Boss SY-1 - new polyphonic synth stompbox

Started by Mark Haydon, July 11, 2019, 12:22:50 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Mark Haydon



Boss launches the SY 1 Synthesizer in a compact Boss Pedal

gumtown

I like..
Nice and simple, I wonder if the GT-1000 will get this added?
Free "GR-55 FloorBoard" editor software from https://sourceforge.net/projects/grfloorboard/

Antonuzzo

#2
https://www.boss.info/uk/products/sy-1






   
Boss SY-1 Synthesizer


Journey to New Sonic Frontiers
With the SY-1, it's never been easier to infuse your creative arsenal with BOSS's legendary guitar synth technology. This amazingly expressive tool is filled with 121 ultra-responsive sounds, all distilled down into a BOSS compact pedal that slides easily into any setup. Best of all, it's as simple to use as a standard stompbox, so you don't need any background in synth programming to bring a new world of sonic textures to your music.

SY-1
SY-1 SYNTHESIZER Sound Tryout

Get interactive with our custom TonePedia player and explore hundreds of sound variations. Select your instrument, tweak and choose pedal settings.
*Use headphones and Google Chrome web browser for optimal experience.
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=26082.msg190211#msg190211

SY-1
Expressive Synth Sounds, No Programming Needed
The SY-1 transforms any guitar or bass into a versatile synthesizer that's fun, inspiring, and ready to play. Backed by advanced tech first developed for the SY-300, this super-cool pedal delivers a huge selection of analog-style synth sounds while occupying minimal space on your board. What's more, all the sounds are polyphonic, allowing you to play both single notes and chords.

SY-1
Plug-and-Play and Latency-Free
The SY-1 can be used with any guitar or bass via a standard 1/4-inch cable, providing an easy, plug-and-play experience. Thanks to custom DSP and the latest BOSS innovations, the SY-1 offers latency-free performance that's a natural extension of your instrument, letting you to play freely and organically without altering your normal technique in any way.

SY-1
A Universe of Synth Sounds Inside
With its 11 categories and 121 total sounds, the SY-1 puts an enormous array of synth colors at your fingertips. Expressive leads, sweeping pads, layered organs, fat basses, and more are all on tap, plus a variety of rhythmic synth patterns that are a blast to jam with. And with the grab-and-go Tone/Rate and Depth knobs, you're able to adjust any synth voice just how you like, including changing the pitch on some sounds.

SY-1
At Home in Any Rig
As a standard BOSS compact, the SY-1 drops into a serial pedal chain like any other stomp. But with the send/return loop and dedicated mix controls, it's also possible to blend one or more pedals in parallel with the SY-1's synth voices. For example, you can patch drive pedals in the loop, and then send the combined output to mod, delay, and reverb pedals for overall processing. The send can be used as a direct out as well, enabling you to route synth and guitar sounds to separate destinations.

SY-1
Enhance Performances with Real-Time Control
The SY-1 offers a numbers of ways to make your synth performances even more dynamic and expressive. Pressing and holding the pedal switch sustains the last-played synth sound, allowing you to jam with regular guitar over the top. You can also connect an external footswitch for tap tempo and octave-shift effects, or plug in an expression pedal for continuous Tone/Rate control.

SY-1
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.


Nominal Input Level
  INPUT, RETURN: -20 dBu

Input Impedance
INPUT, RETURN: 2.2 M ohms

Nominal Output Level
OUTPUT, SEND: -20 dBu

Output Impedance
OUTPUT, SEND: 1 k ohms
Recommended Load Impedance 10 k ohms or greater

Bypass Buffered bypass

Controls

GUITAR/BASS switch
TYPE knob
VARIATION knob
TONE knob
DEPTH knob
EFFECT knob
DIRECT knob
Indicator
CHECK indicator (Serves also as battery check indicator)
Connectors
INPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type
OUTPUT jack: 1/4-inch phone type
SEND jack: 1/4-inch phone type
RETURN jack: 1/4-inch phone type
EXP/CTL jack: Stereo 1/4-inch phone type
DC IN jack
Power Supply  Alkaline battery (9 V, 6LR61)
AC adapter (PSA series: sold separately)
Current Draw 85 mA
Expected battery life under continuous use   Alkaline: Approx. 3 hours

Alkaline battery (9 V, 6LR61)

Options (sold separately)AC adaptor: PSA series

Footswitch: FS-5U

Dual footswitch: FS-6, FS-7

Expression pedal: FV-500H, FV-500L, EV-30, Roland EV-5

SIZE AND WEIGHT

Width73 mm 2-7/8 inches

Depth129 mm 5-1/8 inches

Height59 mm 2-3/8 inches

Weight (including battery)450 g 1 lb


Brak(E)man

Two things interest me.
If they've managed the polyphony and if so
is it going to be a firmware update for 300 ?

