I can tell you that the most weak of those pedals is to connect them to an unstable electricity source.
Btw, best regards and pls keep making reviews it's very useful.
👍👍👍
Hard for me to make that as I don't have one... but if I do find one I'll look. Thanks for watching...
That "yeah" at the beginning was epic.
Took hours of training :)
Love your honesty..
Thank you. Best way I think. Have a great new year...
@tonymckenziecom Even Levi has this honesty. Good quality. So much hype on TH-cam hard for people to sort it out. I get the impression TH-cam is full of Sales person's. The new infomercials. Seems almost everyone works for sweetwater.
Great for experimenting. There is no way I would buy all those pedals but if you’ve got something like this then you can mess around and find effects you didnt know you liked. I sometime wonder if a decent EQ pedal in the loop would tidy things up a bit. Cool review!
It's a great device for a low cost, as many of these types of units are... and no question really useful... thanks for watching.
How can you call "game changer" not a review? I had a guy who picked up a rock and said, "this rock is a game changer". I assumed that made him an "expert" and gave him all my money.
Classic. Those were not my words of 'game changer' but look out there and you will find... I just smiled when I saw it. Thanks for watching.
Got to ask is that a Schector guitar ?? Or what brand ?? I like the roman numerals and the fishman pickup. Nice playing young man 😎👍✌️💯🎸
It is indeed a Schecter brand and Levi owns that one... 7 string... thanks for watching.
The best thing is the delay spillover between patches
But that's a common thing these days... right? Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecomnot really
I've been very strongly considering this, but I've heard an awful lot of reports that it sounds terrible through certain amps. Some of the sound samples I've heard are excellent, so there must be something different they are doing to make it sound bad. However, there are an awful lot of people saying it, so I want to try to figure out what's going on before I go for it.
I will say, the tone samples on yours were great. Loved the review, thank you for going this far in-depth.
I simply plugged it in and played. Literally 5 mins to set up... it can be difficult on YT re tones etc. and who knows what some use for their videos? But it did work well for me and honestly, had it been bad I would always say so. Interesting point - can anyone NAME the amps? Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom Yea, that’s the sort of thing I need to hear to pull the trigger. It seems pretty much perfect for what I need, I like that it’s battery powered too. Less cords to run around. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I have an ME-80 which I rate very highly (I should add that I use it live into a Fender Deville as well). I use lots of different sounds, from overdrives, though not metal kinds, through to more ambient stuff. The one thing it lacks is decent reverb control which I was hoping the 90 would have, but they've dropped the ball again here. Also I suspect a lot of people bought the Me-80 because it looks and works like an actual traditional pedal board in a lot of respects rather than having to go menu diving, so all this stuff with IR's I imagine will be surplus to requirements. Certainly is in my case and I'll be sticking with what I know. Cheers for the review, good stuff. Saved me some £!
That's sort of similar to Levi's opinion... he thinks the IR's for what he does are not really necessary. Thanks for the post and for watching.
I tried the ME-80 hoping it would be ok to go straight into a PA when I didn't want to use an amp, but just couldn't get a good enough sound out of it especially in the overdrive/ distortions- the modulations were OK, but I sold it. I feel the ME-90 will be similar. I now use a Tech 21 Fly Rig 2 straight into PAs, with a noise gate in its FX loop, and it sounds just so much better than the Boss, although hasn't got all the bells and whistles (which I never use anyway). Thanks for the video guys.
You have to put a dummy plug in its headphone out.Much better.
Oddly enough I do similar with my GT1000 Core but in its last Return.
I dunno why Boss do these ' easter egg' gotchas.
The Tech21 stuff (I reviewed three Fly-rigs) are really great sounding I think... and rightly IMO better than this pedal. But the ME=90 has a place for some guys... Thanks for watching.
Great point and thanks for posting it...
You get out of it what you put into it. I use it when a Headrush FR-108 and it sounds great. I always edit with the BossTone Studio and usually only edit volume levels on the fly.
Thanks for sharing! and of course thanks for watching.
Been proudly using the Me-80 for almost a decade. Many gigs. And i can say the Me-90 seems to have fixed the 80's shortcomings. If your a nerd tweaking screen menu's its not for you but if your old school and know how to really use individual stomp boxes then the 80 and 90 are a Godsend.
