Cash & Carry – we take a deep dive into Boss' newest multi-effects processor for bass
Like many people who’ve been playing bass for a while, I’ve spent a small fortune on effect pedals. On my double-decker wooden pedalboard, all ten pedals are perfectly attached to the board with zip ties, painstakingly arranged to fit my style and needs. A pedal power supply makes plugging in and turning on a breeze, and thanks to high-quality cables and true-bypass at every stage, the signal chain is whisper-quiet.
But I hardly ever take this pedalboard on a gig. So few shows require me to have all those sounds at my disposal, and it’s just not worth lugging the big board to rehearsals and gigs. In the “studio” (my laptop with 32GB of RAM and great low-latency settings) I use high-quality plugins, and for everything else, I have a couple pedals lying around.
Occasionally, though, I’m tempted to buy a multi-effect unit for jam sessions. The Boss ME-90B, the latest in a long line of Boss all-in-one pedals, is aimed at the modern player who wants something portable, flexible, and good-sounding right out of the box.
How it Sounds
With its 61 effects, the ME-90B offers a wide array of amp models, distortions, compressors, modulation effects, delays, and reverbs — and while I might not consider everything studio-grade, it sounds damn good for live use.
The compression options are great for tightening up bass tones and taming overactive slapping. I use more overdrive than fuzz or distortion, but this unit has plenty to offer at both ends of the spectrum. The chorus and flanger are lush enough, and the preamp/EQ options rock. In boxes like this, I don’t compare amp and cab sims to the real thing; I treat them as easily accessed flavor profiles, and I liked what they brought to the table. Analog delay and the Slicer variations were my faves. Some sounds were so outrageous that I had a hard time imagining where I’d use them, but I let the ideas flow and took advantage of the fact that this pedalboard is easy to tweak.
What’s Hot
Did I mention that the ME-90B is easy to tweak? It’s great to have so many options without menu diving. If I wanted to nerd out, though, I could connect to my laptop via USB to edit patches, share patches, and arrange pedal order with Boss’ Tone Studio software. I could also get a Bluetooth adapter and edit/rearrange patches on my phone. Rad!
The ME-90B weighs just a smidge over seven pounds. The switches are solid; this pedalboard could probably take a beating on the road. It’s great to have an overall output control, stereo output, effect send and return, and a DI with switchable ground lift. Besides being a wah, the built-in expression pedal controls several other parameters, and it’s good to be able to quickly mute my signal. The 1/8″ headphone jack is cool, too — so nice to not have to carry a ¼” adapter — and I love that this unit can run on a Boss PSA adapter or four AA batteries, which are spec’d to last for up to seven hours (there’s a low-battery light, too).
What’s Not
Key-bass nerds will have to do some tweaking to get the synth patches dialed in. The reverbs are serviceable but not especially deep and rich. And the octave tracking can be a bit glitchy, especially when your bass is tuned lower than A.
How It Compares
If you remember previous Boss multi-effect pedals like the ME-6B, ME-20B, or ME-50B, you’ll probably find that the ME-90B is miles ahead in terms of sound quality, flexibility, and user interface; the amp models, patch switching, and more flexible routing are a vast improvement. While the celebrated GT-6B and GT-10B series focused on high-end features, with complex routing and deep parameter control, the ME-90B aims to simplify user experience, and it also boasts better amp modeling and a more compact design.
When it comes to similarly priced units, the Zoom B6 has better looping, the Line 6 HX Stomp has better amp and cab sims, and the ultra-portable Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig has cool analog sounds, too. But the Boss’s AIRD (Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics) technology ups the realism of the amp and cab simulations, and its user interface — plus its robust build — make it a helluva bargain.
Buy This If…
• You have lots of pedals, but you don’t want to carry them
• You don’t have lots of pedals, but you want to try stuff
• You want a little bit of everything
It won’t take the place of my synth bass pedals or vintage Boss OC-2 octaver, but the Boss ME-90B is a versatile multi-effect unit that’s easy to use and packed with lots of excellent tonal possibilities. Its rugged build, wide array of effects, and modern features like AIRD technology and Bluetooth connectivity make it a compelling choice for players at every level.
BOSS ME-90B Multi-Effects Processor
$399.99
By: E. E. Bradman
