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Boss SY-200 Synthesizer

doran.dragic

doran.dragic

Jul 2, 2014
622
735
#1
So Boss is bringing out a new pedal and it looks like a mixture of SY-300 and SY-1.

The tracking looks great, it has MIDI and it is fully polyphonic. I couldn't find a bass demo yet but the guitar demos sound pretty nice. It looks like all the features are accessible via pedal so I think it's safe to assume that it's not as complex as the Source Audio C4 but many users were put off by the steep learning curve.

I'm not really interested in buying a new synth pedal since I already own a C4 and I'm also expecting an Industrial Radio MIDI Bass but I'm still interested in this product.




 
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#5
Hah - love it. The guitarist in the last video (Ed!) I played with in various bands until he moved from Auckland to Sydney to take up a role as the Australasian product lead for Roland/Boss - monster player. Nice to see him appear on Talkbass - here's a photo from the archives
IMG_3739.JPG


Serious thread derail - sorry - back to your regular scheduled programming...
(I have a C4 so probably won't be tempted by this - probably...)
 
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#7
doran.dragic said:
It looks like all the features are accessible via pedal so I think it's safe to assume that it's not as complex as the Source Audio C4 but many users were put off by the steep learning curve.
Click to expand...

Neato! The thing that turned me off the C4 was having to use a computer to access all the features. The last thing I wanted to do when I sit down to make music is have to open an app to start tweaking...Excited to test this one out sometime.
 
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#11
What I've gleaned so far is that:
  • In addition to being able to save presets, which is a massive plus dealing with perhaps the SY-1's biggest shortcoming for us gigging bassists, it has...
  • 3 new modes as compared to the SY-1:
    • dual - combines lead & pad
    • sweep
    • noise
...looking forward to what these will deliver.​
  • In terms of parameter adjustments, the SY-200 provides the ability to control resonance as well as the tone and depth (the latter two are already available on the SY-1)
So this unit definitely has some cool upgrades from the SY-1
 
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#16
It's arrived, and I had about twenty minutes with it yesterday. It's pretty much what was outlined above already, an SY-1 with a new "dual" mode and presets.

There are a few other things that have this stand out to me. Up to 128 presets without needing MIDI. Up to is a big one, because I don't see myself needing more than 5 or 6, I can set the limit right in the pedal on what to scroll through with the foot switch. Being able to edit everything from right on the pedal without needing an extra cord or external software is super nice. Pitch bend also really opens up a lot of range with this, and the polyphonic tracking hasn't had any major hiccups unless I am playing well outside the intended range of the effect. Playing a low E on the high bells setting, for instance. Hitting the pitch bend to an octave up cleans that right up.

It's definitely not the super customizable pedal that the C4 is, the sounds are baked in and what you get is what you get. As a small package option for someone that doesn't want to dig into editors or MIDI, I think it hits the sweet spot of simplicity vs. flexibility. This will probably be the go to synth on my bass board for the near future, and if I find myself wanting to go into more in-depth editing or specifically customized sounds, I'll just be buying a synth.
 
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#17
So, in my EQ 200 there are two sets of switch assignments possible.

1) Left is bypass, right is preset +1.
2) Left is preset -1, right is preset +1.

Long press on left: changes between the two switch assignments. This is unbelievably stupid. Why not make the long press a bypass so that we can get some meaningful use out of those 128 presets? Oh Boss...

@WhoopingHonky So the question to you is, is it the same here?
 
#18
Default is left as on/off, right as memory+1 or hold note. Holding right switch swaps between functions.

You can also change the left switch to be memory plus or minus, as well as a specific setting, or with a hold to switch between on/off and memory. You can also set it up as toggle or momentary, as well as make all of these depending on what preset you are in or system wide. So, you could theoretically set it up as one patch being on/off, next patch being a momentary switch to a separate preset entirely while held.

Right switch can also be set to either memory up or down, hold to change function. Tap tempo, pitch change, etc. If you do the hold alternate function, the first setting will always have to be memory up or memory down. You can also ditch the memory up or down to assign it to always be a specific alternate function, including pulling up a specific preset.

Haven't tried it all out yet, that's just what I saw in the manual. I may be reading that wrong. That's without any additional footswitches, which could each do any of the functions of the right switch.
 

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