Exactly! Thanks.
I never had any problems with Andertons delivery. As long as you order before 4pm you get free delivery by next morning. But may be longer if up north? Also those cheap mains adapters do work with the smaller Boss pedals. Your review is good - but the advantage of this is it's all in one box, no cables, so good for someone who doesn't already have loads of seperate pedals and likes using computers!
It DOES have it's place of course. I marked it down a little but a 7 (from Levi) is not bad, and I just can get frustrated as much as anything, because IMO they DID penny pinch with no power supply and not even a USB cable - who do they think they are... Apple! I always think of the young guy that saved up for maybe even months and gets the gear and is then pratting about with batteries all because the maker did not supply what really is pretty much necessary these days. For Andertons, honestly, it was the FIRST TIME I have had a delivery of those guys basically ever. Blame DPD, but blame Andertons for using them. DPD fouled up a while back (we used to use them as a carrier) and have remained generally hard work ever since... shortage of employees just like everywhere else IMO. But thanks for the post, fair enough points... and I was surprised that Levi was not 'jumping for joy' at the IR inclusion... he certainly did not seem enthralled with it :). And thanks for watching.
I bought one of these and yes I was pissed off there was no power supply, £28 to buy the right one, fortunately I have one with my Boss RC-30 but it still cost me £10 for a cable to connect the two together, I loved the review, and that Boy can play ,well done young man, you will be famous one day 😃
Yes very frustrating that there was none... agreed. Levi will be famous, but as an airline pilot :) Thanks for watching.
If this has not yet been mentioned: You can definitely turn OFF the GATE on the unit itself without the Boss Tone Studio.
PRESS and HOLD EDIT button and adjust the threshold to ZERO by pressing the BANK UP or DOWN.
Turning it to zero is NOT turning it off. Tell us how we TURN IT OFF (actually) rather than a setting of lowest... thanks.
@@tonymckenziecom Setting the ZERO will yes turn it OFF. Based on the paramater manual:
Press the BANK UP or DOWN pedals while holding down the [EDIT] button to adjust the threshold.
Adjust this parameter as appropriate for the volume of the noise. If the noise level is high, a higher setting is appropriate. If the noise level is low, a lower setting is appropriate.
WHEN THIS IS SET TO “0”, THE NOISE SUPRESSOR IS TURNED OFF.
static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/ME-90_parameter_eng01_W.pdf
Surely, 0 is off?
@@Jonwsm Yes.
0 is off 😂
Look, that’s a brilliant system. It can be as easy as you want or as complicated and powerful as you like… especially for recording, it can bring bedroom players to a different level. If they just learn it, it’s not hard.
Well I think I already said that! :) Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom yeah but there’s this pessimistic kind of tone about your delivery
I like this overall, but my feedback to you is that it isn't helpful if you dismiss a feature because you anecdotally happen to have an equal or better alternative. I'm looking to know about the ME-90 itself and whether those IRs or certain effects are useful in the context of a multi effects unit itself, so when you gloss over or make smarmy comments about them and skip over it isn't particularly helpful and I feel like you did that with like half or more of everything on there lol.
Nothing is anecdotal. I buy all my devices in the main and have been doing this since about 2010. I showed the IR's, 'smarmy' comments are subjective, and trust me, I did NOT skip over the quality, the NO PSU, The NO Bluetooth or indeed the NO USB cable even. The non printed manual was another omission common today. The NO STEREO loop is another omission as are many other things that those other boys NEVER mention. a 7/10 was reasonable for this unit, and if you want to see better devices then look for Boss or Roland in my back catalogue of devices. The GX-100 was far better. Thanks.
The GX-100 is better as it should be as you have to pay an extra $150 USD for it. The GX-100 uses the same AIRD technology as the ME-90 does, but not found in the Boss GT-1 which uses the very outdated COSM tech since it's being discussed here.
It's very good as a control unit at the end of a pedal chain, and you can run two amps/speakers with it. That is, if it's like the me-80. Looks like a slight refinement of the me-80, which will one day evolve into an me-100 someday.
Thanks for this useful info and I'm sure many will pick up on that. and thanks for watching.
