Menu
Today we have the BOSS SY-1 guitar synthesizer pedal on review, let's look at what this blue box is and what it can do. Towards the end of 2019, BOSS introduced another novelty - the BOSS SY-1 guitar synthesizer pedal. The device is equipped with a special sound synthesis engine that transforms the guitar sound into sharp leads, powerful bass, or juicy pads. The SY-1 caught the attention of many guitarists around the world: a small blue box that could change the sound of a guitar and make a six-string instrument more flexible promised a great deal of scope for sound manipulation and experimentation. Whether it is so - we will talk in our review.
At the end of 2019, the Japanese company BOSS announced the release of the BOSS SY-1 synthesizer pedal. According to the promo on the official BOSS website, the device combines 121 effects that allow you to change the sound of a guitar or bass beyond recognition - the possibilities of the guitar are dramatically expanded thanks to full sound synthesis. In polyphonic mode, the pedal can turn your guitar into a synthesized bass, a bright lead, or a juicy backing track.
The description of the device from the Japanese company was so convincing that the question of whether or not to buy it was out of the question as soon as it went on sale. But before we look at all the features of the SY-1, let's start our BOSS SY-1 review with the usual specifications.
|
Best Price on BOSS SY-1 Guitar Pedal
The Boss SY-1 Guitar Synthesizer Pedal is an impressive and accessible tool for guitarists and bassists looking to expand their sonic palette with synth sounds. |
Classic Package
|
The pedal comes in a cardboard box without any wrapping or factory film. Despite its simplicity, the SY-1 is securely locked in the box, not rolling or flying around in the box - the unit remains intact during shipping. The box is stylized under black leather. It looks unusual. There is a large BOSS logo in the middle.
There is nothing special inside the box:
There are no pleasantries in the form of a sticker with the BOSS logo in the box. It is not known if it should be there at all, and if so, did the seller not lose it during shipping? We've seen stickers on some BOSS pedals, but apparently not in this model. The sticker is not critical, but its absence is a bit annoying. It seems like a small thing, but it's nice.
Also missing from the kit was an insert describing the SY-1 presets, although it is available on the official website. The A4 sheet describes all the presets and the behavior of the knobs depending on the preset, which will be very useful when you first get to know the pedal - we don't understand why it was necessary to save it on a sheet of paper. You'll have to download the preset descriptions from the website yourself.
The pedal's design is classic: controls on the top, a compartment for the 9v battery on the bottom, inputs on the right, and outputs on the left. At the top, there is a power input and a switch for the pedal's mode. Depending on the instrument, electric guitar or bass, the switch is set to one of the positions. On the bottom of the pedal, you will also find the device information and the serial number. Everything is pretty standard. There are no complaints about the build quality of the device, nothing backlash, nothing wobbly. And we never had any complaints about the build quality of the BOSS company. Japanese pedantry and attention to detail is evident.
So we come to the main part of our BOSS SY-1 review. The pedal is equipped with an effects loop for parallel connection of other FX Pedals/instruments. The guitar is connected to a single input, the output can be connected to the input of the audio interface. Other pedals can be connected to the "RETURN" jack. Connecting the BOSS SY-1 is no different than connecting any other stomp box. You can plug the SY-1 in directly, or experiment with its location in the effects chain.
The pedal's presence is indicated by a red indicator on the body. The LED lamp is clearly visible in all lighting conditions, but the red color is a bit out of the general design. There seems to be neon, blue, and synth-wave all around, interrupted by the alien red. We expected the designers to go all the way and make the indicator color bright blue or milky white. A matter of taste, but a little wow effect could be achieved.
The controls are familiar from BOSS pedals. The first dual Direct/Effect controls are used to mix the original signal (Direct) and the pedal-processed signal (Effect). The sound is mixed smoothly, so it's easy to set the exact ratio of clean and processed signal. It is also possible to set both signals to zero to create a fading effect.
The second dual "Tone/Rate/Depth" knob controls five different parameters that vary depending on the active preset (see the SY-1 Sound List brochure for details). By default, the knob controls the depth of processing, similar to an equalizer that adjusts the frequency characteristics of the sound. In some presets the knob changes the speed of the effect and also acts as a pitch control.
The biggest inconvenience when working with the BOSS SY-1 is the Tone/Rate/Depth control. Depending on the selected preset, the behavior of the knob changes. In some presets, the knob works strictly as a toggle switch, in others, it works as a normal knob with wild sensitivity. For example, if the knob changes pitch, each turn of the knob changes the sound by a semitone. However, there are no clear guidelines as to how exactly the sound will change with each turn of the knob.
You can understand how the knob works only by changing the preset, but there are no status indicators - you have to write down or remember how the knob works with this or that set of settings. This solution creates problems: you can't quickly change the preset and reconfigure the pedal - the knob changes from a toggle to a smooth rotation, but it doesn't remember the previous settings. You have to turn it yourself and do it with delicate precision, especially when it comes to timing and tempo-based presets, where the slightest deviation can instantly knock the instrument out of the song.
