Boss ES-8 ES-5 Thoughts

[Om Flyer]

Looking for any thoughts or experience with either the Boss ES-8 or ES-5 on your boards...

I'm currently managing approx 9, mostly analog pedals on my board save for a SA Aftershock.

I'm looking to add a few more midi-type delays and modulation and would like to have some presets to recall and have the ability to blend an affected signal with dry (if that's possible?).

How are you all using these switchers?

 

[GMC]

I've just bought a Boss ES-5 and i'm rather thrilled with it.
What do you need to know?
I chose the ES-5 over the ES-8 due to being a bit lighter and a lot smaller. I don't need all the extra loops at the moment. The ES-8 has the extra volume loop which is nice, 3 more loops and 2 of the loops are stereo. I don't envision going stereo any time soon. I would need 2x heads and cabs...so that's not me at the moment.

The only thing I miss from the ES-8 is the lack of expression / aux inputs on the ES-5. I can use only 2 switches or a single expression pedal. Where as the ES-8 can have 2 expression pedals or 4 switches or 1 pedal and 2 switches. So I might invest in a Source Audio reflex and farm out the expression to that dedicated unit.

I'm using midi CC to control my Stymon Mobius and Eventide H9 and hopefully my Source Audio Aftershock after my Nero is replaced / fixed. My loops are
1) MXR Bass Octave deluxe
2) EBS Multi Comp and MXR Bass Envelop Filter (which I'll sell once I get an expression pedal working how I want it on the H9)
3) SA Aftershock and zfex Mastotron
4) Eventide H9
5) Strymon Mobius + Zoom MS 70CDR
I love the way I can swap my dirt, H9 and Mobius loops around so my H9 can do delays / verbs or pitch effects anywhere in the chain.
In the manual it says that the ES-5 can control other midi capable loopers, including another ES-5. So it would be great if Boss release a 5+ loop slave unit at some point.

 

[Alien8]

I've only mounted my ES-5 and read the manual, but I intend to use it as in-depth as possible. MIDI recall, Expression control Via MIDI and EXP should be fun. I like that it has automated expression ability as well, like an LFO or a single stiffer sweep. You can pretty much program it to use any button in any way. Using it to synchronize tempos is also something I'm looking forward to.

It does allow you to blend two parallel effect chains, with any number of effects in them. The catch with clean blending is that you have to either turn off the pedals in the "clean" loop, or just run a patch from the send to the return for a single loop. I will be using this extensively to essentially split my signal into a DI chain and a synth \ stereo effect chain.

Having the ability to change loop order and parallel \ series config on the fly has always been a want of mine, and having all of these extra control features made the switch to it a no brainer. It takes time to set up - cables and MIDI planning, then time to program, which is where I am now. Hoping the editor makes it easier too.

 

[Om Flyer]

I've just bought a Boss ES-5 and i'm rather thrilled with it.
What do you need to know?
I chose the ES-5 over the ES-8 due to being a bit lighter and a lot smaller. I don't need all the extra loops at the moment. The ES-8 has the extra volume loop which is nice, 3 more loops and 2 of the loops are stereo. I don't envision going stereo any time soon. I would need 2x heads and cabs...so that's not me at the moment.

The only thing I miss from the ES-8 is the lack of expression / aux inputs on the ES-5. I can use only 2 switches or a single expression pedal. Where as the ES-8 can have 2 expression pedals or 4 switches or 1 pedal and 2 switches. So I might invest in a Source Audio reflex and farm out the expression to that dedicated unit.

I'm using midi CC to control my Stymon Mobius and Eventide H9 and hopefully my Source Audio Aftershock after my Nero is replaced / fixed. My loops are
1) MXR Bass Octave deluxe
2) EBS Multi Comp and MXR Bass Envelop Filter (which I'll sell once I get an expression pedal working how I want it on the H9)
3) SA Aftershock and zfex Mastotron
4) Eventide H9
5) Strymon Mobius + Zoom MS 70CDR
I love the way I can swap my dirt, H9 and Mobius loops around so my H9 can do delays / verbs or pitch effects anywhere in the chain.
In the manual it says that the ES-5 can control other midi capable loopers, including another ES-5. So it would be great if Boss release a 5+ loop slave unit at some point.

GMC, Great stuff! I'm still deciding ES8 or 5 and really just looking for general thoughts and uses at this point.

