BOSS ME90B (here at last)

[funkydoug]

I own one and am very happy with the sounds.

 

Boss has been using MDP as the ‘brand’ for its more advanced digital effects for a while and the MDP based adv-drive and M-comp are excellent. There are plenty of other options onboard too, of course. The AIRD preamps are also boss’s most up to date ones. I think you’d need to have golden ears to hear inadequacies, I can’t hear any. They will be slightly different to other flavours of amp modelling of course. 
 

no latency at all that I can hear, or feel. That is something of an obsession of mine so I am pleased to report that the unit feels very alive and interactive.

 

The ‘env filter’ is a mutron clone and sounds great to me, as does the octave, which has the same 3 controls as an OC2.

 

In summary, I like boss bass stuff. I loved my old Roland DBass amp and my old Bass cube. I love the LMB3. I love the newer MDP compressor pedal they have. So I was always going to be happy with the sounds of this thing. I’m of the view that line 6, and other units including those from boss, all have great sounds in them. I’ve learned the hard way that the interface really matters in terms of how you use it, enjoy it and get the sounds out of them. That’s why this is my forever pedal 🤣

[eude]

1 hour ago, funkydoug said:

I own one and am very happy with the sounds.

 

Boss has been using MDP as the ‘brand’ for its more advanced digital effects for a while and the MDP based adv-drive and M-comp are excellent. There are plenty of other options onboard too, of course. The AIRD preamps are also boss’s most up to date ones. I think you’d need to have golden ears to hear inadequacies, I can’t hear any. They will be slightly different to other flavours of amp modelling of course. 
 

no latency at all that I can hear, or feel. That is something of an obsession of mine so I am pleased to report that the unit feels very alive and interactive.

 

The ‘env filter’ is a mutron clone and sounds great to me, as does the octave, which has the same 3 controls as an OC2.

 

In summary, I like boss bass stuff. I loved my old Roland DBass amp and my old Bass cube. I love the LMB3. I love the newer MDP compressor pedal they have. So I was always going to be happy with the sounds of this thing. I’m of the view that line 6, and other units including those from boss, all have great sounds in them. I’ve learned the hard way that the interface really matters in terms of how you use it, enjoy it and get the sounds out of them. That’s why this is my forever pedal 🤣

That's it!
I've heard more than enough!

 

I've ordered one!

 

[eude]

3 hours ago, funkydoug said:

I own one and am very happy with the sounds.

 

Boss has been using MDP as the ‘brand’ for its more advanced digital effects for a while and the MDP based adv-drive and M-comp are excellent. There are plenty of other options onboard too, of course. The AIRD preamps are also boss’s most up to date ones. I think you’d need to have golden ears to hear inadequacies, I can’t hear any. They will be slightly different to other flavours of amp modelling of course. 
 

no latency at all that I can hear, or feel. That is something of an obsession of mine so I am pleased to report that the unit feels very alive and interactive.

 

The ‘env filter’ is a mutron clone and sounds great to me, as does the octave, which has the same 3 controls as an OC2.

 

In summary, I like boss bass stuff. I loved my old Roland DBass amp and my old Bass cube. I love the LMB3. I love the newer MDP compressor pedal they have. So I was always going to be happy with the sounds of this thing. I’m of the view that line 6, and other units including those from boss, all have great sounds in them. I’ve learned the hard way that the interface really matters in terms of how you use it, enjoy it and get the sounds out of them. That’s why this is my forever pedal 🤣

Your experience and reactions sound similar to mine, the interface is SO important.

 

I also find a lot of the current lot of multi effects solutions, like the HX and even the Boos GT range frustrating in that there's only a smattering of bass specific stuff, and the rest is very much guitar focussed.

As soon as the guitar version, the ME 90 came out earlier in the year, I have been bemoaning the fact that a bass one had not come out, and how it would be a great idea, and how I would buy one.

Well, it would've been rude not to now it seems

 

Eude

Edited May 9 by eude

[Big Low End]

4 hours ago, eude said:

I'm sure there's more than a hint or truth in that, but I have found a few unsponsored reviews too.

