Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

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mackerelmint
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by mackerelmint » Thu Feb 24, 2022 3:58 pm

hulakatt wrote:
Fri Feb 18, 2022 5:53 am
I don't know what's going on at Boss but in some ways, they're absolutely knocking them out of the park lately(The Boss Fuzzes, the Waza stuff and this Space Echo)! but in other ways they seem to be pushing downhill (SMD construction, esp on the older, commonly modded pedals).
Yeah, the SMD stuff is a downer for sure. I guess the bright side to that is that it creates a market for DIY stuff like kits and whatnot.

This space echo is definitely something to sit up and take notice of. I'm definitely gonna have to go have a play with one of these, the compact size is exciting.
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by Telliot » Thu Feb 24, 2022 6:03 pm

Do we know if the Space Echo will be a part of the Waza series? It seems fitting, no?
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by mackerelmint » Thu Feb 24, 2022 6:59 pm

The pix don't have the "waza" on the steppy-onny part, so I'm guessing no?

All a waza would mean to this would probably just be an extra price premium since it's not like an improved version of an SD-1 or anything like that. Doesn't strike me as a natural fit for a waza pedal.
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by hulakatt » Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:42 pm

mackerelmint wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 3:58 pm
Yeah, the SMD stuff is a downer for sure. I guess the bright side to that is that it creates a market for DIY stuff like kits and whatnot.
I'd love it if someone offered any kind of DIY kit that used the Boss enclosures and switching system. I have a few spares lying around and I've always loved the industrial design of them. Boss pedals are rugged little fuckers and only look better the more beat up they get.
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by Rob » Thu Feb 24, 2022 8:35 pm

I'm kind of a Boss shill -- I like the size, the shape, the footswitch design, the knob dimensions, the colors, the font, and (most times) the sound. I couldn't afford to collect guitars or amps when I was young, so I collected Boss pedals instead. Also way easier to store, and (unlike guitars) not limited to one-at-a-time usage! Their recent stuff has been consistently good.
UlricvonCatalyst wrote:
Sat Oct 16, 2021 1:34 am
For all the love the PS-2 is getting here, I far prefer my PS-3.
Same. The PS-3 is one of my favorites. Mode 7 alone is worth it.
mackerelmint wrote:
Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:53 pm
The TR-2 is hot trash.
Correct. Fixed or no, it's still a shockingly average tremolo and I cannot believe that after 25 years they continue to look at it and say "Meh, good enough." I can only hope the TR-3 has stereo outs, tap-tempo, better waveform control, etc.
burpgun wrote:
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My Overdrive/Distortion OS-2 always sits at the front of the guitar line and it really is like having multiple distortion pedals in a single box.
I think the OS-2 is very high on the underrated list. You can buy these for next-to-nothing, and they sound fantastic. Set to about 3 o'clock gives just the right amount of overdrive clarity under the thick distortion.

Some of my favorites have received some Waza love over the years, like the DC-2 (which has a pretty chorus/flange sound, but doesn't truly shine unless running in stereo). But some others continue to be overlooked, like the HF-2 which is by far my favorite flanger.

Biggest letdown is probably the PH-3. 20 years later, and it still kinda sucks. I do like the infinite rise/fall, and they got soooooo close with the step function, but made it the most boring/linear stepping imaginable. How hard would it have been to randomize the stepping? And all that aside, the actual phaser doesn't even sound great.

Also hyped about the non-Waza RE-2. I sold my RE-201 to a bandmate a long time ago, and refused to get an RE-20 because I hate that form factor, so I'm excited to see what the compact Space Echo has to offer.

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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by mackerelmint » Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:39 pm

hulakatt wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 7:42 pm
mackerelmint wrote:
Thu Feb 24, 2022 3:58 pm
Yeah, the SMD stuff is a downer for sure. I guess the bright side to that is that it creates a market for DIY stuff like kits and whatnot.
I'd love it if someone offered any kind of DIY kit that used the Boss enclosures and switching system. I have a few spares lying around and I've always loved the industrial design of them. Boss pedals are rugged little fuckers and only look better the more beat up they get.
That'd be amazing. I have pedals I'd love to rehouse into boss enclosures. Hell, I have a couple of pedal circuits built and I'd be over the moon if I could just stick 'em in a boss box like that. Anyone selling clone boss enclosures would make good money, I'd bet.
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by hulakatt » Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:17 am

My problem with the TR2 is that I've played so many tremolo pedals that sounded worse or had other glaring problems so the TR2 really is quite good against the bulk of tremolo pedals out there. I have 2 and a Fulltone Stereo Trem that I kept after burning through so many trying to find just one or two that both has reasonable and basic features and actually sounded good.

