Boss GX-700

really easy to use, no problems with sound programing and storage.

i use the gx-700 along with a sansamp psa-1 with the send/return jacks, you get great sound if you combine it thru the LOOP option, althoe there is a problem i havn't been able to mark out, when you use a preamp as a distortion you get a high volume *clinch* for less than a second before you get the actual sound, but i'm looking for an option to strike that problem out. overall sound is great if used properly.

i'd use the gx-700 on a gig (and i did) without backup any day of the week, it's dependable and reliable!!!.i've been carrying it it a hard 4U case and banging it from time to time (not on purpuse) and had no problems with it so far.

overall, it's a very good sound processor, works well with other sound racks, if you're into computer recordings, this here is the one for you, with it's speaker simulator you don't even need an amp. it's a good buy if i ever saw one!!!.

Quick and easy, with no secret pages or multiple button punching. The dedicated fx on/off buttons should be manditory on any multifx box. I have modified sounds in real time during performances, hitting the edit during (sometime very short) pauses, and saving the tweaks when the song finishes!

The presets suck, but this seems to be required of all gtr fx boxes. A few are salvagable with minor-to-major tweaking, but real joy comes from starting from scratch. It's easy to tell which patches I built/tweaked as they howl compared to the bland demo patches. I run Fender (Strats), Hamer (Diablo), Carvin (DC200), and Yamaha (APX-10) guitars thru the GX-700 and direct to the board (for recording) or to a JC-120 (set to clean; let the GX do it's job!) for live. Noise is not an issue. This beauty is no more noisy than most amps if you tweak carefully. I can get Steve Howe sweet & clean tones to Bill Nelson gorgeous tone to John Petrucci metalloid mutations easily, and can switch between them with a simple patch change. Amazing! I have to agree the Humanizer is pointless and the Ring Mod is mostly useless (but it appears no more useless than any ring mod for guitar). I have had good luck with the Harmonizer: While certainly not an Eventide, it does a passable octavizer and I use a couple of one-note chord patches live doing a grand synth-like (orchestral?) pad. The reverb is adequate for non-critical live or in-the-mix studio playing, but I have used outboard or SW reverbs for more critical settings, bypassing the GX-700 reverbs. I agree with others here that the EQ section is weak - needs more bands, more control - but have had fun with real-time midi control (semi-wah & synth filter fx). The distortions are somewhat lacking, and the EQ was too broad to tweak them adequately. I have gotten passable distortions, but have had to patch a few units (some custom) into the FX Loop to get the right crunch/howl/scream (no tube bias here!).This may be due to the distortions are all Boss/Roland types, and, like-'em-or-hate-'em, can be rather samey sounding. Patching in even a lowley Rat or Memphis distortion pedal can breathe new life into a patch! (I'm using an old Ibanez EPP midi-controllable analog patch bay to switch various commercial and home-made distorto boxes & pedals in and out.)
One key trick here for all users is to be very judicious with the various fx level - sometimes cutting back (sometimes significantly) on an fx level can clean, define, or open up the sound beautifully!

It pulled the write-over-all-user-patches-upon-power-up routine on me (thank god for sysex backups), and I learned from others comments on this page about the OS version issue. Roland upgraded me from 1.06 to 1.09 (for free!), and it has been rock solid since. I'll give it a 7 for even pulling this once. Roland should know better than to release a product with this immature an OS (not to mention the even earlier version!), but have established a solid reputation/history of doing just that.

I've butted heads with Roland's customer (non-)support group before over synths, so I was expecting the worst. However, the quick, free, and apparently reliable OS upgrade was most excellent and surprising. Their keyboard division should take a few cues from their cousins over in gtr fx!

I play everything from prog rock to techno to acoustic to pop, and this golden box has been able to replace a rack of other gear & a floorful of pedals! The sounds have been inspirational, particularly as I build a patch and a riff or line organically develops with the patch! If it vanished, I would probably go for the floor unit version (GP-5) rather than the rack as this would remove the need for a separate midi foot board. Except for the premature OS screw-up, Roland hit a home run here!