I’m actually hoping for an amateur in this group to post their thoughts on the various types of emulations, how they sound both on their own and in the band setting. The YouTube videos I’ve seen so far haven’t gone much into the quality of the sounds, more the specifics of the technology. 
 

If I’ve missed a good video exploring most of the sounds could you post a link? Thanks.

[eude]

4 minutes ago, Enormous Buttocks said:

I’m actually hoping for an amateur in this group to post their thoughts on the various types of emulations, how they sound both on their own and in the band setting. The YouTube videos I’ve seen so far haven’t gone much into the quality of the sounds, more the specifics of the technology. 
 

If I’ve missed a good video exploring most of the sounds could you post a link? Thanks.

There is some use of it in a band context in the Andertons review >> 

 

[BigRedX]

57 minutes ago, eude said:

I also find a lot of the current lot of multi effects solutions, like the HX and even the Boos GT range frustrating in that there's only a smattering of bass specific stuff, and the rest is very much guitar focussed.

 

That's because IMO you are approaching them wrong. 

 

1. Most classic bass amps are simply guitar amps with a different name and maybe the EQ frequencies tweaked slightly.

 

2. IME almost all amp sims (both guitar and bass) have too much drive in their default settings. Try them all with the drive/distortion turned right down. The "best" value will be different for each sim so you need to play with the adjustment for each one before making any real decisions. However...

 

3. IMO most amp and cab sims make my bass sound worse. I've got much better (to me) sounds by just using separate EQ and drive/distortion sims. That way I'm not tied to a particular combination of EQ and drive from a single amp sim so I can mix and match to find the right EQ and drive for the sound I want. On the few occasions where I have used an amp sim it has either been picked for it's drive sound over anything else, or I've used a guitar combo sim that would be completely unsuitable for bass at gigging volumes but because it's just software there's no worry about damaging anything.

 

4. On the Helix most of the effects include a mix control so I don't have to worry about them sapping the bottom end from the sound. If absolutely necessary I can always run a crossover module first.

 

5. IME a lot of so-called bass-specific stuff is actually a red herring, so if it sounds right then it's right irrespective of what sims/modules you are actually using. Program with your ears not with your eyes.

[eude]

4 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

Program with your ears not with your eyes

That's the problem right there though, I don't want to have to program anything, I just want to dial in stuff quickly and easily that works out of the box with bass in mind.

I know I could get a whole lot more, and likely better stuff from a Helix, but I don't have the time or patience for it at the moment, and although I love all my separate pedals, when sometimes I only have 15 mins to noodle, I don't want to spend 5 minutes of that setting up.

 

On the note of amp sims, I'm not all that keen on cab sims, but I like amp sims just to get a different flavour, it's a quick and easy way to do it.

 

I understand that a lot of folks will think this new Boss unit is 10 years out of date, but from what I have read on here, and elsewhere, there's still an appetite for this kind of thing. The recent resurgence of DOD pedals has come with a lot of calls for them to reissue some of their older style multi effects pedals too, but not to ape anything like the Line 6 offerings, I think like in a lot of other walks in life, some of us are getting a bit of digital fatigue...

[funkydoug]

I know what you mean @eude. The 'fatigue' is not about being anti-digital; I welcome having the benefits of digital 'under the hood' but the benefits of analogue on the surface. Yes, that does come with compromise and constraints but I am happy to make that trade-off and I think Boss has made a really good set of choices with this one. 

 

It is a bit of a 'less is more' unit, and I'm onboard with that, but there really are so many great sounds in there that are easy to find and play with that it doesn't feel like much of a compromise for those of us who want to use it. 

 

Edited May 9 by funkydoug

[eude]

5 minutes ago, funkydoug said:

I know what you mean @eude. The 'fatigue' is not about being anti-digital; I welcome having the benefits of digital 'under the hood' but the benefits of analogue on the surface. Yes, that does come with compromise and constraints but I am happy to make that trade-off and I think Boss has made a really good set of choices with this one. 

