Over two years after getting my GT-1000Core, during which time I have more or less dedicated it to guitar use only, I decided that I'm a little nervous about the robustness of my DSM & Humboldt Simplifier and Simplifier Bass Station, so a couple of weeks ago, I sat down to see if I could program the Core to be my "all in one" solution for guitar. (I will talk about bass in a bit, I promise.)
I pretty quickly realized that I'm very happy with the Boss AIRD amp models and cabinet IRs, as well as the Boss X Series drives (I'm already using the BB-1X and BC-1X on my main bass pedalboard), on guitar, so I've decided I'm moving away from the Simplifier and my analogue drive pedals and going all-digital for guitar, with the Core plugging into a Countryman Type 85S stereo direct box to feed the PA or recording console.
I've come up with a number of patches for guitar that sound amazing. But...for my performance needs, there are a few limitations in the Core I can't work around. However, it didn't take me very long to realize that the easiest, smallest, and cheapest work around was to simply use two GT-1000Cores. So, now I am committed to rebuilding my main guitar pedalboard around two GT-1000Cores, two of which will still cost substantially less than, be physically smaller than, and use less power than a Neural Quad Cortex or Fractal AX9 or Fender Tone Master Pro, none of which offer Boss' proprietary effects that I love, anyway.
The only pedal I can't replace with the Core is my Digitech FreqOut (Boss' Feedbacker algorithm is poopy), and I'll still keep a separate tuner (because Peterson's sweetened tunings). All of this will fit on a pedalboard that is 385 mm x 290 mm, small enough to fit in an airline underseat "personal item" (at least, in the US, where the allowance is usually 18" x 14" x 8"), and draw less than 1800 mA of current. The only problem is, no one actually makes a pedalboard this size, so I have to have it custom fabricated for me.
I'm considering either a GigRig GenX14 or a Mono medium (6-ports @ 500mA each) power supply to power it all. The Cioks DC7 would also work, but their unfortunately choice of the use of RCA jacks would mean some really clunky wiring, since the Core draws 670 mA and requires two 500mA ports (or in Cioks' case two 660 mA ports) to power it. The GenX14 would be the cleanest but most expensive solution, the Mono the cheapest.
View attachment 5415508
And so, the next step of my research is going to be figuring out if I can make the Core work for me as an all-in-one solution (minus the DI box, extra footswitches, and tuner) for bass.
For bass, of course, my effects needs are simpler, so I have no worries about whether or not it has the processing capability or the precise effects I want, but because I haven't ever tried to use it without the Simplifier Bass Station or without my Mesa/Boogie Walkabout amp, I don't know how much I'm going to like the sound of the Core on its own for bass. It should be fine, but I have a few other tasks to complete around my house before I can dedicate time to this.
I don't, however, need two Cores for bass; one is more than enough. And so, just to keep me from carrying a pedalboard bigger than I actually need for bass, and to prevent me from having to disassemble and reassemble pedalboards, I'm actually considering a total of *three* GT-1000Cores, two for my guitar board, and one for my bass board.
View attachment 5415514
By the time I am able to acquire enough funds to actually *buy* two more Cores, five FS-7s, and at least one Countryman Type 85S (I have a mono Type 85), Boss may just have already announced the GT-1000 series' replacement.
And an endnote, for people debating using the Core, you should bear in mind that it is exactly the same size as two regular Boss pedals plus the space between them in a Boss BCB pedal box, and costs only $600 USD, or the price of 3-5 regular pedals at $125-200 USD, yet provides so much more functionality than what you could otherwise fit into the same space, or even into 3-5 times the space.
It's about time!!!