Since SY-300 behaves / sounds extremely different depending on
what you put into it, different PUs etc and different volumes, how
is that going to affect this unit with set patches ?

With the right price I'll get one for my secondary fx chain.
(I'm guessing in 6-12 months there'll be loads of secondhand ones on the market.)
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

Brak(E)man

swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

gumbo

#5
...it certainly IS interesting, but I'll still keep making 13-pin jacks for a while yet....     :-*



Found it here at 309 OzBux, but they don't have stock...RRP 369..
...how much is it in your neighbo(u)rhood?

Peter
Read slower!!!   ....I'm typing as fast as I can...

aliensporebomb

#6
Seemingly wider tonal range than the SY300 - I'd like to know what his signal chain was in the McRocklin demo - sounds good to me.

Although I can probably come up with the same sounds on my VG-99/GP-10 in all likelyhood including the high gain sounds.

My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Brak(E)man

The polyphony doesn't seem improved at least not by listening to the demos but time will tell.
Outside of fifths , major/minor sounds mushy to me.
And I don't hear the wider tonal range but same goes....

I'll get one and stick it into the send return of sy-300
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

akahige

So it's the little brother of the SY-300, I really think that we can expect those sounds added to the SY-300 (would be very disappointed if not...)

aliensporebomb

In order to confirm polyphony they really need to get a jazz player to do some piquant chords to test the polyphony fully. 

There's some neat sounds here and certainly this would widen any "regular guitar players" pallette but I doubt they'll add any features to the SY-300 as then why would anyone buy the new pedal?
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

Brak(E)man

Quote from: aliensporebomb on July 11, 2019, 07:09:17 AM
In order to confirm polyphony they really need to get a jazz player to do some piquant chords to test the polyphony fully. 

There's some neat sounds here and certainly this would widen any "regular guitar players" pallette but I doubt they'll add any features to the SY-300 as then why would anyone buy the new pedal?

If they don't add any " upgrades " to SY-300 it'd be a disgrace but Roland and Boss have surprised me before
swimming with a hole in my body

I play Country music too, I'm just not sure which country it's from...

"The only thing worse than a guitar is a guitarist!"
- Lydia Lunch

akahige

Quote from: aliensporebomb on July 11, 2019, 07:09:17 AM
There's some neat sounds here and certainly this would widen any "regular guitar players" pallette but I doubt they'll add any features to the SY-300 as then why would anyone buy the new pedal?

I think people who are targeted with the SY-1 are people who doesn't have the SY-300 yet and want a cheaper and more little synth pedal (like EHX etc)

Also it's a near name and near color that make it look like a cheaper SY-300 with less power and feature (connectivity etc...) like Boss RC-30 & RC-300, Line 6 M5, M9 etc the list is long)
I may be totally wrong but I think SY-300 buyers will have those sounds with an update, the big brother has to be able to do that IMHO.

This said I know for sure I wont buy this stomp as a SY-300 owner, would be so frustrated that I would prefer buying another brand if I need more sounds  :D

jassy

#12
At first look its seems to sound even better and more predictable than the sy300  :o  ::), so seems that it depredates heavily the Sy300 and at 1/3 of the cost so the period of research and development has been amortized in record time this time, something that normally in Roland takes several years to do.
Hope the SY300 get a big update including this and more, otherwise the users would feel very disapointed. I know that would not happen surely.
Anyway its to me far superior to Electro Harmonix synthesizers. So many shynths in ONE and even with effects included.
Another extensive video playing it:


Edit: sorry the video has been posted while I was writing.

chrish

#13
From that link. Boss isn't stating how many note polyphony the unit is capable of producing cleanly and without pitch tracking  errors.

We here know that the sy300 stumble glitches on close interval chords and on the sy300 I've stummed 6 note major chords only to hear jumbled  garbage come out on the other end.

