Boss SY-1

[GisserD]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Yup, great bit of kit. But the same size as a Nano+ pedal board just by itself? 

What's your point? 

Board real estate is all about getting the most flexibility out of the pedals you have for any given space. The es8 brings soooooo much to the party, the size isn't even a concern for me at all.

[Al Krow]

13 minutes ago, GisserD said:

What's your point? 

Board real estate is all about getting the most flexibility out of the pedals you have for any given space. The es8 brings soooooo much to the party, the size isn't even a concern for me at all.

No question that it's another great Boss piece of kit! 

My point is a practical one - not everyone has the spare PB real estate to accommodate an ES-8. What size is your PB that it can comfortably take the ES-8? Pic please!  

[Woodinblack]

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

What are your thoughts in terms of rejigging your board? 

Problem I have is I still have the 12 step which had to take the front of the board, and the back is the helix HX and the voice live. I could use something smaller than the voice live and the b3n instead of the helix, I would have more room, and I could use an actual sample player instead of my looper for effects. The only other option would be to use a different wireless that didn't have a bass, like those boss plug thingys

[Stub Mandrel]

11 hours ago, Al Krow said:

If your synth pedal can't do it worth thinking about a Boss LS2 or similar

'Other brands of switching poedal are available' 🤣🤯🙂🤣

[Al Krow]

26 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

'Other brands of switching pedal are available' 🤣🤯🙂🤣

Hence the "or similar". 

What compact format pedal do you personally recommend / are you using to deliver parallel loops? 

Edited September 28, 2019 by Al Krow

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Hence the "or similar". 

What compact format pedal do you personally recommend / are you using to deliver parallel loops? 

I'd make my own using physical switches 🙂

But I'm just joshing with you, I suspect if I said I was thinking of a new microwave you'd recommend the BOSS CUK-1 🙂

[Al Krow]

18 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I'd make my own using physical switches 🙂

But I'm just joshing with you, I suspect if I said I was thinking of a new microwave you'd recommend the BOSS CUK-1 🙂

Haha, you're a more capable man than me if you're making your own. And if you had a look at my PB posted earlier you'll only find one Boss pedal on there...simply a case of giving credit where it's due in my books in terms of what's good and what's not. 

I've actually been on the look out for compact parallel loopers for a little while and it seems to me there ain't too much around at a reasonable price. (So I was kinda hoping there might have been some substance behind your post!). The LS-2 seems to tick the box and a lot of the other compact switches are series only.

The next one up that does more than one parallel loop at a reasonable price is the EHX that @stewblackhas on his board. But it's a bit larger than I'd want for a passive piece of kit.

Maybe there's a gap in the market for your pedal making talent? 😉

Edited September 28, 2019 by Al Krow

[krispn]

@Al Krow would the es 3 (if 3 pedals in the loop would be enough)or better still the es5 be a more suitable size or something from GigRig? The flexibility of a full blown switcher would really enhance your pedal board between program-ability -  series and parallel options, midi etc to get the most out of your kit with the least amount of tap dancing? I think a tool like that could really be worth the pedal board real estate for quick and easy access to all the tones one might need on a gig or just the simplicity of routing options to experiment with of a quiet afternoon.

I see you may have missed my earlier request for some sounds - you have some pedals not a lot of us have likely heard in action and it'd be great to hear them in context. Like I said I have a few 80's and dance tunes to be learning for a big NYE gig (Killers, Human League, Depeche Mode, Maroon 5, Old Country Road and a mash up of 90's dance tunes possibly even a hip hop mash up if I can make my idea come to life) and running a synth like the Boss blended with my clean bass has been discussed as an option with the singer to fill out the sound especially on some more dancy/upbeat numbers. Either than or buy a Sub Phatty and just go full phat!

 

[Owen]

15 minutes ago, krispn said:

Either than or buy a Sub Phatty and just go full phat!

 

Full Phat! Full Phat! Full Phat! Full Phat! Full Phat! Full Phat! Full Phat!

