BOSS GT-1 Guitar Effects Review & Why I Bought It
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ค. 2019
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Hey Gang!
I just bought the BOSS GT-1 Multi Effects Pedal for some very specific reasons. I can't believe I am still buying stuff like this!!! When will it ever end...
That said, In this video I lay out what I see as "pros and cons" of the unit. I'll also show you my current pedalboard, and I'll explain what pre-set sounds I am putting into the new GT-1.
I know there's always another unit with "cooler sounds" or "better modeling," but in terms of sheer simplicity this really appealed to me.
If you need basic portable effects, this looks very solid so far.
Here is the BOSS GT-1 on Amazon:
amzn.to/2Yvi9YK
Enjoy!
AR
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Hey Gang - are review videos like this helpful? Leave a comment and let me know....
Hey Adam, I have the same unit for the same acoustic purpose. You can easily set it up as a stomp box by adding an extra 2 button foot switch and assigning a function to each of the 5 buttons and exp pedal. In one patch I have the foot switch set up for looper functions and the remaining 3 for delay, tuner and mid boost. Another patch I have trem, delay, chorus, tuner and boost ... you get the point. It’s quite versatile that way.
Adam Rafferty oh and btw .. I also have the oc3 which I run first into the gt1 .. seems to track best that way.
@@larryrichardson8882 Larry, yes I figured that would work best....
@@larryrichardson8882 Thanks Larry! I just found a YT channel called 'GuitarNTabs' and he does slow patient demos of adding switches, routing, etc.
Many people are intimidated by the pedal (I am a little too) because the goodies are so hidden, but it's the same sound engine as the more elaborate BOSS pedals....just in a compact (harder to use :-) ) unit.
It really takes some thinking ahead & preparation. Hey - do you know if you can save your own settings to your computer, in case you lose the pedal or need to re-load sounds?
Absoutly useful.
Great job on the video! I got the Boss GT-1 and am trying out effects with 6 and 12 string acoustics - as well as a Godin A6 Ultra with both acoustic and electric outputs.
I've been using and enjoying the BOSS MS-3 for similar reasons
Hey Adam, 2 weeks ago I bought the line 6 hx stomp. I'm super happy with it 😃
Super interesting video 💪
Sevi - your Line 6 is much cooler than my Boss thing. I did look at that one, but last year I bught an EVENTIDE H9 - and I have been so overwhelmed by it that I never use it. So I do have a unit with any sound I can think of...
I bought the GT-1 mainly for lightwieght reverb & tuner in the airplane....but I bet yours can do 1000 x more amazing sounds....
Hey Adam truly helpful! Really good wisdom n advise
Thank you Eugenio! 😊
Cheers Adam, thanks for that. Would be interested in an update when you've road tested it.
Liked the video. Boss is not frequently mentioned in the Helix/Fractal/Kemper wars on the internet. It seems generally to be put on a lesser tier, maybe slightly below the Atomic Amplifire. Since you are flying with it, I would think one of the considerations would be the ability to upload your presets to a computer file, so that if something went wrong with the pedal, or if it got lost in transit, you could pick another one up from a music store and immediately have all your presets. Don't know if your boss pedal does that or not. Also will be very interested to see whether this sucks you down the Multi-effects rabbit hole.
Duffy - not sure which rabbit hole you mean :-) I actually buy all kinds of pedals and dont even use them - as when the rubber hits the road I like to go simple. I need to see if presets can be stored. Regarding the brands...BOSS is old reliable and built like a tank. I experimented with some others, - some had hiss, some had cheap knobs...so this is a straight down the middle product with solidity and reliability as my main aim. I'll know more after an actual gig with it!!!
I notice that Boss single pedals are considered among the best, while their multi-effects are less well reviewed. Perhaps there is a bit of bias going in from aficionados of the single pedal effect.
I've always been a multi-effects guy over pedals- and usually budget to mid tier at that. To me the GT-1 is one of the better boxes I've had, although I am far from a professional musician.
One thing you mention was 'saving' your patches in case you run into some issue. You can actually upload patches to the Boss file sharing site (or download other peoples') which could in a way act as a cloud-type back up. Theoretically you could buy a GT-1 from a store the day of a show and just grab your patches off the Boss site from a laptop.
Love the equipment reviews, and agree with keeping it simple. Adding more pedals, adds more complexity, and I find draws one into the "one click loop". I find myself spending more time twisting knobs and chasing tone, that actually playing. Thanks for the review and great videos.
