Boss VO-1 Vocorder

Probably my favorite thing from NAMM 2016 is the Boss Vocoder. A Vocoder is one of my favorite weird effects. Also, thing that make my singing sound cool/unrecognizable is awesome. BOSS had a great showing at the last NAMM. The DD-500 and RV-6 were homeruns. So this year BOSS had a lot to live up to. What they brought to the table, was... interesting. The promotional video that BOSS released was really impressive.

However, there was a lot other than this pedal going on in this that video. Without the backing track, this pedal would sound a little two dimensional. There were several videos from NAMM showing off the pedal in a live situation. It still seems a little lacking. The effect sounded like a quality effect, but the filter was very overpowering. The voice was drowned out in the mix. This is probably defeatable, but the balance seems hard to strike. Also the control instrument is just that, a controller. So unless you are splitting your signal and blending back together, then you lose all your guitar sound when you engage this pedal.

Conclusion

This is a very particular pedal. It does what it does well, but it might be out-matched elsewhere. BOSS has started to develop vocal effects and this seems to be a blend of guitar and vocal effects, but it may be best to keep the two separate. At least, for now.

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Boss BC-1X Bass Compressor

This year at NAMM we saw two of the biggest pedal makers, BOSS and EHX, put out Bass Compressors. If that seems a little strange to you, you are not alone. The bass player is often forgotten in the effect conversation. I've known many bass players to play with nothing other than a tuner on the 'pedal board'. So we now have practical tone tools debuting from two highly respected manufactures. The boss pedal seems to be the more sophisticated, but it is the hands down winner?

It's Shiny

Yes, it's pretty. Pearl British racing green is a nice color, and the chrome plate and knob make it standout among the other BOSS pedals. It also has a LED clipping indicator. This is all fun stuff, and makes it look... special. But there isn't really a big difference between this pedal and other BOSS pedals. It's still the same old BOSS box. Last year BOSS blew us away with the DD-500. The pedal seemed to be a new direction for box. But it looks like they are still getting more mileage out of that old 'soft touch' box.

Boss Has A Track-Record

So, I have really tried to like BOSS compressors. They were the first ones I've tried. I've tried the CS-3 and a Japan made CS-2. Both where underwhelming. They were very similar except that the CS-3 had some more flexibility. The Vintage mojo really wasn't there for me. Others swear by them... whatever. The Bass Comp might be head and shoulders above the other blue comps, who knows. As for me, I will have to give this a thorough run-through before fully embracing this fancy box.

It's High Dollar

Like I mentioned earlier. There were two Bass comps that were paraded around at NAMM this year. This one and the EHX Bass Preacher. The biggest difference between the two is the price. The Boss is twice the price of the EHX. Is it Twice as nice? I don't know, but it is sparklier.

Conclusion

Given our options with Bass Comps, it would take a lot for me to endorse this option. I am a Ross/Dyna comp guy. The Compressors that Boss have in their line have done less than impress me. The Soul Preacher is more my speed. The cost is another factor. It would have to beat the cheaper option hands-down to warrant such a cost. Yes, this pedal has some sparkle, but is that worth the extra cost? No... no it's not.

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Ugly Truth: Electro Harmonix Bass Preacher

This year at NAMM we saw a lot of new products. One standout pedal came from Electro Harmonix. They've taken their regular Soul Preacher compressor/sustainer and tweaked it to work with a bass rig. Hearing the samples form EHX, this pedal seems to help quite a bit. Being a part-time bass play, I see the need to have some compression in your rig. Sometimes a 'guitar' compressor doesn't compliment your tone. This pedal seems to well though out. At least it seems that way.

It's Simple

Two knobs and a switch. It borrows a lot from the Soul Preacher in this respect. This is one of those pedals that you use like a tool. It doesn't make a flashy difference that you use to make yourself standout. It just help reign in those frequencies that either get lost or overpower others. It may be a little too simple though. The Attack switch could have been a knob. This would allow for a varying degree of attack rather than the three presets that EHX have elected to include.

It's A Bit Of A Yawn

Compressors are not as sexy as your dirt or other effects. This is why many people don't start with or even get around to buying one until they play in a context (a band) where one can be extremely helpful. I'm not saying that you don't need a comp, I'm just saying that you might not notice everything one does until you start mixing it up with a group. Ever start playing with your friends and you can hear yourself, but if you turn up, then you're 'too loud'. A comp can be your friend, but it's your studious non-partying friend.

It Might Just Be A Re-Vamp Of The Soul Preacher

We've seen this before with the Soul Food. (lots of soul in these pedals...) The Soul Food is the very popular 'Klon' clone. EHX brought out the Bass Soul Food after selling tons of the standard Soul Food. There is a good bit of difference in the Bass Soul Food and the original, but not enough to warrant everyone dropping the original for the Bass Soul Food. This might be the case with the Bass Soul Preacher. Then again it might not. The Bass SF didn't have as much gain on tap and includes a -10db cut for active pickups. This is pretty useless for guitar (unless you run active pickups, I guess...) The Mix knob isn't 'the bee's knees' either. So unless you just get too much gain out of your SF and like the idea of a blending option, or you run active pickups, then just stick the the standard issue SF. Likewise, if you have a Soul Preacher and dig it, maybe you don't need to run out and replace it with the Bass Soul Preacher just yet.

Conclusion 

So if you are a bass player in need of a Comp, then you should check this one out. Everything I've heard from this pedal has been good stuff. Even if you are a guitar player checking out a Compressor Sustainer, then you should put this one in your 'maybe' pile. Of course this one isn't the only Bass Compressor to come out at NAMM this year.

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