Does the feedbacker turns off the noise gate
Can't remember I see far too much gear... sorry.... but thanks for watching... Anyone else have the answer?
I think its a great board period.
Simple, fair price and sounds OK. Thanks for watching.
Well for someone who does not know what IRs are, that's some pretty good chops there! :) You are forgiven! Ok missed a few notes here and there and too much vibrato to my taste but well done! Levi still has more chops than I do :P
Thanks for that! He literally has played since he was 10 - and his first recording is on my channel... (Back in Black) :) Thanks.
Levi....Levitates!!!Excellent!!!
:) Trust you're doing OK... and thanks.
You could dip the end of that "magic wand" in some bright/fluorescent paint for better navigation :)
A good point... I'm surprised no one ever came up with one also!... good point and thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom thank you for taking time and effort sharing your insights with the rest of the world. Wand works really well too/
does ME90 got a looper to record and overdub
The ME-90 has a looper that can record up to 38 seconds, with overdubbing. Thanks for watching.
It took me a long time to find a "real" review of the me90. I watched a lot of videos where these influencers swear it's great and next video they're not even using it anymore. Just wondering as I'm on the cusp of buying this is if Levi is still using 4 months later?? Thanks for your vids
Heres the latest... Levi later decided that the ME-90 was in fact better than the GT1 he had used - although in the vid he was adamant that the GT1 was better... but I gave the unit to him and he has never gone back to the GT1 but stayed with the ME-90. I asked him again recently if he was still 'happy' with the ME-90 and he loves it still. So on the Levi front I would say the ME-90 is a winner. I think its a pretty cool device and for that money its hard to go wrong. BTW just for clarity this was NOT a sponsored review. And you picked up on something else that no one ever mentions - those reviewers you mention (you'll know who they are) never use the gear after the reviews do they? Me? Well I have lots of gear I have reviewed, bt I sell the stuff I don't really like... I DO use the gear I keep for sure... and that is honestly a good indication you made about guys that 'review' gear but only for profit one way or another. Great point and thanks for watching.
Thanks for replying. I think I've made my mind up on buying this next month. I still have my korg ax1500g from 20 years ago but its seen better days. I'm just wanting something to plug earphones jn and jam most of the night lol
This is why you don't see many other videos saying there top pedals as it conflicts with other paid sponsorships. Doesn't help when wanting to choose a rig that's going to be with you for many years. Thanks again. Love the channel and the brutal honesty
@TonymcKenziecom Thanks so much for this review, Tony - and Levi - ! I´m chewing about getting an ME80 - most probably, I have limited funds - or an ME90. I´ve been thinking if it´s worth the extra money to get the newer model. Honestly, what I like about the 90 is the addition of the feedbacker and the IR loading feature. I´m sure there is some difference between COSM and AIRD emulations, but for a bedroom player like me, I´m not sure if that´s worth the extra money, again. I won´t use the bluetooth thing, and I´d certainly need a power supply unit. I´d great if you could review the ME80, and even do a side to side comparison, since you already have the ME90 at hand. Anyway, thanks again! Very useful review! You got a new subscriber! - I´m from Venezuela, BTW. That´s why I have "limited funds", as I said :( ). Cheers!
Sadly we don't have an ME-80! In fact for me and Levi this is the first ME series we looked at. I thought that its a good introduction device and sits sort of 'hybrid' between what 'looks' like analogue but is not, and digital with the IR's and all the other stuff. Sound? It sounded OK to me and Levi liked it... so I gave it to him :). Ah Venezuela... I have associates in Brazil and they always tell me about the 100% import tax and that sort of stuff... crazy. I'm no expert on Venezuela and that's a fact, but I think it's all been through the wringer of recent times - in any case great to hear you - come back here any time its always appreciated.. and thanks for the sub.
@@tonymckenziecom Ok, no problem; anyway, I´ve read that there´s not that much of an "upgrade" from the 80 to the 90 ME unit, not in a significative way, that is. Many ME80 owners say they don´t see a good reason to move to the newer ME90. I guess it all depends on how you use it, really. Others really like the few but good improvements over the 80. And yes, Venezuela has been through some rough times recently, slowly coming to a "rare" normality that is not normal at all, but it´s similar to other LA countries in some aspects, just trying to keep it together. Anyway, thanks so much for coming back to me and for your nice response. I like your stuff. Cheers!