Hey, thank you! I wasn't sure how this would go over, as it's not a playing video....I am watching a Guthrie Trapp vid right now called "Getting Good Guitar Tone" and he's talking as well about keeping it simple. Yes, this little GT-1 is a simple box that I see as a "tuner with reverb, and more if I want to go looking :-)" Rock on Brother!
I play electric and have one of these going straight into the front of a tube amp, clean channel (usual 12AX7 preamp), and it sounds immense. I bought it because it was cheap and I have a Katana amplifier so I knew I'd be familiar with the software, but I didn't even need to plug it into a computer. It's really logically laid out and easy to edit. I thought I was making a compromise getting it but I couldn't be happier. The only drawback I have noticed is that, as you pointed out, you only have one control switch, which you can map to any effect in your chain, but it still means that you can only switch one effect on and off while playing.
Man, thanks. You NEED to check out the channel of a guy here on YT named GuitarNTabs. He goes deep into the GT-1. You can get an FS7 footswitch for 2 more foot controls, in effect having a 5 pedal stompox - taking it past the one CTL.
He also shows all the routing / level matching. I just wish I could have 2 reverbs at once, and that they had more shimmery stuff :-)
@@adamrafferty I think these pedals work well as instructional tools as well. As in, exactly what these effects do, how they mesh, and how you order them can have a major impact on the final sound. For newer players or hobbyists, these are way better than a board full of power leads, patch cables, and zip ties just to re-arrange the order of effects for example.
I just wish they came with drum tracks. I am surprised the GT's (I have the GT-1 and the GT1B) lack drums. Even $100 budget boxes offer lots of drums to riff over.
@@thesollylama130 The only drag is having to go deep into the menus...I still like having a knob for "More / less Reverb". for example....thank you for the comment!
Additionally, when I was a kid and tried re-ordering effects it was very impactful. I'd think it's harder to visualize it digitally for a beginner. Something about putting a physical delay pedal before or after a distortion - and listening - is really informative.
@@adamrafferty Agreed. That is the trade off for only having a couple knobs and a small bank of buttons. Everything is layer upon layer of menus. Doing the more advanced assignment controls requires a lot of going back and forth.
The price we pay for not having a dozen knobs and 8 foot switches to step on.
It really makes you question the 'ease of operation' angle however. Yes, there are a ton less knobs and pedals to be intimidated by, but now you have to wade chest deep in menu layers for any one given effect.
For the price it was a no brainer.Sounds pretty good.Basically all boss effects plus amps.Not made for my size 13 wides though.Not very solid and easy to damage.Great for sticking in a gig bag.
I use it only when I need to fly and I need something really light. I don’t like using more effects than reverb and the tuner because it’s one of those where you have to go deep into the menus.
I also have a full size effect board with pedals. That’s very heavy, and I also have a Boss ME 80 which is a good compromise… It’s an all in one, but at least you can turn knobs and it’s easier to dial sounds in.
Been using multi units since 1991...the tip about clearing banks above and below I never thought of doing. Always had to be damn sure about my feet..and yes...I have blatted once or twice because of that. Great tip and Best Regards! Subscribed.
Thanks Adam. Love what you're doing! Great to hear how you approach this and to get some insight into the world of MFX pedals including candid positives and negatives of that unit. Will your travel plans include any gigs in the New York City area? Please let us know as I'd love to catch one.
Andrew - I'll be passing thru NYC Sep 2 - 6, will be crazy time but maybe we can grab a coffee - send me an email or call...
Hi there, this is a great review.
We all know how to play guitar and how to use a pedal effects, but there are some facts about the effects unit that we don't know like weight, size and what comes with it and what doesn't. Back in my days I just to use many different single pedal units which is a challenge keeping them in good working order, today is easier using only one unit with all the whistles end bells specially if it is small, lightweight and cheap.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Greetings.
Would be cool to see you using it, with the octave pedal .. showing how do you prepare your live set
Get the octave by using the harmonizer. It will allow you to get an octave lower. You can use it under FX1, FX2 or both. It has more parameters you can adjust than the Octave feature. To avoid Megadeath accidents, I suggest copying your favorite patches to all the nearby patches. An argument for not starting at User 1, which is adjacent to Preset 99.
Is there a way to splt the octave like the OC-3 does in poly mode?
Very useful vlog .Thank you
Welcome 😊
Awesome thanks Adam
Thanks & groove on! 😊
It's possible to add and assign additional foot pedals that will increase the amount of control over a patch.
