BOSS VG-800

[BROCKSTAR]

No USB? No Tone Studio then? Don’t give me that Bluetooth BS.

there's usb-c and it does have tone studio as stated in the info from my original post

 

[JiveTurkey]

It's very underwhelming. Usually I am excited for something new in this style but I'm not really right now. Boss takes a huge leap backwards with this again... (of course my opinion can always change later).

Sure, I may get it one day since I don't have the sy-1000 again or just get the sy-1000 again which is still in my opinion more powerful. But right now I am just not feeling it due to it being a very underwhelming product or because I haven't been too guitar oriented lately and been digging into hardware synths more these days.

The production video is pretty lame to be honest. The guy is a good guitar player, but didn't really show the product off well. The LP, strat, tele all sounded the same. Heck even when he tried doing acoustic it still sounded like a strat haha.

The only pros I see out of this is if you have gm-800 then it's easy to connect too with the new serial cable and the option to move pickup positions like the old vg-99 (although still not a new feature) and the possibility of fretboard splitting 2 models (as in have an acoustic for frets 1 through 5 and electric telecaster for the rest etc) which is something sy-1000 couldn't do?

The rest of it just seems like the same things from sy-1000 or gt-1000 with some old stuff from vg-99 sprinkled in here and there etc.

I see why they released it, because they wanted something to go with the gm-800, but why the leap backwards? They should have at least made it an option to use 3 or more guitars at once like the sy-1000 to stay current.

SIDE NOTE: I wish now that this is out of the way, they will make a huge effort for something truly groundbreaking. Come on, give us new synthesis for guitar. Do a complete FM synth box for guitars. Do granular synth box for guitars. Do vector synth for guitars etc... There's tons of things they could be looking into but keep giving us the same thing.

At least make a new sy-300 already. It's been a decade and why aren't they giving us a super sy-300 yet?!?

If I'm stuck with Boss amps and effects; no thanks. I've done that a time too many and don't care to return.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

It has USB C audio interface etc and midi. Has moveable stereo send and return, has IR capability, AIRD amps and cabs, it completely mixes any serial GK signal at its input to its output as well as to the GK input of other GK serial device downstream in the chain where again it can be bussed around, mixed etc., so parallel or serial processing and a variable mix of both of those is possible.
It has a more robust GR300 as well as the VG99 Vio guitar stuff. Some poly harmony stuff.

GK3 and 13 pin is dying. Good riddance. They made the GKDA and GKAD boxes to let you keep your 13 pin devices and guitars viable but going forward it is GK5 and it looks like the pains of progress is well worth it considering the multi path audio and data busses and much better physical connectors and cable.

It doesn’t quite replace the SY1000 but does have a lot of it. Paired with GM800 it is looking like a start for great system made of relatively small footprint ‘pedals’.

 

[JiveTurkey]

I didn't see the IR specs. Of course; all I use are Boss anyway so....

 

[Sascha Franck]

No input for older GKs (or rather their cables)? Wtf? I'm possibly buying a 2nd hand Godin Multiac Nylon soonishly (and still have an older GK hanging around), so I would defenitely be interested in this. But I won't buy a new GK.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

No input for older GKs (or rather their cables)? Wtf? I'm possibly buying a 2nd hand Godin Multiac Nylon soonishly (and still have an older GK hanging around), so I would defenitely be interested in this. But I won't buy a new GK.

You would need the GK/AD box and a serial cable from that to use it with your existing GK3/2 equipment.

 

[Sascha Franck]

You would need the GK/AD box and a serial cable from that to use it with your existing GK3/2 equipment.

That sucks big time. Another device and another 200 bucks. No thanks.

 

[JiveTurkey]

The thing with Boss is they will always appeal to Boss people. And that's enough.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I'm pretty much "Boss people", but I'm not "let's rip off people".

 

[aerial7]

Honestly, this is the reason I got the new GK pickup (along with the GM-800, which I didn't really want).

Love my Variax, but modeling and alt tuning belong in a pedal so I can use it with any guitar. So I'm 1000% in the target demo for this.

And yet, I'm just not sure I trust Boss to deliver. I also found the video disappointing; I could hear the differences between the Strat, Tele, and LP....but in the mix I got the impression they were caricatures of those rather than authentic models. The acoustic was Just Not Good Enough -- it's freaking 2025 and Boss especially should be capable of doing much more authentic modeling.

I think the manuals are supposed to drop today, but I already know that Boss-style parameter descriptions won't shed any light on what the thing sounds like....

<sigh>Maybe Cliff will get bored now that he's perfected amp modeling and move on to guitar modeling?

 

[JiveTurkey]

How are you going to get the modeled guitar sounds out to competent modeling platform? You're not. It's a non-starter for me because of that. And the fact that it's not an SY800.

 

[aerial7]

As expected, not a lot of guitar models....but a decent variety. Maybe half of them will be passable? I hate to seem snarky, esp. with a new product....but I expect a lot from modern guitar modeling.

At least the thing seems reasonably priced....