Enjoyed your review, in terms of value for what you get i dont find it that bad, boss not giving a psu sucks but with regards tp the usb, how many do ypu need, all the phobe manufacturers dont give you new chargers
I understand the point of course, and mobile phone companies REALLY take the biscuit on that point I agree. But the list on this pedal is around £300 here in the UK. The BT not included is crazy and was clearly developed to vampire more money out of the consumer, as was no power supply. The USB cable literally costs pence... as one politician would say... 'come on man' :) It's not bad 'for the money' and as Levi pointed out - he felt that his GT-1 (cost about £160) was great and that he would not spend that money for the difference to be gained... that says a lot. I gave him the pedal later so maybe I'll get him back in a month or so for his 'updated' opinion - that might be useful too :). And thanks for watching.
Its probably not perfect but for me just playing at home its perfect, love there are dials and switches, had a mooer before but too much menu diving for me and couldnt get on with it.
Im very happy with it for the money. For me it was a good deal, i enjoy using it (and thats msking me play and practice more) and that for me, is worth its weight.
Ps as someone else commented - switch it to line (even when using an amp) and it seems to sound a lot better (i guess this is a bug?
This is basically what I said - and so did Levi! It's not a bad pedal, and with a 5 year warranty what's not to like... Thanks for watching and the post form a real user!
You should probably demo some clean effect tones/voicings too and a tone comparison with Levi's older Boss unit would be nice to hear too. Maybe a good idea for a new video upload. Cheers
Good points... and maybe that would be a useful comparison... thanks for watching.
Good playing
He's been practicing :)... thanks.
GT1 has COSM amps... ME90 has newer AIRD amp models from the GT1000 range. Also, the GT1 doesn't come with a USB cable (well mine didn't). GT1 is great... I still use mine... GT1 is now £190 GBP vs the ME90 at £290.... but they are aimed at different use cases. The ME90 can do modelling and also act as a pedal board in front of an amp. Good review though as ever.. nice to see inside these things....
Yes there are differences... or they would have made just one :) But still an interesting device I thought and generally simple to use.... thanks for watching ;-)
How's the tuner in it, pretty accurate?
Ha I'm always out of tune whether I use one or not :) Thanks.
I had the hR mx5 and the Prime to finally scaled down to a gx100 and then that me90 and I’m now happy as never before. Ease of use, sit and play that’s the goal of this pedal. You have a lot in the box, every sound can give something different special lovely and keller.
I’d love your review, it opens my eyes on the use of the software, but I think you hard a little bit. This things is 500$ CAD, that’s nothing for what we got in that 90.
Well it's not a bad pedal and you hit it on the head... ease of use and more playing than pressing buttons or messing about. Some guys don't get that, but ultimately the easier it is to use with a good sound the better. Thanks for watching - appreciated.
This device is fantastic apart from 1, The left and right sockets are too close together,
2. The dalays are mono.
Or not.
Thanks for the info... appreciated, and thanks for watching too.
Im hearing a lot of love for this Me 90 in this review
But are you guys really sincere?
I NEVER suggest gear is 'good' if its not... just trust me on this, if I think that something is bad, either in performance, quality, warranty or support I will always tell viewers. Thanks for watching and have a great new year.
These kind of units are fun to mess with.
The kind of entertainment is worth the price.
They certainly are interesting bits of gear for sure.... thanks.
Dig it! As a Katana devotee,I always ask....is it better than my Katana head w G pedal? Is it better than my bargain GT-1 multi-pedal ...and By how much and why? These guys answer those questions,Salute this channel👍
Thanks for the kind words... and for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom For reals,this channel is gold for us greyhairs that have lived through 40+ of real world experience. We appreciate your perspective,especially that you say it like it is. Subjective,a key word. We just realized our el cheapo BOSS Gigcaster 5 w Roland G pedal controller easily replaced a high-dollar USB interface,an ME multi pedal or Katana head,plus a hardware vocal preamp FX unit. We added our Roland JD-Xi synth to the L/R inputs. Three devices instead of 6. Regarding DAC and mixing,we can always use that high $ fishing weight,our AA Synergy Core 4,as stand alone preamp/mixer or via DAW laptop.
trying to make us jealous sporting a mezzabarba (half a beard!) amp in your video!