Strum the same chord on the  1980  hex pickup driven GR300 and it actually produces clean 6 note polyphony.

Same with the VG units.


Buyer beware.

"Backed by advanced tech first developed for the SY-300, this super-cool pedal delivers a huge selection of analog-style synth sounds while occupying minimal space on your board. What's more, all the sounds are polyphonic, allowing you to play both single notes and chords."


admin

#14
I expect no change in the Polyphonic pitch tracking between SY-1 vs SY-300



and these SY-1 demonstrations reinforce this



aliensporebomb

#15
For me it would kind of need to have a stereo output and from what I can see this does not have that feature.   Meris Enzo has stereo in a similar size form factor.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

aliensporebomb

The downside that I didn't realize it had: no stereo. 
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

admin

#17
 Mono only  - no Stereo  and many sounds heard in the SY-1 demo are from separate MFX gear 

( there are only limited built in effects, no ability to alter which is associated with the specific "Synth Type"
https://static.roland.com/assets/media/pdf/SY-1_eng02_W.pdf


(I grow weary of overproduced misleading demos that showcase the player and not the actual unit under review )

admin

#18




(spot the shills?)
https://www.musicradar.com/news/summer-namm-2019-boss-crams-121-synth-sounds-into-the-sy-1-synthesizer-pedal
SUMMER NAMM 2019: Boss has come out swinging with the SY-1 Synthesizer, a compact pedal that boasts 121 synth sounds.

Packing the same tech as the SY-300, the SY-1 requires no special pickup and delivers polyphonic tracking for guitar and bass players.

As well as the typical lead, pad, organ and bass synth sounds, Boss is promising rhythmic synth patterns, while the whole lot is easily tweakable via tone/rate and depth knobs.

Boss SY-1 effects pedal

(Image credit: Roland)
There's also a send/return loop to blend other pedals in parallel with the synth voices, while you can hold the onboard footswitch to sustain the most recent synth sound.

You can also hook up an external footswitch for tap tempo and octave-shift effects, or an external expression pedal for real-time control over tone and rate parameters.

The SY-1 is available this summer for £175. See Boss for more, and also check out Boss's other big launch at the show, the RC-10R Rhythm Loop Station.

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.

JiveTurkey

I am assuming the send is a dry output that can be fed to whatever. I'd hope so, at least. For it to be a viable "solution".


chrish

#21
Quote from:  JiveTurkey on July 11, 2019, 10:58:53 AM
I am assuming the send is a dry output that can be fed to whatever. I'd hope so, at least. For it to be a viable "solution".
have you seen this from Exh?

Our new Tri Parallel Mixer is a powerful effects creation and mixing hub that lets you:
• Run up to three FX Loops in parallel and create sounds that aren't possible by connecting effects in series
• Switch seamlessly between FX Loops in XOR mode
• Send one instrument out to three separate amplifiers
• Mix three instruments into a single output


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.ehx.com/blog/introducing-the-tri-parallel-mixer&ved=2ahUKEwiJ3q-4xK3jAhVmiFQKHUGtB48QFjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw1LBqAOU-QQXsvX4svvsbd7

Quote from:  admin on July 11, 2019, 09:53:43 AM


(I grow weary of overproduced misleading demos that showcase the player and not the actual unit under review )
same here

admin

#22
Quotehave you seen this from Exh?

Our new Tri Parallel Mixer is a powerful effects creation and mixing hub that lets you:

• Run up to three FX Loops in parallel and create sounds that aren't possible by connecting effects in series
• Switch seamlessly between FX Loops in XOR mode
• Send one instrument out to three separate amplifiers
• Mix three instruments into a single output

Electro-Harmonix Tri Parallel Mixer  - has great access to phase

But would have been a slam dunk  / take my money if it was stereo


https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=26039.0

aliensporebomb

I still will play with one.  I could see someone getting a splitter for their guitar signal and running it into two of those things.
My music projects online at http://www.aliensporebomb.com/

GK Devices:  Roland VG-99, Boss GP-10, Boss SY-1000.

mchad

The simplicity and the form factor are going to attract the dabblers. Anyways the small pedal based synth space is ramping up so Boss has just jumped on board. As aliensporebomb said, 2 of them blended in behind your regular tone could be nice. Add a Boss Slicer for some midi clock capable rhythms.