The GT1000... is it good?

[pipelineaudio]

I have a 1000 and a 1000 core...the 1000 is decent, but has a lot of silly compromises, the fx aren't very good. Control isnt very good, editing software is awful. Still switches very fast! Ok, but I'd take a PodGo over it any day.

The core is a total POS....I thought maybe I could supplement the Helix's DSP in more CPU hungry patches, but the FX are too poor of quality. The switching options on the core are garbage, and as far as I can tell from any threads I;ve started or the boss groups, there's no way to get three individual sounds assigned to the 3 onboard footswitches. Was ok-ish paired to a Behringer FCB1010

 

[Sascha Franck]

It’s common enough for modellers to update and add value, so I can understand why customers may expect that as the norm.

I think it's a lot more about an endless tone quest being the main source of still dealing with guitar equipment for quite some people. And yes, I'm serious. Very little of the folks playing a lot would change their stuff as often as many people on forums. The good old "know your stuff" or also "never change a running system" thing.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I think it's a lot more about an endless tone quest being the main source of still dealing with guitar equipment for quite some people. And yes, I'm serious. Very little of the folks playing a lot would change their stuff as often as many people on forums. The good old "know your stuff" or also "never change a running system" thing.

I dunno, people have always modified gear, used pedals, combined things, deliberately trying to find new sounds. It’s not like tone chasing only started with modellers. But yeah, Boss has their niche I guess

 

[Sascha Franck]

I dunno, people have always modified gear, used pedals, combined things, deliberately trying to find new sounds. It’s not like tone chasing only started with modellers. But yeah, Boss has their niche I guess

Well, I don't think it's about "new" sounds at all. People are constantly asking for yet some more "iconic" amps from decades ago.
If you wanted "new" sounds, modelers have them in spades.

 

[dronerstone]

No idea how close the amp models are, but a good friend has the IR-200 and the toanz he coaxes out of that are surprisingly good.

Thing is, if I didn't know it's a Boss unit, I wouldn't scrutinize the sound quality at all.

Weird how bad reputation among a certain clientele can drag along for decades, when in reality you're responsible for a good number of "industry standard" boxes.

 

[Sascha Franck]

No idea how close the amp models are,

Compared to pretty much all other modeling platforms, there's very little "authentic" amps - and they're not the best, either. But Boss' own takes on amps (namely the X models) are quite nice, sometimes even outstanding (I wish I had recorded some comparisons when I had one over here for around a week quite a while back). There's a sort of "clarity", "definition" or "transparence" (in lack of better words) that's really great. Even some pretty complexed chords would still work with plenty of distortion, etc.
At least those were my impressions (but it's quite a while ago and we all know how fast sound memory fades away).

Weird how bad reputation among a certain clientele can drag along for decades, when in reality you're responsible for a good number of "industry standard" boxes.

This.
And fwiw, a guitar player I know (super professional guy) is hoarding like pretty much any GT-5 he can get ahold of. He once decided that this was the tone he had always been looking for (running it through clean pedal platform amps) and stopped there. Might as well have to do with the fact that the GT-5's drive and compressor section is analog (hence pretty much a one of its kind thing too). I think he's got 3 "active" ones by now and 5-6 spare units in his basement.

Anyway, while there might be some truth to older GT's "cocked wah" sound, it wasn't that much and if at all, it helped the guitar to cut through pretty well. If it wasn't starting to fall apart a bit and was somewhat outdated regarding other aspects, too, I might still be rocking my GT-10 paired with an AMT Pangaea. Used that combo for quite some gigs and it's been absolutely excellent.

 

[JCW308]

Anybody will tell you (except one dude here of course) that the GT-1000 and GT-1000 core effects are top notch.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Anybody will tell you (except one dude here of course) that the GT-1000 and GT-1000 core effects are top notch.

