I already instinctually knew that's what this pedal needed to sound good because of the way it works (I'm getting the sy 200 just waiting for the new shipments) but practically no one demo's this pedal correctly. They just demo it dry which in that state it's useless imo. So it's nice to see someone actually do it right. Thanks for that. The other thing to do is add delay and reverb. There was a decent amount of people showing that but yours is the first I've found adding dirt in the mix. The octaver was a nice touch as well. I didn't really think of that
Hey pardon the late reply, but thank you, I'm so glad you like the idea! I completely agree about the reverb. In this video I used only a fraction, so it was barely audible, so I've taken your advice and switched my setup such that the reverb is before the Yellow Comp. Now the reverb can be set really low with a long tail but the compressor boosts it to swirl around the synth and fill the gaps in the notes... almost like when DJs sidechain a synth's reverb against the synth itself. Hey, there's an idea for another video :-D Oh also, recently I put the SY-1 after the OC-5's suboctave and it follows the lowest note magnificently! Anyway, let me know if the SY200 is all you hoped it would be. I have the SY300, but I am still really thinking of getting one.
@@francismcfadden3305 Okay, nice! With the SY-200's effects loop, it'd be even easier to carve out the right sound than how I went about it with the SY-1. Thanks :-)
finally. i ordered a sy200 a few weeks ago because i knew it was capable of this kind of stuff but thisnis the first vid i’ve found that actually uses it in a musical way
Very glad to be of service! Definitely helps my SY-300 as well. I'm planning another video along these lines, but since we are here: If you have an EQ pedal to use before the SY, cut 100hz completely and boost 1000hz as much as you can. You can dial in 200hz to taste as well, but that's pretty much the perfect EQ to articulate each note in a chord, or arpeggiate within chords without having to worry about the roots dominating the tracking. It achieves what the overdrive does without losing pick attack definition or making some notes undefined or fluffy. Of course, the OD on low gain basically does this, but it's that much more precise and satisfying when you're making rave riffs 😁
That's awesome! I'm glad to be of service! Pardon the late reply, but please let me know how the SY200 is working for you? I have the SY300 as well, and usually need the flexibility it has, but I just wish it was smaller, so I'm still eyeing the 200 😁
Hey that's awesome! I can only assume SY-1 is great with the violin, as even chords are not so bass heavy, and it'll focus well on single-note runs. Fuzz on a violin? That's gonna rock! Fuzz on the Send blended with the Synth is the stuff of an epic soundtrack. Let me know how it goes/went 😁
Hey thanks! Knowing that makes the effort worthwhile :-) By the way, I just discovered this Tube-Screamer-before-Synth-technique really helps the SY300 as well. I am gonna have to put something together to explain that, too.
@BOSSchannel @BOSS please take a look to this video You are a legend! That's the sound we all were expecting from this pedal when we saw the videos and bought the pedal. I have a SY300 and been fighting to make it sound like you did. I'm posting this in the BOSS SY300 OWNERS GROUP of FB page. Thanks!!
Wow, I really, truly appreciate your kindness! Since it's just a little SY1, we expected it needed some help. Luckily, the SY300 has the help on hand thanks to the on board FX, so dial in a phaser and a compressor and you can get insane modern leads, etc. Thanks so much! I hope to put out some other crazy demos soon 😊
@@GreenhamGuitar yeah, the issue with SY300 it's the same: the input dynamics. Yes, you have a compressor and an EQ but the don´t have enough power to crank that harmonics for the OSC to catch em right like this. I will keep experimenting like you and upload some content. Let's be on touch! Cheers =D
@@poribrutal You are right, since the partials of the audio input that are attenuated by filters (to make the subtractive synth work) cannot be focused with a pre-EQ, the low frequency dominates and disguises high frequencies from other strings! Another tip if you want to really work out what frequencies it likes to follow, I have achieved similar improvements with an EQ cutting 100hz and boosting 1000hz, etc. The Tube Screamer was just a nicer sound with similar input-EQ-benefits if I wanted to blend some "dry" or to process the guitar signal in the effects loop without altering it too much. Yes, I'll follow you and track your journey!
So glad you think so! Thanks! The BOSS OC-3 is first in line (but now I use the OC-5), and its suboctave output is routed separately to a compressor and mixed in right at the end of the chain. The dry guitar output from the OC-3 goes into the TS then the SY-1 then the Big Muff then a Mooer Yellow Comp to tame everything, and a reverb before the mini 9v mixer. Drums are triggered by hitting my guitar's piezo scratchplate and that's also mixed in at the end of my board's chain. Lots going on! 😅 Also, please check my video where I use an EQ pedal before the SY-1... certain frequencies help the SY-1 track beautifully.
This comment has got my attention! As did a recent listen to Thunderdome from 2008 😀 I will definitely put another video together. Thanks for the motivation 🤘
@@GreenhamGuitar ohh dint expect you would respond to. me lol yeaaaah still love how your first vifro sounded so cool because when i first heard it songs like no place to hide and broken from evil activities came to my mind take a listen and you will underestand what im talking about im. sure. part 2 will be mindblowing too
Man you and I are one in the same with this pedal haha I bought the attack decay because of your video on it and I have the Moore E7 micro synth and I always use overdrive or crunchy distortion! I love the super octave sound with this too!! I have a boss super shifter I use sometimes to get a lower bass note or harmonize the synth sound! Keep these coming Love the tones.
Always great to hear from you! I'm so glad you got that Attack Decay - it's more useful than Batman's utility belt! Nice idea with the super shifter... maybe I can do the same with my EHX Pitch Fork. Please tell me, how is that Mooer E7 treating you? Some similar sounds to the SY1? I'm thinking of running the Mooer in the send/return of the SY1 for some parallel phat tones... Maybe you've already tried that?
