BOSS launches new pedals and a mini guitar amp, plus a bass FX board

23 Jun 2017 by Jef |

5,0 / 5,0 | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

BOSS RV-500, MD-500-GT-1B and Katana mini amp · Source: Boss

Previous Next

Hot on the heels of the announcement by its corporate mother brand Roland of a new synthesiser, Boss – the “subsidiary for guitar and bass” – has introduced three new pedals and a mini battery-operated guitar amplifier.

RV-500

The RV-500 is completely digital with 32 bit AD/DA conversion at 96 kHz and includes 21 new reverb algorithms. The circuit design is all based on DSP which can add delays to the signal as well as two reverbs simultaneously. In addition, MIDI in/out, stereo in/out, expression in for two control signals, and a USB port to edit the patches on the computer. The two videos below also sound promising. It’s evidently in the vein of the existing Boss DD-500 delay pedal, with a similar layout.

RRP- GBP 375 due out in August

BOSS RV-500 product page

BOSS RV-500 reverb pedal

MD-500

The MD-500 modulation pedal has similar layout to the RV-500 and the DD-500, only this time in blue. It includes 28 algorithms, and the same 32 bit/96 kHz converter with internal 32-bit float calculation. The sounds are the familiar fare of CE-1, Dimension D, Tri-Chorus and others. Like the RV-500, the MD-500 can handle two patches simultaneously. Now all we need is a distortion pedal to complete the lineup.

RRP – GBP 375 due out in August

BOSS MD-500 product page

BOSS MD-500 modulation multi effect

GT-1B

The GT-1B is a new ‘Bass Effects Processor’ in the GT series. It converts at 24 bits, and uses a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and offers 90 effects and a 32-second looper. If guitarists are offered specs of 32 bits and 96 kHz, why do bassists have to be content with standards from the last decade? I’m not sure if this proposition will win over many bass players.

RRP – GBP 209 due out in August

BOSS-GT-1B product page

BOSS GT-1B floor multi-effects pedal

Katana Mini

Boss have also announced the Katana-Mini, a battery-powered amplifier with 7 Watts on a 4 “speaker. In addition to a knob for volume, Boss also adds a 3-band EQ and a delay section with time and level controls. The amp can run for up to 7 hours on 6 AA batteries

RRP – GBP £99 due out in August

BOSS Katana Mini product page