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Boss MS3 - for guitar AND bass
- Thread starter FuzzFacetious
- Start date
The quality of effects MS-3 vs GT-1B are about the same, same manufacturer, same bit rate, same era.
The MS-3 gives you 3 external send/return loops,
the GT-1B gives you preamp and cabinet modelling + Expression pedal.
The effects between them are much the same.
The MS-3 gives you 3 external send/return loops,
the GT-1B gives you preamp and cabinet modelling + Expression pedal.
The effects between them are much the same.
The Boss GT-1000 might be what you seek.
Although the MS-3 has 3 external loop send/returns, they are fixed in chain position set order,
where the GT-1000 has 2 loops, but they can be placed anywhere in the chain, in series or parallel, plus the GT-1000 has amp/cab modelling and loads more effects, all at 32bit end to end, so the effect quality is better than the MS-3 and GT-1B.
What really does it for me is the Boss SY-1000, it has most of the GT-1000 effects (but can do 4 preamps/speakers at the same time), plus loads of synth and bass instrument modelling, it is the BEAST on bass.
Hey Gumtown, thanks for your reply. It really changes my idea of a effects pedal setup. At first I was totally convinced a GT1000 would be the all-in-one solution....then I figured the BOSS MS3 paired with a Le Bass would do the trick....but IF the GT1B has the same quality of effects (phaser, flanger, delays, reverbs, compressor,...), it would make more sense to get the GT1B instead. I was under the impression the MS3 had a higher level of quality effects as compared to the GT1B. Thanks for clearing that up! ;-)
If you can live with 2 loops instead of 3, the Line6 HX Effects performs the same job and more.
Yeah I mean the helix line definitely offers a lot of amazing stuff, but the hx effects it's a little too big and I was thinking like size wise ms 3 is perfect it's just some things holding it from being great. I own a hx stomp which I love but honestly just keep it at home and use my b3n live in my board cause I prefer it in every way tbh, but I don't like that my b3n is soo damn big. The hx effect is a little bigger than my b3n so I already know size is gonna be a problem for me. Zoom or Boss if you are reading this please create a love child between the b3n and ms3 working bass players need it! Thank you.
Been scratching my head on that issue, the MS3 not having DI. If I would hook up the MS3 with a Sansamp PBDI for example, how would the Sansamp sit within one of the loops of the MS3 in order for the DI output to have both the Sansamp sound and the MS3 sound combined?
How I have the MS3 set up in my head: MS3 compressor - Sansamp in loop 1 - distortion - modulation effects. In this case if you'd use the DI on the Sansamp, it wouldn't include the effects that come after the Sansamp, no? Or am I missing something?
I have had a few conversations with the Canadian Boss rep about the MS-3 as relates to bass players and our needs. They made it clear that it was designed primarily for guitarists (who i guess don't generally need a DI) and he, at least, recognizes that there are some important items missing from the device that we bassists would like to have.
In the end, it's a really good device but since it wasn't devised with us in mind, we kinda just have to accept it and hope that they'll make something comparable exclusively for our needs sometime in the future.
In the end, it's a really good device but since it wasn't devised with us in mind, we kinda just have to accept it and hope that they'll make something comparable exclusively for our needs sometime in the future.
So! I was at guitar center with the intention of getting something and happen to bump into an old friend who happens to be now the Roland/Boss product specialist, and I talked to him for a bit about my frustrations with the ms 3 and he said "bro I got a solution though you need the boss gt1000 core"
And I was a little hesitant cause I know bs better than they can sell it, but I knew this dude is a legit guitar player who gigs as much as me so he sat with me explain the user interface and answered all my questions and I decided to get it cause it was on sale for 500 new instead of 700. Long story short even though it has 2 loops instead of 3 I am so happy with this thing it really does every thing I need and more definitely. More user friendly than the hx stomp also being it's small, compact, no crazy power requirement, and fx definitely better. All short comings of the ms 3 fixed. this unit has no DI out but the outs can balanced out with an adapter.
And I was a little hesitant cause I know bs better than they can sell it, but I knew this dude is a legit guitar player who gigs as much as me so he sat with me explain the user interface and answered all my questions and I decided to get it cause it was on sale for 500 new instead of 700. Long story short even though it has 2 loops instead of 3 I am so happy with this thing it really does every thing I need and more definitely. More user friendly than the hx stomp also being it's small, compact, no crazy power requirement, and fx definitely better. All short comings of the ms 3 fixed. this unit has no DI out but the outs can balanced out with an adapter.
In regards to direct out, how about putting a direct box at the end of your signal chain that has a pass through to your amp (countryman type 85, for example)? Or just forget that and use the direct out on your head?
If you want the sansamp to provide direct out it too will have to go on the end of the signal chain. But, if you are using that pedal as an always-on preamp then it should go in front of everything. I don't think, imo, that it makes sense to occupy a loop with it in that scenario, put it in front of the ms3.
Again I'd get a di with a pass-through to the amp.
Am curious as to what you think bassists need that the ms3 doesn't offer.
It's cool you mentioned the gt1000 core but you haven't talked about your use-case and how the gt1000 is "better" than the ms3, or the hxstomp for that matter. Again, all this from your perspective.
aside from the need for a built-in DI a I mentioned in the post you quoted, the option for a dry blend is something that is extremely useful to many bassists
I just took a look at the gt 1000 and it does look cool on paper. Certainly sounds very modern, the IR feature and mobile app via bt thing are nice features.
Here's a question for the panel – in case anyone is still subscribed lol – is it possible to purchase an adapter to power this unit from a Cioks DC7?
You can just power it off of the regular outputs (1-7 on your supply) with no need for an adapter. The MS3 takes 300mA at 9vDC, and those are supposedly each capable of delivering up to 660mA. You should be able to hook it up as you would any other standard pedal.
Sorry, I should have said that is in New Zealand $$$. Around $320 for the Boss or $640 for the HX Effects (stuff is expensive here
