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[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] ME-80 played by Gus G

[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] ME-80 played by Gus G

[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] Joshua Munday ME 80 Patch Demo

[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] Joshua Munday ME 80 Patch Demo

[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] ME-80 played by Tom Searle of Architects

[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] ME-80 played by Tom Searle of Architects

[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] Andrew Aldridge talking about ME-80

[BOSS TONE CENTRAL] Andrew Aldridge talking about ME-80

Description

Mobile, battery powered and filled with a diverse selection of flagship-quality BOSS amps and effects, the ME-80 is the ideal compact tone processor for performing guitarists. A friendly knob-based interface makes it simple to dial in great sounds in seconds, while easily selectable operation modes offer the flexibility of individual stompbox-style on/off or instant recall of complex multi-effects setups. Unique new footswitches deliver twice the control of previous designs for efficient and intuitive effects switching, patch selection, and real-time sound shaping while playing on stage. The free BOSS TONE STUDIO software unlocks even more tonal possibilities, providing a cool graphical interface for tweaking and organizing sounds on your computer, plus a web connection to BOSS TONE CENTRAL for direct access to free gig-ready patches created by top pro guitarists and much more.

A Huge Selection of BOSS Effects in One Pedal
No matter what style you play, it's easy to craft your own personal sound with the ME-80's wide range of built-in effects. A complete history of gig-ready BOSS tone processing is at your command, from multiple overdrives and distortions to wahs, mod effects, pitch shifters, delays, and beyond. BOSS' groundbreaking Multi-Dimensional Processing (MDP) technology is represented with the unique, spacious ambience of Tera Echo and the distinctive tone-shaping possibilities of Overtone. Updated COSM preamps include new additions such as Crunch and Metal, plus an AC preamp designed for acoustic/electric guitar. The onboard expression pedal can be used for foot volume and pedal effects like wah, octave shift and Freeze, and it's also possible to control effects parameters such as mod rate, delay oscillation and more for expressive real-time sound shaping.

Instant Gratification with Dedicated Knobs
Unlike typical menu-driven multi-effects processors that are complicated and unintuitive, using the ME-80 is as easy as using a stompbox. Effects are organized into eight logical categories that can all be active at the same time. Seven categories contain multiple effects types to choose from, plus dedicated knobs for selecting a type and adjusting it with a set of parameters you'd find in the pedal version of the effect. The Pedal FX category has its own knob for quickly assigning a particular effects type or function to be controlled by foot with the expression pedal. With this familiar and friendly interface, you're able to dial up and play great tones instantly, just like using a large pedal board filled with your favorite stomps. But a major advantage over that pedal board is that you can to save all the current knob settings to one of the ME-80's 36 user patch locations, allowing you to recall custom effects configurations at the touch of a pedal.

Stompbox Immediacy or Multi-FX Power: You Decide
The hands-on experience that stomp box control provides is perfect for tweaking tones as you go. However, there are times when switching among an entire group of preset effects is more efficient, such as when you've set up complex tones for different songs. The flexible ME-80 supports either approach, giving you the best of worlds. In Manual mode, the categories function like individual stomp effects, with instant adjustment via the panel knobs and on/off control with dedicated footswitches. By entering Memory mode, seven footswitches are automatically reconfigured to select user or preset patches and patch banks, letting you recall complete multi-effects setups directly. One footswitch on the ME-80 is dedicated just for mode switching, so you can toggle between Manual and Memory modes any time you want, even in the middle of a song.

Footswitch Design Delivers Twice the Control
The ME-80 offers easy usability while performing, with eight multifunction footswitches for direct control of effects on/off, bank/patch selection, and mode switching, plus convenient access to alternate functions such as tap tempo, tuner, looped control, and more. A special control (CTL) function is also assignable in each patch, letting you toggle grouped effects on/off or adjust a specified parameter in real time. The newly developed footswitch style provides two switches in the space occupied by one in previous designs, allowing BOSS to equip the ME-80 with a generous array of foot-operated controls while keeping the unit extremely compact and mobile. In addition to the eight main footswitches, the expression pedal is equipped with an integrated toe switch that toggles between foot volume and the current Pedal FX setting.

USB Audio/MIDI Interface Built In
Via USB, you can connect to your computer and capture the output of the ME-80 directly into your favorite DAW to record pro tones with COSM preamps and effects. It's also possible to monitor the ME-80's effects sound while recording an unprocessed signal into a DAW track; after the fact, use the USB Loopback function to "re-amp" the dry track with the ME-80, tweaking the knobs as you listen to the song to capture the perfect tone. MIDI transfer over USB is also supported, allowing you to select ME-80 patches from your computer, send expression and control pedal data into your software, and swap patches via BOSS TONE STUDIO.

