Boss MS-3 Multi-Effects Loop Switcher just announced...

Travisthedog

I have to resist ripping my board apart before tomorrow nights gig. Need to do this in a calm measured fashion !!

Freebird

Anybody tried one with a Kemper? If so, how is the sonic interaction and how does the Boss FX compare with the onboard Kemper FX? I like that you can incorporate some real drive pedals into the rig, but was just wondering if there are any downsides.

Travisthedog

Hate it 

too fiddly - loops are too complicated for an oaf like me and worst of all by far the tuner is crap and even worse than that the pedal switches are at the wrong angle to use with your foot. 

Its already boxed up to return. In the cold light of day it's preposterously expensive for what it does 

Megii

Have to say I found the tuner pretty decent, was pleasantly surprised by that in fact. And I'm fine with the switch angle too. But sorry it didn't work out though @Travisthedog .

Travisthedog

Some you win etc - I'm just too much of a Luddite - I guess if I wasn't so busy live it would be easier - by it ha made me appreciate the simplicity of my old set up!!!

jamiexsilver

Finally got round to setting it all up.

Need to spend a bit of time programming it, so far though I've gone from having to switch 3 pedals and a channel changer to just pressing one switch! For my loop 3 I've sent that to a simple patch box on the side of the board so I can add pedals with out ripping the board to bits. 

I really like it.

Philtre

Are the FX the same as those in a GT-100?

EricTheWeary

Philtre said:

Are the FX the same as those in a GT-100?

It says GT level/ generation effects - I've not seen anywhere if it's exactly the same as the GT100 ( or the £170 GT1 which is based on the same models). 

Just looking this up - interesting that the GT100 launched at around £470 and is around £350 in the shops now. Whilst I like the idea of the MS3 I slightly balk at the idea of spending more just to get the same sounds in a smaller box with slightly better functionality and a slightly crappy looking screen. Although as I haven't got two half pennies to rub together it's pretty academic  

Philtre

Yeah, I've got a GT-100 and some nice separate dirt boxes. I can use the loop in the GT-100 and disable the onboard modelling and I think I've pretty much got the functionality of the MS-3.

Funny how so many people dissed the GT-100 for being "digital", are now praising the MS-3...

Megii

Actually I do agree it's somewhat overpriced at the moment, maybe something closer to £300 is where it will end up after a while - I kind of went for it anyway, because it's basically unique in the market at the moment, and pretty much the exact product I wanted.

Anyhow, got my MS-3 board all sorted - have gone from this:


To this:


Doubtless there will be a few changes to come - I may add an extra FS-7 dual footswitch, and I may add MIDI control of the Zoom MS70-CDR and have it after the MS-3 in the chain, rather than in the 3rd loop. But I'll see how it goes like this for a while.

impmann

Mine arrived Thursday.
Return request booked with Thomann yesterday.

Problem one: the loops are fixed together in the signal chain. Yes you can move the relative position of all the loops in that chain but if you want (as I do) to use Loop 1 (POG) at the beginning of a chain, with a gain stage, some modulation then Loop 2 (Ecoplex) at the end, you can't. That is a big oversight and is a deal breaker in itself.

Problem two: the user interface is appalling. The most illogical and uncomfortable way of programming I've seen for years. It's impossible to do in a rehearsal context (arguably where a lot of people generate ideas for patches) - just too long winded. I tried to set up the sounds to fit with the band, I got so frustrated, it got unplugged and I rebuilt my normal pedalboard - that took less time to rebuild than programming. Yes, I'm sure with time it would have got easier/quicker but it's just not good enough.

Shame, I liked the idea but the execution of the concept was bad.

Freebird

impmann said:

Mine arrived Thursday.
Return request booked with Thomann yesterday.

Problem one: the loops are fixed together in the signal chain. Yes you can move the relative position of all the loops in that chain but if you want (as I do) to use Loop 1 (POG) at the beginning of a chain, with a gain stage, some modulation then Loop 2 (Ecoplex) at the end, you can't. That is a big oversight and is a deal breaker in itself.

Problem two: the user interface is appalling. The most illogical and uncomfortable way of programming I've seen for years. It's impossible to do in a rehearsal context (arguably where a lot of people generate ideas for patches) - just too long winded. I tried to set up the sounds to fit with the band, I got so frustrated, it got unplugged and I rebuilt my normal pedalboard - that took less time to rebuild than programming. Yes, I'm sure with time it would have got easier/quicker but it's just not good enough.

Shame, I liked the idea but the execution of the concept was bad.

What did it sound like? Wouldn't it be easier to use a small laptop for programming? I agree it would be useful to split the loops though.

impmann

The sounds are OK - the rotary sim is nothing like as good as the RT-20 that lives on my board, and the delays were typically Boss. I didn't mind some of the drives, but found the tremelo to be a bit limited and 'wooden'. The slicer isn't quite as choppy as the real thing but its not horrendous. In short they were 'ok' but definitely needed the loops.

Yes, you can use a laptop but the whole point of this was downsizing, so dragging one along to rehearsals kinda defeats the point. Plus, its not difficult to construct decent operating systems with good GUIs and Boss have been doing this long enough to know the importance of this.

Splitting the loops is essential for me - and IMHO a glaring oversight.

digitalscream

impmann said:

Splitting the loops is essential for me - and IMHO a glaring oversight.

It'll probably be fixed in a firmware update, but yeah - that's a dealbreaker for me.

dindude

digitalscream said:

impmann said:

Splitting the loops is essential for me - and IMHO a glaring oversight.

It'll probably be fixed in a firmware update, but yeah - that's a dealbreaker for me.

I doubt it, you'd need two more sets of AD/DA converters to achieve this would you not? I think the idea is you plum your drive pedals in these three slots and then have effects pre and post of them, it would work for me any many others like this, but yes is a limitation for others.

colourofsound

digitalscream said:

impmann said:

Splitting the loops is essential for me - and IMHO a glaring oversight.

It'll probably be fixed in a firmware update, but yeah - that's a dealbreaker for me.

Yeah its a physical mixer choice they've made I believe. Unable to change it with software.

Musicman20

I imagine the loops aren't able to be split to keep the ES-5 and the ES-8 as the ones to buy for that function.

I was going to get one of these but I'm now starting to build around an ES-8.

hotpickups

I'm still weighing up the pros and cons of this switcher / looper. Would you say the on board fx such as the flanger/chorus/vibe are just as good as those on the mobius? Or are they miles apart etc?

impmann

hotpickups said:

I'm still weighing up the pros and cons of this switcher / looper. Would you say the on board fx such as the flanger/chorus/vibe are just as good as those on the mobius? Or are they miles apart etc?

Not played through a Mobius so can't comment on that.

But the chorus/vibrato are very much in the Boss pedals sonic spectrum. As is the flanger - and that can be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view about Boss flanger...

hotpickups

impmann said:

hotpickups said:

I'm still weighing up the pros and cons of this switcher / looper. Would you say the on board fx such as the flanger/chorus/vibe are just as good as those on the mobius? Or are they miles apart etc?

Not played through a Mobius so can't comment on that.

But the chorus/vibrato are very much in the Boss pedals sonic spectrum. As is the flanger - and that can be a good or bad thing depending on your point of view about Boss flanger...

Still bothered about the buffering in the loops though. I use the volume control a lot on my guitar when using my Fuzzface style pedal and that will seriously effect that usage IMO Shame or is there a work round?