AD/DA converters. Analog-Digital/Digital-Analog converters. ADHD is an entirely different thing lol
"ADHD converters" Loved that... Would definitely be something us crazy musicians could use sometimes. LOL
Great video... the KISS principle always works... All of my recent equipment is battery powered for outside gigs. I have the S1 Pro +, with the wireless mic and guitar transmitters... then I set up the pedal ( I have the Zoom A1x, the Boss VE-2, VE-8, and now I am looking to get the Boss GT-1 since you can create patches using the tone studio).
Now that you have had this a while, do you still use it? Any recent experience and advise you can offer before I get mine?
Hey! I'll use this one ONLY for acoustic gigs - where I fly. All I need is 2 different reverbs and a tuner. Maybe maybe maybe a compressor.
The deep dive menus make it hard to adjust on the gig. The benefit to this is it is SMALL!
I bought a BOSS ME 80 and like it MUCH more because I cant stand the digital menus of the GT 1. I want knobs I can turn...and it's very cool.
The new Boss ME 90 Looks even better. :-). eventally I'll trade up.
However, for band stuff I'm using a big real pedalboard. It still sounds best to my ears, albeit a lot more could go wrong 🙂 I did try the ME 80 with the band, it was totally ok but a real tube screamer and a real BOSS overdrive just sound hipper to me.
If I ever have to fly with my band, I may bring the ME 80 for convenience.
Groove on!
Do you have any feedback for acoustic guitars on this unit? I have a Taylor T5z and ran a GT100 with really simple effects but needed something lighter lol. I loop using the looper on the GT100 for a 4 count beat then loop through a RC30XL (now an RC500).
"Simulated Unboxing" I like this 😉
Some example with acoustic guitar??'''thank you adam....you are a great guitarist
Well, I am using it so simply...just for reverb on the acoustic, so it would be a typical plugged in Maton guitar sound....it's mainly for playing live and traveling light!
Hey Adam! Yes, these are helpful, but would be better if you actually demonstrated some of the patches you're using on the acoustic. Most of the patches in the GT-1 were designed for electric and pretty much every video demonstrating the unit uses electric guitars. I'd like to hear what it sounds like on acoustic.
It has the “Octave” and also the “overtone”
Nice video! I was wanting to use it like you, just 2 to 3 pedals at a time and most videos don't talk about it in that application.
The manual shows it has the octave pedal though
It does have the octave, but you cant divide it like teh OC 3 pedal - it's on all notes...thanks for commenting!
I love mine. I’m still learning but my channel I use just this pedal for my practice. I love atmospheric blues airy stuff. My own thing. Lol
do you run that in your recording chain or is that just for live
Hey Adam, I am planning to buy the either the headrush gigboard or line 6 hx stomp. Any feedback on either would be great especially the line 6 hx stomp as it's ultra portable
Everyone says the LINE 6 is the best!
Hey Adam have you tried manual mode.You can use it like stompboxes then.if you add on a boss a/b pedal you get more.
Why could be better to use the Boss Super Octave than a Boss Equalizer to have some bassy sounds? Thank you.
Hi Adam, do you have some presets that you use and can demonstrate? perhaps how you set up the presets you use? Thank you
Nelson I hardly ever use this - except when I am traveling by plane. Here goes, I have 3 presets...each is a "numbered effect" so I can easily switch.
Short Reverb for general purpose
Longer reverb for ballad tyle stuff
Shorter reverb plus TERA ECHO effect for funky weirdness - 1 or 2 tunes max
Tuner / Silence
Single pedals do still sound better but for air travel and solo acoustic, this is less than 2 LB!
Groove on!
AR
Hi, this is a great pedal, I have the same one but I'm using this with batteries.
Which power supply do you use for this pedal?
Julio Bobadilla there are several boss compatible power supplies so I not sure - whichever one is in my gig bag 😀
Any 9V power supply such as the Boss PSA-120, or the One Spot or Power-all, will work! It's the generic Boss pedal plug (2.1 mm)
Thank you for sharing.
I got me the external Boss 2 button foot switch pedal, so i can assign 6 pedals/effects to each of the foot switches (4 on the GT-1 and 2 on the external switch). Easy instant access for 6 of my favorite effects like Reverb, 2 different Delays, Tremolo, Phaser, OD.
God bless you 2 and best wishes from Germany.
TheElrondo really? Does that mean you can control 6 effects like separate foot pedals? Which boss extension pedal?
