“This one is a synthesizer trapped inside a guitar pedal.” These are words that many of us long to hear, and get overly excited about when a new piece of gear of this type is released. One of the pioneers of this technology is Boss (let’s face it, they’re pioneers of a lot of technology), and they’re back at it again with their latest bit of synth-y goodness: the SY-1 Synthesizer. Working well with both guitar and bass (and probably anything else you want to test it with), this blue marvel features an astonishing 121 ultra-responsive sounds, all somehow crammed into the typical Boss enclosure we’ve all come to know and adore. Lots to chat about with this one, let’s get into it!
Backed by advanced tech first developed for the SY-300, the SY-1 delivers a huge selection of analog-style synth sounds while occupying minimal space on your board. Plus, all the sounds are polyphonic, allowing you to play both single notes and chords, something that doesn’t always work out with pedals of this nature. The latency-free performance works into a natural extension of your instrument, letting you to play freely and organically without altering your normal technique in any way. There are 11 different categories you can choose from, each with their own distinct style and sound palette, letting you explore a multitude of sonic rainbows while expanding your writing and playing capabilities.
Speaking of the categories, the Types are as follows:
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
Each of these modes coincides with 11 different Variations, which amount to the 121 sound modules we mentioned before. Individual controls for your Direct sound and the Effect let you dial in these sounds to any specification, while Tone/Rate and Depth controls play a key role in fine-tuning all your synth glory. The Exp/Ctl 1/4″ jack further expands upon your tone-shaping, connecting an external footswitch for tap tempo and octave-shift effects, or plugging in an expression pedal for continuous Tone/Rate control.
Want more? Ok, you win. Use the Send/Return jacks to patch other effects into the built-in Effects Loop, then send that mix plus the SY-1’s sounds to the rest of your pedal chain, for even more mystery and intrigue. The Send jack can be used as a Direct Out as well, enabling you to route synth and guitar sounds to separate destinations. In short, this is one of the most powerful synth engines we’ve ever seen, in one of the smaller enclosures. Continuing to innovate and change our outlook on musical creation, Boss knocks it out of the park again. Visit their website for all the details, but first, check out our demo below to hear the SY-1 Synthesizer in action. The video is a bit long, but there’s a lot to explore, so set aside 15 minutes for yourself and enjoy the ride!
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