[krispn]

There is a sub phatty going locally and it is mighty tempting! I've been messing with a few plug-in synths which are great for home use/practice but live a dedicated unit would be much easier. It's just an excuse to buy more stuff isnt it

Seriously though if we did add more of the dance stuff I'd not rule out a pedal based solution first but I may bring the laptop/keys to a rehearsal or two just to hear how it sounds as I'd like to have the option especially if it works in the context of the band.

[Al Krow]

Cheers @krispn I probably don't need anything further on the parallel capability front more than I have with the SY-1 parallel loop, just now, but good to be thinking ahead and the ES-3 could be a very neat solution.

Not missed your request - just trying to get to grips with the technology and software bugs! Had an hour with Focusrite crew the other day, getting my computer to speak to my Gen 1 Focusrite 6i6, which they eventually managed to sort, but the USB connection is now noisy / unusable to my HX Stomp. Ugh!! 

The SY-1 already provides a clean blend with separate volume controls for the clean and synth tones so you can go from fully clean to fully synth straight out of the blocks.

If you then want this 'clean blended synth' (i.e. clean + synth) further mixed with e.g. a clear drive you set can simply set up a parallel loop - it's dead easy. You then have clean, synth, and your favourite drive all in parallel not being 'mushed' up sonically by being in series.

The most recent YouTube clip posted by fretmeister actually gives quite a decent overview of some of the synth sounds available. Then you have the ability to blend your clean bass tone from 0% to 100% and to also mix in a parallel pedal of whatever type you want.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Al Krow

[krispn]

I have looping options, both series or parallel with the basswitch and a clean blend too should I need them. As you know I’m no stranger to loops as back in the day I used ABY to great effect in one of my bands. Welcome to the party 😀

[GisserD]

21 hours ago, Al Krow said:

No question that it's another great Boss piece of kit! 

My point is a practical one - not everyone has the spare PB real estate to accommodate an ES-8. What size is your PB that it can comfortably take the ES-8? Pic please!  

no board built at the moment. disassembled for a re-jig. But here's a preview...

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by GisserD

[Al Krow]

Thanks @GisserD! Yup your ES-8 would pretty much take up my entire board!! (Btw I checked @krispn's suggestion of an ES-3 and it doesn't unfortunately exist. The MS-3 is still pretty big and has a bunch of redundant effects from my perspective)

It seems our boards are finally diverging - haha! I'm down to having just 3 bits in common with you from previously having had 7!! 

Fyi - I've put my Neurohub under my board and that's freed up some useful additional space. 

Both a C4 and a Manta?! But hey - you're the only chap on the planet with TWO Mastotrons on his board 😀

[krispn]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Thanks @GisserD! Yup your ES-8 would pretty much take up my entire board!! (Btw I checked @krispn's suggestion of an ES-3 and it doesn't unfortunately exist. The MS-3 is still pretty big and has a bunch of redundant effects from my perspective)

Ahh I thought the three loop switcher shared the same ‘ES’ prefix and didn’t realise that it was labelled ‘MS’ Ill blame the week of night shift! Let’s hope that’s not my bc cred down the toilet now 😂😂

Edited September 29, 2019 by krispn
Removal of profanities 😉

[Al Krow]

16 minutes ago, krispn said:

Ahh I thought the three loop switcher shared the same ‘ES’ prefix and didn’t realise that it was labelled ‘MS’ Ill blame the week of night shift! Let’s hope that’s not my bc cred down the toilet now 😂😂

Yeah - pretty much shredded buddy 😂

An ES-3 would have been quite neat. The MS-3 is actually a multi effect switcher and not just a switch pedal like the ES-5 and actually is slightly more pricey than the ES-5 as well as being a similar size to the ES-5.

But I'm good with just having the SY-1 in a parallel loop with bit crush and drive - that's the key parallel loop I was to looking to do.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

@Woodinblack are you using your SY-1 with an expression pedal?

I've just sourced a used budget Valeton EP2 and a TRS cable: being able to speed up / slow down the arpeggiator with the pedal is a cool addition for live.

[Woodinblack]

7 hours ago, Al Krow said:

@Woodinblack are you using your SY-1 with an expression pedal?

Not at the moment, lack of space, but it does seem like it would be a cool idea.