Ha OK I'll tell you... PieraAngelo Mezzabarba made that amp for me and signed it :) Heres the video of the review: th-cam.com/video/C4WLh0vYaIs/w-d-xo.htmlsi=ixQAPAdknOEZ4MG2 you should like that review. I included two other guys I know that example playing and I played my 'Lightpipe AI' track I wrote some while back on that very amp... play it loud! :) One incredible amp is Mezzabarba M Zero One... and you will see everything about that amp in the video. Well spotted and thanks for watching...
best review yet 🫵👌👌👌
Thanks for the support. and for watching.
800ms of max delay time is terrible choice from boss. The me80 had 6 seconds of delay, that was awesome.
Thanks for watching... appreciated.
I pulled out my Vox tonelab SE a while back and it reminded me just how cool that product actually is. Quite shameful that these companies can't come up with something that blows it into the weeds all these years later.
I have a Tonelab EX I kept because I loved its design and sound.Vox should do a modern version in the mid to higher price range.They would do well.
@Joe-mz6dc Agreed...
i have the me70 and it sounds like shit.
why should the me90 be better? looks almost the same. pfui.
Point is, I have not seen or used a ME-70 sorry... but if I had I would compare, similarly with ME-80 I never used them. This ME-90 can sound reasonable, but honestly, I tend to liken it more as a starters effects pedal and now with 'a bit more' interference (I could call it that) of IR's and online which some might love and some might not. I think honestly that a 7 from Levi was about right... I did think the GX-100 was better... Thanks for watching.
A beginner unit would be the Boss GT-1. Should you like the GX-100 better? Of course, it costs $150.00 USD more than the ME-90 does, but still contains the same AIRD technology that the ME-90 has.
The ME-70 was released in 2009. 14 years of technological advances in guitar electronics since then would probably make it a more advanced and option filled unit.
No way. The ME 90 sounds great. Very good modeling
Using this unit live with a band is killer. It truly is hands on like a bunch of pedals on a board but way more versatile.
I mean, it really does anything you would need to play out, and it sounds great if you know how to tweak knobs right. At the same time, it's not clunky and convoluted.
It's compact yet still has a very sturdy expression pedal, and it's very easy to program.
Again. A lot of people get caught up in stuff that just won't matter live at all... this unit is GREAT. If you want to play more than menu dive I HIGHLY recommend the ME 90...
And it's built like a tank, too.
Boss makes good quality for the money. Or otherwise they would of been out of business years ago. Lot of extra options if you decide to use. You will spend a lot more for pedals on your pedalboard. Whatever floats your boat and makes you happy. Good video Thanks take care ✌️✌️🎸🎸💯
Oh I agree. When I check inside Boss Roland gear its ultra rare that I find any issues with quality etc. too. This is a very good pedal especially for the money, and pretty easy to use too. Thanks for watching.
Great review. Boss are doing too much and should calm down !! A missing hands on Noise Suppressor is silly.Well Done Levi.Thank you.
Thanks for watching!
You should be the presenter of Bullseye.
One hundred and eighty! (Tony Green sadly missed!) Thanks for watching.
I prefer to use the ME-80 and soon the ME-90 as just a compact integrated pedal board. No preamp modelling. Just the effects like a collection of stomp boxes in manual mode. Goes into a real amp, of course.
The ME-90 is quite effective especially for the money! Its nothing for people to turn their noses down at (some do!). Thanks for the info and for watching.
It's an awesome little rig for next to nothing relatively speaking. It gives people who HATE menu-diving a surface level experience that's more than sufficient for most use cases. That said, if you want to dive a bit, you can hook up the software and do that. As for some of the cons.... And if you DON'T want Bluetooth, you don't have to pay for it! I appreciate that, because Bluetooth is far from necessary. The lack of a power supply is a bit unfortunate, but a power supply isn't expensive (at the right shop you can negotiate for a free or cheap one if you buy the pedal). As for USB cables and manuals, most people don't need the first and the second is a waste of paper and ink. But hey, to each their own! :)
Just be careful with 'cheap' power supplies - many of them are NOT actually tested properly and the docs often suggest otherwise... but sadly they lie about the certifications. Thanks for watching.
