Boss GX-100 Guitar Effects Processor Pedal

Boss GX-100 Guitar Effects Processor Pedal Overview

Boss’ easiest to use Multi-Effects ever. Features flagship amp modelling and a touchscreen.

The GX-100 is the newest Multi-Effects pedal in the illustrious Boss lineup. Boss introduced the world’s first Multi-FX pedal in 1988 with the ME-5 and they’ve come a long way since.

Featuring the most advanced sound engine Boss has ever created, AIRD (Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics), the GX-100 is designed with flagship features at an affordable price point. Plus, it's their first to come with a 4-inch, Colour Graphic, Touch LCD screen, making it the simplest workflow possible.

Built for any musical environment a modern musician may face, the GX-100 is built with a rock-solid all-metal chassis, making it built to last whether using it at home, in the studio or on stage. Protect the GX-100 on the move by adding a CB-ME80 case to your basket.

Multi-Effects pedals are an incredible option for guitarists looking for an all-in-one solution for their amp & pedalboard though, due to the sheer amount of features, can sometimes be criticised for being difficult to navigate and too much time spent “menu diving”.

The GX-100 is the perfect solution, as the user interface will be familiar to anyone that uses a Smart Device. You can swipe, drag/drop and scroll as if you were using a phone touchscreen. By having all the controls accessible via the screen, the user experience is much more instant and edits are far more seamless. You can spend more time playing instead of tinkering!

Boss has loaded the GX-100 with over 150 effects and crammed it with premium features. Borrowing the AIRD amp modelling sound engine from the GT-1000, MDP (Multi-Dimensional Processing) technology from the Boss X-Series Compact Pedals, DSP algorithms from the 500-series and many of the iconic favourites from their illustrious history, you’ll have all of Boss’ most powerful tools at your disposal.

With a choice of 23 High-quality preamp models to choose from, there is something for every type of Guitar/Bass player. You’ll find vintage icons for the purists, as well as innovative modern amp sounds for the creative musician. You can even blend any two of the 23 amp models together in series or run them parallel as if you were running a dual rig. Plus, you have the ability to load in your own Impulse Responses, giving you the platform to perform with your own voice.

To bring out the best from your GX-100, you can optimise the modelling technology for your instrument by adjusting the input settings. Match pickup type, output power or instrument type and save globally across all patches or make them patch specific. For example, you can match high-gain multi-stringed guitars, single-coil guitars and bass to a specific set of user patches. Up to 10 settings can be stored and saved per memory allowing the optimum performance of any instrument regardless of output power or pickup choice.

To add to the focus on making the GX-100 as easy to operate as possible, there is no fixed FX chain. Users can freely add any effect they desire and truly a custom pedalboard chain. With a maximum of 15 effects per chain, you can place effects in any combination and even have multiples of the same effects group. This is a great feature for guitar players that like to stack their gains, run numerous modulation effects and have different time-based effects all loaded within the same chain.

With all this power, Boss has ensured the unit runs as smoothly as possible by including a 32-Bit Floating-Point Processor and 24 bit / 48 kHz AD/DA conversion. This means that the GX-100 operates with no lags or loading screens and the sound is crystal clear. By having so much power inside the unit, you can feel just how realistic the amps and cab models respond to your playing, compared to other modelling techniques.

Armed with an onboard expression pedal, 8 onboard footswitches and the ability to use a maximum of 4 external footswitches, the GX-100 is ready for any situation. You can use it in Manual Mode, where it works as a conventional pedalboard or in Memory Mode for those that use more sophisticated setups. You can even use the Assign feature to programme each button to your own preferred task.

Whatsmore, a simple and easy to understand I/O gives you creative options for controlling external amp control, running the four cable method, controlling external midi devices, or turning the unit into an Audio Interface using USB.

In the modern gigging world, backing tracks have become incredibly useful for bulking your live sound, plus it makes practising more fun. With the addition of the optional Boss BT Dual Bluetooth Adaptor, GX-100 users can stream audio from their favourite Smart Devices to play along to backing tracks or their favourite songs. The BT-DUAL also opens up wider deep-editing abilities, as well as “hands-free” editing from your smart device via the free Boss Tone Studio app (iOS/Android). BTS is also available to download on your Mac or PC, accessible via USB connection.

For users that require even more processing power/audio quality, more effects per chain, seamless patch change between every memory, increased audio I/O options, balanced outputs and more assignment options, check out the GT-1000.