The Variation Knob changes the operating parameters of the selected Preset and Effect. There are 11 sound variations for each preset, corresponding to the number of divisions of the knob. The fourth control, Type, activates the effects themselves. There are also 11 slider positions (descriptions are taken from the pedal's documentation):
The 11 effects and 11 variations add up to the 121 effects promised by BOSS in their promotional material.
The pedal also knows how to delay sound. If you play a note or chord and press the power button, the SY-1 will hold the sound - the tone will continue to play. It's not a delay or a looper: the signal only lasts until you release the power button. There is no smooth fade-out: the sound stops immediately when you release the pedal. The function is useful for creating endless pads, but the lack of a fade is a bit surprising.
The BOSS SY-1 sounds great, beautiful, juicy and interesting (our editor-in-chief was delighted with the sound after writing a review on the BOSS SY-1). In this respect, the Japanese company has created a really high-quality thing. During the first hours of use, we simply recorded a note or a quint, turned the knobs and enjoyed the sound. Selecting presets and turning the knobs is a fascinating process, ambient tracks are composed to perfection.
However, to get the most out of the SY-1, you have to fiddle with the settings: there's no "Make Cool" option that will produce the desired sound in a few seconds. Besides, the pedal is quite demanding on the incoming signal: not only the circuitry and the quality of the signal at the input are important, but also pure performance factors - the strength of the pick hit, phrasing, clean performance, accuracy of slides and bends.
With the same preset, you can get completely different sounds: light touches give one sound, while aggressive hits give a completely different sound. Thanks to this, beautiful patterns are created only by the dynamics of the performance and the specific phrasing of the guitarist.
The sound also changes with the gauge of the strings. It's not so much the frequencies as the depth of sound: large gauge sets are perfect for string, bass, organ, and pad presets, while small gauge sets sound more interesting on lead parts. At the same time, thinner strings tend to clip, which is something to keep in mind when working with the pedal.
This is one of the difficulties of using the BOSS SY-1. Typically, when connecting a guitar to an amplifier or computer, the guitar's sound is first adjusted on the clean channel, and then distortion, overdrive, or other effects are applied to the sound. Guitarists are used to the fact that if the guitar sounds good on the clean channel, there are no problems with processing. This is not the case with the SY-1: a good clean channel does not guarantee that processing won't cause hum in the bass and clipping in the treble.
In general, the guitar should be "prepared" to work with a certain set of parameters on the BOSS SY-1. In most cases, a separate equalizer in the effects chain will be required to achieve a quality sound from the pedal and the guitar.
Of course, in our BOSS SY-1 review, we couldn't leave you without examples of what this pedal sounds like, and our editorial team found some great videos of industry professionals using this wonderful device to show us pretty much the full potential of the BOSS SY-1.
We hope you enjoyed our selection of examples, and we highly recommend watching and listening to them.
While writing our review of the BOSS SY-1 and experimenting with the pedal's sound, we came to the following conclusion: despite its complexity, the SY-1 is a good option for guitarists looking for a special sound. By adding a little of the signal from this plug-in to your setup and playing around with the settings, you can create some really interesting and unusual sounds. Another thing is that it's not so easy to implement it into a ready-made chain. There are a lot of demo videos on the internet showing what the pedal can do, but all of them are just demos. There are no real examples of its use. That's a pity.
Anyway, fans of experimentation with guitar and bass should try this pedal. To find an unexpected sound, to stand out in an arrangement, to decorate a part - all this is possible with the SY-1. Looper users will also be interested in this pedal, as it contains a huge number of effects, which, combined with a looper, will surely lead to unusual results.
Finally, the SY-1 will definitely appeal to musicians working in the ambient, downtempo, synthwave, and chillout genres. At the very least, the beautiful and haunting sounds of the SY-1 will be a great source of inspiration. Also, you don't have to own a guitar or bass to use the pedal - you can find lots of videos on the Internet where the SY-1 is connected to MIDI keyboards and combined with vocals. It turns out great.
The potential of the BOSS SY-1 is enormous, but only if you use it creatively. Despite the wealth of effects, this FX pedal is designed for those who are willing to figure out how and where to use it. This applies not only to its position in the effects chain, but also to its genre - the unit will be of little use to those working in extreme styles of music, such as rock 'n' roll, jazz, and blues.
As for the sound and the range of possibilities, it's impossible to express a single drop of dissatisfaction with the BOSS SY-1 - the pedal sounds great, it's full of processing and effects. And it's interesting to use: you keep asking yourself questions like "What if you put a distortion in front of the SY-1?", "How does it work with a wah-wah pedal?", "What if you combine it with a pitch shifter?". This BOSS synthesizer guitar pedal is an inspiration, a stimulus to create and experiment. But whether you personally need it is an open question.
Finally, we are at the end of our BOSS SY-1 review, we hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to leave your comments, questions, and suggestions in the section below. We'll be happy to answer them all. Don't forget to share your impressions with us if you already own this pedal. Also, at the end, we recommend you get acquainted with the revolutionary IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal, about which we have a great article.
Pros
|
Cons
|
8.5
/10
Our Score
|
