Eight Boss pedals have officially entered the digital realm for the first time, having been turned into a new plugin and added to the Roland Cloud of virtual instruments and effects.
Following recent moves from Hughes & Kettner, Blackstar, and Universal Audio, Boss made its first move to bring some of its most fabled physical gear into the plugin world.
However, its digitized stompboxes sit in Roland's subscription-only Cloud bank of digital gear, meaning users will need to subscribe to the whole suite of offerings – which includes everything from a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus amp sim to tape echoes and synthesizers – to get them on their virtual pedalboards.
This comes in contrast to the standalone plugins produced by other firms. However, the fact that Boss plans to roll out more and more pedals from a line that has sold 19 million units since 1977, may offer some consolation.
The initial eight pedals recreate some Boss classics, such as overdrive and distortion pedals, and some less-predictable choices that may prove invaluable for bedroom producers.
The pedals launched in wave one are: the OD-1 OverDrive, PH-1 Phaser, SP-1 Spectrum, SG-1 Slow Gear, CS-1 Compression Sustainer, TW-1 T Wah, SD-1 Super OverDrive, and DS-1 Distortion.
Each pedal looks exactly like its physical counterpart, with a simplistic interface mirroring Boss’ famously user-friendly operation. Away from each pedal’s on-board dials, their input and output levels can also be altered, and there are tempo sync features for time-based effects.
It’s worth noting that the plugin can only load up one pedal at a time, but it can be duplicated to create a chain of effects.
“Since debuting in 1977, the colorful Boss compact pedal lineup has been loved by generations of musicians,” says the historic gear firm. “The plugin brings the authentic Boss compact pedal experience to computer music production for the first time.
“They’re used by everyone from beginners to professionals, and numerous legends have relied on various models for their signature sounds and the creation of the greatest recordings of all time,” it adds.
That, in truth, isn’t hyperbole. Take the OD-1, for instance, which has found its way into the hands of top-tier guitarists such as Tony Iommi, and Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, through to Rory Gallagher and Pete Townshend.
Other popular stompboxes missing from the collection include the CH-1 chorus pedal – beloved by Joe Satriani, Zakk Wylde, and Jerry Cantrell among others – and any number of its sizable digital delay pedal collection.
“Over time,” Boss says, “the core library will be populated with an ever-expanding selection of models derived from the historic hardware lineup.”
As mentioned above, however, how users access the pedals may prove to be a sticking point. New users are granted a fairly generous 30-day free trial of Roland Cloud, but beyond that, subscriptions start at $29.99 per year. That includes only a select array of the Cloud’s roster. The Ultimate package rises to $199 per year. For users just wanting to drop a DS-1 in front of their virtual amplifier, that’s a pricey outlay.
For those on the fence, a special-priced three-month Ultimate package is available for $39.99.
Head to Roland to learn more.
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