I see a couple of major issues with the Core:
Those with a Stomp already see major value in adding an external foot controller with at least 2 switches. That’s on a unit with 3 onboard switches and 6 blocks.
To those who are interested in the Core, surely operating 24 blocks with the onboard 3 switches will be a grim experience, unless Boss have done some serious UI wizardry (which I doubt). Even plugging in an 8-switch MIDI controller, you’d still only have control of 11 parameters, which is less than half the Core’s maximum block count. By that stage you’re defeating the point of buying a compact unit, and you’ll still probably be wanting more switches.
Then theres the fact that the full-sized Boss GT1000 which has been out for a few years now failed to gain mass appeal against the likes of Helix, Kemper and Fractal. It just hasn’t been in the same conversation, both in terms of its UI and the perceived quality of its amp modelling. The Core’s screen is using last-gen tech with monochrome pixelated graphics. Compare that to Stomp with its full colour display and intelligent UI layout which means you can glance down and know what’s what, even on a small screen.
This shot of the Core’s screen is reminiscent of my secondary school calculator:
Just imagine squinting at that on a gig.
Simply shoving the insides of a full-sized GT1000 in a smaller box doesn’t improve upon the product itself in any way other than form factor. Basically, if the original GT1000 didn’t interest you then why are you bothered about the Core? Helix still has far superior options in terms of the number of amp models available, which is even more significant when coming from the position of a bass player. To me there’s just no comparison.
I realise this sounds like I’m pooping all over Boss but I just can’t see the appeal!