One specific question: Is the source audio neuro hub still required for communication between SA pedals and ES?

 

[Om Flyer]

It does allow you to blend two parallel effect chains, with any number of effects in them. The catch with clean blending is that you have to either turn off the pedals in the "clean" loop, or just run a patch from the send to the return for a single loop. I will be using this extensively to essentially split my signal into a DI chain and a synth \ stereo effect chain.

Alien8, I assume a blend level between the two loops can also be preset/saved...correct?

 

[Alien8]

Alien8, I assume a blend level between the two loops can also be preset/saved...correct?

There is some adjustment, yes, but it's not a huge range. If you have MIDI control over the pedals, best to use that.

 

[Basehead]

Oh cool thread. I have an ES-8 on order. Still planning on a bunch of things, like what pedals will round out my board....

 

[GMC]

GMC, Great stuff! I'm still deciding ES8 or 5 and really just looking for general thoughts and uses at this point.

One specific question: Is the source audio neuro hub still required for communication between SA pedals and ES?

Yes if you want to use midi and have access to 124 patches rather than the stock 6. You'll need a LOT of long patch cables by the way. Most of my pedals used to daisy chain A to B...so most of my cables are ultra short. However, the shortest run on my new board is a 12cm. And for Midi, you'll need one cable more than the number of devices you want to connect.

 

[cdwthunderfoot]

Likely picking up an es-5 after I get a second h9. 3 drives and double h9's in the loops will cover a ton of ground.

 

[GMC]

I'm loving the ability to re-assign any of the front buttons to a different function.
It's limited to CC changes or loop switching, so it can't reassign a new Midi patch on a device very easily. But if I select a patch and give midi instructions to all my midi pedals, I can turn off those pedals by default and use the re-assigned button to switch specific loops on or off. It's a pretty big feature.
Patch 3 (in bank 1) I have configured a nice light overdrive from my Source Audio Aftershock. When I hit the mute button, it activates Loop 4 which has my H9. The Hall reverb was set via Midi PC when I selected the Patch 2. So effectively, I have a dirt patch 2 with an optional on /off hall reverb using the mute button. I could resign the no 2 button instead...so all I have to do is click the no 2 button to active the hall reverb.
If I hit patch 2 (in bank 1) I have my compressor in loop 2 come on. But at the same time, I'm assigning a Hall reverb on my H9, a Vintage trem on my Strymon and a Muff of my aftershock...but none of those loops are on until I hit the patch 2 button again (for the dirt), Mute for the reverb and Bank button for the trem. That saves a whole lot of different banks and patches. So that patch starts clean and I can select any of the three effects in different loops in real time. All in one patch.

 

[Basehead]

^ THIS is why I bought the ES-8....I need this in my life

 

[Being and Bass]

The ES8 is distinctly better but seems unnecessary for a lot of users unless you NEED some of the features on it. I am saving for it because I need the stereo compatibility.

But there doesn't seem to be anything close.

 

[GMC]

In the past, I've stayed away from loopers. In my opinion, they were a bit of a con. The argument about shortening cable routes is a pretty silly argument. As I've just proved with adding an ES-5. I need a lot more cables and they all run a lot longer. The shortest cable route is A:B with the smallest of interconnects. With loopers...you generally need each side of the pedal to route back to the looper...so that's 4-5 times more cable then connecting each pedal serially.
But the Boss ES-5 and ES-8 offer looping with Midi control, button reassigning and pedal order swapping. Those are three pretty big reasons to use one.

 

[JMX]

What matters is the overall length of cables ACTUALLY IN USE in specific situations. While the total amount of cables may be larger than with serial wiring, you actually USE much less cable at any given time - unless you turn everything on. I do not think anybody ever claimed that you save cables with a looper/switcher. It's all about eliminating the pedals you don't use from the signal path.

 

[Alien8]

The ES8 is distinctly better but seems unnecessary for a lot of users unless you NEED some of the features on it. I am saving for it because I need the stereo compatibility.

But there doesn't seem to be anything close.

I don't know about better, since they are the same basic system, one just has expanded capability. The ES-8 has some very complex routing options that in a large rig with an effects loop in the amp being used provide some really great routing options. If I had the extra board space and was running a complex amp setup, I'd probably use it.

The ES-5 is still very capable, and running stereo effects after it that are midi controlled doesn't hold me back one bit, since I would not normally run those effects first in my chain (delay & verb), and can bypass \ control them using the MIDI functionality.