The Mad Professor Yellow trem sounded good but it made everything sound like a BF Fender amp, n matter what you played it into.

The Spaceman Voyager was pretty awesome and had all the features I could want but just sounded dull and boring after a short while.

Tried a bunch of boutique ones that seem to have all been based on the EA Tremolo circuit and they all had too much noise and signal degradation.

The Boss actually sounds pretty decent and that waveform shaping isn't common enough, that's the really joy of that pedal!

The Fulltone ST2 also actually sounds quite good and I love stereo pedals where it really does something and moves.
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:36 am

hulakatt wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:17 am
My problem with the TR2 is that I've played so many tremolo pedals that sounded worse or had other glaring problems so the TR2 really is quite good against the bulk of tremolo pedals out there. I have 2 and a Fulltone Stereo Trem that I kept after burning through so many trying to find just one or two that both has reasonable and basic features and actually sounded good.

The Mad Professor Yellow trem sounded good but it made everything sound like a BF Fender amp, n matter what you played it into.

The Spaceman Voyager was pretty awesome and had all the features I could want but just sounded dull and boring after a short while.

Tried a bunch of boutique ones that seem to have all been based on the EA Tremolo circuit and they all had too much noise and signal degradation.

The Boss actually sounds pretty decent and that waveform shaping isn't common enough, that's the really joy of that pedal!

The Fulltone ST2 also actually sounds quite good and I love stereo pedals where it really does something and moves.
If you want to try any more, I would highly recommend both the EQD Hummingbird and the Caroline Parabola, both of which I have on my board.
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by hulakatt » Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:56 pm

Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:36 am
hulakatt wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:17 am
My problem with the TR2 is that I've played so many tremolo pedals that sounded worse or had other glaring problems so the TR2 really is quite good against the bulk of tremolo pedals out there. I have 2 and a Fulltone Stereo Trem that I kept after burning through so many trying to find just one or two that both has reasonable and basic features and actually sounded good.

The Mad Professor Yellow trem sounded good but it made everything sound like a BF Fender amp, n matter what you played it into.

The Spaceman Voyager was pretty awesome and had all the features I could want but just sounded dull and boring after a short while.

Tried a bunch of boutique ones that seem to have all been based on the EA Tremolo circuit and they all had too much noise and signal degradation.

The Boss actually sounds pretty decent and that waveform shaping isn't common enough, that's the really joy of that pedal!

The Fulltone ST2 also actually sounds quite good and I love stereo pedals where it really does something and moves.
If you want to try any more, I would highly recommend both the EQD Hummingbird and the Caroline Parabola, both of which I have on my board.
I have the Caroline reverb and it's ok but it hasn't inspired me to try anything else they make
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by Shadoweclipse13 » Fri Feb 25, 2022 3:37 pm

hulakatt wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:56 pm
Shadoweclipse13 wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:36 am
hulakatt wrote:
Fri Feb 25, 2022 11:17 am
My problem with the TR2 is that I've played so many tremolo pedals that sounded worse or had other glaring problems so the TR2 really is quite good against the bulk of tremolo pedals out there. I have 2 and a Fulltone Stereo Trem that I kept after burning through so many trying to find just one or two that both has reasonable and basic features and actually sounded good.

The Mad Professor Yellow trem sounded good but it made everything sound like a BF Fender amp, n matter what you played it into.

The Spaceman Voyager was pretty awesome and had all the features I could want but just sounded dull and boring after a short while.

Tried a bunch of boutique ones that seem to have all been based on the EA Tremolo circuit and they all had too much noise and signal degradation.

The Boss actually sounds pretty decent and that waveform shaping isn't common enough, that's the really joy of that pedal!

The Fulltone ST2 also actually sounds quite good and I love stereo pedals where it really does something and moves.
If you want to try any more, I would highly recommend both the EQD Hummingbird and the Caroline Parabola, both of which I have on my board.
I have the Caroline reverb and it's ok but it hasn't inspired me to try anything else they make
I've got a Meteore and I like it, but I think the Parabola and Kilobyte are much more interesting and stronger pedals.
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384

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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by soggy mittens » Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:19 am

I just picked up my third MT-2. Hear me out. As an MT-2 obsessive from around 2015 I've come to love the sound that comes out of these pedals and how great that sound is for high gain non-metal applications etc etc. I am also a firm believer that a lot of the hate for these pedals comes from a difference between the older models and newer models. I don't know enough about this pedal yet to be able to say exactly when the change occurred but I have at least one newer version that confirms a difference in tone. That nasty nasal quality that makes the EQ curve sound bent in all the wrong ways. The earlier versions however sound glorious and smooth, like butter, when dialed in just right.

