NAMM 2016: Boss revives the VB-2 Vibrato and releases new compact effects pedals

Boss Waza Craft VB-2W Vibrato

NAMM 2016: 2015 was a big year for Boss – the SY-300 and DD-500 were standouts in the company's recent output – and this year's products carry a few surprises, too.

For guitarists scouring eBay in the hope of tracking down an original, the best news of all will be the resurgence of the VB-2 Vibrato under Boss's Waza Craft line.

The new VB-2W uses all-analogue circuitry to recreate the rare 80s original's much sought-after wobbles, as well as adding a new Custom sound mode and real-time control functions.

Custom mode offers more depth than the original, and adds a low-pass filter along with the pitch for stronger low-range pulse, while Boss has also integrated a jack for controlling effect depth using an optional expression pedal.

In Standard mode, the Graham Coxon-favoured VB-2 promises the same BBD-driven analogue sound as the original, with rate, depth and rise time control, as well as latching or non-latching functionality.

The VB-2W will be available in the UK from mid-Febraury at RRP £159.

Boss VO-1 Vocoder

A combined guitar and vocal pedal, the VO-1 allows musicians to “sing” with their instrument for electronic voice textures, talk box sounds and choir emulations.

By plugging in a mic and guitar, Boss's newly developed technology features four modes: vintage offers typical synthesized voice sounds; Advanced delivers “all-new vocoder tones”; Talk Box does the Peter Frampton/Bon Jovi thang without the hassle, while Choir creates big vocal textures from a direct instrument input.

As well as tone, colour, level and blend knobs, the VO-1 offers a standard 1/4” input plus an XLR mic input, and send and return jacks for patching in external effects for use on the direct sound.

You'll be able to grab a VO-1 in March at RRP £185.

Boss BC-1X Bass Comp

With the BC-1X, advanced Boss Multi-Dimensional Processing tech means studio-level multi-band compression optimised for bass players.

A natty 16-segment gain reduction meter displays the amount of multi-band compression, adjusted via ratio, threshold, release and level controls.

While bassists plays, Boss's MDP engine “analyses the signal and applies the appropriate amount of compression based on frequency range and playing dynamics” – that should result in even and balanced sound at all times, all with low noise and high headroom for active basses.

The BC1-X will be available, RRP £149, from March.

Boss ES-5 Effects Switching System

Stripping last year's ES-8 switcher back to the essentials, the considerably more compact ES-5 offers five audio loops, real-time control plus MIDI compatibility.

The on/off state and connection order of the ES-5's audio loops can be stored in 200 patch memories, while input and output buffers can be switched on/off per patch, too.

External control outputs for switching amp channels and sending tap tempo information can also be added, as can expression pedals and additional footswitches – Boss also promises MIDI integration and pure signal transfer.

The ES-5 will be in stores from March at RRP £329.

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.