by Jef | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes
Boss SY-1 synth pedal

Boss SY-1 synth pedal  ·  Source: Boss S

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Boss has just announced its new SY-1 pedal, a small synthesiser pedal for electric guitar that does not require any modifications to the guitar (like MIDI pickups). Based on 2015’s SY-300, this smaller version is suitable for both guitar and bass and brings along typical sounds for lead, organ and bass synths alongside rhythmic patterns. 

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Boss says it’s tried to keep operation simple, with controls for Effect, Direct, Tone, Rate / Depth, Variation and Type. The cool thing is that you don’t have modify your guitar in any way. Oh, and it tracks polyphonically .

Boss SY-1

Boss SY-1

121 sounds

A total of 121 sounds are incorporated into this small pedal, making it perfect for cramped pedalboards. There should be more than enough variety here for most players.

SY-1 sound types

  • LEAD 1/2—A wide range of sounds suitable for single-note soloing.
  • PAD—Full tones that work great with chords, from layered pads to synth brass and more.
  • BASS—Fat synth bass sounds, including filtered and sub-octave tones.
  • STR—Classic analog-style strings, including layered voices and sweeping textures.
  • ORGAN—A large selection of organ sounds, including many with rotary-style modulation.
  • BELL—Percussive synth sounds with metallic resonance.
  • SFX 1/2—A variety of synth sound effects, including explosive one-shot sounds, animated pitch/filter voices, and more.
  • SEQ 1/2—Pulsating sounds with rhythmic pitch or filter changes.

Because you can control the SY-1 via an optional external foot pedal, you can change synth parameters on the fly. Neat. You can also use the pedal’s built in Momentary Hold function to get a sound to sustain infinitely.

In the videos linked below you can hear the Boss SY-1 in action. I like that it has a built-in effects loop to let you add effects into the signal chain. Plus, you can blend in your guitar’s dry signal to layer up your sounds, making this pedal more versatile.

Follow the link below to read up on the full specification. For such a small pedal it manages to pack in a lot of useful features. I also appreciate not having to modify my guitars by adding a MIDI pickup!

RRP – GBP 175

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Image Sources:
  • Boss SY-1 : Boss
Boss SY-1 synth pedal

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