Boss has really done a good job of mapping these boxes out, and scaling features to the units. The ES-5 gets the job done with some really great core functionality, while the ES-8 has the extra bells and whistles thay, as you say, not everyone needs.

 

[GMC]

I've only mounted my ES-5 and read the manual, but I intend to use it as in-depth as possible. MIDI recall, Expression control Via MIDI and EXP should be fun. I like that it has automated expression ability as well, like an LFO or a single stiffer sweep. You can pretty much program it to use any button in any way. Using it to synchronize tempos is also something I'm looking forward to.

It does allow you to blend two parallel effect chains, with any number of effects in them. The catch with clean blending is that you have to either turn off the pedals in the "clean" loop, or just run a patch from the send to the return for a single loop. I will be using this extensively to essentially split my signal into a DI chain and a synth \ stereo effect chain.

Having the ability to change loop order and parallel \ series config on the fly has always been a want of mine, and having all of these extra control features made the switch to it a no brainer. It takes time to set up - cables and MIDI planning, then time to program, which is where I am now. Hoping the editor makes it easier too.

I'm having a real headache with the Expression in > expression over Midi CC#. My Expression works fine controlling either my H9 or Mobius directly connected. It all goes a bit odd when I connect my expression pedal to my ES-5. I've set up the midi CC as per the manual, the expression into the H9 or mobius via Midi seems to act like a momentary switch. No signal in the sweep until the last bit of travel...then it ramps up to 100%...and then falls away back to 0 with out me moving the pedal. It's very odd. Anyone else seeing this behaviour?

 

[GMC]

After looking at a Boss EV-5 schematic and comparing it to the internals of the Bespeco pedal I have...it appears that the tip and ring wires are the wrong way compared to the Boss design. It's soldered the same way as the Zoom FP expression pedal (and why it doesn't work for most other devices). So after a quick re-solder...it's working perfectly fine now.

 

[Alien8]

I'm having a real headache with the Expression in > expression over Midi CC#. My Expression works fine controlling either my H9 or Mobius directly connected. It all goes a bit odd when I connect my expression pedal to my ES-5. I've set up the midi CC as per the manual, the expression into the H9 or mobius via Midi seems to act like a momentary switch. No signal in the sweep until the last bit of travel...then it ramps up to 100%...and then falls away back to 0 with out me moving the pedal. It's very odd. Anyone else seeing this behaviour?

EDIT: I just saw your post about rewiring your pedal, glad you fixed it!

ItIt sounds like your expression pedal is triggering an ES-5 event, and not transmitting the CC range.

Page 19 in the manual has an example, is that what you followed to set it up? You may just need to calibrate the range of you have a non Boss expression pedal.

 

[Roman Jakobej]

Hi guys, little help needed. You can see my pedalboard on the picture, but I seem to have a problem and I believe it's MIDI related. First of all, what's with the stars instead of numbers on my Boss' display? It's right when you push the display/exit buttom, where you can decide which loops are on (see the picture). And than, anytime my mobius and H9 are connected (powered), the tap tempo is at 500 (as seen on the picture). I updated my boss and mobius today, the midi cables are set right (boss midi out - mobius midi in - mobius midi out - H9 midi in - H9 midi out - boss midi in), I set mobius for midi channel 1, H9 for midi channel 2, I set both pedal for through in order for midi messages to go through. What's the problem? Am I missing something?

 

[Alien8]

Hi guys, little help needed. You can see my pedalboard on the picture, but I seem to have a problem and I believe it's MIDI related. First of all, what's with the stars instead of numbers on my Boss' display? It's right when you push the display/exit buttom, where you can decide which loops are on (see the picture). And than, anytime my mobius and H9 are connected (powered), the tap tempo is at 500 (as seen on the picture). I updated my boss and mobius today, the midi cables are set right (boss midi out - mobius midi in - mobius midi out - H9 midi in - H9 midi out - boss midi in), I set mobius for midi channel 1, H9 for midi channel 2, I set both pedal for through in order for midi messages to go through. What's the problem? Am I missing something?

What channel is the Boss on? You have a full MIDI loop, which is fine, but you must be careful of which unit is sending tempo, because they all might be, causing all sorts of confusion.

First try disconnecting the the cable from the Boss' MIDI in. You only really need this link if you want the H9 and Mobius to send MIDI to the Boss. Make sure the Boss is a different channel.