Hi Adam,
yes, you can assign almost every parameter or function to one of the foot switches, onboard or Ext.
You can use FS-7 or FS-6 both are with 2 switches wenn i recall it correct.
Then go to
th-cam.com/video/hcPPoI6Yi_s/w-d-xo.html
He also has a lot of tutorials on assignment of the Ext. Switches
This is how i made work.
I hope this is helpful for you.
what kind of power supply does it require? like a regular 9v?
The regular BOSS adaptor 🙂
Nice little unit. Does this offer stereo fx?
Yes it does. I must reiterate - I can't attest that all the effects are the most awesome out there, but for the size & convenience it's great.
My needs on acoustic are tuner, reverb - maybe compression and their TERA ECHO effect on one tune. If I ever air travel again - this is the one that comes with me. No fuss, 2 cables and can run on batteries.
It's cool :-)
boss gt 1 vs mooer ge 200 vs zoom g5xn
which is a better deal???
Man i line the solidity of boss. All depends what sounds you like better.
The pedal does have an octaver, FYI
*Hi... Can I use it as an audio interface?*
No idea. probably not...
Sold me when you said you played a Maton
Hy there Sir any univive effects ?
Do you think it is better than the Gt8 and Gt10?
Those are almost 10 years old - I think this newer pedal probably sounds similar but has other features, like USB, etc.
You definitely can assign the up and down pedal to use as a stomp box. I thought it was possible when I initially bought it and I couldn’t figure it out but, I recently discovered this on another random video and can confirm it works
but then how do you navigate to another patch? This is what might hold me back from this and make me buy a zoom g3xn
If it's good enough for Adam it's good enough for me...:)
haha!!! Well, it's sorta "good enough" but the transport is easy. I just flew to Londin and packed this in my carry on, and I had a basic tuner & reverb for my gig.
Hey, can it do volume swells???
Terence great question. The pedal is a volume pedal, when it's not used as an expression pedal. - but I suspect it will lower all signals coming out of the unit - wet, dry etc. I can't say with 100% certainty. You're asking if the volume pedal can control the dry only, leaving the wet delay "ringing."
If you hook up an external expression pedal you maybe could cleverly program it to do swells - I'd have to research it.
Of course, if you use your volume knob on teh guitar with a long reverb / delay then you can do swells :-)
@@adamrafferty ok, thanks for the feedback man 👍🏾
Off-topic, but my Boss OC-3 is the only Boss/Roland product among the 20 or so I own I've been disappointed by. I used it for basic bass tracks on loops and recordings, and the tracking was unreliable no matter which guitar or pickup combination I used, and the sound quality is muddy and dark. I got a real bass guitar instead....
Yeah, it's just for effect once in a while...
@@adamrafferty Quite a few customer reviews on Reverb say it’s great as a bass substitute, and that swayed me....Shoulda gotten a Drop or Pitchfork instead.
Is it better Gt1 or Mooer Ge150?
No idea!
COOL
Thanks & groove on! 😊
Has anyone tried to hook it up to an iPad, and play straight into garage band ?
Too much sodding around with this unit, when you are onstage and gigging the last thing that you need to do is to keep sodding around the with settings on the fly, however if you are sitting on your butt at home then it wouldn't matter
I have 3 presets for live because its a pain to make adjustments on the fly. The benefit is size & weight for flying....
@@adamrafferty ok Adam thankyou 🙂👍
I’ve got the GT 100
How is it for an acoustic rig?
which better boss me 80 or gt 1
The ME 80 is probably easier to use since you can just bend down, and easily turn the knobs. On the GT-1 you do get the same sounds (I'm pretty sure) but you have to program pre-sets ahead of time. As I said in the video - my main reason for buying is the WEIGHT - it's less than 2KG, perfect for an airline carry on.
Notice as you’re speaking, even your room has cool effects..lol
Lol see my vid on sound panels! 😀
How could u not play it for a review🤔
The only sounds I need are reverb - long & short. If you really want to hear the 99 patches of distortion & wah wah type sounds - there are many other videos that already show that. I exlained why this is practical as a fingerstyle guy!
Do u even play or just tak glad I fast faward
Do you even spell ? :-)
You Adam! I had the same issue with carrying too much gear around. Too much weight and hassle. My solution? I went DIGITAL. I have a small laptop and a small interface with a DAW with some quality plugins. The amount of power and control this gives you over your live sound is uncomparable. You could bring a dozen rack units around with you to gigs and you would still not even come close to being able to do what you can do with the unlimited number of plugins available these days. It also weighs in at 2 or 3 pounds. The latency is about 2-3ms (about the same amount of time it takes sound to travel 2 - 3 feet).
