NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

Chris of Arabia

Desert RATT
It may not provide power to your pedals, but it looks like it might do everything else - http://www.bossus.com/products/es-8/

 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

ummm..... companies have been offering this type of system for quite some time. This does not strike me as anything new and is more expensive than what is out there...
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

ummm..... companies have been offering this type of system for quite some time. This does not strike me as anything new and is more expensive than what is out there...

In many respects, you're right, but many of those products are not readily visible in very many stores, and come from companies that have very little brand visibility. These being Boss, will not only appear everywhere, but will come with a ready made brand perception and reputation for reliability. Whether they are new to the market, more expensive, features +/-, or whatever, they'll sell.
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

Also, because Boss is so high-profile, if they are able to demonstrate there's a demand, it might prompt more of their competitors to develop products in the category -- and not just small ones without a lot of visibility or market share.
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

I think it does more than most of the other brands available. However, for what most of us would use a switcher for, other options are available for less than half the price of the Boss.

And, c'mon, 800 presets?!! It will take all your time for the next 10 years just to program that many. And who would ever use that many settings. Mine only has 32, and I don't even use all of those!
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

Resembles the BOSS computerised thing that David Gilmour used in his Eighties rig.
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

Let's see... My pedal palette cost me 399 for ability to connect to 4 pedals...

This unit does the same for 8 pedals, plus 3 switching pedals, and 2 expression pedals.

Both have MIDI

Boss is 699 list, so expect 629 or 649 MSRP...

I know what I going to do!

Anyone want to purchase a slightly used Pedal Palette?
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

Also, the Boss unit lets you configure the order of the patches from the unit. So say you've got a compressor in loop one and an overdrive in loop two. You can set up one patch as Comp->OD and the next patch as OD->Comp. I can't think of any switching units, regardless of price, that can do that. They may exist, but they damn sure won't be under a grand.
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

Also, the Boss unit lets you configure the order of the patches from the unit. So say you've got a compressor in loop one and an overdrive in loop two. You can set up one patch as Comp->OD and the next patch as OD->Comp. I can't think of any switching units, regardless of price, that can do that. They may exist, but they damn sure won't be under a grand.

Sound Sculpture's Switchblade offers either 8 or 16 loops arranged in a per-patch routing matrix. This means that in any given preset you can arrange the loops in any order in series, parallel, or any combination of the two. I took a look at models / pricing, and their 8-loop floor version is $799. An 8-loop rack mount switcher is $850, and their 16-loop rack mount flagship is $1955.
 
Last edited:
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

I'm still waiting for someone to make a rackmountable brain out of this type of thing and then have the foot controller connected via a CAT5 cable on the floor, kind of like what the TC G Major Unit does, or the Voodoo Lab GCX does but without the hassle of MIDI.

Why does no one make something like that after 30-odd years of these systems being available?
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

I'm still waiting for someone to make a rackmountable brain out of this type of thing and then have the foot controller connected via a CAT5 cable on the floor, kind of like what the TC G Major Unit does, or the Voodoo Lab GCX does but without the hassle of MIDI.

Why does no one make something like that after 30-odd years of these systems being available?

Line6 does that with their POD/floorcontroller stuff too - works very well
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

RJM just came out with a more capable product that sells for about the same iirc.
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

If it allows freedom in routing the fx connected to the loop in any order, then i wonder if all the loops go through AD/DA conversion process.
 
Re: NAMM: Boss ES-8 Effects Switching System

I guess for me the irony is that everyone started using bypass loops because everyone thinks Boss's buffers are tone killers. I agree with those who say it will raise awareness of the whole category. But there are (and have been) lots of other products on the market that do similar things that I already trust. Maybe this Boss unit sounds "booteek", or maybe it's got a handful of Boss buffers in there that start to stack up under various preset conditions.
 
Back
Top