“A bevy of enhancements for endless tonal possibilities”: Boss just gave players another reason to give its flagship touchscreen GX-100 amp modeler a try with huge firmware update
New amps, quality-of-life improvements and some iconic Boss effects help keep the floorboard on top form in the competitive modeler/multi-FX market
(Image credit: Future)
Boss has unveiled a comphrensive firmware update for its flagship touchscreen GX-100 amp modeler multi-effects pedal. It offers “a bevy of new features and enhancements” for “endless tonal possibilities” via new amps and seven fresh effects.
The touchscreen-bestowed amp modeler was hailed as Boss’ “leanest, meanest multi-effects floorboard yet” in GW's 2022 review. Two years later, it’s been given some TLC to keep it competitive in an ever-growing market that includes the Quad Cortex and Fender's Tone Master Pro.
A total of 32 Augmented Impulse Response Dynamics (AIRD) amplifiers and over 170 Boss effects lie under its hood. The three new additions to its guitar amp roster are “driven by the same innovative MDP technology” of the firm's X Series of pedals.
The trio are all high-gain amps – the X-Optima, X-Titan, and X-Ultra – which boast an “extended dynamic response that’s not possible with traditional analog designs”.
Version 2.0 also rolls out six new bass amp models, with “vintage classics and modern favorites” included. The Dark DRV models Darkglass' B7K preamp, the Silver Tube mimics a Fender Bassman, and the Solid Stack takes inspiration from a Gallien-Krueger 800RB head.
Seven more effects have been thrown into the mix, too, including the DS-1 Distortion, SD-1 Super Overdrive, and the Humanizer wah pedal.
(Image credit: Boss)
Boss has also worked hard to provide an “enhanced experience” via expanded options for onboard speaker cabinets, streamlined workflow improvements and eight new presets that showcase the new features.
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And, as an added bonus, the Boss Tone Studio app for MacOS/Windows now allows users to download Livesets and share patches with the Boss community. The new firmware follows a major update for the GX-100's sibling, the GT-1000. Now, several of those benefits have been extended to this more affordable version.
Head to Boss for more information about the update and how to download it.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