Edit and Organize Tones and Connect to the Web with BOSS TONE STUDIO
Available as a free download, the BOSS TONE STUDIO application provides an inviting graphical interface for tweaking the ME-80's effects from your Mac or Windows computer through USB. The software makes it easy to save, edit, and organize your patches, and to load them into the ME-80 as needed for different gigs and other applications. If your computer has Internet access, BOSS TONE STUDIO also provides an integrated connection to the BOSS TONE CENTRAL website, allowing you to preview and download gig-ready patches created by top guitar pros directly into your ME-80. In addition to expanding your palette of tones, these free patches provide solid foundations for creating your own patches with the ME-80's extensive array of effects.

BOSS TONE CENTRAL
BOSS TONE CENTRAL is the ultimate destination for all players that use BOSS guitar and bass gear. The initial focus of this powerful new web portal is on the ME-80, but compact stomps and other BOSS multi-effects will be included as the site grows. Right now, you have access to lots of great ME-80 content, including demo videos and free patches created by famous guitarists, touring pros, and session players. Check back often for additional patches, how-to videos, artist interviews and much more. If you love BOSS effects, BOSS TONE CENTRAL is the place to be.
BOSS ME-80 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal
BOSS ME-80 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal
BOSS ME-80 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal

Features

  • Compact and powerful floor multi-effects with a simple knob-based interface
  • Eight simultaneous effects categories, each with multiple effects types
  • Dial up tones with the ease of using your favorite stompboxes
  • Includes a massive selection of top-quality effects, from classic BOSS stomps to the latest MDP effects
  • Updated flagship-level COSM amps derived from the GT-100
  • Eight multifunction footswitches and expression pedal
  • Manual mode for stomp box-style on/off; Memory mode for switching complete patch setups
  • Delay section includes Phrase Loop function with 38 seconds of recording
  • Runs on six AA batteries or optional PSA-series AC adapter
  • USB audio/MIDI interface built in
  • Free BOSS TONE STUDIO software allows you to edit and organize tones on your computer, and also preview and download free patches directly from the BOSS TONE CENTRAL website

Reviews

4.36

80 Reviews

85%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend

Awesome!
I wish I would have got this years ago

Most Liked Positive Review

5

Amazing Tone and Expression!

I had been waiting to get my hands on one of these for awhile and I got the call from my local Guitar Center today that they had one in. I swung by and jammed on it for about 30 minutes; as soon as I turned on the wah I knew I had to take it home and hook it up to my rig and really let it loose! The versatility of this board is unmatched. With it, you will not need another effect pedal, except maybe a looper if you need something more robust than what the ME-80 offers. This offers 38 seconds of looping with unlimited overdubs, which is enough to get you started with looping, but I have it running into my Digitech JamMan for ultimate control. With the Preamp effect, you don't even need a traditional guitar amplifier; you can plug this into a mixer and a set of studio monitors or a PA system and still have that warm, guitar amp tone. While I haven't had experience with all of the OD/DS pedals the ME-80 purports to model, each of the settings in this category will produce a unique drive or distortion that is good for what you should expect it to be. There is some overlap between these tones and the models of the Preamp, but these tones can be used to exaggerate the distortion or otherwise modify your tone without necessarily increasing the volume. This thing has some next-gen effects that I haven't seen on their own...to name a few: Harmonist - set the key of your song and it simulates a second guitarist, Overtone - like a chorus, but more robust, Tera Echo - a delay that has either a phaser or flanger which is sensitive to your attack, the most amazing delay I've had the pleasure of using. Speaking of delay, after you turn it off it simply stops creating new echos, it does not harshly terminate the ones already playing. One of those subtle touches that tells you they may have thought of everything. Such wah. Much expression. Wow. But seriously the wah pedal rocks! It is so much fun to put that pedal to use while playing a lead, and the pedal can be used to control many other paramters, such as whammy, modulation rates of other effect (phaser, flanger, etc.) and the amount of drive from your OD/DS. It also has Boss' new "Freeze" effect - jam the pedal down to capture a ringing tone in the moment and sustain it indefinitely, until you rock the pedal back. And when you turn the pedal FX off, it still functions as a volume pedal. So very useful. Overall, the tones this thing is capable of producing are simply amazing. They are so robust and real - you will simply be amazed by the sounds this board creates. For the price, you could buy maybe 3 or 4 stand-alone pedals. You couldn't even buy all the distortions this thing is packing. So really, it's an amazing bargain considering that you're really not sacrificing anything in the final sound, it still has the versatility of a stompbox full of pedals, it's just as intuitive to use, and it can also be set to memory mode in order to quickly change all the effects at once. So, bottom line: If you're looking for a multi-effect, a single distortion pedal, a wah, or whatever, you should probably just get this. Let's face it, you'll want all the pedals it has to offer eventually, you might as well shell out a little extra upfront and have everything you'll ever need. Buy it, play it, love it.

