Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Gear Aquisition Syndrome is a serious disorder.... FX etc

Moderators: Slowy, Capt. Black

User avatar
handsoffmatt
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 2711
meble-kuchenne.warszawa.pl
Joined: Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:40 pm
Location: Sydney
Has liked: 46 times
Been liked: 244 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by handsoffmatt »

Stingy Brim wrote:
handsoffmatt wrote:
GrantB wrote:
Good idea though huh!
Mmmmm. Depends. A lot of people are attracted by the size of the MS-3. DC outlets would make it appreciably larger.

The PSB power supply that ships with the MS3 is capable of running MANY pedals - so a daisy chain would be all you need...
Hi Matt

Please excuse my pedal power short-comings ;
So you're saying I can plug a 4 plug daisy chain onto the end of the MS-3 power supply and have it power three external overdrive pedals and the MS-3 with no issues ??

Cheers
SB
OK so firstly. I made a mistake. We ship a PSA power supply with the MS3 (not a PSB).

Boss PSA = 9v 500mA
Boss PSB = 9v 2000mA

Daisy chains allow you to power multiple pedals off a single power supply, providing they are all the same VOLTAGE (in this case 9V DC). Luckily, the vast majority of pedals (including the MS3) run at the same voltage 9VDC.

It's then a case of how much CURRENT your power supply can safely handle. The BOSS PSA can provide a maximum load of 500mA. The MS-3 draws 280mA, so it's then a case of adding up the total mA requirements of your other pedals. If the total is 500 or under, then you can run them all off the PSA with a daisy chain. If the total is MORE than 500 - you'll need a more powerful power supply (like the BOSS PSB)

The next hurdle though is noise. Not everybody makes pedals to the same stringent quality levels than we do, and it's not uncommon that if you are using non-BOSS pedals, then one of them might introduce some kind of noise when plugged into the daisy chain. You won't know this until you try it. If this happens, then it complicates the issue, and you may have to invest in some sort of power supply with isolated outputs.

If you're using all BOSS pedals though, you almost certainly won't run into this issue and can daisy chain them all with impunity.
"Volume is tone" - EVH

Electrics: ESP/Fender/Gibson/.strandberg*/Godin/Washburn/Music Man/Knaggs/Squier/Vintage
Acoustic: Cole Clark/Godin/Takamine/Taylor
Amps: BOSS Katana Head / Friedman Smallbox

User avatar
Stingy Brim
Stagg
Stagg
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 8:22 pm

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by Stingy Brim »

Fantastic - Thank you Matt.

User avatar
griff
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1743
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:57 pm
Has liked: 498 times
Been liked: 247 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by griff »

2 year old thread resurrection..
Pretty keen on one of these.
Mainly wondering how well it does dual amp setups. Can I hook up two amps with 4cm?
They seem like amazing units for the price.

slash-ed
Resident Gear Whore
Posts: 10032
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:26 pm
Has liked: 97 times
Been liked: 424 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by slash-ed »

griff7628 wrote:2 year old thread resurrection..
Pretty keen on one of these.
Mainly wondering how well it does dual amp setups. Can I hook up two amps with 4cm?
They seem like amazing units for the price.
Are you looking to use the onboard effects with your two amps?

MS-3 won't do dual 4cm, the loops are sequential so you'd end up with one amp feeding into the other.

You could do this with a GT-1000 which has two dedicated sets of effects sends/returns, and the ability to branch those off and even use completely different effects with either of those amps.

Image
Just a small town girl living in a lonely world

User avatar
griff
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1743
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:57 pm
Has liked: 498 times
Been liked: 247 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by griff »

slash-ed wrote:
griff7628 wrote:2 year old thread resurrection..
Pretty keen on one of these.
Mainly wondering how well it does dual amp setups. Can I hook up two amps with 4cm?
They seem like amazing units for the price.
Are you looking to use the onboard effects with your two amps?

MS-3 won't do dual 4cm, the loops are sequential so you'd end up with one amp feeding into the other.

You could do this with a GT-1000 which has two dedicated sets of effects sends/returns, and the ability to branch those off and even use completely different effects with either of those amps.

Image
Thanks Ed.
Yeah looking for effects too.
So could the ES8 do dual 4cm?
Will have a look at the GT1000.

slash-ed
Resident Gear Whore
Posts: 10032
Joined: Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:26 pm
Has liked: 97 times
Been liked: 424 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by slash-ed »

You can run loops in parallel on an ES switcher, but then you wouldn't have the built-in effects of course. A dual amp 4cm setup with pedal switcher AND an array of pedals sounds like a patch cable troubleshooting nightmare waiting to happen to me :lol:

Definitely check out the GT-1000 for your application, I reckon.
Just a small town girl living in a lonely world

Mattallica
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1612
Joined: Fri May 20, 2016 9:42 pm
Location: CHCH
Has liked: 558 times
Been liked: 175 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by Mattallica »

griff7628 wrote:2 year old thread resurrection..
Pretty keen on one of these.
Mainly wondering how well it does dual amp setups. Can I hook up two amps with 4cm?
They seem like amazing units for the price.
Looks like you can set mono left out or right out (or both, stereo) within the patch setting, so that takes care of the loop return for two amps. The trick is to not have the preamps in the loops not overlap as Ed has said. Obviously you select/deselect loops when changing patches but i don't know if you'll get any switching noises.

I don't have the unit to test this out, but you could try:

L1 send -> Preamp 1 input - Preamp 1 loop send -> L2 return
L2 send -> Preamp 2 input - Preamp 2 loop send -> L3 return

This way they can't overlap unless you select all three loops at the same time. I think.
So you would select loops 1 & 2 for first preamp and loops 2 & 3 for second preamp. A single loop would get no sound.

Line/instrument level signal issues not withstanding of course, as the loops are meant for pedals...

User avatar
griff
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 1743
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2017 6:57 pm
Has liked: 498 times
Been liked: 247 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by griff »

Mattallica wrote:
griff7628 wrote:2 year old thread resurrection..
Pretty keen on one of these.
Mainly wondering how well it does dual amp setups. Can I hook up two amps with 4cm?
They seem like amazing units for the price.
Looks like you can set mono left out or right out (or both, stereo) within the patch setting, so that takes care of the loop return for two amps. The trick is to not have the preamps in the loops not overlap as Ed has said. Obviously you select/deselect loops when changing patches but i don't know if you'll get any switching noises.

I don't have the unit to test this out, but you could try:

L1 send -> Preamp 1 input - Preamp 1 loop send -> L2 return
L2 send -> Preamp 2 input - Preamp 2 loop send -> L3 return

This way they can't overlap unless you select all three loops at the same time. I think.
So you would select loops 1 & 2 for first preamp and loops 2 & 3 for second preamp. A single loop would get no sound.

Line/instrument level signal issues not withstanding of course, as the loops are meant for pedals...
Thanks Matt. Im tossing up between this and the Helix HX. Seems like the Helix can do a 7cm.. which seems to be a dual amp solution.

User avatar
Kris
Vintage Post Junkie
Vintage Post Junkie
Posts: 4087
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 1:52 pm
Location: Under a bridge,somewhere in chch.
Has liked: 124 times
Been liked: 386 times

Re: Boss MS-3 Multi Effects Switcher Megathread

Post by Kris »

return of the revenge of the thread dredge:am i correct in assuming the loops need a return to work?you couldnt just use the send?ie for more than two amps?

Post Reply