Hi there, I love what you have done, very innovative. I was wondering what is the signal chain with the Boss compressor. Is it OC1 going into the CS3? or is it the CS3 going into the OC1? Also the tone and level of the tube screamer. What are these two settings as in are they at 12 or 2 o clock? Also what if your using the CS3 what are the settings on that too. I have got these pedals so am trying to replicate this as I feel you have really done a great job at enhancing the SY1 so well done
Hello! And thanks! Looks like we both love our futuristic sounds 😃 Basically, all the Boss CS3 does is keep the OC3's suboctave consistent, as lower notes are a lot louder. I still use the CS3 as a limiter even though I now have the OC5 for lowest-note-only subbass. As you know, the OC3 here provides a dry out and a suboctave out, so the dry guitar out goes to the Tube Screamer and Sy-1, but the OC3's suboctave goes to the CS3 and they all ultimately meet at that little 9v mixer. I use the Mooer Yellow Comp for the same reason; to keep the SY-1 volume levels consistent and balance the overall tone with its own tone knob. As I suggested, the Tube Screamer really helps the SY-1 articulate chords, if you use it like I do. As a subtractive synth, the Sy-1 follows the loudest frequency the most, to the detriment of every other frequency, so the TS evens out the harmonic content it is receiving from the guitar. I dialed the "level" of the TS to kind of match the volume of the clean guitar, and the "tone" is cranked fully clockwise, so that's 4 O'clock, which works best with they SY-1 and blends better if you mix in some dry guitar using the SY. That's about it! You seem like the kind who'd love the SY300 or the SY1000 or the Source Audio C4? Anyway, thanks for the encouragement!
@@GreenhamGuitar Hi David thank you so much for taking the time to respond back. I'm gonna give this a go later on today. It's so great to meet someone who is thinking out of the box and wondering how to get the best out of the synth pedals on the market or combining pedals in a way that should not work but actually does. Yeah I am a bit mad for pedals. I have only a small amount of room left in my studio for a few more pedals and once I have used up that space then I cannot buy anymore. (I say and then start looking at the SY 300 after you mentioned it)
Amazing sound bro! Is it possible to achieve that sound with just an sy300? Am a bass player looking for that moog analog synth sound. What would you recommend i get?
Thanks so much! With enough tweaking, anything is possible with a SY-300! 😀 It uses subtractive synthesis, which is like the Moog, but it is a bit less refined... You can get very clever by linking oscillators with ringmods at different octaves and shaving off harsh tones with the filters. Plus, up to 4 great effects to shape the rest of your sound like vocal lofi FX and multistage phasers. The pulse waveform at 75% is clearly synthetic but literally has most of the same harmonic information and peaks as a actual bass guitar. When I fuzz a suboctaved pulse waveform it really feels like a cool organic bass from a Pendulum song, and that's just with one of the three oscillators. I always added a clean suboctave (-12) sin wave to really shake the room, but now I have the OC-5 which adds a suboctave to the root note only in any full chord and that is just a game changer for me, so I still use a OC-5 alongside the Sy-300. With all this said, I have so much fun on the SY-1 and just blending the SY-1 with the OC-5 gives me such a rewarding sound. With all this said, I've heard fans of the SY-1000 say that it's just so much richer than the 300, and that's probably because it uses a GK3 pickup to treat each string like a rich, phat mono synth, but unless you have the cash, the SY-300 is more fun and you won't have to dive into BoSS's buggy Tone Central Software to build a good patch. Anyway, I hope that helps!
It's a Roland trigger module, he has extra stuff built into his guitar that causes it to trigger when he does certain stuff, believe it's the kick when he hits the neck with his thumb, snare when he taps the pickguard and hi hats when he hits the strings. He goes over the whole setup in a different video.
I have to admit that is pretty amazing. If I actually thought I could remain cognizant about properly triggering a drum machine while also playing guitar I would totally do this.
The best setup for this bad boy is to "LOOP" the Overdrive and NOT PARALLEL LINK it before or after the Synth...this is the way it's supposed to be as per BOSS instructions. You can also add in a Reverb, Delay, or any modulation along with the OD in the loop.
Hey thanks! It's a DIY job with those piezo ceramic discs, of which most drum triggers are made (I think). The "kick" sounds in my Roland TM-2 are triggered by hitting my guitar's scratchplate, which has a cermaic piezo disc glued underneath that is wired to one side of a separate stereo jack, then the "snare" sounds is picked up by a clip-on pickup (the same ones you use in acoustic guitars), and this is wired all the way down the neck into the other side of the same separate stereo jack so that when I hit the neck of the guitar with my thumbring it triggers the sound. There are so many possibilities with this setup, and endless genres to mashup. Thanks again!
Hey there, the issue is the way it tracks the harmonic content of the guitar signal. I have full range speakers, monitors, studio headphones, and they all just affect the timbre of the notes that are completely dominant unless you shave off lows and boost about 1000hz. Again, it's obviously an internal compressor that helps the SY-1/200/300 identify and track weaker single notes, but with chords this same mechanism drowns out the high frequencies that it is interpreting before it has even had a chance to process them through the subtractive synth within the pedal. I hope that makes sense, but try it for yourself to be sure.
@@boimesa8190 Ohh, haha, sorry! I'm used to having to really break things down 😄 So, basically, before I learnt about the way it tracks, I'd crank the treble on my amp or use an EQ before a PA to bring out those frequencies that contained the feint higher notes, which made everything so shrill. I must say, mixing in the tone balanced against the drums and OC-3/5's bass in headphones has helped so much, but of course, nothing was more important than feeding the SY-1 the right blend of frequencies. Nowadays, I use a clean EQ cutting 100hz and boosting 1000hz and it's even better than the Tube Screamer, so that's another video I need to make!