Alt tunings seem okay.....wonder how many of these you can define as USER?

 

[Enchilada Jones]

How are you going to get the modeled guitar sounds out to competent modeling platform? You're not. It's a non-starter for me because of that. And the fact that it's not an SY800.

With the effects loop you could put a nano cortex in there or any modeler you prefer but I never liked the guitar modeling enough want to do that. I need it to do enough on its own to make me want to grab a guitar, laptop and headphones and retreat to a space where I can escape reality and get lost in making music.

I’m hoping the VIO, GR300 and whatever synth capability it has will make me want to sell the SY1000. I only use the tuning stuff once in a while and hardly ever use guitar modeling. I can squeeze some really good recorded amp sounds from the GT1000 level amp simulation, certainly enough to track it beside or blend with, the weird synth stuff.

The SY1000 paired with the GM800 make the GM800 feel better, with just the subtle benefit of no latency triggering makes the attack of the note acceptable so I usually have the GM800 getting that kind support to make a ‘patch’ useful.
I have created some patches of the two devices combined that are fun! So shrinking the footprint of the SY1000 is a win. Then add to it the routing enabled by the Serial GK5 system and the added stereo effects loop I can put anywhere in the chain and it’s looking very promising. Of course I was betting on this so I have two GK5 guitars that are working really well. That makes the VG800 smart move for me (assuming it does enough of the SY1000 duties I’m accustomed to). Sell SY1000 for a little more than I pay for the VG800…why not!

 

[JiveTurkey]

With the effects loop you could put a nano cortex in there or any modeler you prefer but I never liked the guitar modeling enough want to do that. I need it to do enough on its own to make me want to grab a guitar, laptop and headphones and retreat to a space where I can escape reality and get lost in making music.

I’m hoping the VIO, GR300 and whatever synth capability it has will make me want to sell the SY1000. I only use the tuning stuff once in a while and hardly ever use guitar modeling. I can squeeze some really good recorded amp sounds from the GT1000 level amp simulation, certainly enough to track it beside or blend with, the weird synth stuff.

The SY1000 paired with the GM800 make the GM800 feel better, with just the subtle benefit of no latency triggering makes the attack of the note acceptable so I usually have the GM800 getting that kind support to make a ‘patch’ useful.
I have created some patches of the two devices combined that are fun! So shrinking the footprint of the SY1000 is a win. Then add to it the routing enabled by the Serial GK5 system and the added stereo effects loop I can put anywhere in the chain and it’s looking very promising. Of course I was betting on this so I have two GK5 guitars that are working really well. That makes the VG800 smart move for me (assuming it does enough of the SY1000 duties I’m accustomed to). Sell SY1000 for a little more than I pay for the VG800…why not!

If you don't want the guitar modeling or alt tuning; there is literally nothing worth having the VG for. Other than maybe the GR300 emulation? This is the GP10 update essentially.

 

[paisleywookiee]

No input for older GKs (or rather their cables)? Wtf? I'm possibly buying a 2nd hand Godin Multiac Nylon soonishly (and still have an older GK hanging around), so I would defenitely be interested in this. But I won't buy a new GK.

That sucks big time. Another device and another 200 bucks. No thanks.

Oh come on now. 30-pin has been around for over 35 years. You can't be pissed they're just now (as of last year) improving upon it.

How are you going to get the modeled guitar sounds out to competent modeling platform? You're not. It's a non-starter for me because of that. And the fact that it's not an SY800.

Just don't run an amp model?

 

[JiveTurkey]

Oh come on now. 30-pin has been around for over 35 years. You can't be pissed they're just now (as of last year) improving upon it.

Just don't run an amp model?

So a modeled guitar in an alt tuning direct to the output?

 

[Enchilada Jones]

So a modeled guitar in an alt tuning direct to the output?

You could. Think of it as your ‘Variax pedal’. Probably a bit over kill but it gives you a GT1000 core as backup already plugged in….

You can see I’m getting pretty good at enabling people to join me in my new gear disease
Every trumpet player wishes he could do a banjo solo once in a while lol

 

[paisleywookiee]

So a modeled guitar in an alt tuning direct to the output?

You could. Think of it as your ‘Variax pedal’. Probably a bit over kill but it gives you a GT1000 core as backup already plugged in….

You can see I’m getting pretty good at enabling people to join me in my new gear disease

Exactly. What this actually is, is a GP-10 MkII. I would regularly use the GP-10's modeled guitars, out to either an amp, modeler, or (using it as an audio interface) into a modeler VST on the computer, with no additional conversion.

I missed my GP-10 dearly. This is EXACTLY what I was waiting for.

 

[TJontheRoad]

I normally get a bone for this kind of thing but I haven’t been using my vguitar gear that much. So it isn’t jumping to the top of my GAS list.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Oh come on now. 30-pin has been around for over 35 years. You can't be pissed they're just now (as of last year) improving upon it.

Of course I can. At least provide me with a cheaper alternative to a 200 bucks converter.