Quite easy and intuitive. There's always room for improvement, but hey what do you expect for that price? (Anyhow, what would you rather spend your $$ on: An extra knob that makes it slightly easier to program, or better sound quality?)

I won't go into details here, as there are already many elaborate reports given by others. Generlly speaking this is a great sounding box! Yet, there are two points that, I feel, should be mentioned: 1. Be prepared to do some heavy tweaking. The presets are pretty much worthless, so one cannot judge the box based on these. (IMHO thd best way to go is to start from scratch and build up. Once you get the hang of it, this box starts singing!) 2. This unit really preservs the characteristics of your axe, a trait that I consider a GREAT advantage. Consequently, if what you have in mind is to precisely replicate a specific sound (of some gear very remote from what you have, e.g. expecting your 25W solid-state to sound like a Triple-Recto) and considered relying on this box to do the job, you might be disappointed. The only way to FULLY replicate a specific sound is by using the same gear used to create it. Nevertheless, if you're looking for a great fx box, probably the best value for money on the market, then go ahead and get one!

Don't have it long enough to be able to tell. I heard that there were some lockout problems with earlier firmware versions (that effectively result in a loss of all stored patches), but so far what I have(ver 1.09) behaves. The moral of the story is: Play it safe, take advantage of the MIDI capabilities of the GX700 and backup your patches. (To those of you who think that this is both expensive and messy, please note: You'd probably spend less on a used computer w/ a MIDI capable sound card, wiring, and a user-friendly program that will let you do MIDI transfers, than on the box.)

This box is no longer manufactured. Still, IMHO it's the best bang for the buck on the mkt, for under $500! So, if you're looking for a versatile, great sounding, multi-fx box and willing to put in the required "tweak effort" go and get one! Some shops may still stock them, or get a 2nd hand unit (Make shure that you get firmware 1.08 or 1.09)

This has got to be the easiest unit to use and program. The owners manual was simple to understand (exact opposite from Digitech manuals which you need a PHD to understand them!) but I didn't even read it for a couple of days after plugging it in and using it. The majority of the presets are good, some are really good, some are a waste (like with any processor, no matter what the price). The ability to edit the presets or make up your own are simple. Let's say you wanted a preset with distortion, chorus, and delay. You just press the OD button, Chorus button and Delay button and you are there. Of course, each separate effect is completely tweakable, as if you had that particular Boss pedal in your hand. The nice thing about this unit which many others don't offer is the ability to put the effects in any order in the chain that you choose. It is very simple to do this as well On firmware, I have Version 1.06. The latest version is 1.09. Read below for more.

I am currently using the GX-700 with my Epiphone Les Paul Standard, Fender U.S Strat Plus, Marshall VS65R combo amp (Valvestate, 65W, 12" spkr) and Dunlop Original Crybaby. Since it has noise suppressor as one of the effects, noise can be easily eliminated. Some of the presets are a little buzzy, even with my Strat which was gold lace sensor pickups (very quiet single coil pickups) but sometimes buzz is good, and when it isn't, kick in the noise suppressor feature. I think all of the main effects are very strong and very good. It's like having 20+ Boss stomp boxes without the mess of pedals or the need for power for each one. As I said before, each main effect can be turned on and off separately and are fully programmable. For example, when you press the OD/DIST button, you can choose from Vintage OD, Turbo OD, Blues, Distortion, Turbo Distortion, Metal and Fuzz and each one can be tweaked as if you had the pedal in front of you. The amp simulators are kind of wild, give a little different sound to my Marshall. The Soldano and 5150 amp simulators are nice. The humanizer effect really isn't my cup of tea and the auto wah is weak (as with all processors but who cares, I have a wah anyway). The speaker cabinet simulations are great when playing in conjunction with the amp simulators on my headphones (yes there is a headphone jack). Also has Compressor/Sustainer, Flanger, Phaser, PitchShifter, Chorus, Delays, Panning, Tremolo, Harmonizer, Humanizer, Ring Modulator and Reverb. It also has an FX loop which is what I run my Crybay through. As I said above, the effects can be put anywhere in the chain, including the loop. I can have my wah before distortion, after distortion, etc. The possibilities for sounds is endless. I give this a nine only because there is always something a little better out there, depends on your ear (not to my ear, but I'm sure others hold a different opinion).