@@boimesa8190 Aaaah... Mixer and PA mostly, otherwise Roland AC60 (acoustic amp), since it's somehow as balanced as the PA as long as I cut the mids fully counter-clockwise. I should add that the SY-300 can go straight to PA in line mode, so basically I don't use an amp in the traditional sense.
If you worked a Novation Circuit Tracks into your mix, & your rig would be a lot easier & more intuitive to manage imo. As far as a drum machine goes, w/four separate drum tracks, & 120 voices that can all me manipulated in real-time, to reveal a completely different sounding patch, it's a great box. Then add in the 2 internal synths & 2 external synth tracks, all w/midi in/out/thru, it can't be beat (that pun was not intended). But w/the multicolored 32 pad interface, live input is really easy & great from a performance viewpoint. People love to see you put songs together in front of their eyes, & it's really easy w/the CT. That seems like something you would excel at, which is why I suggested it in the first place, assuming you can build drum tracks live. It's also got an internal 4hr rechargeable battery, & I use mine busking the NYC subway, so the battery life is essential. I run it off the internal for about 3 1/2 hrs, then switch to a Joyo rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack for another couple hours if I can manage it. I only have one external synth, a Volca FM, & I run that & my Boss DD-200, OD-200, & SY-200 thru the Circuit tracks, to keep all my delays, tremolo, & reverbs sync'd w/the midi clock. This also allows me to arrange the drive pedal order however I'd like via midi & then saving to presets. Since the SY-200 is the easiest & most thorough in the preset department w/a full-faced digital readout, I keep that as the brain so to speak & even have some presets where the SY isn't doing much of anything but running the other two pedals. And of course, you can choose how the pedals & drives stack, both in order, & whether in parallel, or in series, both w/the individual effects inside each box, & as separate stand-alone effects boxes. I didn't plan on going all-in on the Boss 200 series, but w/those three pedals, it just made sense after I bought the first one (the OD-200, jeez is that thing f'ing amazing). Anyway, sorry to run on, but I felt like you'd appreciate the perspective from someone doing a similar thing, in a live professional setting. I re-read this, & I sound like an ad, but for who? Haha, I'm just high, & trying to be helpful. -Cheers!
Hey thank you so much! I have been looking to take my rig to new heights, so I'm grateful for new ideas, no matter how "high" 🤣. I have never explored any "grooveboxes" until you suggested this, and I've always avoided anything midi, but maybe it's time. If you ever upload a little video of what you do, I'd deeply appreciate it. So apart from the internal synths are you able to loop your SY200's output in the Novation? Any reason you still felt you needed a SY200 when the Novation already has more modern sounding synths? I'm also really keen on a SY200, but I don't know why 😆. The truth is I have a weird style I developed from playing precussively on my acoustic and my guitar has drum triggers inside it, so the Roland TM2 does individual drum hits live while I play. It also has midi, so maybe it could talk to the Novation? Gah! So many possibilities 😂
@@GreenhamGuitar It's my pleasure! Yes, since the pandemic, I've changed my life drastically, so I'm in the fledgling phase when it comes to broadcasting performances & what not (I had to focus on the technical side of things first) since omicron shutdown live performances in the subway, but hopefully that will lift soon & I'll be able to post some performances in a month or two. I got a nice Canon M50 mk II, that I'm planning to use for live studio performance capture as well, since it's not so easy to record your own performance from the subway, haha. As for why I use the SY-200, it's probably not too unlike your reasoning w/your acoustic percussion. Guitar is my main instrument, & the level of performance I can deliver w/it, is higher than what I can do w/any standalone synth. All the bass synths sound much more fluid coming from a guitar anyway, & I most often use the synth tracks built into the Circuit tracks as texture, or something foundational. Plus, I can use the Circuit's mixer function & pull those synth tracks in & out during a performance to build tension. The Circuit interface is simple, & while you can set the key input to any scale or mode you want, from Phrygian to Pentatonic, I have a lot more fun & independence playing lead synth stuff on guitar. And yes, you can also run your guitar into the Circuit tracks. I mentioned it before, but I probably wasn't very clear; the reason I don't do this, is because w/ all the midi connections via/the Boss 200 series, I'm already basically running it thru the Circuit, just via midi instead of analogue, but you can do it, & use the Circuit's built-in effects globally. I also use an external guitar looper that can be controlled w/my feet, since my hands aren't always free to do that, but it's clock is also sync'd w/midi, so the two loops stay in-time... If I were you, I'd learn all the midi stuff I can; it's really not hard at all, it won't take you long to figure it out, since at its core, it's all about communication. I'll subscribe to you, so I can remember to hit you up when I post a live rig rundown 👍
@@GreenhamGuitar Oh, I see you're a big Attack/Decay fan too! I still use that pedal in my rig, even w/the SY-200. It's got a quality that no other pedal can replicate for some reason?
@@GreenhamGuitar I checked out your drum pad trigger video. It's cool, but it's difficult to tell that's what you're doing, so it's a skill that's going under-appreciated. On an acoustic, it's obvious you're playing the actual guitar body, but it gets lost on electric. In fact, the first video, I couldn't tell that's what was happening; I thought you just had a funky fingerstyle position, haha, then I saw you were tapping in-time, & then you mentioned it. If it were me personally, I would simply input the percussive stuff, just like you already do, so that you still get the performance of it, but then loop it thru all the verses, so you can focus on other aspects of performing. That's just me personally though. I do a lot of two-hand neck stuff (also very percussive), fingerstyle, & lead playing, & anytime I have a chance to input analog data, & then automate it, I take it, haha. It allows me to become almost a dj of all my own performances, & have more control over more metrics, & really develop a bigger sound & presence, w/both more intricacies, & more control, which to me personally is a real trip. If you're able to tap out those beats, while arpeggiating, imagine what else you could do! Clearly it's a style you've invested in though, so you want to keep developing it. Are the triggers samples? Or are they midi controlled? You can change the drum pad sounds I assume? Btw, I haven't noticed you using a guitar looper in any of these videos?
