Boss answer to helix - fx 8 - headrush finally released

Teetonetal

Doesn't look like it has IR loading.
MF blurb says 10 assignable footswitches - which could be good news. Though why then print the bank / ctr stuff

External PSU? Urgh.

Sassafras

Looks all right to me. Certainly no worse than others of this type.

english_bob

digitalscream said:

My concern - if I didn't already have the Helix LT, of course - is that it doesn't have much in the way of switching options. Looks like the footswitches are either in patch mode or stomp mode - because the buttons in the back row look like they have fixed purposes, you can't do stuff like the Helix does where you've got patches at the front and stomps at the back (or vice versa). That's going to bug a lot of people.

If it's anything like the xx-500 pedals or the ES loopers, there will be a *lot* of things that can be assigned to the CTL switches. The fact that all the footswitches have scribble strips might suggest they're useable for more than just what they're labelled as too, and there's connections for another 4 CTL switches or two more expression pedals on the back panel (which cost money of course, which price it even higher than the Helix LT).  

Oh hey, it even says it on the spec list on the Boss website:

• Ten footswitches and integrated expression pedal with user-configurable assignments and LED colors

The manual should be along shortly, which will answer a lot of questions...

digitalscream said:
Just noticed - the way they shaved the height is by using an external power supply. Not a fan of that approach at all.

I was all set to defend this by saying that if you're actually using this with other effects in the loops that need their own PSU anyway, then it makes some sort of sense to have an external PSU so you can run it from the same supply as the other pedals. 

Only trouble is, this thing needs a 1.2A AC supply, so scratch that.

andyoz

Yep, external PSU...Boss really like them!!

Enough to put me off it

BintyTwanger77

I wonder if there's an option to bypass the amp sims on it and just use the effects into a tube amp.

Jonathanthomas83

Amazes me that being a Japanese (who as a country, make some beautiful things) company, how they manage to create such dated and uninspiring looking products.

The external PSU really misses the point, doesn't it.

BintyTwanger77

Sassafras said:

Looks all right to me. Certainly no worse than others of this type.

I agree, doesn't look bad at all. If it turns out to be as flexible as the Helix, considering with the Katana how much their amp sim technology has evolved, and that it includes algorithms from the -500 pedals, this could be really good.

Can I ask what the issue is with an external PSU?

english_bob

Specs in full from the Boss site. I've highlighted bits that directly answer stuff in this thread, or that I just think are cool:

• Flagship guitar amp/effects processor with uncompromising sound quality and unmatched expressiveness

• Industry-leading 32-bit AD/DA, 32-bit floating-point processing, and 96 kHz sampling rate throughout

• Next-generation BOSS DSP engine, custom designed specifically for music applications

• AIRD (Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics) technology realizes BOSS’s acclaimed Tube Logic concept in a digital guitar processor, delivering natural feel and optimized integration with all types of external devices

• Highly expressive amplifiers, meticulously crafted with AIRD

• Massive selection of onboard effects, including BOSS MDP effects and algorithms directly ported from the DD-500, MD-500, and RV-500 pedals

• Amps and effects can be routed in numerous series and parallel combinations

• Ultra-fast patch switching and delay/reverb carryover

• Innovative Stompbox feature greatly simplifies using common effects settings in many different patches

• Easy operation with large display and six user-assignable switching knobs

• Ten footswitches and integrated expression pedal with user-configurable assignments and LED colors

• High-resolution tuner with two display modes and mono or polyphonic operation

• ¼-inch main outputs and XLR sub outputs with independent AIRD Output Select settings; loop for external stereo or mono effects

• Support for external control via footswitches, expression pedals, MIDI, and USB

• Built-in Bluetooth for wireless editing from iOS and Android mobile devices

• USB audio/MIDI interface for computer-based recording and editing

  
  

Musicman20

The external PSU doesn't even phase me one bit. It's a bit like games consoles - smaller console, external PSU, larger console, internal. Doesn't bother me one bit.

It's worth considering that Boss are really on top of their game recently, and they cannot afford to release an average version of a Helix. We need to see exactly what is does and what is sounds like.

TheBigDipper

english_bob said:

<snip>

I was all set to defend this by saying that if you're actually using this with other effects in the loops that need their own PSU anyway, then it makes some sort of sense to have an external PSU so you can run it from the same supply as the other pedals. 

Only trouble is, this thing needs a 1.2A AC supply, so scratch that.

We'll all be guessing and reading between the lines for a while, I think. 

Re Power Supply - the pic of the rear of the unit clearly has "DC In" printed above what looks like a standard Boss power socket. The supplied spec says it runs on DC (doesn't say what voltage), but that the Adapter is a 1.2A AC adapter. Who knows? The photos may be from an early mockup rather than a real unit. The spec may be badly written. 

Re 4CM - there are two sets of send/return sockets. I'd assume that means two moveable S/R points in the signal chain (the GT-100 has one). That's good for people who want other pedals in front of the preamp and still want to use 4CM. 

Will it displace Helix, FX8 and Kemper users? Probably not, but it might give Boss fans an upgrade path that stays with Boss. 

Heartfeltdawn

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Amazes me that being a Japanese (who as a country, make some beautiful things) company, how they manage to create such dated and uninspiring looking products.

