Boss GM-800 Guitar Synthesizer Pedal

Boss GM-800 Guitar Synthesizer Pedal Overview

GAK proudly presents the cutting-edge Boss GM-800 Guitar Synthesizer Pedal, a sublime blend of Boss’ engineering prowess and Roland’s innovative Zen-Core sound engine technology. The GM-800 is a testament to nearly five decades of guitar synth evolution. Transcending the constraints of traditional guitar sounds and dive in to the inspiring universe of Zen-Core synthesists.

Please note: The Boss GM-800 must be used alongside a GK-5 (guitar) or GK-5B (bass) pickup and a BKG-15/BKG-30 guitar synth cable in order to work. The Boss GM-800 Synth Pedal Guitar Bundle and Boss GM-800 Synth Pedal Bass Bundle are convenient, all-in-one solutions that include everything you need to get started with the GM-800.

Alternatively, if you already own a GK-equipped guitar, you can interface with the GM-800 using a GKC-AD converter and a BKG series cable.

Which kind of guitarist is the Boss GM-800 for?

Previous Boss guitar synth users who want to upgrade: The Boss GM-800 is a new paradigm in guitar synthesis technology, featuring Roland’s innovative Zen-Core sound engine and flagship latency performance. It’s a significant upgrade from the SY-1000, GP-10 and GR-55 when it comes to performance and sound design potential.

Function and cover band guitarists: With the Boss GM-800, you’ll be able to handle all the sounds a keyboardist would usually cover with ease. This can greatly expand the range of songs your band can play, especially if it’s a simple guitar, bass and drum kit setup. Also, if the keyboardist in your band uses a Zen-Core keyboard such as a Jupiter-X, Fantom or Fantom-0, you can exchange patches with them.

Guitarists looking for the ultimate guitar synth experience: The GM-800 is essentially a complete and intuitive workstation for guitarists. With unprecedented tracking stability and assignable Play Feel per patch, GM-800 presents a natural way for guitarists to experiment with synth sounds and can be easily tailored to the way you like to play the guitar. With Roland’s Zen-Core tech onboard and access to Roland Cloud, you’ve got a future-proof pedal that’ll consistently provide you with inspiration.

The New Era of Guitar Synthesis

Pioneering the next generation of guitar and bass synthesis, the Boss GM-800 synthesizer leverages the advanced Roland Zen-Core sound engine and the newly developed Serial GK interface. Embrace the realm of boundless creativity, where your guitar can mimic acoustic instruments, classic and modern synths with ease. This state-of-the-art synthesis pedal is compact, streamlined and primed to transform your guitar or bass into a limitless source of musical inspiration.

A Zen-Core Synth Module

The Boss GM-800 is more than a guitar synth, it’s a standalone synthesizer in its own right. As Roland’s first compact Zen-Core module, the GM-800 is an excellent option for performing synth players, music producers and composers who want Zen-Core sounds in a portable, desktop-friendly format.

Connect your favourite MIDI keyboard or compatible external controller and the GM-800 can act as a powerful, fully-featured synth module. You can also use MIDI Learn to assign parameters such as Cutoff, Resonance and ADSR to the onboard controls on your MIDI controller, letting you tweak patch settings in real-time.

Powerful Zen-Core Engine

At the heart of the Boss GM-800 lies Roland’s Zen-Core Synthesis System. The same technology that drives renowned Roland instruments like the JUPITER-X and FANTOM keyboards now breathes life into your guitar. With over 1200 unique sounds at your disposal, you have an unlimited canvas to paint your sonic masterpiece, with everything from punchy basses and classic Roland synth sounds to never-heard-before sonic amalgamations.

Tone and Rhythm Customisation

Offering four Tone parts alongside a versatile Rhythm part filled with acoustic and electronic percussion sounds, the GM-800 allows you to explore a near-endless array of new and exciting sounds. Dial in a symphony of synth parameters, pitch settings, alternate tunings and string assignments to mould your music exactly as you envision it.

Scene-Based Workflow

The Boss GM-800 synth pedal employs an intuitive Scene workflow, where each Scene acts as a “super patch”, encompassing all the elements of a sound. Seamlessly transition between Scenes while preserving the sound of the current Scene, thanks to the power of Zen-Core’s robust DSP.

Roland Cloud Compatibility

Stay inspired with continuous access to new content through Roland Cloud. With a free Roland account, you can enhance your GM-800 guitar synth pedal with Zen-Core Sound Packs and Wave Expansions and utilise legendary Roland instruments and the ZenOLOGY synthesizer in your DAW from your guitar or bass.

Massive Effects Power

With a staggering array of effects in each Scene, you can shape, enhance and distort sounds to your heart’s content. Every Tone and Rhythm part comes with a dedicated MFX processor and each Scene gets additional FX for processing the combined sound, plus high-quality chorus/delay and reverb effects.

Compact and Versatile

The GM-800 guitar synthesizer is a compact powerhouse, equally at home on a desktop or a pedalboard. The four footswitches can be assigned to control a variety of functions via a powerful Assign matrix. Plus, with five-pin MIDI I/O, you can interface with a broad range of MIDI equipment.

You can also use the GM-800 as an excellent guitar-to-MIDI converter, allowing you to interface your guitar with your favourite virtual instruments in your DAW or other hardware synthesizers.

Expand Your Creative World

Expand your creative horizons with the GM-800 and transform your electric guitar or bass guitar into a new instrument. Whether you’re crafting Scenes in detail using the BOSS Tone Studio software or using the GM-800 as a compact MIDI sound module, the GM-800 is your passport to a universe of sound.