@@JeighNeither @Jeigh Neither Oh my of course, you can't ideally record in a subway, although it would add some awesome reverb :-D Thanks for the sub! I'll also subscribe so I see those studio takes when they're ready. Also, glad you took a godawful thing like Lockdown and adapted and evolved how your get your stuff out there. Snap! You succinctly described my whole dilemma... I have this way of playing guitar with a thumb-ring - it's not all that technical or intricate, but it meant that I could really make a thumping beat and play dance songs acoustically and shift into 2-step and dubstep at will to keep the verses interesting without changing much else. It was enough for a one man acoustic show. Then when I shifted to electric, the floodgates opened and I can just make so much happen straight off the bat, no loop pedals, no backing tracks, just energy and GO! It's true, I have avoided loopers for just this reason. My simultaneous drumming improved slowly, but it wouldn't have if I had gotten lost in loop pedals... BUT. Now I think after years of developing this style, I may be at a point where I can carefully consider expanding into loops, but I have to do it in a way that doesn't lose what I've developed, so I really think you understand me on that one. That's one reason why I am taking the Novation idea so seriously, but since you've mentioned your looper now... and I have been investigating the BOSS RC600 for while now, I am really keen for the first time! As you've seen I can make drums, bass, and guitar/synths happen all at once, so my thought is to feed each of these elements into the RC600 on different tracks (it can record individual inputs to individual loops which can then be played independently and of course, simultaneously). I'd have control over each element separately even though they were recorded all at once, then adding intricacies would be easy in the way you described without losing momentum or just reverting to only drums, bass and vocals for the verse, etc. You mentioned the kick you get from being a kind of DJ and having all that control! I do to! It's also why I love doing everything all at once myself, but now I want to change the way I control it all... LOL. Please, tell me what you think of the RC600 idea... I once borrowed an RC300 and I made the sickest drum and bass drops, and I think I've been chasing that high ever since! :-D I am genuinely grateful to have input from a seasoned performer, so thank you! Oh and let me just add here since it's all one long reply... Yes exactly! The Attack Decay is so unique it is like Batman's utility belt! It should be the engine upon which all synth pedals are designed! I'll do a video soon on combining the Attack Decay with my EHX Big Muff Pi... it's such a cool saxophone sound. Okay, that's enough form me.
How did you lock the sy-1 with your metronome/ Drum Track? I find the way it responds its not reliable for recording... curious what people are doing to lock it the way you did at the beginning of this video?
Hey there, in this case, as I play I'm also drumming in time with the SY- 1 by tapping individual piezo drum triggers built into my guitar (like an electronic drum kit). There's no midi-sync in the SY-1, or even tap tempo as far as I know, so you gotta keep up with it yourself. The SY200 has a midi sync, and it's what the SY-1 should have been in my opinion, since the SY-1 needs a little too much help from other effects to be pleasing to the ear... but we make do at this price point 😅
That is absolutely correct! The OC-3's suboctave output is being sent into a little 4 channel mixer and blended back in, further down the line. The OC-3's dry guitar ouptut is sent into the TS, then the SY, then fuzz, then comp and into that same mixer. I now am doing the exact same thing as I type, guitar in other hand 😄 Only I have the OC-5 now which is lightyears ahead in terms of adding subbass. I do have a video using the OC-5 with a monophonic bass synth, and come to think of it, I should consider doing one with the OC-5 into the SY1 in bass mode, so thanks 😊
@@GreenhamGuitar thank you for the very informative answer. I am not quite at your level of sy1 use in terms of beats and octaves, but I run it through various fuzzes, ods, and distortion pedals, compressor and delay, as more of a weird boost like pedal. But, i agree, the stock sounds are a little bit...meh
@@mckinleymorton Well, everything I do in combination is a big cover-up for not being all that good at any one thing on its own 🤣 Just let me emphasize how much better the SY-1 articulates chords when you use a light overdrive before it (you can get there with EQ, but it actually loves harmonic content and that's what it's "listening" out for, not the notes necessarily). Even though my SY-300 has all these effects internally, I still need the Tube Screamer before it to bring out clear, full synth chords. Despite its flaws, I've returned to the SY-1 so many times. Anyway, good luck!
I do have one question, I have been putting compression before the sy1, but you suggest this is a drawback because the sy1 is not getting a natural enough signal?
Ah yes... it's more about overcoming this things limitations. I should update the name of this video or do another one. I wanted the SY1 to track simultaneous notes properly and get rid of those dang volume spikes. Thanks for listening!
![BOSS SY-1 - Is it really that good?? [McRocklin playthrough]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/syVfJjuM-84/mqdefault.jpg)
I already instinctually knew that's what this pedal needed to sound good because of the way it works (I'm getting the sy 200 just waiting for the new shipments) but practically no one demo's this pedal correctly. They just demo it dry which in that state it's useless imo. So it's nice to see someone actually do it right. Thanks for that. The other thing to do is add delay and reverb. There was a decent amount of people showing that but yours is the first I've found adding dirt in the mix. The octaver was a nice touch as well. I didn't really think of that
Hey pardon the late reply, but thank you, I'm so glad you like the idea! I completely agree about the reverb. In this video I used only a fraction, so it was barely audible, so I've taken your advice and switched my setup such that the reverb is before the Yellow Comp. Now the reverb can be set really low with a long tail but the compressor boosts it to swirl around the synth and fill the gaps in the notes... almost like when DJs sidechain a synth's reverb against the synth itself. Hey, there's an idea for another video :-D Oh also, recently I put the SY-1 after the OC-5's suboctave and it follows the lowest note magnificently! Anyway, let me know if the SY200 is all you hoped it would be. I have the SY300, but I am still really thinking of getting one.