Sounds kinda meh to me, but it wasn't made with me in mind. Missing the power supply is weird for this type of beginner unit...really should have everything in the box.
I don't care about the USB cable. I've got them coming out of my ears and usually leave included ones in the box destined for recycling or to throw in when I sell something.
Yes I get that re USB, but it does highlight the penny pinching approach IMO, as does the power supply. They provide some batteries :(. It's not a bad unit really, but like Levi said, well, twice the price of his 'old' one for what really... a choice of 3 IR's per setting ... Thanks for watching.
I really appreciate how he goes around the top of the device from left to right and takes a minute or two to explain what these are as opposed to just jumping around like a chimpanzee on crack.
Thanks - and that post has to be the best and funniest one I read in a while... Thanks for watching....
it sounded very noisy, does it hiss a lot, that was why i went back to my digitech rp's, distorted as fuck guitar tone, but clear ,very good gate in the rp
Depends on how much you crank it...
- Send/Return are fixed..either before preamp or after.
- Fixed signal chain.
- Dual amp not possible.
- tap tempo delays not possible for 2 delay patch.
- IR has no hi/low cut
- Extra amps & effects are only available via PC editor or Bluetooth app. Sucks.
Good post. Thanks
Like 63 from me. The ME-80 is still good enough but agree with Levi as the GT units are still pretty good. It's seems that all the big guitar tech reviewers (TH-camr Influencers) are bedroom players and you never really see any video's of anyone actually using all these pedals with a real band oh apart form Andertons but it's not a real band. All my best wishes Tony 🎶🎶🎶🎶👍👍👍👍😎😎😎😎
Yeah I agree with lots - This IMO a pedal designed for when you're getting going and it's very good value really... had those 'accessories' been included then this would have been much better value. Levi summed up a lot really - his GT-1 (I think it was) was about half the price and his comment 'what's an IR' actually goes a long way particularly while learning about all that stuff. He did not seem bothered about it at all. Later I gave him the pedal so we'll see if he changes his mind later :) That's really the test, whether he moves to the 'new' unit and embraces the few features not on the GT-1 or not. Good points... and thanks for watching.
To be honest I use the me80 at loads of gigs and apart from the reverb which is toss I do get some great tones from it
Your comment on controlling noise suppression wasn't quite right. As it says on page 13 of the reference manual, pressing either Bank switch while holding down the Edit button can change the noise suppression to a higher or lower setting depending on the level of noise being output. So you can control this without requiring the Software (Tone Studio).
Correct a higher or lower setting - but NOT off. Thanks.
I hate IRs!!! It tried running this ME90 thought a real cabinet with a tube power amp and I couldn't get a good tone out of it. You have to choose an OUTPUT which all sound bad imo. I will stick with the Helix.
Thanks for posting that point. It will be useful to many I'm sure. And thanks for watching.
Just bought one,not a fan,too complicated,thanks for the review.
Thanks for your opinion and that matters for someone that owns one... Levi in the video sort of was commenting that it was 'OK' but he would stick to his older pedal... interesting opinions and thanks for watching.
Hi Tony,bought the Pod Go,had the GX100 and it seems like the Pod has more latency than the GX,did you notice that?
You CAN turn off the noise gate without a computer. just use the edit button.
Thats turned down and not turned off... ;-) But thanks for the post and for watching...
so what are negatives here in the me-90?
missing power supply from non boss vendor- $15
missing usb cable - $5
I personally have nothing to do with Boss company and was looking for a negatives in me 90 but looking at video , it seems this is a convincing product. a comparable product in market from say line 6 is fairly expensive. quoted entry level model GT-1 uses old boss cosm - ME90 has AIRD amp models, IR loading, an effects loop- sheer flexibility in various uses cases is pretty awesome - coupled with historic boss quality in its mass products. me90 seems a pretty good deal to me.
I did say a 7/10? and reduced by just 1 point because of the skinflint mode from this maker for this unit. Levi gave a 7/10 and while this pedal sounds 'OK' he did not think that for the (at least) extra £100+ that it justified the difference in cost. That was a fair and reasonable review score. There were a few other points but the video is there to go over. It's a reasonable pedal... that's it. Thanks.
