I covered the IR-X back on September 28th - marking what a rip-roaring success it was - combining an all-analog Twin 12AX7 Tube Preamp with DSP Emulated Power Amp and Cab IR’s.

The control topology of the two pedals is nigh identical, with a few subtle differences, including Dual Bright + Structure Switches on the IR-D. Both pedals have Gain and Boost trimmers on the right-hand side. And both pedals retail at $499 | €595 | £499. Still relatively compact at 165 x 140 x 58 mms, while the ...

I’m totally in awe of the technical prowess presented on this killer dual analog amps in a pedal format.

It’s actually a very compact device at just 125 x 105 x 65 mms, and carries so many advanced functions here almost entirely in the analog domain. There’s not a single sub-menu here - this is surely WYSIWYG perfection - while it does use every available surface to cram in all the technology that is needed to support all those features.

At first encounter this all seem wholly intuitive...

This is truly quite a feat of engineering, and it’s all so beautifully executed too. That said Boss’s Katana : Go had a useful tiny screen, and Bluetooth connectivity to its app - which this devices could really have benefitted from. I’ve long grown tired of having to USB-cable-connect my pedals to a laptop app for updates - it should all really just be bluetooth to an iOS or Android mobile phone app by now.

In any case, the operation of this device could not be easier - you first of course...

Boss has really been showing Bass Players a lot of love recently - with superb dedicated devices for the lower range of playback. For April we get a Bass Edition of the ME-90 - wholly re-designed with Bass Players in mind and the precise effects they favour in their rig. There may be some superficial similarities to the ME-90, but the ME-90B has been wholly re-engineered for Bass. In my describing all the effects, features and functions - it’s almost overwhelming just how much you get on the ...

Most of you will be familiar with the $399 / €399 / £339 Boss Waza-Air Wireless Guitar Headphone Amp - which delivers the Katana Amp ecosystem within a wireless Bluetooth Headphone Set. The Amps and Effects selection is controlled by a Bluetooth connected Mobile App - and since all the processing is done inline within the Headphones you don’t suffer any wireless lag. That proposition though is rather dear for many, and very much limits the choice and style of headphone you have at your disposal...

The FREEWAY is actually a sort of shrunken down and evolved version of Thermion’s ZERO Amplifier - minus the Power Amp stage, and with some extra features for the modern player. Its key attribute is how you can pretty much plug it into anything - analog / amp / DAW - without the need for any additional interface.

As the above visual highlights - this features a version of the ZERO Analog Amplifier with further Analog Speaker Emulation, and an expanded Digital Reverb section from the ZERO - ...

In a fairly signifiant innovation here - David has managed to distil down two of his most popular amps - the Plexi-style Small Box 50, and Hot-Rodded Plexi / JCM800 style BE-100 - into a single relatively compact 2-Channel + Boost format. Interestingly, and differently to the full-fat Victory Amplification V4 floor-based amps (Analog Tube Preamp + Analog Power Amp), David splits the two halves of the circuit into Tube Analog (Preamp), and DSP Modelling (Power Amp, Cab Sim & IR’s). This ...

Contrary to what I originally thought - this is not a replacement for the original chrome-handled Boss Katana Air - that I featured all the way back in January of 2018, but a more grown-up higher quality sibling. It has much the same functions, control topology and operational parameters as its slightly smaller more plastic forebear - where the Boss engineers have really concentrated on the finishing details and quality of output for the Air EX model. The newer one has a few more ports / ...

Boss have built the perfect performance amp for Acoustic Singer/Songwriters while drawing on some smart technology to simulate traditional Amp Mic’ing setups and delivering it through a fully Immersive Stereo soundstage.

You have extensive controls to fine-tune both Vocal and Acoustic Guitar inputs - but there are none of the usual Katana effects and tricks here - this is intended as a more purist stripped down affair - letting the instrument and voice breathe and resonate pretty naturally ...