VS

Most Liked Negative Review

3

Some good features, some limitations

Strengths: Simplicity, easy to tweak on the fly, built like a tank, expression pedal feels good. Most of the mod effects have a level control, which is very nice if you work in manual mode and want to control whether you get an overall boost, cut, or unity when you engage the effect. Particularly good for boosting tremolo (to avoid perceived cut) or cutting the vibe simulation, which can be a bit harsh. Also, the compressor is capable of being quiet, subtle, and effective, which is a bit of a revelation in a guitar multi-fx. The only cheap virtual compressor I've been pleased with before is the limiter in the Zoom B2 (their old bass multi-fx unit). The rotary speaker sim is also quite nice, and the univibe is decent if you're into that kind of thing. Weaknesses: These are particularly problematic for me, because I'm a tremolo and reverb nut, but the reverb and tremolo are weak. The room reverb is decent, if a little tinny. The hall reverb is muddy and the spring reverb is comical. The ME-80 was an upgrade from older Zoom units, which have very nice and highly tweakable reverb and trem settings. Something I don't really care about because I don't use it, but the octaver cuts in and out at lower frequencies and frankly doesn't sound very good when it is tracking well. If I had any interest in using this, It would be enough to make me return it. Middling: The ME-80 does dirty better than the Zoom multi-fx units in the same price point, but for the most part they are not as responsive as analog stomp boxed to guitar volume/playing dynamics. The main exception is the fuzz setting in the OD section, which cleans up nicely at lower gain settings (e.g., 9:00) but still gets dirty with volume cranked. I've also been finding that the OD sounds--which really aren't terrible--don't stack well with the amp emulations. Using the two together to get a high gain sound results in a digital noisy mess that is hardly even usable. The booster works all right to hit the front of the "amp," but if (like me) you were planning on using the unit to really have 2 different stackable overdrives, you'll probably be disappointed. How I'm using the unit: I have no interest in this point at making presets and switching back and forth between them. I want a basic rig set up, and I want to step on pedals to change it. I'm mainly playing a Hofner semi-hollow body and running into a VHT Special 6. I have a Pigronix Aria that I love as a foundation overdrive, and I run this in front of the unit at low gain so that it's basically clean with the volume backed off and crunchy with the volume pushed. This and the delay unit with everything off are my basic rhythm sound. The tape echo is set to give a soft little slap back gives a much nicer subtle spring reverb feel than the spring reverb setting itself. On tap are the compressor, the clean amp model set up scooped with almost no gain (on its own, clean, it reminds me of a Fender Super Reverb I had way back when), the EQ section with a mid boost to cut through the mix, and the OD section set on the fuzz with gain at about 9:00, tone at 12:00, and volume at 3:00. I get a really wide variety of clean tones this way, and everything works well together. The Aria pushes the fuzz into chainsaw territory when they're both engaged. Kicking in the amp sim or the EQ (or both) gives a very different presence to whatever dirt is going on without fundamentally changing the tone. The reverb and the trem I've been using sparingly because I don't like the sound of either (the duty cycle on the trem is too short to emulate the old tube units but the wave is to sine-y to make a real aggressive modern chop), and I may hang onto my old Zoom to run after the unit for these effects. I've been messing with the rotating amp sim (which, when using the expression pedal to control rate, is really very nice), but don't have a practical use for it in the stuff I play except to take the place of a chorus at low speeds. All in all, if you play with the unit and you find the sounds you get from it usable, the layout if you want to play it in manual mode is absolutely great. Just don't expect it to do everything well, though--if you go for a lot of processing or play with heavy distortion, you may want to stick with to look at another model or stick with a pedal board.

Filters
Best Uses
  1. Home Studio42
  2. Performances42
  3. Amateur Recording32
  4. Outdoor Events / Games28
  5. Professional Recording18
Cons
  1. Poor Sound Quality9
  2. Limited Functions3
  3. Bulky/Heavy2
  4. Pricey / Poor Value2
  5. None2
Describe Yourself
  1. Experienced44
  2. Professional Musician11
  3. Novice9
Pros
  1. Versatile50
  2. Compact45
  3. Durable38
  4. Easy To Use33
  5. Good Audio31

Reviewed by 80 customers

  • Hands down the best out there!