It looks like it could survive a nuclear fallout but the most gigging I do with it is in my den so...I can thoroughly depend on it for what I use it for, as far as gigging without a backup, again I don't play out (yet) but it appears it would be a safe move.

So far I've dealt with Roland once. Since I knew when I bought the unit that it didn't have the latest version in firmware (1.06 vs. 1.09), I decided to call Roland and ask about upgradeability. When I called, I told them what I had and what I wanted and they told me that the upgrade was free, here's the list of authorized Boss service centers in your area. Quick and friendly, that's what I like. I then called the service center, they verified what Roland had told me, they ordered the upgrade, and have it sitting in their shop waiting to be installed in my GX-700, all in a week!! Can't wait to bring it. I give Roland only a 9 because I haven't had to deal with them yet on warranty work (hope I never have to).

I've been playing for almost a year now and have come a long way. I play (try to play!!) a wide variety of music from classic rock to alternative to heavy metal and this unit more than suits my needs. I've played with almost every Boss pedal on the market now and again in various guitar stores and feel that this unit incorporates them very nicely. I've also owned four Boss pedals (Compressor/Sustainer, Flanger, Super Chorus and Heavy Metal) and it's like I have them back without the 9V battery power struggle! I compared the GX-700 with the Boss ME-30 and the Digitech RP-7. It really wasn't a fair fight due to the price. The ME-30 was $259 and the RP-7 was $339. The ME-30 was okay, the presets were pretty good and was easy to use but did not compare to the GX-700. The RP-7 had to some good sounds, since it incorporated a 12AX7 tube but it's ease of use was out the window, eve n with the owners manual so the choice was clear. It would've been a real struggle in the decision making if the GX-700 was $500 like I've normally seen it. I probably wouldn't even had tried it at that price and I didn't as I tell a little story (this will incorporate my other items I own). When I first started out, I felt that the only distortion I need was what my Marshall had to offer. It was tweakable and sounded really great and was the main reason I bought it. So naturally, I wanted an effects processor with everything BUT distortion. Chorus, delay, flanger etc but I wanted one unit, not a bunch of pedals. Enter the Alesis Midiverb IV. I got the Alesis and used it for quite a while but was beginning to slowly learn from my own findings and other people's opinions that this unit was not exactly the best choice for guitar use. Recording studio for synthesized music, yes, but for guitar, effects were unrealistic, so I rarely even used it. I still had my Marshall overdrive though. Until one day a friend had brought over his little Fender Frontman with an 8" speaker and distortion channel (it cost $80) and his amp produced this dirty, metally sound that my amp could just not produce. Ahhh, the eternal quest for tone begins. Enter the Zoom 510 Power Driver. Had a multitude of distortions, was small and cost $90. The distortions were good and it had an amplified headphone jack for portable private practice. I decided to give my Alesis another shot with programming in conjunction with the Zoom and my Marshall. Well, as you can see, the chance I gave it didn't last for long. I'm selling the Midiverb IV. I'm keeping the Zoom for its portability characterisitics. And I couldn't be happier with my GX-700. If it were lost or stolen, I would definetely buy it again. The only sad and ironic thing is since I got the GX-700 at an unbelievably low price, if I ever wanted the Roland Midi foot controller for it, it would cost as much if not more than what I paid for the GX-700!! I guess I'll just stick with my Boss momentary footswitch for now!!!

The first thing I noticed right off was the ease of programming the GX700. I have owned a few programmable units in recent years, and in the last few months tried out several more models. The Boss GX700 was extremely easy to maneuver through and make changes to. I really liked the sounds coming straight out of the unit from the factory, and it did not take more than a half an hour before I was comfortable with tailoring patches to suit my tastes, and making sounds I only wished my Peavey TransFex would make. When I got my unit home, the manual made the simple process of programming even more user-friendly. This is one manual that is actually informative and easy to read. My GX700 is a v1.9, the latest firmware version.

