Boss MD-500

meltedbuzzbox

So I've had the boss md-500 for a good few months now and I am trying to persevere with it. The problem is that it seems so needlessly complicated. 
Menu after a menu and settings that don't always tally with the pedals knobs.

I was chuffed to see boss had made an update for it and I installed it today, unfortunately it just adds the ability to interface with a PC/Mac.

They could really learn a thing or two from eventide. 
Even down to the historic choice of USB adapter (not supplied with pedal) it's still a bit shit to tweak.
It's still menu city and looks like someone has converted an Excel spreadsheet into an app. 

Am I the only one that finds the 500 series pedals on the whole (and ms-3) dated (screen, user interface, USB interaction etc) and poorly thought out?

I won't knock the sounds as on the most part they're not bad (flanger is still shocking though). I just can't help feeling it's days are numbered because it's so clumbersome to use.

Thoughts?

Teetonetal

I think the dd500 is fairly intuitive and we'l thought out. But I guess delay has a fair amount of parameter consistency between delay types. The md500 algorithms would lack that and I can see the interface being an arse.

Saying that, I really hated the pitchfactor interface.

Wazmeister

Jack,

Ive had a foray into Boss World this year... keen to replace my 'overpriced boutique' pedals with something more available and cheaper...

I tried the DD500 (again), RV500, a couple of Waza craft, MS-3, stndard Boss stomps etc

All have sold or returned, with the exception of the beautiful CE-2w.

I think that the DD500 can duplicate ANY delay I threw at it, and the dual reverb/delay on the DD and RV are very good indeed.

But like you Jack, I could get along with the UI as I didnt find it instinctive or natural.

The RV couldnt match the Big Sky, which I love; I ended up with an Empress Echostation (which IS instinctive and WYSIWYG) and the Empress Reverb (which Ive yet to get into). I spent ages subconsciously trying to get the RV to sound like the Big Sky, till I realised the madness of those actions !

The MS-3 was like (visually) an old DOS computer which VERY average sounds. Very disappointing imho.

Teetonetal

^this gas gear game is so funny. I loved the Bd2w and the dm2w but hated the Ce2w due to a volume drop (does sound nice though)

So much depends on the rig and player preference! Sometimes I wonder why we bother discussing at all

Wazmeister

Teetonetal said:

^this gas gear game is so funny. 

So much depends on the rig and player preference! Sometimes I wonder why we bother discussing at all

True enough mate !

I wonder (with myself) if the following applies;

1.) How quickly the User Interface works for, and inspires, me

2.) The degree to which I want to learn the pedal

3.) The time Im then willing to give it

Teetonetal

Wazmeister said:

Teetonetal said:

^this gas gear game is so funny. 

So much depends on the rig and player preference! Sometimes I wonder why we bother discussing at all

True enough mate !

I wonder (with myself) if the following applies;

1.) How quickly the User Interface works for, and inspires, me

2.) The degree to which I want to learn the pedal

3.) The time Im then willing to give it

Totally. Some pedals just grab you and demand your time... but how and why is different for all of us.

Point 1 is huge for me.

meltedbuzzbox

I will give something the time if it sounds good.
The h9 is a fiddly old thing without the computer/phone connected to it but it caught my imagination. I struggled away through the settings on the pedal it's self. I hardly fiddled with it for 6 months but once I connected my laptop I was off and away.

The MD-500... For every effect that is good I find the next is pretty bad. The flanger is awful, the chrous is good but I don't like chrous (with the odd exception) and the phaser is pretty awful.
The filter/auto wash should be used for torture. It literally takes the enamel off your teeth.

I think it's days are numbered but I will give it a few more months (mainly as I have gas for nothing pedal based). It is better sounding than the ms-3 I had but its just not fun. It's very sterile, which I find almost all boss pedals to be.
I don't get the die hard loyalty for Boss, it seems like one in ten of the range are good and the rest are terrible.

I hope they manage to modernise themselves and truly move forward like DigiTech have.