@@GreenhamGuitar The 200 is pretty tight yeah. It's good for ambient pad stuff which is mostly what I use it for.
@@francismcfadden3305 Okay, nice! With the SY-200's effects loop, it'd be even easier to carve out the right sound than how I went about it with the SY-1. Thanks :-)
I can’t find a proper tap tempo demo/explanation
finally. i ordered a sy200 a few weeks ago because i knew it was capable of this kind of stuff but thisnis the first vid i’ve found that actually uses it in a musical way
Now I have to try overdrive before my SY-300... Great tips for pulling alot more out of the Boss synth pedals... Thanks... 🙂
Very glad to be of service! Definitely helps my SY-300 as well. I'm planning another video along these lines, but since we are here: If you have an EQ pedal to use before the SY, cut 100hz completely and boost 1000hz as much as you can. You can dial in 200hz to taste as well, but that's pretty much the perfect EQ to articulate each note in a chord, or arpeggiate within chords without having to worry about the roots dominating the tracking. It achieves what the overdrive does without losing pick attack definition or making some notes undefined or fluffy. Of course, the OD on low gain basically does this, but it's that much more precise and satisfying when you're making rave riffs 😁
I love the Sy1 with Fuzz. My Sy200 gets here today. I have a few fuzzes, so it will have to go after those. Thanks for the ideas!
That's awesome! I'm glad to be of service! Pardon the late reply, but please let me know how the SY200 is working for you? I have the SY300 as well, and usually need the flexibility it has, but I just wish it was smaller, so I'm still eyeing the 200 😁
Wow amazing sounds ! Im gonna try similar stuff with my electric violin , i just bought a fuzz pedal too , im waiting for it
Hey that's awesome! I can only assume SY-1 is great with the violin, as even chords are not so bass heavy, and it'll focus well on single-note runs. Fuzz on a violin? That's gonna rock! Fuzz on the Send blended with the Synth is the stuff of an epic soundtrack. Let me know how it goes/went 😁
You’re talented dude!
Hey thanks so much! That's a real motivator to hear 🙏 If you combine enough very average skills, you get something special 😉
Dude! Very nice! Thank you so much for sharing this.
interesting, i have a sy-1 and overdrive before it in the chain but i put all my other dirt in the effects loop and blend it in
This definitely helped alot I'll consider this tip, subbed
Hey thanks! Knowing that makes the effort worthwhile :-) By the way, I just discovered this Tube-Screamer-before-Synth-technique really helps the SY300 as well. I am gonna have to put something together to explain that, too.
the sy 1 is such a gateway drug lol
Great video👍
This was amazing. Subbed.
@BOSSchannel @BOSS please take a look to this video
You are a legend! That's the sound we all were expecting from this pedal when we saw the videos and bought the pedal. I have a SY300 and been fighting to make it sound like you did. I'm posting this in the BOSS SY300 OWNERS GROUP of FB page. Thanks!!
Wow, I really, truly appreciate your kindness! Since it's just a little SY1, we expected it needed some help. Luckily, the SY300 has the help on hand thanks to the on board FX, so dial in a phaser and a compressor and you can get insane modern leads, etc. Thanks so much! I hope to put out some other crazy demos soon 😊
@@GreenhamGuitar yeah, the issue with SY300 it's the same: the input dynamics. Yes, you have a compressor and an EQ but the don´t have enough power to crank that harmonics for the OSC to catch em right like this. I will keep experimenting like you and upload some content. Let's be on touch! Cheers =D
@@poribrutal You are right, since the partials of the audio input that are attenuated by filters (to make the subtractive synth work) cannot be focused with a pre-EQ, the low frequency dominates and disguises high frequencies from other strings! Another tip if you want to really work out what frequencies it likes to follow, I have achieved similar improvements with an EQ cutting 100hz and boosting 1000hz, etc. The Tube Screamer was just a nicer sound with similar input-EQ-benefits if I wanted to blend some "dry" or to process the guitar signal in the effects loop without altering it too much. Yes, I'll follow you and track your journey!
Dude! Awesome!
Tons of fun!! Thanks 🤩
Good video
This thing is so sick! Mind if I ask what the chain order of all the pedals being used are? Thanks.
So glad you think so! Thanks! The BOSS OC-3 is first in line (but now I use the OC-5), and its suboctave output is routed separately to a compressor and mixed in right at the end of the chain. The dry guitar output from the OC-3 goes into the TS then the SY-1 then the Big Muff then a Mooer Yellow Comp to tame everything, and a reverb before the mini 9v mixer. Drums are triggered by hitting my guitar's piezo scratchplate and that's also mixed in at the end of my board's chain. Lots going on! 😅 Also, please check my video where I use an EQ pedal before the SY-1... certain frequencies help the SY-1 track beautifully.
hey David pls do some test with a WAH pedal!
Im waiting the gabber hardcre part 2!! evil activies angerfist rocking it
This comment has got my attention! As did a recent listen to Thunderdome from 2008 😀 I will definitely put another video together. Thanks for the motivation 🤘
@@GreenhamGuitar ohh dint expect you would respond to. me lol yeaaaah still love how your first vifro sounded so cool because when i first heard it songs like no place to hide and broken from evil activities came to my mind take a listen and you will underestand what im talking about im. sure. part 2 will be mindblowing too
Man you and I are one in the same with this pedal haha I bought the attack decay because of your video on it and I have the Moore E7 micro synth and I always use overdrive or crunchy distortion! I love the super octave sound with this too!! I have a boss super shifter I use sometimes to get a lower bass note or harmonize the synth sound! Keep these coming Love the tones.