I play in a hard rock/heavy metal band, so good distortion is my first concern. I gave it a nine due to the fact that the distortions are not 'pristine' like from a Mesa Dual Recto Solo head or a VHT Ultra Lead, but unlike most distortion units, the Metal Distortion effect is actually quite warm, tone-wise, and did not produce annoying screechy-ness on the higher frets. I am using the GX700 in to a mid-80's Randall RG100 head in to a Sheffield loaded Peavey 4X12 cab. Guitars used are two Jackson Professional series Dinky Reverse 5's. The sound live has been most satisfactory, especially needing about 8 different sounds overall. (I am controlling the unit with an ART X-15 midi board) I have never really been in to copping someone else's sound, so I don't know about cloning other artists' sounds, but I find I am getting pretty darned close to the sounds I want. I also like the Soldano pre amp COSM model besides the Metal Dist., and the Vintage Twin is a great warm sound. If you want modern sequencer-like effects, the square wave tremolo effect will give you pretty much what you want. I don't use a whole lot of effects with distortion, but the Vintage twin pre amp with a nice medium chorus sounds REALLY good. As with most effects processors, there are some patches that just seem plain useless, but there are an awful lot that lay the groundwork for sounds I want. You like the Chorus, Reverb, and Delay of patch 14, but the distortion from patch 6? Fine. Scroll through the appropriate menu, and you can copy THAT distortion from patch 6 TO patch 14. Extremely useful. No more lost settings due to a bad memory while tweaking. The versatility of the GX700 is a definite strong suit.

So far no problems. Several practices with the GX700, and one gig to date. I have always had great reliability from previous Boss products while gigging, so I am expecting similar results. But, I will not rate this category thus far.

NEVER had to deal with Boss' customer support.

The GX700 makes great Metal sounds, period. The clean amp models are great as well. I have been playing for 14 years, but with a major gap in the middle of no gigging. I got rid of my TransFex not long after getting the GX700, and its only back up I have are a Boss Metal Zone, Super Chorus, and GE-7 that can be used with the Randall in case of emergency. If it were stolen, I would definitely get another one. I considered the DigiTech RP series, the GSP2112, the ART SGX, and the Zoom 3030. The GX700 was the winner hands down for its combination of sound quality, price, versatility, and ease of use.

takes all of about 5 minutes to figure out how to use... if you have any experience with any other effects processors & you're familiar with the parameters of the effects it couldnt be easier... my only gripe is if you dont have a foot controller it takes forever turning that dial to get to the next desired effect

plain and simple... the tone is awesome... to be totally honest though... unlike allot of the other entries... im not impressed with allot of the distortions that this unit has... im running it through a carvin sx200d and 99.9% of the time im using the overdrive/distortion on the amp... one note... the ring modulator seems useless... it sounds downright bad

this is kind of a touchy area... i got a good deal considering i bought the floor model... since the day i bought the unit i think its moved once... never been banged or dropped... every so often the unit will cut out on me... it has something to do with the input & outputs on the back of the unit.. im running it through the effects loop in my carvin... you have to play with the cords a little to get it going again... a major downer... i couldnt say if i'd gig with it considering it was a floor model & i cant tell if its a factory defect

havent called

i considered both the gx700 and the digitech gsp 2101... in my opinion the effect on the boss are a hell of allot cleaner & have a much brighter tone... my only gripes are the problems ive had & the fact that the roland foot controller costs about as much as the gx700 itself!!! ... all in all i definitely recommend it... but learn from my mistakes... spend a few xtra bucks... get it new in the box

Very simple to use. I read the manual, which is short and explicit, for 15 minutes and the rest was easy. Sometimes I use the MIDI interface and SYSEX to make backups and dump patches in it. The display is mounted too deep, you can see it only in limited angles. Where did they forgot the volume knob of the headphones? The unit has a firmware of 1.09.