The external PSU really misses the point, doesn't it.

What looks dated about it? Externally it looks good and I'm not going to say the screen is dated based on a couple of pictures. If that looks dated, then the Fractal approach looks positively neanderthal.  

 dindude said:

Exactly, can't call it a pro piece of kit with a nasty external power supply.

Yet we accept it with laptops with no problem. Personally I'd rather have a wallwart supply. If it fucks up, it's a damn sight easier to replace that an internal PSU. 

menamestom

I was't that impressed when I first saw it, but I've just booted up my old Windows 95 machine and it looks great on that.

Strangefan

Ah im sure its great, i'm struggling to find any justification in spending that much on a piece of Tech that will be obsolete in a few years, as these type of things always "improve"
these days i'm happy with  a 2nd hand digitech distortion, delay, wah and reverb pedal and it will probably sound just as good as anything else at a gig, 

Trude

"Innovative Stompbox feature greatly simplifies using common effects settings in many different patches"

THIS is the killer feature for me, and it's the one thing I've been wanting in a MFX since I first got the GT-5.  If they've nailed GLOBAL effects settings that can be synced between multiple instances in patches then this could finally be the answer to all my previous MFX gripes and could allow me to ditch separate stomps.  This is the one missing feature that has prevented me from trying Helix, Ax8, Fx8, Headrush, all of them.

Fingers crossed...

Musicman20

Not cheap though

https://www.andertons.co.uk/boss-gt-1000-guitar-effects-processor-gt-1000

TheBigDipper

Trude said:

"Innovative Stompbox feature greatly simplifies using common effects settings in many different patches"

THIS is the killer feature for me, and it's the one thing I've been wanting in a MFX since I first got the GT-5.  If they've nailed GLOBAL effects settings that can be synced between multiple instances in patches then this could finally be the answer to all my previous MFX gripes and could allow me to ditch separate stomps.  This is the one missing feature that has prevented me from trying Helix, Ax8, Fx8, Headrush, all of them.

Fingers crossed...

This would be a big thing for me, too.

The GT-100 lets me store several "favourite" versions of a pedal and it's settings - which is great. When you decide to load one into a patch it becomes 'frozen' within that patch. If I then go back to the favourite and change it slightly (maybe at a gig it isn't cutting through and I need to add some extra mids) I'll then need to go to every patch that uses it and reload the favourite setting back into those patches. Which is still better than having to adjust every every instance of that effect in every patch that uses it, but...

If I could have the patches dynamically load the latest version of my favourite so I only have to change it in one place, one time  and every patch would now be able to see that I'd changed the mid setting - that would be excellent. 

dindude

Heartfeltdawn said:

  Exactly, can't call it a pro piece of kit with a nasty external power supply.

Yet we accept it with laptops with no problem. Personally I'd rather have a wallwart supply. If it fucks up, it's a damn sight easier to replace that an internal PSU. 

Laptops can run on batteries making them ultra portable when needed and can have a docking station when not so makes sense. They also don't go on a floor on a stage where the flimsy connection can be kicked about. Totally totally different. Fake news.

guitarfishbay

Heartfeltdawn said:

Jonathanthomas83 said:

Amazes me that being a Japanese (who as a country, make some beautiful things) company, how they manage to create such dated and uninspiring looking products.

The external PSU really misses the point, doesn't it.

What looks dated about it? Externally it looks good and I'm not going to say the screen is dated based on a couple of pictures. If that looks dated, then the Fractal approach looks positively neanderthal.  

 dindude said:

Exactly, can't call it a pro piece of kit with a nasty external power supply.

Yet we accept it with laptops with no problem. Personally I'd rather have a wallwart supply. If it fucks up, it's a damn sight easier to replace that an internal PSU. 

I think the Fractal lineup of products will go down in history as proof planned obsolescence can actually be a good thing.  The UI on the hardware does look dated, however it is entirely functional.  If it was designed today it'd likely look different.

Tonally the Fractal stuff is arguably the best, if people care to argue.  And yes I own the Helix Native plugin so I can compare side by side, for guitar amps there's plenty in it for me.  For bass I think the Helix is better, that's why I bought the plugin.  For delays I'd use either, in fact I probably use the Helix delays more because I can apply them post recording more easily.

Realistically this Boss design is actually more my preference even over the Helix.  If you're playing with a band you don't want to spend long looking down at your effects, you just want to hit a nice clearly labelled button and have a big screen to tell you what patch you're on... this nails that for me from the looks of things.

A fair point regarding the external PSU, and not one I'd considered.  The added benefit is this seems to be a lighter and smaller unit than it's competitors, which is something many have asked for.  That and the reverb/delay patch spillover.

dindude

£879 at PMT

https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/boss-gt-1000-multi-effects-processor

guitarfishbay

dindude said:

Heartfeltdawn said:

  Exactly, can't call it a pro piece of kit with a nasty external power supply.

Yet we accept it with laptops with no problem. Personally I'd rather have a wallwart supply. If it fucks up, it's a damn sight easier to replace that an internal PSU. 

Laptops can run on batteries making them ultra portable when needed and can have a docking station when not so makes sense. They also don't go on a floor on a stage where the flimsy connection can be kicked about. Totally totally different. Fake news.

And yet decades of guitar pedalboards use similar connectors.