Currently debating between buying the MS3 and the ES5. I've played with the MS3 and the ES8 and liked them both. Boss MS3, ES5, or ES8. Win! These loop switchers often also double as midi controllers for other midi capable devices. All contents copyright © SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2020. The manual is recommended reading, even if you only need to cover the basics, and is essential if you want to delve into anything more complicated, but as with most such devices, the menu hierarchy makes sense once you’ve been around it a couple of times. MS3 is a switcher with built in boss effects and 3 loops, ES5 and 8 don't have the effects, but have 5 and 8 loops, all three have programable midi switching capability as well. That makes two people here noting the Boss ES8 so I’m gonna YouTube some videos today at work. The two TRS Ctl jacks can control up to four switched functions such as amplifier channel switching, amp reverb on/off and so on. Here I am again coming to Reddit for advice. A user preference also allows changes to take place when switches are pressed or, alternatively, when released. Mod1 and Mod2 offer the famous BOSS chorus and vibrato effects, plus tremolo, flanger, phaser, and more. There’s input buffering (this can be turned on or off on a per-patch basis as some older fuzz pedals don’t work so well with buffers) and there’s the option to make one parallel connection via the inbuilt mixer. They're the same price and have been pretty hard to choose between. Incredible value for money! I have the ES-8, and it’s a good affordable entry into this class, but it does have some limitations that some power users would find annoying. Thanks for the time and effort in your reply dude, that’s awesome! Progressive & Deep Vol.1 for Synthmaster One - 50% ... One Synth Challenge V - The Filter Strikes Back! And don’t worry that there are only five loops — you don’t have to use it to control every pedal you have, just the ones that need changing en masse or re-ordering in a hurry, and the MIDI function can select patches in external rack gear, not just pedals hooked up to the loops. Sonically the unit is very quiet with silent switching and a clean input buffer when needed, and it doesn’t appear to change the tonality of the signal passing through it. Thanks for the detail too, I didn’t know it was such an ocean. With the MS3, like you said, you can keep your analog drives in. The Boss ES series, gigrig G2, and MusicomLab EFX series are some examples here. These switchers also tend to include comprehensive output options (eg multiple outputs with discreet routing capabilities), and the ability to control a lot of outboard devices like amps, and/or provide centralized control over expression/volume etc. The blue status LEDs are bright enough without being dazzling, and though the LCD is only a two-line, 16-character-wide affair, it does all that is needed. The place for all things related to guitar pedals. Mastering Essentials Part 4 - Mastering EQ: Balance, Don’t Match. Might just be my favorite digital drive from Boss… In practical terms, I think the designers could have shipped it with a beefier PSU and added a few power sockets to allow it to be used as a pedalboard power supply, at least for 9V pedals, but other than that it seems very well thought out. The top of the range class are loop switchers that have configurable presets, midi capabilities AND alterable loop order thanks to fancy matrix relay switching. Boss MS3, ES5, or ES8. Power comes from an external 9V adaptor. Thanks dude! There’s a backlit LCD that clearly shows patch/bank numbers and parameters, plus quick-access knobs for editing and status indicators for all loops and effects. Successive presses of the Edit button take you through all the settings that pertain to a patch, including bpm and up to eight MIDI messages — each of which can be on any of the 16 MIDI channels. The user can also specify whether the next patch is selected as soon as a new bank is selected, or not changed until a number switch is pressed. But I’m still new to the game. Other useful settings include being able to program a level boost into a preset and to reconfigure the Bank and Mute switches to work as Bank Up and Down switches if you find that more useful. If mono jacks are used in the Ctl sockets, then only Ctl 1 and Ctl 3 are available. You may login with either your assigned username or your e-mail address. Where to Buy Unlimited Possibilities in Limited Space. Good for boosting and such if you need additional gain. Some users have even set up a couple of loop outputs to switch between amplifiers as part of a patch, so the ES-5 is even more flexible than it might at first appear. MS3 is a switcher with built in boss effects and 3 loops, ES5 and 8 don't have the effects, but have 5 and 8 loops, all three have programable midi switching capability as well. A backlit LCD window occupies the left-hand side of the panel and eight small buttons, which include left/right and plus/minus keys, access navigation and editing functions. In addition to the rear-panel guitar input, output and the five pairs of ‘loop’ jacks, there are two TRS Ctl (control) output jacks for handling up to four switching tasks, a TRS control/expression input jack and an output to feed a tuner. If a physical expression pedal, such as a Roland EV-5, is connected, it can be configured in various ways, including as a bpm or MIDI controller. Re: Figure of Eight Microphones in Near Co-incident Ste... Re: Clip tuner that responds acoustically. Recently found the Mooer L6 Pedal Controller which is a perfect amount of presets for £100, excellent! There are 3 classes of loop switchers. Examples would be some of the basic models from OneControl, or the gigrig quartermaster (although that has the ability to flip flop sets of loops with a single button press). The Boss ES-5 works with any standard pedal, not just Boss ones, and is essentially a pared-down version of the larger Boss ES-8, in that it goes much further than simply selecting combinations of pedals. There’s also the ability to control up to eight MIDI effects via the standard five-pin MIDI in and out/thru connectors. Currently debating between buying the MS3 and the ES5. It’s still a phenomenal unit and something I couldn’t imagine going without, but I think the musicomlab switches are worth a look as they’re priced similarly and seem to not have the same issues. I’m not wanting built in effects, so the ES5 and ES8 are being researched! The user can choose whether the Bank switch cycles through banks 1-5, or whether banks 1-5 are selected by first pressing Bank, then using the numbered switches to select the desired bank. With its ground breaking design, functionality and control options, the BOSS … Based on the same concept and features as the flagship ES-8, the ES-5 … Currently debating between buying the MS3 and the ES5. One example is that the expression outputs are highly unreliable and tend to periodically transmit arbitrary cv values causing sudden dips in volume or random parameter changes. Most users will never need to venture as far as Groups — the 25 patches available within a single bank should be more than enough for just about anyone! In the Structure screen the loop order is displayed. The EFX LE in particular blows the ES-5 out of the water for not much more money. Damn Daniel! The BD2, TS, etc sims are alright sounding. ), the number of displayed patches can be set as required. What is a "hybrid" audio interface anyway? ES-5: Effects Switching System - Unlimited Possibilities in Limited Space.