It sounds very good with my JEM. I use it mainly connected direct on board. My MusicMan 212 sixtyfive is collecting dust in the corner. I've also done some "hard disk" recordings with Cakewalk software. The GX-700 really serves it's purpose in this area. The presets aren't very convincing so have you spare some time to adjust the thing. The usual overdrive lead/rhytm sounds were easy to find but for example the SRV and Deep Puple "Lazy" tones needed time and nerves. Fortunately the unit has a great amount of options. It can get a bit noisy if you use strong compression and overdrive simultaniously. Most of the effects are good enough but I haven't found any use for the ring modulator or humanizer. The best parts of this unit are the preamp section and the cabinet simulations.

No serious problems. Loose knob once in a while.

I play mainly rhytm'n blues, hardrock etc. The unit has more characteristics I'll ever need, but the patches I've been able to create are great. Before I bought it, I tried out some other effect processors, but after reading an article of some guitar magazine which stated that GX-700 sounded as good as the top line models of Digitech and Rocktron (despite the lack of tubes and ridiculously low price), I decided to buy one. Also the user comments I read about the Boss GX-700, GT-5 and Roland GP-100 convinced me. I've been using the unit for six months now and, comparing the sound and the price payed, it's a bargain.

The reason I originally bought this unit is because I refused to use my ADA MP-1 for rhythm tracks in the studio, I used a Boss MetalZone and I had heard that this had one in a rack, so after comparing it to my ADA, a Rocktron Chamelon, and a rocktron Voodoo Valve, I decided to go with this because basically THE DISTORTION CRUSHES. Editing patches was a breeze and I had been making up my own way before I took the unit home. The manual is pretty cool, and while I kinda wished it had a bit more detail (i.e. what is resonance), it's a million times easier than say the Roland xp-50 (which I also own). My unit's still kinda new so it's yet to be upgraded.

I'm running my gx-700 through a peavey power amp straight into a bass cabinet (love the speaker sims). The onboard pedals are noisy but that what the noise suppressors for isn't. The only major complaint I have is with the reverb(it's not very bright,maybe it's the speaker sims), and I find hard to get a good clean sound but that may be more my fault than the unit's. I bought the unit for it's distortion and it doesn't disappoint, if you need a MetalZone w/midi this is the answer.

As of this writing I have only gigged with it once, and while I haven't experienced any my friend Kirk owns one, and is currrently experiencing intermittent problems w/ his phone jack. I loop mine to something solid before inputting (loop my cable around the handle of my power amp) so hopefully I can avoiod this. I'd feel a lot safer though if it was reinforced with a nut though.

Never dealt with them.

I play in a Damnedbient metal band called Chapelblaque(gothic thrash). This piece is perfect for what I do, it's just me so the harmonizer really comes in handy. I've been playing for 12 years, I've owned a Carvin x100b, an ADA MP-1, an Ibanez rg-550, and an Alesis quadverb, this one rack has replaced like a lot of the gear I used to run though (I don't even use the Quad any more). I would probably buy it again if I lost it, or maybe upgrade to a GT-5. I love the distortion sounds and ease of programming, I just wish it had a 7-pin midi out so I could phantom power my MIDI controlller (a MAJOR selling point with the ADA mp-X). Definitely compares to the Rocktron preamps. Reverb could be better, the chorus it the weakest part about the unit (although it still good, just not to par with the other features). The input jack worries me, I find myself babying it (although no pronblems yet) . Can you rearrange the order of effects? (example LOOP before COMPRESSION, or, EQ before PREAMP?

I must agree with everyone here, that yes, this unit is extrememly easy to program. Just choose the effect, arrow through the parameters, adjusting as you go. Nice layout.

I used to use this unit through a very clean power amp into 2 4x12s. The reverbs were terrible. The noise gate was terrible. The flanger lacks good control. My ultimate displeasure arrived Satruday after purchasing a Mesa/Boogie Triaxis. The GX-700 simply cannot be used with this unit. Even on *standby*, the tone is really effected for the worse. It may have to do with the fact that the GX-700 cannot handle any signal above -10db.

