Boss GT-1000

The Boss GT-1000 is Boss's flagship multi-effects and amp modeling processor, a floor-based unit that puts amp models, effects, an expression pedal and a USB audio interface in one chassis. It runs a fully digital engine: 32-bit AD/DA conversion, 32-bit floating-point processing and a 96 kHz sampling rate throughout the signal path¹. Boss positions it as the top of the GT line, and the company's smaller units draw on it: the Boss ME-90's amp models and effect selections are derived from the GT-1000²³.

At the heart of the unit is AIRD, short for Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics, a digital amplifier design philosophy Boss says brings great tone and natural tube amp feel with minimal adjustments⁴². The amp types were newly built with the Tube Logic design approach behind Boss's Katana, Waza and Blues Cube amplifiers⁵.

A flagship floor unit built on AIRD

Boss announced the GT-1000 in January 2018 and it was available by that April, described by the company as class-leading performance in a compact and lightweight floor-based unit⁷. At launch its UK recommended price was GBP 879¹². The chassis is aluminum, which Boss calls the lightest and most portable flagship GT processor so far⁴.

AIRD is the unit's core idea. Boss describes it as a new digital amplifier design philosophy, and says sounds flow smoothly into any creative setup with natural tube amp feel⁴². The X-amps in the model list extend the MDP (Multi-Dimensional Processing) technology used in Boss's X-series compact pedals such as the DS-1X, OD-1X and CP-1X⁴.

The GT-1000 also serves as a system hub. MusicRadar's review team called it⁶:

finding the amplifier models effective, the effects capabilities huge, and the unit impressive value for money overall⁶.

Amp types and models

The GT-1000 carries 16 amp models and 116 effects, as listed in MusicRadar's multi-effects buying guide¹⁰. The manual's sound guide names the modeled amps behind many of the types⁴:

A few details from the manual are worth knowing. The Master Delay block inherits delay modes from the Boss MD-500's sibling, the DD-500: analog, tape, shimmer, pan, reverse and more, with a more streamlined parameter set. Four further delay blocks are more basic, with a fixed delay type, but Boss describes them as high quality digital delays⁴. The unit ships with 50 banks of factory presets that cannot be overwritten, marked with a "P" next to the preset number⁴.

The controls: six knobs, ten footswitches and three control modes

The control surface is six knobs, ten footswitches and an integrated expression pedal, all with user-configurable assignments and LED colors¹³. The six knobs sit directly under the screen and control whatever parameters are shown above them; each can be rotated or pressed⁴.

The footswitches are labeled BANK UP/DOWN, CTL1 through CTL3 and patch 1 through 5, but each can be customized⁴. The unit offers three control modes⁴:

• Memory mode: the familiar preset-based operation, with freely assigned combinations of amps, effects and functions per patch⁴
• Manual mode: a secondary control layer within a patch, giving direct access to turn any amps or effects on and off⁴
• Pedalboard mode: a dynamic effects layout outside the normal patch structure, for players who want a traditional stompbox experience⁴

Manual and Pedalboard modes arrived with the Version 3 update⁴. From the v2.0 firmware update, the FV+TUNER and FV+TUNER/PFX functions are assignable on the EXP1 pedal, EXP2 and EXP3⁴.

Gorillaz bassist Seye Adelekan uses a GT-1000 in his rig and told Boss's own interview series: "Sometimes, I'll use the expression pedal for pitch shifting."¹⁴

Power and connections

The GT-1000 is powered by the included Roland PSB-1U adapter¹¹. The rear panel includes a standard guitar input¹¹, and the XLR outputs are referred to in the manual as Sub Outputs; the manual suggests reassigning a control for quick access to their output level⁴. External control is supported via footswitches, expression pedals, MIDI and USB².

Within the MIXER settings you can choose STEREO, which combines channels A and B, or PAN L/R, which sends channel A to the left output and channel B to the right⁴.

Firmware versions, bass support and the GT-1000 Core

The GT-1000's feature set has grown through free firmware updates. The Version 3 update, released in April 2019 and free for all GT-1000 owners, brought bass guitar support¹⁵. With newly designed dedicated bass preamps and bass effects, Boss now describes the GT-1000 as the flagship multi-effects processor for both guitar and bass⁴. Version 4 later added the Silver Tube bass amp model among other content⁴.

A system program update added support for the optional EV-1-WL wireless expression pedal¹⁶. Guitar World reported in February 2022 that, for the first time since the GT-1000's inception, the unit gained EV-1-WL support, with the wireless MIDI expression pedal connecting via Bluetooth¹⁷. On the computer side, the GT-1000 driver reached Ver.1.1.1 in December 2021 with support for Windows 10/11, and the same driver can also be used with the GT-1000 Core¹⁸.

The GT-1000 Core

The Boss GT-1000 Core squeezes the power of the flagship GT-1000 into a far more pedalboard-friendly format, as GuitarPlayer's buying guide puts it¹⁹. It is a digital multi-effects unit in a single stompbox, running the same 32-bit/96 kHz processing, amp models and patches⁶, with 140 amp and effect types overall, 16 IR slots and 7 cab types, in a brushed gray steel enclosure²⁰. MusicRadar lists its price at $720 / £599⁶.

Where the floorboard has ten footswitches and a built-in expression pedal, the Core has three main assignable footswitches with momentary or latching modes, six buttons, a set of five soft knobs for instant editing, output and select controls, six knobs plus a master volume, stereo inputs and outputs (R/Mono, L), MIDI in and out, and power from the supplied PSB-1U adapter (9V DC 2A)⁶. For four-cable-method setups, KHE Audio Electronics' wiring guide connects the guitar to the Core's R/Mono input and recommends shielded instrument cables (TS) for all GT-1000 connections²¹.

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