Always great to hear from you! I'm so glad you got that Attack Decay - it's more useful than Batman's utility belt! Nice idea with the super shifter... maybe I can do the same with my EHX Pitch Fork. Please tell me, how is that Mooer E7 treating you? Some similar sounds to the SY1? I'm thinking of running the Mooer in the send/return of the SY1 for some parallel phat tones... Maybe you've already tried that?
Hi there, I love what you have done, very innovative. I was wondering what is the signal chain with the Boss compressor. Is it OC1 going into the CS3? or is it the CS3 going into the OC1? Also the tone and level of the tube screamer. What are these two settings as in are they at 12 or 2 o clock? Also what if your using the CS3 what are the settings on that too. I have got these pedals so am trying to replicate this as I feel you have really done a great job at enhancing the SY1 so well done
Hello! And thanks! Looks like we both love our futuristic sounds 😃 Basically, all the Boss CS3 does is keep the OC3's suboctave consistent, as lower notes are a lot louder. I still use the CS3 as a limiter even though I now have the OC5 for lowest-note-only subbass. As you know, the OC3 here provides a dry out and a suboctave out, so the dry guitar out goes to the Tube Screamer and Sy-1, but the OC3's suboctave goes to the CS3 and they all ultimately meet at that little 9v mixer. I use the Mooer Yellow Comp for the same reason; to keep the SY-1 volume levels consistent and balance the overall tone with its own tone knob. As I suggested, the Tube Screamer really helps the SY-1 articulate chords, if you use it like I do. As a subtractive synth, the Sy-1 follows the loudest frequency the most, to the detriment of every other frequency, so the TS evens out the harmonic content it is receiving from the guitar. I dialed the "level" of the TS to kind of match the volume of the clean guitar, and the "tone" is cranked fully clockwise, so that's 4 O'clock, which works best with they SY-1 and blends better if you mix in some dry guitar using the SY. That's about it! You seem like the kind who'd love the SY300 or the SY1000 or the Source Audio C4? Anyway, thanks for the encouragement!
@@GreenhamGuitar Hi David thank you so much for taking the time to respond back. I'm gonna give this a go later on today. It's so great to meet someone who is thinking out of the box and wondering how to get the best out of the synth pedals on the market or combining pedals in a way that should not work but actually does. Yeah I am a bit mad for pedals. I have only a small amount of room left in my studio for a few more pedals and once I have used up that space then I cannot buy anymore. (I say and then start looking at the SY 300 after you mentioned it)
Amazing sound bro! Is it possible to achieve that sound with just an sy300? Am a bass player looking for that moog analog synth sound. What would you recommend i get?
Thanks so much! With enough tweaking, anything is possible with a SY-300! 😀 It uses subtractive synthesis, which is like the Moog, but it is a bit less refined... You can get very clever by linking oscillators with ringmods at different octaves and shaving off harsh tones with the filters. Plus, up to 4 great effects to shape the rest of your sound like vocal lofi FX and multistage phasers. The pulse waveform at 75% is clearly synthetic but literally has most of the same harmonic information and peaks as a actual bass guitar. When I fuzz a suboctaved pulse waveform it really feels like a cool organic bass from a Pendulum song, and that's just with one of the three oscillators. I always added a clean suboctave (-12) sin wave to really shake the room, but now I have the OC-5 which adds a suboctave to the root note only in any full chord and that is just a game changer for me, so I still use a OC-5 alongside the Sy-300. With all this said, I have so much fun on the SY-1 and just blending the SY-1 with the OC-5 gives me such a rewarding sound. With all this said, I've heard fans of the SY-1000 say that it's just so much richer than the 300, and that's probably because it uses a GK3 pickup to treat each string like a rich, phat mono synth, but unless you have the cash, the SY-300 is more fun and you won't have to dive into BoSS's buggy Tone Central Software to build a good patch. Anyway, I hope that helps!
what kind of drum machine is that and how come it begins playback when you play the guitar?! this is completely new to me
It's a Roland trigger module, he has extra stuff built into his guitar that causes it to trigger when he does certain stuff, believe it's the kick when he hits the neck with his thumb, snare when he taps the pickguard and hi hats when he hits the strings. He goes over the whole setup in a different video.
I have to admit that is pretty amazing. If I actually thought I could remain cognizant about properly triggering a drum machine while also playing guitar I would totally do this.
The best setup for this bad boy is to "LOOP" the Overdrive and NOT PARALLEL LINK it before or after the Synth...this is the way it's supposed to be as per BOSS instructions. You can also add in a Reverb, Delay, or any modulation along with the OD in the loop.
What kind of drum trigger are you using? That is an awesome sound!
Hey thanks! It's a DIY job with those piezo ceramic discs, of which most drum triggers are made (I think). The "kick" sounds in my Roland TM-2 are triggered by hitting my guitar's scratchplate, which has a cermaic piezo disc glued underneath that is wired to one side of a separate stereo jack, then the "snare" sounds is picked up by a clip-on pickup (the same ones you use in acoustic guitars), and this is wired all the way down the neck into the other side of the same separate stereo jack so that when I hit the neck of the guitar with my thumbring it triggers the sound. There are so many possibilities with this setup, and endless genres to mashup. Thanks again!
I like it
What amp do you use though? I'm guessing you wouldn't have to compensate as much for the high end of you just used full range speakers
Hey there, the issue is the way it tracks the harmonic content of the guitar signal. I have full range speakers, monitors, studio headphones, and they all just affect the timbre of the notes that are completely dominant unless you shave off lows and boost about 1000hz. Again, it's obviously an internal compressor that helps the SY-1/200/300 identify and track weaker single notes, but with chords this same mechanism drowns out the high frequencies that it is interpreting before it has even had a chance to process them through the subtractive synth within the pedal. I hope that makes sense, but try it for yourself to be sure.