I am not searching to replace the GX-700 in my rig. So is the other guitarist in my band. Last year, in the middle of a showcase, this GX-700 started howling and screaming the loudest feedback you've ever heard at full gain. The unit simply started throwing the worst tantrum I've ever heard an effect unit have. It turned out that the front input jack (which is soldered directly to the circuit board... lame) had malfunctioned causing the unit to wildly flail in agony. The solution was to use the rear input jack (until that started to go). I began experiencing the same type of problems. After a costly repair bill for the two of us, we are not beginning to experience many of the same symptoms... including powering up just to have your GX-700 scream uncontrollable rage right back at you. This unit is poorly made. We housed them in Mesa Shock Racks, and (especially after their costly repair) treated them with care. The are obviously meant for the "home" or "bedroom" user. Not to be used on the big stage.

The people at Roland in The City of Commerce, were the poorest excuses for tech support I've ever seen, anywhere. "Bill", if your out there.. yes, I'm talking about you. Rude, Incompetent, Arrogant, Obnoxious are words that come to mind. These units were within the standard warranty. We received a call from "Bill", stating that since there were traces of loose solder around the input jacks, that we had severely "abused" the units, and that under any circumstances we should not have "abused" the units in that fashion, and would charge us $60 to repair each unit, and that we'd have to wait three weeks. What a joke! Three weeks?

Our band is an alternative, post-gothic mix of music. Effects are important. This unit is unable to "behave" with other pieces of professional gear in my rack. If it were lost or stolen, I would claim the full insurance value and buy something else. Sorry for being so negative, as there are so many others here who are singing it's praises... I suppose it all depends on the application. It may be fine for the "bedroom" player, but not ready to play with the big boys.

After struggling with RP-1, SE-50, Quadraverb, Zoom and other processors it is great to be able to program this box without the many keypresses I was used to. Every effect has it's button and the tuner is the best, using the light in the effects buttons. I can tune from the other end of the stage now. Very logical front layout.

I really bought the GX-700 to do home recording. I quit the band, got another baby (!) and it was time to do some serious headphone rocking. The direct recording sound is the best I have heard ever. I can do brown half-overdriven rythm chords and smooth leads. Mind you though that you have to experiment a little. There are some awful, buzzy overdrive sounds too. The key to success is to use the many overdrives and preamps right. There are many overdrive/distortions, I think they put in the best of the stomp boxes, and there are many great preamps. I like the Twin for clarity, the Match Drive for crunch rhythm or blues, the Boogie for lead and the Soldano is great and real smooth for both soft and hard overdriven sounds. And imagine what you can do with combinations of effect and preamps! I'm just starting out now.
Well after playing with it for a week I played a gig with it. I played it through a MusicMan tube combo and it sounded real good. No digital overdrive sounds here, the overdrive was warm and great. I used to play with a Chandler Tube driver (real tube inside) and a Boss Blues driver. The GX-700 is as good as the Blues driver and close to the Tube driver in warmth.
I am not a great user of pitch shift, harmonizer and all those weird effects, and I don't like the pitch shifter. It tracks too slowly and sounds very artificial to my ears. I can't see why I should want to use it anyway.
The compressor does a good job (must be CS-3 circuit), the EQ is good and easy to use., the speaker simulator is just great, good delay, the chorus could be better (I like Ibanez CS-10 digital chorus better, they are wider and more spacious, more like a modulation delay), the tremolo/pan is very good, I have to find a song to put it in!, the reverb is good enough for guitar but not at all in the Quadraverb category. Dump all the pitch shift effects and give me a better reverb instead.

Works fine, I have to put it in a rack or I will destroy it! It will fall of the top of the amp one day

I bought it used and have never talked to Roland/Boss.

At last a processor with good overdrive sounds. I play blues and coverrock and I like to be able to switch sounds a lot faster and more radical than I could ever do with stomp boxes without compromising (too much) on the sound quality. One of the earlier reviews put it right: The audience would not notice the difference...
I believe Roland has done a really great job. Apart from the great sounds, they have really understood all the practical needs of the guitar player. You can attach two simple switches and program them to do anything (if you like me is too poor to buy the FC-200 controller. You can set the tuner to any pitch and even use Eb or D tuning. The input jack is on BOTH the front and the back. You have input volume and output volume to match both preamps and poweramps.