[Al Krow]

Had young master @dave_bass5 round this afternoon collecting gear and fixing Stomps with great aplomb! He had to put up with me eulogising about the SY-1 to him and making him listen to 5 different sounds on just one of the 121 settings as I tweaked the two filters, and also hearing it track down to a low B without glitching.

But he took it in his stride and to quote the dear chap... 

3 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Loved that little Boss synth pedal. Very impressive. 

He even said that it sounded like you'd expect a synth to.

Nuff said @krispn ?! Just go get one. If you don't like it you won't have any difficulty whatsoever shifting it - damn, having seen @GisserD with two Mastotrons on his boards, I'm even thinking about getting a second one of these 'little Boss synth pedals' 😁

Edited September 29, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

Not at the moment, lack of space, but it does seem like it would be a cool idea.

Yeah know what you mean -  my expression pedal is definitely staying off board and being connected via a decent length TRS cable, so as not to take up valuable PB space.

Having seen how much fun the budget Valeton EP is, I suspect I'll be upgrading that to more capable expression pedal in the near future - I've been recommended to look into the Mission EPs, so my Valeton could be heading to the FS fairly soon!  

[dave_bass5]

It is indeed a very impressive  little box. Ive never seen a need to have one of these things in a band context, and my experience with this sort of thing has been the cheesy Taurus type of sounds from my Zoom boxes, but hearing @Al Krow playing this (I say playing, it seems to more or less payed itself) took me back to early DrWho, right up to the sequenced parts in a film soundtrack. 
Impressively the tracking never once glitched or got confused. 
Most impressed with the upright bass tone effect coming from it. That, I could see some use for. 
 

[krispn]

@Al Krow if one were available locally to try I wouldn’t ask but I don’t think any are expected in stock until late Oct/Nov. 

Some of the new song titles the singer has suggested wouldn’t be a million miles away from your jbc stuff hence the request. If you can’t record any samples don’t sweat it. 

[Al Krow]

17 minutes ago, krispn said:

@Al Krow if one were available locally to try I wouldn’t ask but I don’t think any are expected in stock until late Oct/Nov. 

Some of the new song titles the singer has suggested wouldn’t be a million miles away from your jbc stuff hence the request. If you can’t record any samples don’t sweat it. 

Well there are 500+ possible sounds on this thing! So do you want to narrow it down? Check out the 11 main settings on the right hand dial and select a couple and then maybe some particular song tracks and let's see how close I can get on the pedal?

The SY-1 configurator on the Boss website gives an intro to some of the possible sounds also. 

It'll give me an excuse to get up to speed on Ableton Lite

Edited September 29, 2019 by Al Krow

[krispn]

Well I can imagine the bass settings would be more useful than say 11 bell variations for a Bruno Mars track  😀

I listed some artists a few posts back but approximations of songs you’re playing just now and how it might work would be handy. The to do list for me includes Killers - Human or some other track which he’s still not sure of yet, Depeche Mode - Just Can’t Get Enough, Human League - Don’t You Want Me, Old Town Road and we do versions of Wake Me Up and Umbrella already. 

 You get the idea plus you’ll have an idea of what you think would work in your band that likely wouldn’t be a million miles off what we do.

If we’re doing four or five songs where it might enhance the bass part I’d be up for trying one or the C4. 

Edited September 29, 2019 by krispn

[Al Krow]

6 minutes ago, krispn said:

Well I can imagine the bass settings would be more useful than say 11 bell variations for a Bruno Mars track  😀

I listed some artists a few posts back but approximations of songs you’re playing just now and how it might work would be handy. The to do list for me includes Killers - Human or some other track which he’s still not sure of yet, Depeche Mode - Just Can’t Get Enough, Human League - Don’t You Want Me, Old Town Road and we do versions of Wake Me Up and Umbrella already. 

 You get the idea plus you’ll have an idea of what you think would work in your band that likely wouldn’t be a million miles off what we do.

If we’re doing four or five songs where it might enhance the bass part I’d be up for trying one or the C4. 

Great - that gives me a bit of focus. Won't have time this week, but will try to get around to it the following week. @Quatschmacher could maybe be persuaded to provide some C4 samples in similar fashion.