@@GreenhamGuitar yes I know I know xD but I'm wandering what your amp/speaker setup is
@@boimesa8190 Ohh, haha, sorry! I'm used to having to really break things down 😄 So, basically, before I learnt about the way it tracks, I'd crank the treble on my amp or use an EQ before a PA to bring out those frequencies that contained the feint higher notes, which made everything so shrill. I must say, mixing in the tone balanced against the drums and OC-3/5's bass in headphones has helped so much, but of course, nothing was more important than feeding the SY-1 the right blend of frequencies. Nowadays, I use a clean EQ cutting 100hz and boosting 1000hz and it's even better than the Tube Screamer, so that's another video I need to make!
@@GreenhamGuitar but dude WHAT amp do you use..? 😅😅😅
@@boimesa8190 Aaaah... Mixer and PA mostly, otherwise Roland AC60 (acoustic amp), since it's somehow as balanced as the PA as long as I cut the mids fully counter-clockwise. I should add that the SY-300 can go straight to PA in line mode, so basically I don't use an amp in the traditional sense.
If you worked a Novation Circuit Tracks into your mix, & your rig would be a lot easier & more intuitive to manage imo. As far as a drum machine goes, w/four separate drum tracks, & 120 voices that can all me manipulated in real-time, to reveal a completely different sounding patch, it's a great box. Then add in the 2 internal synths & 2 external synth tracks, all w/midi in/out/thru, it can't be beat (that pun was not intended). But w/the multicolored 32 pad interface, live input is really easy & great from a performance viewpoint. People love to see you put songs together in front of their eyes, & it's really easy w/the CT. That seems like something you would excel at, which is why I suggested it in the first place, assuming you can build drum tracks live. It's also got an internal 4hr rechargeable battery, & I use mine busking the NYC subway, so the battery life is essential. I run it off the internal for about 3 1/2 hrs, then switch to a Joyo rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack for another couple hours if I can manage it. I only have one external synth, a Volca FM, & I run that & my Boss DD-200, OD-200, & SY-200 thru the Circuit tracks, to keep all my delays, tremolo, & reverbs sync'd w/the midi clock. This also allows me to arrange the drive pedal order however I'd like via midi & then saving to presets. Since the SY-200 is the easiest & most thorough in the preset department w/a full-faced digital readout, I keep that as the brain so to speak & even have some presets where the SY isn't doing much of anything but running the other two pedals. And of course, you can choose how the pedals & drives stack, both in order, & whether in parallel, or in series, both w/the individual effects inside each box, & as separate stand-alone effects boxes. I didn't plan on going all-in on the Boss 200 series, but w/those three pedals, it just made sense after I bought the first one (the OD-200, jeez is that thing f'ing amazing). Anyway, sorry to run on, but I felt like you'd appreciate the perspective from someone doing a similar thing, in a live professional setting. I re-read this, & I sound like an ad, but for who? Haha, I'm just high, & trying to be helpful. -Cheers!
Hey thank you so much! I have been looking to take my rig to new heights, so I'm grateful for new ideas, no matter how "high" 🤣. I have never explored any "grooveboxes" until you suggested this, and I've always avoided anything midi, but maybe it's time. If you ever upload a little video of what you do, I'd deeply appreciate it. So apart from the internal synths are you able to loop your SY200's output in the Novation? Any reason you still felt you needed a SY200 when the Novation already has more modern sounding synths? I'm also really keen on a SY200, but I don't know why 😆. The truth is I have a weird style I developed from playing precussively on my acoustic and my guitar has drum triggers inside it, so the Roland TM2 does individual drum hits live while I play. It also has midi, so maybe it could talk to the Novation? Gah! So many possibilities 😂
@@GreenhamGuitar It's my pleasure! Yes, since the pandemic, I've changed my life drastically, so I'm in the fledgling phase when it comes to broadcasting performances & what not (I had to focus on the technical side of things first) since omicron shutdown live performances in the subway, but hopefully that will lift soon & I'll be able to post some performances in a month or two. I got a nice Canon M50 mk II, that I'm planning to use for live studio performance capture as well, since it's not so easy to record your own performance from the subway, haha. As for why I use the SY-200, it's probably not too unlike your reasoning w/your acoustic percussion. Guitar is my main instrument, & the level of performance I can deliver w/it, is higher than what I can do w/any standalone synth. All the bass synths sound much more fluid coming from a guitar anyway, & I most often use the synth tracks built into the Circuit tracks as texture, or something foundational. Plus, I can use the Circuit's mixer function & pull those synth tracks in & out during a performance to build tension. The Circuit interface is simple, & while you can set the key input to any scale or mode you want, from Phrygian to Pentatonic, I have a lot more fun & independence playing lead synth stuff on guitar. And yes, you can also run your guitar into the Circuit tracks. I mentioned it before, but I probably wasn't very clear; the reason I don't do this, is because w/ all the midi connections via/the Boss 200 series, I'm already basically running it thru the Circuit, just via midi instead of analogue, but you can do it, & use the Circuit's built-in effects globally. I also use an external guitar looper that can be controlled w/my feet, since my hands aren't always free to do that, but it's clock is also sync'd w/midi, so the two loops stay in-time... If I were you, I'd learn all the midi stuff I can; it's really not hard at all, it won't take you long to figure it out, since at its core, it's all about communication. I'll subscribe to you, so I can remember to hit you up when I post a live rig rundown 👍
@@GreenhamGuitar Oh, I see you're a big Attack/Decay fan too! I still use that pedal in my rig, even w/the SY-200. It's got a quality that no other pedal can replicate for some reason?