I've never met an "Evil Owl" yet. All the owls I've ever had the pleasure to encounter have been downright cute and fluffy little pest controllers.
Oh I agree :) Actually the name came about because of a number plate on my car :) Later I found an owl figure clutching a pentagram... hence the 'evil owl' name. My wife loves the plate and so do I and correct the owls are generally good. Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenziecom You are undoubtedly one of the Finest, most enjoyable and most thorough gear reviewers anywhere. Thank You so very much for Daring to take things apart and show us the Glorious innards of all those effects products. I Love the use of the pointer too!
Having stereo outputs, they could have included more stereo effects.
Good point...
Great Review! But what else can i say😅
Thanks! 😁
Always enjoy watching. In my limited experience multi effects boards are over the top. Too many low quality effects that, in most cases, you are limited to what you can mix together. I got rid of my old Vox board, turn off the Katana effects, set it clean and flat and use a couple of pedals. One always on drive and a boost. Plug in and play. Computers are for spreadsheets. 👍🏼
Well I generally need chorus, delay and reverb and of course my wah pedal... but for me anything else is not really that useful. But some guys need the stuff especially early on... and it was not bad value, although the power supply and USB cable, not to mention the BT missing adapter would have been nice. Thanks for watching.
Hilariously, the product that Tony's young helper is using has the same amp models as the Me90...
Of course the models are not everything are they... hilariously...
I like your reviews most of the time but sometimes what you consider an omission I consider a favor. PSU? Don't need one? It runs off a one spot, same as ME80. USB? Don't need one, I have 5 USB C already. No print manuals? Cool! A few million fewer trees cut down. I can merge the manuals in Adobe. 😅
So what about the missing Bluetooth?
Everything is marketing and price point. No stereo ins speaks volumes.
Newbies buy these and find very quickly it's just a gateway to 'better' units
My advice, there's plenty of good 2nd hand gear that will do effectively 🙄the same job.
I'm sure there is plenty of the used gear... good point... thanks for watching.
You was in the tank last night bragging on your limousines "YEAH"
Was I :)
@@tonymckenziecom it's a funny film quote from Trading Places,
it's two big dudes in the jail cell, and one of the dudes keeps saying "YEAH" after the other dude speaks. It looked like that's what you were doing at the start of the video, haha.
The Boss GT1 is better than this product. I hope when the time comes to refresh the GT1, Boss don’t mess it up!
Thanks for the post... Levi felt so too. and thanks for watching.
Good stuff guys. You can turn the noise gate off without the software tho
No, you can turn it to zero I agree, but to actually turn it off is in the software... check I don't think we're wrong on that... Thanks for watching.
Thank you both for your review. I don't think i shall be buying anymore effects, especially these large floor types. I have oodles of them, but thanks to you i don't have to worry about the worry i may have bought or not, something that isn't much cop anyway. I have a Helix and other Line 6 stuff. A Kemper. I was going to buy a Quad Cortex but i saw a great video review and decided against it, if you know what i mean? Sometimes i think about the apparatus that much my playing suffers. It's only when I'm content with what i have does my playing get to a standard I'm happy with. I expect you know what i mean? It's not the money either. It's just to much stuff. I do not have a channel i make content for, so I'm not as invested in the whole equipment side of things. Besides 2 storage lockers full of Guitars, Amps, Cabs and Pedals is more than enough. Ridiculous really. Thanks Tony and Levi.
Ha we sound similar in many ways... and devoting lots of time to reviews REDUCES time playing guitar that's a fact. And that's a pity. I have some of what you have too (I tend to keep what I like! (why?)) and do I get much spare time... no I don't. The problem for me is that I still work (because I want to) and I do the rest, much of what no one actually sees, as well. But a great piece of gear I find will inspire me to pick up that guitar and play, I have mentioned it in videos over and over like a parrot really, but that certainly works like that for me. Maybe for you too. Thanks for the post, always appreciated... If sometime I don't reply its usually because a video had many posts and I can't always get to them all to reply.... so thanks for watching - and I gave this to Levi :)
Why are you comparing it to the gt-1 its a different audio engine. Just because it has the same types of effects doesn't mean theyre the same quality
Truth is, your audience would never know... do bear that in mind. The ME-90 is great for the money, but only if you have that money... so what if you don't have the money? ME-80, GT-1? There are many guys that just are starting out even and if was to believe all the hype of some of those sales reviews, some guys might even get in to debt for the 'better device'. Now I like the ME-90, but I like lots of gear also, I do get your point for sure, but the video tries to address a very wide audience of guitarists. My grandson BTW (get ready to break out in laughter) later DID come back and tell me that he now 'liked' the ME-90 better than the GT-1 :) When he said it I smiled too :). I just wanted to share that comment from him. Thanks for watching...
