Boss GX-100

fcs101

fcs101

Axe-Master
Just watched Leon Todd's video describing the just announced Boss GX-100. Honestly, I'm a little confused by Boss's move here. It's got some nice bells and whistles and has a built in expression pedal. Holy cow, Boss actually has a colorized touch screen (I hated my monochrome Boss display)! It compromises on power though. I was watching LT build a preset and (despite maybe some previous comments by myself and others that the Fractal UI could be improved) found myself missing all the options for any given block. It just felt very dumbed down and they try to make up for that by dressing it up. Overall I wasn't very impressed.



EDIT: Just found this review. If you go to the 11 min mark they explain that this unit is more for guitar enthusiasts and, without using the words "dumbed down", do indicate that is the case. One interesting thing these guys bring to light is the flexibility of the DSP in this unit.

 
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FullReverse said:
I have one on the way. I’m very much in the “I want this dumbed down yet rock solid.” Less is more for me as long as what is there sounds good, and in this case I think that it does.
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Let us know what you think about it. Boss has a lot to like, but I wouldn't give up my FM3 to go back to them.

I was just a little confounded by this product. It looks nice, sleek, and pretty and then you've got the flagship GT-1000 over here with the ancient Boss monochrome display and a UI that makes Fractal look good! :p
 
Yeah, I have an FX8 and Ax8, on the list for an FM9 (impatiently waiting :) ). But I’ve always liked Boss and have had their GT-1000. Didn’t really care for the set paths / workflow in that unit, but really liked the sounds in it. Seems the GX fixes the things I didn’t like.

Will hopefully remember and report back with an update once I’ve had some time with it.. but I have a newborn on the way so that is unlikely…..
 
I bought one of these last week and tried it out in depth for several days, hoping that I could use it for a cheap fly rig. I swore off Roland a while back, but I truly wanted to see what they had to offer.

I was shocked at how little Roland's amp modeling has improved since the GX-700, VG-88/99, etc (I did direct comparisons, as I have all of these products). The raw amps sound like crap. Not much better than their stuff from the 90s. I tried every which way to get the Marshall model to sound like anything other than an ice-pick. There is simply no available parameter in the amp block to fix it. All of the eq/presence sounds like post-gain filtering, in every model. No interactivity. No preamp / power amp separation. One-dimensional caricature tone. Perhaps two of the limited number of models sound ok, but just ok. You have to add a crap-ton of effects to hide the shit modeling. IMO, it's a toy. I tried my best, and I'm no novice at this. My Ultra sounds better, and it doesn't hold a candle to the III.

I do like the interface, touch screen, and the variety of effects. But the raw tone is, for me, unusable.

I sent it back and am ordering an FM9 even though I totally can't even remotely afford it right now. Sometimes, you get what you pay for.
 
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I have had one GX100 for many years and I used it as my induction to all-in-one effects processor. Did'n want to spend a lot, I had an ME33 in the past (20+ years ago) and to be honest, effects haven't evolved that much from there. It still sounds unidimentional and digitized. Low quality digital experience to be honest. Not even their own pedals were cloned the right way.

Now the positives, the experience made me look into configuring stuff, into midi clocks, virtual amps and cabs (eventhough they suck), chain orders and trying to get the best of this "virtual pedalboard" as a whole. Then after a lot of time spent into shaping the right tones and loose them because my todler found a way to factory reset the damned thing, I decided to go for a fractal FM9.

There is no comparison but I use the GX100 for more humble gigs paired with my cheap guitars and basses, but then when tone matters I bring the FM9 and the Ultras to the table. I think of them as tools. Small tools for small jobs, big power tools for big things. If my old screwdriver gets dented, good ridance.

So I think that's that. Everything in the world serves a purpose I guess.
 
This has been on sale for past few days on amazon for $439. Just snagged one although it doesn't arrive until after the holidays.

I see this as a perfect complement to an AM4 / ToneX / tube amp. It stays in its lane and gives robust midi, 4cm, and low latency, spillover, plus a ton of effects with advanced switching.

Even if you forget about its amp modeling, it should work well as the "brain" for a pedalboard. I don't think anyone else is doing sub 1ms latency.
 
In case anyone is wondering, the MFers matched the amazon price and it should be here soon. There wasn't any pushback, even though its 33% off.

I suspect there will be a 2026 NAMM announcement for a GX1000 or something. The only thing GX100 is missing IMO is multiple loops.

GX100+AM4 should be dream rig. Once I get the GX100 sorted, I will order the AM4.
 
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