 

It is a bit of a 'less is more' unit, and I'm onboard with that, but there really are so many great sounds in there that are easy to find and play with that it doesn't feel like much of a compromise for those of us who want to use it. 

 

 

You're right, it's not the progress that's the issue, digital guts under the hood is fine, it's the interface that I find lacking, the UX/UI aspect.

I use tech all day every day, although I'm a graphic designer I have also been an IT manager/purchaser in some roles alongside that, the last time looking after 50 PCs, servers, routers, firewalls etcs. The time before that 60, over two sites.

I'm more than capable of dealing with the more complex interfaces that come with all these modellers, I just don't want to.

I don't feel that any of the folks working on this stuff are meeting us in the middle.

It's maybe not the best example although there are parallels, the original spin and click wheel for the old school Apple iPod was by far the most elegant and intuitive solution for an mp3 player back in the day, and it was never bested.

I wonder which pedal manufacturer will crack the on pedal interface first, I think they're still a way off at the moment...

[Big Low End]

3 hours ago, eude said:

There is some use of it in a band context in the Andertons review >> 

 

Some very usable sounds there (plus the usual complete nonsense sounds you get on all multi fx). I’m impressed by it. If I was in the market for new tones I’d be very tempted. Everything i heard on that video apart from the synth stuff sounded as good as analog pedals to me.

[uk_lefty]

I am so, so tempted. And the Boss Amps too... I guess with the ME90B the only thing it can't replace is my Boss wireless. I don't know what I'd do with that if I went to a multi FX.

[markbunney]

5 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

I am so, so tempted. And the Boss Amps too... I guess with the ME90B the only thing it can't replace is my Boss wireless. I don't know what I'd do with that if I went to a multi FX.

Just switch to the Boss WL20, that’s what I did and it’s just as good. One end in your bass and the other in the input of your pedal board.

 

The only difference I noted was having to charge both the dongles from a USB plug before a gig rather than just one.

[tauzero]

On 08/05/2024 at 11:00, funkydoug said:

My main goal was to have something not too large and very immediate to work with. I don't use presets at all and wanted to get away from screens and overthinking / overplanning sounds. I much prefer to use this as a series of really good and flexible stompboxes. I find I feel more relaxed and the musical / creative parts  of my brain can 'play' and my planning / thinking brain can stay at work! I'm also not worried about jumping from sound to sound.

 

Why not just get a set of really good stompboxes? The advantage of MFX like the Stomp is that you can select a particular emulation of each effect whereas with this, if (say) the chorus isn't what you want, that's just tough luck. If you're not using presets then you've done away with the only reason for using this and not separates.

[Kev]

17 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

Why not just get a set of really good stompboxes? The advantage of MFX like the Stomp is that you can select a particular emulation of each effect whereas with this, if (say) the chorus isn't what you want, that's just tough luck. If you're not using presets then you've done away with the only reason for using this and not separates.

I guess its cost.  The boss unit is really quite cheap compared to modern day pedal prices.

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, tauzero said:

The advantage of MFX like the Stomp is that you can select a particular emulation of each effect whereas with this, if (say) the chorus isn't what you want, that's just tough luck.

 

And also one of its downsides. You are playing something, you want a chorus, ok, you have 10 choruses, with a load of settings for each one. You get a sound you like, maybe one of the other choruses is better? lets try the next one, and fiddle with the settings. No maybe the next one is better. hmm maybe the first one was better at this settings.. oh hang on, I have run out of practicing time.

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

 

And also one of its downsides. You are playing something, you want a chorus, ok, you have 10 choruses, with a load of settings for each one. You get a sound you like, maybe one of the other choruses is better? lets try the next one, and fiddle with the settings. No maybe the next one is better. hmm maybe the first one was better at this settings.. oh hang on, I have run out of practicing time.

 

Or you have patch setting up time and practice time as two separate things.

[Al Krow]

9 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

And also one of its downsides. You are playing something, you want a chorus, ok, you have 10 choruses, with a load of settings for each one. You get a sound you like, maybe one of the other choruses is better? lets try the next one, and fiddle with the settings. No maybe the next one is better. hmm maybe the first one was better at this settings.. oh hang on, I have run out of practicing time.