Ofcourse, it felt very strange having a laptop on stage at my first few shows! There is always the concern of something going wrong, but with more shows I grew more comfortable, and now I don't think twice about it. A little midi pedal can do all the switching for you inside the DAW so you don't have to any awkward clicking/scrolling on stage.
Just a thought! This route is definitely not for everyone but it works for me and I'm sure it would work for ALOT of people out there having the weight/hassle issue. Thanks for the video. Check out James Nash's guitar rig video here on youtube if you want to get even more inspired to go digital. ;P
All the best
You know - that sounds like a great idea. A smal mac, and I could just run in & out of Logic, and into the sound system. Scary though! Which software are you using? Plugins, etc?
@@adamrafferty Yes, definitely scary if you've never tried it before! Feels reliable to me now after much experience. I've been using Reaper on a small windows laptop. Does everything I need and more. Plugins? Lately, I've been using the following.
-Standard graphic EQ (comes with reaper)
-Sanford Reverb (Free and awesome!)
-Aphex Aural Exciter
-TC Electronic SCF (Same unit that Michael Hedges used!)
-Standard Reaper Compressor (used on only a few tunes)
This is just the tip tip tip of the iceberg. I play multiple instruments on stage (guitar, hammered dulcimer, rack harmonica) and I'm working towards running them all digital and tweaking each instrument to get it just right. I just bought a new 8 input interface to accomodate all of the pickups/mics for each instrument.
Nifty
Thank you! 😊
Honestly, I think you should have gone for the hx stomp: smaller and more user friendly. Exactly what you want.
Marcus, you are probably right, and maye I will still get one - but here goes for my reasons I didn't get the HX.
1) I have the Eventide H9 harmonizer, which I plan to upgrade. That said, I have had it 1 year and plugged it in once - it's so confusing. In any case, it was a $600 unit, with every crazy possibility I think I will ever need. So, I didn't want to buy another "ultimate" effect pedal....who knows if I will every use this one, all I wanted was a Strymon like reverb.
2) I looked at LIne HX vs Boss and the main consideration was - the weight. EVery kilo counts when all you get on an airplane carry on is 8kg! So yes, I am sure that the LIne 6 unit is a better one - but my neeeds were basic - reverb, tuner, and light weight.
3) If I decide to buy a LIne 6 HX stomp, I will need some very good reasons for my girlfriend, so help me think of some :-) LOL!!!!
Thanks Markus....see you on SWA!
The video was to show the unit not your face.glad I fast forward
Oh gosh, sorry I made the video!
But I like Megadeth. 😥
No ..but if it made you a buck ..great...saw Tommy Emanuel live for Five English pounds when he first started out in Britain doing his thing ...was tottaly spell bounding to see and watch... guitar effects ? I think you a know what am a saying bro... but why not sell it if it is your living dude..
did...did he just say i spot?
To difficult to operate, rather have peds
You didn't even use the pedal.
No like.
No subscribe.
P.s. I don't imagine people would like and subscribed to your channel in the beginning of the video without even watching it first
Dude, people sub because they like my guitar playing. What am I gonna do? Sample reverb? I'm just showing how I downsized a pedal board for fingerstyle. The sounds are not special - the size is! :-)
Aww stop trying to tell us why you had to have a new pedal,haha.
"But really honey, I NEEDED it...."
@@adamrafferty, of.course Haha
I have this GT-1 but the sound is not as good as here. too much bass,
sound unclear; look like you play under a blanket... I won't advise to
buy this
You may need to go deeper into the settings, which amp model , etc. You can get an absolute pure line tone with no coloring. It's complicated to go in all the menus but there is a lot there.
Boss GT1 is crap, you can't get good tones out of it with standard strat and practice amp. Don't waste your money
Why you say that? You are the first after seeing so many reviews.
Sorry dude but all talk no action....was your voice the main attraction here??
Geez!
You really want to hear an acoustic plugged in with just reverb? I said up front it's not a demo, it's about it being 1.2 KG and in the old days of touring, it made for less weight on a plane.
@@adamrafferty lol... I just wanted to hopefully get you to reply to me so that I could tell my friends that the famous Raff Man replied to me...sorry for that..keep up the good work...it's much appreciated.
@@jakeem1325 LOL I would have replied anyway, rock on dude!!!