Gotta admit that I don't need much FX but some standards for my live playing duties, basically just a rather simple delay and reverb with some modulation thrown in here and there, but even the GT-10 served all my needs just fine. Sure, there's better dedicated FX units around, there's also modelers with a better round up of effects, but how often do you really need them outside the P&W scene? Personally, I like some more advanced stuff for recording purposes, but my DAW is providing me with vastly more stuff than to even remotely poke a stick at.
But ok, perhaps most people round these forums are ambient artists.

 

[Jarick]

Did Marshall do enough to keep their Super Lead fresh?

It ain’t 1970 anymore and modelers are way different than amps. GT1K is good but the competition generally has more features and capabilities. Line 6 and Fractal drop new updates to improve the product and that keeps people interested. Look at the content out there for Boss GT1K…barely anything compared to the other big dogs. If they want to stay relevant they are either going to keep dropping new hardware or update firmware to improve existing products. They aren’t doing the latter and seem to be focused on new cheap hardware. Which is fine but it leaves the GT1K in the rear view of everyone else.

 

[Jarick]

Anybody will tell you (except one dude here of course) that the GT-1000 and GT-1000 core effects are top notch.

They’re fine especially for mono but limited in functionality compared to others. Real bummer they don’t have something like a stereo Space Echo for instance.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Boss FX are great. Full stop. Their dumbing down of in the box models to prevent "cannibalization of sales", on the other hand; is stupid as fuck.

 

[Jarick]

Boss FX are great. Full stop. Their dumbing down of in the box models to prevent "cannibalization of sales", on the other hand; is stupid as fuck.

Exactly, it’s a real shame the GT1K didn’t have the modules of the 500 series or the flexibility of the cheaper GX. Like they don’t truly want you to buy the flagship.

 

[2112]

Every other modeler - better make sure the Dimension chorus is in an there!

BOSS - nah.

 

[pipelineaudio]

Anybody will tell you (except one dude here of course) that the GT-1000 and GT-1000 core effects are top notch.

Aside from the pitch shifter and the harmonizer and the compressors that don't have gain reduction meters

 

[Jarick]

Aside from the pitch shifter and the harmonizer and the compressors that don't have gain reduction meters

And the drives are all really underwhelming

 

[TubeStack]

I have found the GT-1000 to sound/feel better in 4cm with a tube amp than the Helix line.

 

[Bob Zaod]

To be honest I am not crazy about the direction Boss has gone in the last 5 years or so period, so I am biased. I had the GTK the first week it was available and it drove me bonkers so I sent it back. I will admit there are some things in it that are good like the X-Amps and some of the delays and modulations.

Also the ME-90 has called my name a few times. I just haven't answered back yet but I may some day.

 

[Sascha Franck]

GT1K is good but the competition generally has more features and capabilities.

Depends on what you are considering "features". Out of all modelers, only two of them have a global block functionality (which I'd consider an incredibly great feature), one being the Axe FX, the other being the GT-1000.
Then, the GT-1000 has mobile platform editors, another thing that can be considered just excellent.
And then, compared to, say, the Helix, it's got visible UI elements under all conditions. Again something of vital importance for me (and one of the main reasons why I sold the Helix).
Also, Boss delivers quality hardware. You don't read much about broken units. But you read about broken Helixes pretty much everywhere (especially when live players are around and the unit has to take some beating).

Now, all of these are only relevant in case you rehearse and play out a lot. Which the majority of modeler users simply doesn't do. Which is absolutely fine, no issues with that from my side at all.
Yet, all I'm trying to say is that there's a lot of qualities that aren't related to the sound of whatever unit (regarding that, I could've just kept the Helix until the end of my days). And Boss is doing a *pretty* great job there.

 

[Sascha Franck]

And the drives are all really underwhelming

I absolutely disagree at least for the "Natural OD", which is just marvelleous and as good as it gets in digital drive land. Great on its own and as great to push an already driven amp.

 

[JiveTurkey]

And the drives are all really underwhelming

Hash city.

I absolutely disagree at least for the "Natural OD", which is just marvelleous and as good as it gets in digital drive land. Great on its own and as great to push an already driven amp.

The usual Boss MO, though. Original model is great but they can't model a real world whatever non Boss item to save their lives.