 

"You get a sound you like."

Grab a coffee.

Get on with your practice.

 

Edited May 10 by Al Krow

[BigRedX]

8 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

And also one of its downsides. You are playing something, you want a chorus, ok, you have 10 choruses, with a load of settings for each one. You get a sound you like, maybe one of the other choruses is better? lets try the next one, and fiddle with the settings. No maybe the next one is better. hmm maybe the first one was better at this settings.. oh hang on, I have run out of practicing time.

 

One of the first things I did when I got my Helix was to go through each effect on its own to work out which ones I liked and would use and which ones I didn't do it for me. IIRC there are 4 different dedicated Chorus sims and couple more hidden away as parameters of other effects, but there is only one that really suits the sounds I want to create, so that's the one I use. Should a new one be introduced with a firmware update I'll give it a go next time I'm creating a new Preset. Every so often I may also try one of the others, but in this case I always realise immediately why I didn't pick it before and go back to my favourite.

 

Just because there are multiple options for a particular effect doesn't mean that you have to use them all. I know that the Chorus sim I like the best won't be to everyone's taste and that's why there is more than one available.

 

I now have two default Presets (one for each band) that contain all the modules that I need to produce the vast majority of the sounds I'll be using. When I'm creating a Preset for a new song I'll go to the default Preset and tweak the settings until it sounds right. It's as quick and easy as individual pedals with added benefit that once I've saved a copy it's there forever and can be recalled at the touch of a foot switch. I often wonder how quickly someone using non-programmable individual pedals could get their sounds back should some malicious person set all the controls to zero? 

[BigRedX]

7 hours ago, Al Krow said:

"You get sound you like."

Grab a coffee.

Get on with your practice.

 

Exactly this.

 

I have a default Helix Preset for each band which will be fine while I am working on the musical aspects of a song. Once I know what I want to play I can start fine-tuning the sound(s).

[eude]

9 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

No maybe the next one is better. hmm maybe the first one was better at this settings.. oh hang on, I have run out of practicing time.

 

Have you been spying on me?

[Woodinblack]

8 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

Or you have patch setting up time and practice time as two separate things.

 

I do. Then I go to a band practice or gig, and it sounds shit.

 

Don't get me wrong, my prefered pedal is the dwarf which is about as unaccessable live as anything, and I gigged the Hxfx for the longest time, but I do understand the beauty of having a whole load of knobs for adjusting stuff that are accessible.

[Kev]

Option paralysis is a rubbish waste of time, but the idea that i'd buy something else that may be inferior just so I don't have the option to potentially sound better seems a bit silly? 

[eude]

2 minutes ago, Kev said:

Option paralysis is a rubbish waste of time, but the idea that i'd buy something else that may be inferior just so I don't have the option to potentially sound better seems a bit silly? 

I guess everyone's milages varies.

I love the idea of a massive pedalboard covered in boutique gear, and I also love the idea of having the world available in something properly space age like a full fat HX or a Quad Cortex, but I feel that for me, right now, neither is ideal.

I have a pretty big pedal board, with some darned nice bits and bobs on it, but, I find I often just pull it all out, unless I know I have a chunk of time to myself.

I'm currently slimming down the amount of gear I have, basses included, and I think this Boss unit may well let me release some of my pedal pedals back into the wild too, apart from some of the special ones. Doing so will also likely pay for 3 of these Boss units too!

[uk_lefty]

On 09/05/2024 at 11:30, funkydoug said:

I own one and am very happy with the sounds.

Great stuff! Curious to know whether it does come with any preset sounds? The old GT10-B had some excellent presets to give you amp and EQ settings to sound like Cream, Level 42, among others.

[stewblack]

I think it looks great. A breath of fresh air for pedal lovers who want the convenience of a single unit.

However, an entire 1/4 of the unit dedicated to delays and reverbs makes it a no from Stew! I literally have no use for them. 

Unless I can reprogram that section. Can I?