Review Demo - Boss GT-1B

Long ago, when I first started playing in bands, it was a cool thing if you were rocking out with an effects box or two. And if you had a multi-effects pedal… whoa, you were kind of a big deal. The first company to really master and capitalize on multi mania was Boss, a respected titan in the pedal industry. Over the years, Boss has loaded these do-it-all tone command centers with tons of features and sounds, with which a player could spend countless hours tweaking to their delight. One of the company’s most recent multi-function toolboxes is the GT-1B, a streamlined unit designed for bassists that’s jam-packed with 21st-century features. Residing inside the relatively small (12" x 6" x 2 1/4") GT-1B are amp-modeling options, compressor/limiters, a bevy of effects and patches (both preset and user generated), a tuner, and looping capabilities. One can send an MP3 device through the aux in and plug in a pair of headphones for isolated listening capabilities. It boasts a wah/expression pedal and also serves as an audio interface for your preferred DAW—and that’s still not all. In fact, the only component seemingly missing from the GT-1B is a coffee maker, but I refrained from holding that against it. The GT-1B is powered by either four AA batteries or an AC adaptor (not included). Operating the 3-pound unit is accomplished through a series of controls that allow you to press, stomp, and dial in your sound. The trio of knobs located on the upper-middle section of the device...