Boss SY-1 Synthesizer Pedal

Make any guitar or bass sound like a full-fledged synth! With a staggering 121 sounds at your disposal, the compact SY-1 is sure to spark your creativity.

With the SY-1, it's never been easier to infuse your creative arsenal with BOSS's legendary guitar synth technology. This amazingly expressive tool is filled with 121 ultra-responsive sounds, all distilled down into a BOSS compact pedal that slides easily into any setup. Best of all, it's as simple to use as a standard stompbox, so you don't need any background in synth programming to bring a new world of sonic textures to your music.

Features:

- Authentic BOSS polyphonic guitar synth in a compact pedal
- No special pickup required -- play rich, dynamic synth tones with any guitar or bass
- 121 total sounds (11 types and 11 variations), all ready to play with no programming knowledge needed
- Includes a wide variety of analog-style synth sounds, from leads, basses, and layered organs to sweeping pads and arpeggiated sequences
- Latency-free performance for unrestricted musical expression
- Quickly adjust sounds to taste with Tone/Rate and Depth controls
- Hold function for playing normal guitar over sustained synth voices
- Blend synth and normal guitar sounds with independent level controls
- Parallel send/return loop for easy integration with other pedals on your board
- Mode switch optimizes the synth engine for guitar or bass
- Supports extended control with an external footswitch or expression pedal

Expressive Synth Sounds, No Programming Needed

The SY-1 transforms any guitar or bass into a versatile synthesizer that's fun, inspiring, and ready to play. Backed read more by advanced tech first developed for the SY-300, this super-cool pedal delivers a huge selection of analog-style synth sounds while occupying minimal space on your board. What's more, all the sounds are polyphonic, allowing you to play both single notes and chords.

Plug-and-Play and Latency-Free

The SY-1 can be used with any guitar or bass via a standard 1/4-inch cable, providing an easy, plug-and-play experience. Thanks to custom DSP and the latest BOSS innovations, the SY-1 offers latency-free performance that's a natural extension of your instrument, letting you to play freely and organically without altering your normal technique in any way.

A Universe of Synth Sounds Inside

With its 11 categories and 121 total sounds, the SY-1 puts an enormous array of synth colors at your fingertips. Expressive leads, sweeping pads, layered organs, fat basses, and more are all on tap, plus a variety of rhythmic synth patterns that are a blast to jam with. And with the grab-and-go Tone/Rate and Depth knobs, you're able to adjust any synth voice just how you like, including changing the pitch on some sounds.

At Home in Any Rig

As a standard BOSS compact, the SY-1 drops into a serial pedal chain like any other stomp. But with the send/return loop and dedicated mix controls, it's also possible to blend one or more pedals in parallel with the SY-1's synth voices. For example, you can patch drive pedals in the loop, and then send the combined output to mod, delay, and reverb pedals for overall processing. The send can be used as a direct out as well, enabling you to route synth and guitar sounds to separate destinations.

Enhance Performances with Real-Time Control

The SY-1 offers a numbers of ways to make your synth performances even more dynamic and expressive. Pressing and holding the pedal switch sustains the last-played synth sound, allowing you to jam with regular guitar over the top. You can also connect an external footswitch for tap tempo and octave-shift effects, or plug in an expression pedal for continuous Tone/Rate control.

SY-1 Sound Types

- LEAD 1/2 - A wide range of sounds suitable for single-note soloing.
- PAD - Full tones that work great with chords, from layered pads to synth brass and more.
- BASS - Fat synth bass sounds, including filtered and sub-octave tones.
- STR - Classic analog-style strings, including layered voices and sweeping textures.
- ORGAN - A large selection of organ sounds, including many with rotary-style modulation.
- BELL - Percussive synth sounds with metallic resonance.
- SFX 1/2 - A variety of synth sound effects, including explosive one-shot sounds, animated pitch/filter voices, and more.
- SEQ 1/2 - Pulsating sounds with rhythmic pitch or filter changes.
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-Nominal Input Level
INPUT, RETURN: -20 dBu

-Input Impedance
INPUT, RETURN: 2.2 M ohms

-Nominal Output Level
OUTPUT, SEND: -20 dBu

-Output Impedance
OUTPUT, SEND: 1 k ohms

-Recommended Load Impedance
10 k ohms or greater

- Bypass
Buffered bypass

-Controls
Pedal switch
GUITAR/BASS switch
TYPE knob
VARIATION knob
TONE knob
DEPTH knob
EFFECT knob
DIRECT knob
Dimensions and Weight in Packaging
Base Item
Shipping Weight: 1.22 lbs
Shipping Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 3 in
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): SY-1
Warehouse Resealed
Shipping Weight: 1.22 lbs
Shipping Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 3 in
Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): SY-1

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 323-890-3700

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (4 ratings)
Submitted November 12, 2019 by Steve W in Stuart, FL

"Absolutely FANTASTIC Pedal!!"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
It took 3 months to get it, but it was worth the wait. I absolutely love this pedal. It finally arrived today and I've been playing it for 5 hours straight. It has a variety of good usable keyboard sounds that are easier to play than any other device I've tried to use. (tracking, polyphony and latency aren't an issue) That being said, the real shocker to me was what happened when I started mixing the guitar tone back in through an amp on the crunch channel. This turned into the most amazing fuzz / delay / univibe setup ever!! Many of the settings and sounds on the pedal have effects on them to create a more authentic keyboard sound but when you blend in guitar and run it through a mild / moderate crunch tone it is magical!! Seriously, even if you don't care about playing synth sounds this thing is a must own! I normally try to balance the good and bad in a review but I just have nothing bad to say at all.

Musical Background:

Playing 35 years. Mostly play at home or jam.

Musical Style:

Thrash and newer metal, classic rock and a little blues and jazz
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