If there is one thing I really wish I could find out is when exactly did these pedals get released, every where I look says 1991 but when in 1991, there are 12 months in a year. The two other pedals I have managed to get are both from 1991. The first one I got in 2015 is dated May 1991, and this I got today is dated February 1991, I can't find anything about MT-2 dated January online so maybe Feb was the first month? Any way this one I got today is in almost perfect condition, better than the May 1991. I took a photo.. on the left is FEB and on the right is MAY. One thing that has always puzzled me as well is the difference in font saturation, I don't know if this is just a printing thing, maybe the screen printer made a brighter batch of paint and that is way it is so brighter and thicker, it is hard to tell in the photo but in person it is glorious.

Image
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by BearBoy » Wed Mar 02, 2022 4:07 am

soggy mittens wrote:
Wed Mar 02, 2022 1:19 am
If there is one thing I really wish I could find out is when exactly did these pedals get released, every where I look says 1991 but when in 1991, there are 12 months in a year. The two other pedals I have managed to get are both from 1991. The first one I got in 2015 is dated May 1991, and this I got today is dated February 1991, I can't find anything about MT-2 dated January online so maybe Feb was the first month?
According to this site they went on sale in March 1991 (some would have been manufactured earlier than this, one would assume?)

That site also lists out the variations (it pre-dates the release of the MT-2w):
There are 3 main versions of the MT-2. The opamps used have changed over time and the colour of the text has changed slightly.

Version 1: All chips M5218AL, text colour orange
Version 2: IC1,2,4 M5218AL and IC3 NJM4558L, text colour orange with "more blue"
Version 3: IC1,2,4 NJM14558L and IC3 NJM4558L, text colour orange with "more blue"
I've never actually tried an MT-2. You rarely read too many positive things about them (or just maybe not on places I frequent) but they've been selling them for 30+ years, and must have sold shit loads of them by now, so someone must like them.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1p5TV7cA_0

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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by soggy mittens » Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:09 am

Oh that is some excellent research, now my biggest question is what were the dates of these chip changes, the page is dated 2013 so I assume it was all before then. *clicks link even tho it is bed time* :whistle:

EDIT: oh I have seen that video, was hoping for one of those deep dive open-the-hood style videos.

EDIT2: All the font colour is in a different tone and even the pedal paint texture is different, that is what puzzles me ...I don't know why the May one is so much rougher, maybe it is more used/weathered. The paint even feels rougher but I can't explain the brightness of the font, it is more embossed to the touch. Can really see the blue in the 2018 pedal. I know I am being too pedantic but I think this is what happens when I get obsessed and focused on things I love. xD

Image

EDIT3: To stay on topic, the MT-2 is a pedal that BOSS both got right and got wrong, will report back once it is discovered when the wrong started happening.
Last edited by soggy mittens on Wed Mar 02, 2022 4:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by BearBoy » Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:41 am

soggy mittens wrote:
Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:09 am
Oh that is some excellent research, now my biggest question is what were the dates of these chip changes, the page is dated 2013 so I assume it was all before then.
You could try asking over at: http://bossareaforum.com/

That's where the people from Stomp Box Zone ended up when that forum became unsupportable. I am pretty sure someone there would know (there are Boss collectors who collect every variation of every pedal).

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Re: Pedals that BOSS still haven't got right and ones they've got right

Post by hulakatt » Wed Mar 02, 2022 10:42 am

BearBoy wrote:
Wed Mar 02, 2022 9:41 am
soggy mittens wrote:
Wed Mar 02, 2022 5:09 am
Oh that is some excellent research, now my biggest question is what were the dates of these chip changes, the page is dated 2013 so I assume it was all before then.
You could try asking over at: http://bossareaforum.com/

That's where the people from Stomp Box Zone ended up when that forum became unsupportable. I am pretty sure someone there would know (there are Boss collectors who collect every variation of every pedal).
But do they collect modded versions too? I kinda have a small thing for modded Boss pedals like AnalogMan, old Keeley and WEED.
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