The worst thing about BOSS multi fx lately I find is the lack of balanced outputs. But also AIRD looks not that awesome these days with too few amps and feeling a bit outdated.
A very valid point for sure. The AIRD IS getting on a little I agree... for me the GX-100 was a better device.... thanks for watching.
U can adj gate without the software.
true , u can turn off the noise gate without software
hold edit and then bank(amp) up and down(eq)
That adjusts it, it does not turn it off?
Page 13 of the Boss ME-90 Parameter guide. "When the Noise Suppressor setting is turned to 0 , the noise suppressor is turned OFF.
wow OMG nice to see your G son
:) yes I am here and there was Levi :) He came over just at the right time :). Trust you're OK Al.
Good review. Always nice to see INSIDE these things. Not much inside this thing!
You nit-pick about the smallest stuff. Like "no usb cable".
The REASON they don't include one is: BOSS has no idea how far the unit will be from the computer.
Maybe you need a 6ft cable. Maybe you need a 15ft cable. Maybe you need a 25ft cable.
BOSS has no idea what YOU need. So YOU get to buy the cable that YOU need for your own setup.
It's not a big deal.
The main difference between the older ME-80 and THIS new unit is the A-I-R-D, which is supposed to
make the amp models sound more "realistic".
To be honest, I've been in IT since 1981, and no matter how you look at it, that is just about the first and only time I have ever heard anyone suggest they don't supply the cable because they don't know what length you need. So every other company out there that does supply the USB cable is wrong then? I don't think so. And honestly, when you're a 14 year old lad that might have saved up for some time and find when you get the pedal that you can't connect and use it with the computer and have to go out and buy what should be included is a sad situation. Those cables from where this stuff is all made costs pence... pence! and I should know, I imported from the far east since 1982-3 and my company still does. The power supply is also not a huge cost... (honestly a switch mode power supply I can buy a 2 or 3 amp for about $5 or so and properly CE approved... and for a device with a retail of £300 or even higher, its a little mean to leave off the power supply - I stand by my comments on that too.
But I understand your points and good that you post them too - they offer a slightly different perspective than mine... there's no right or wrong. I never tried the ME-80 so I have no real reference for comparison between the two. I often said I would review the ME-80 but never go to it sadly. Thanks for that post and for watching too... appreciated.
@@tonymckenziecom By your logic, should all guitar amp companies include a guitar cable with all their amps they sell? And what length should it be? Considering some of those amps cost $4,000... they should at least include a cheap $5 guitar cable with it!
I'll stick with my GT 10 . Never been to tone what ever
GT10 was a great pedal and I had one myself! :) Thanks.
They used to call it a Digitech GNX…
Surely not :) Thanks for watching.
Cypress, 10¼", unicorn hair, pliable...
What can I say... thanks for watching.
There all the same shit just tweaked in certain ways !😂 New is always nice isn’t it !
There are similarities for sure... tend to see also the gear supplied ready to go and some stuff these days that clearly has been 'cut back' to target a price... thanks..
Don’t care what’s inside as long as it sounds good. It’s in the fingers….
You're missing it... some gear only has 1 year warranty and some gear might well fail just out of warranty... THEN I'm sure you would care. Also of course, go to the gig with junk and cross your fingers you'll make the end... can't assume anything any more. Thanks for watching.
You've got out of the Steeplejack game, then?
Indeed I have been told hat many times :) Thanks for watching.
Why not a standard aux in instead of Bluetooth adapter. I have used a me 50 over 20 years now and it has all the "connectivity" I need! Boss is just trying to nail you for more accessories you have to buy!👎
I have always thought the more connectivity to cater for all tastes the better... thanks for watching.