@@GreenhamGuitar I checked out your drum pad trigger video. It's cool, but it's difficult to tell that's what you're doing, so it's a skill that's going under-appreciated. On an acoustic, it's obvious you're playing the actual guitar body, but it gets lost on electric. In fact, the first video, I couldn't tell that's what was happening; I thought you just had a funky fingerstyle position, haha, then I saw you were tapping in-time, & then you mentioned it. If it were me personally, I would simply input the percussive stuff, just like you already do, so that you still get the performance of it, but then loop it thru all the verses, so you can focus on other aspects of performing. That's just me personally though. I do a lot of two-hand neck stuff (also very percussive), fingerstyle, & lead playing, & anytime I have a chance to input analog data, & then automate it, I take it, haha. It allows me to become almost a dj of all my own performances, & have more control over more metrics, & really develop a bigger sound & presence, w/both more intricacies, & more control, which to me personally is a real trip. If you're able to tap out those beats, while arpeggiating, imagine what else you could do! Clearly it's a style you've invested in though, so you want to keep developing it. Are the triggers samples? Or are they midi controlled? You can change the drum pad sounds I assume? Btw, I haven't noticed you using a guitar looper in any of these videos?
@@JeighNeither @Jeigh Neither Oh my of course, you can't ideally record in a subway, although it would add some awesome reverb :-D Thanks for the sub! I'll also subscribe so I see those studio takes when they're ready. Also, glad you took a godawful thing like Lockdown and adapted and evolved how your get your stuff out there. Snap! You succinctly described my whole dilemma... I have this way of playing guitar with a thumb-ring - it's not all that technical or intricate, but it meant that I could really make a thumping beat and play dance songs acoustically and shift into 2-step and dubstep at will to keep the verses interesting without changing much else. It was enough for a one man acoustic show. Then when I shifted to electric, the floodgates opened and I can just make so much happen straight off the bat, no loop pedals, no backing tracks, just energy and GO! It's true, I have avoided loopers for just this reason. My simultaneous drumming improved slowly, but it wouldn't have if I had gotten lost in loop pedals... BUT. Now I think after years of developing this style, I may be at a point where I can carefully consider expanding into loops, but I have to do it in a way that doesn't lose what I've developed, so I really think you understand me on that one. That's one reason why I am taking the Novation idea so seriously, but since you've mentioned your looper now... and I have been investigating the BOSS RC600 for while now, I am really keen for the first time! As you've seen I can make drums, bass, and guitar/synths happen all at once, so my thought is to feed each of these elements into the RC600 on different tracks (it can record individual inputs to individual loops which can then be played independently and of course, simultaneously). I'd have control over each element separately even though they were recorded all at once, then adding intricacies would be easy in the way you described without losing momentum or just reverting to only drums, bass and vocals for the verse, etc. You mentioned the kick you get from being a kind of DJ and having all that control! I do to! It's also why I love doing everything all at once myself, but now I want to change the way I control it all... LOL. Please, tell me what you think of the RC600 idea... I once borrowed an RC300 and I made the sickest drum and bass drops, and I think I've been chasing that high ever since! :-D I am genuinely grateful to have input from a seasoned performer, so thank you! Oh and let me just add here since it's all one long reply... Yes exactly! The Attack Decay is so unique it is like Batman's utility belt! It should be the engine upon which all synth pedals are designed! I'll do a video soon on combining the Attack Decay with my EHX Big Muff Pi... it's such a cool saxophone sound. Okay, that's enough form me.
How did you lock the sy-1 with your metronome/ Drum Track? I find the way it responds its not reliable for recording... curious what people are doing to lock it the way you did at the beginning of this video?
Hey there, in this case, as I play I'm also drumming in time with the SY- 1 by tapping individual piezo drum triggers built into my guitar (like an electronic drum kit). There's no midi-sync in the SY-1, or even tap tempo as far as I know, so you gotta keep up with it yourself. The SY200 has a midi sync, and it's what the SY-1 should have been in my opinion, since the SY-1 needs a little too much help from other effects to be pleasing to the ear... but we make do at this price point 😅
Add the slicer and a looper, a synth filter, wah, etc😂
👁👁👍
Just to confirm, your sy1 was set to guitar, not bass?
That is absolutely correct! The OC-3's suboctave output is being sent into a little 4 channel mixer and blended back in, further down the line. The OC-3's dry guitar ouptut is sent into the TS, then the SY, then fuzz, then comp and into that same mixer. I now am doing the exact same thing as I type, guitar in other hand 😄 Only I have the OC-5 now which is lightyears ahead in terms of adding subbass. I do have a video using the OC-5 with a monophonic bass synth, and come to think of it, I should consider doing one with the OC-5 into the SY1 in bass mode, so thanks 😊
@@GreenhamGuitar thank you for the very informative answer. I am not quite at your level of sy1 use in terms of beats and octaves, but I run it through various fuzzes, ods, and distortion pedals, compressor and delay, as more of a weird boost like pedal. But, i agree, the stock sounds are a little bit...meh
@@mckinleymorton Well, everything I do in combination is a big cover-up for not being all that good at any one thing on its own 🤣 Just let me emphasize how much better the SY-1 articulates chords when you use a light overdrive before it (you can get there with EQ, but it actually loves harmonic content and that's what it's "listening" out for, not the notes necessarily). Even though my SY-300 has all these effects internally, I still need the Tube Screamer before it to bring out clear, full synth chords. Despite its flaws, I've returned to the SY-1 so many times. Anyway, good luck!
@@GreenhamGuitar very interesting...and I do have that extra ehx Glove...
I do have one question, I have been putting compression before the sy1, but you suggest this is a drawback because the sy1 is not getting a natural enough signal?
If you are happy with the final result sound... ok... but honestly my opinion for this sound is 🤮
Ah yes... it's more about overcoming this things limitations. I should update the name of this video or do another one. I wanted the SY1 to track simultaneous notes properly and get rid of those dang volume spikes. Thanks for listening!