    5

    submitted2 years ago

    byMark

    fromSacramento, CA

    The price is dirt cheap for what you're getting and what you're getting is by Boss. Almost painfully easy to use once you have your initial go through and does stuff you never even heard of! I was so impressed with my ME80 that I bought a second one so tons to keep me busy. Go get one, immerse yourself in it and you, your guitar and your guitar tone will never be the same in the best ways possible!

  • I love this ME-80 unit!

    5

    submitted2 years ago

    byBrianne

    fromBuffalo, NY

    The ME-80 is my fav tool. The stompbox qualities make it very easy to use and play with on the fly. The effects are awesome.. My ME-80 output goes to a Morley ABC Pro connected to a Marshall, an Orange Crush 35 and an Egnater 15 tube amp. I can have up to 3 amps at the same time. .

  • Update to original review

    3

    submitted3 years ago

    byAnon

    fromCali

    I had previously complained that no power supply was sent with my order of a used unit by GC. I recently discovered that the unit dues not come with a power supply when new by Boss. So not GC's fault I guess but come on Boss, you expect us to buy an additional accessory just to use unit?

  • So much fun, so easy to use.

    5

    Verified Buyer

    submitted3 years ago

    byMartin

    fromRound Rock, TX

    Submitted as part of a sweepstakes

    I'm a bit of a clod when it comes to digital interfaces and screens and such. No such problem with this. Pick an effect, dial it in to your taste, save it, move on. Repeat endlessly. It's also built like a tank, so I'm not worried about using it with shoes on. Key for a pedal, imo.

  • Great Sounding Modeling and Effects Unit. But

    5

    submitted3 years ago

    byBilly

    fromLakeville, MN

    Do yourself a favor and purchase the not included boss power supply. I play for about 2 hours a day and the batteries that came with mine were toast in 4 days. You'll know when they're on their way out when your guitar and any audio you send through it will start breaking up and sounding distorted. The 9 volts in their pedals back in the day lasted way longer.

  • Will buy again, again.

    5

    submitted3 years ago

    byBrian

    fromTucson AZ

    I had one of these units and used for 6 years playing live every weekend. Though I use effects very sparsely, prefer more clean tones, this pedal board gave me everything I needed. The manual features and simplicity is great, plus being able to adjust each effect volume and tone separately makes is perform like a custom built pedal board that would cost about $1200 to put together. I primarily used delay, reverb, the amp models, and some distortion, playing a Fender strat. I traded it in thinking I could downsize and use an amp with built in effects -- kicking myself now. I will buy one of these again -- they work great, are quiet and easy to use.

Q&A

Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.

  • submitted2 years ago

    asked byAlex

    fromMiami, FL

    is this compatible with the boss katana 50?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    Yes, the BOSS ME-80 will be great with your BOSS amp.

  • submitted3 years ago

    asked byCraig

    fromThompson ct

    Will this work with my boss katana 50 mk II

    Open Reply - Gear-Advisor
    Yes it will. Very well.

  • submitted4 years ago

    asked byIEsongbird

    fromRiverside, CA

    I lost the power adapter, can i order one seperately?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    Yes. Please see "BOSS PSA-120S2 AC Power Adapter"

  • submitted4 years ago

    asked byGuitarzan

    fromundisclosed

    Can this be ran straight into a sound board to be mixed with the rest of the band, or will it need a direct box or something similar?

    Open Reply - Beau
    This effects pedal can be ran straight into a sound board to be mixed with the rest of the band.

  • submitted4 years ago

    asked byJammie

    fromSpokane WA

    I am going to buy a new laptop for my Boss ME80. Do you have any suggestions?

    Open Reply - Thomas
    Take a look at the "Apple MacBook Pro 16" with Touch Bar, 2.3GHz 8-core Intel Core i9 and 1TB Storage Silver"

  • submitted6 years ago

    asked byBrian

    fromSalem Oregon

    Does this have a pre-amp line out to be able to play through a pa system?

    Open Reply - Ronald
    No. The line out doesn't have a pre-amp.

  • submitted7 years ago

    asked byColin

    fromundisclosed

    Can I hook up a tuner pedal to this without damaging/messing the Boss ME-80 up?

    Open Reply - Gear-Support
    This does have a built in tuner

  • submitted7 years ago

    asked byBobby

    fromTx

    Is this item an AUTO VOLT? 110-220 watts

    Open Reply - Beau
    This effects pedal operates at 110 volts.