Boss BC-1X Bass Comp

Features

The Boss BC-1 X Bass Comp incorporates 18V operating voltage on a standard 9V power supply and is a digital multi-band compression pedal designed specifically for bass guitar.

The BC-1X Bass Comp is equipped with cutting-edge BOSS technology that goes far beyond what regular bass compressor pedals can achieve. The professional-level multiband compression of this premium stompbox is easy to dial in for any playing style thanks to intelligent circuitry. The sophisticated architecture reacts to varied dynamics and delivers the optimum degree of compression in real time, preventing your tone from becoming over-squeezed or muddy. The BC-1X is a must-have tool for dynamic players that delivers studio-quality punch and accuracy. It’s transparent, muscular, and simple to operate.

For today’s bassist, compression is a must-have tool. The BC-1X is a one-of-a-kind device, in contrast to the several bass compressor pedals on the market. The sophisticated BOSS MDP technology in the BC-1X provides naturally compressed sound that never masks the personality of your instrument, as opposed to conventional units that compress the fundamental tone and mute the sound. Even with aggressive compressor settings, every nuance is captured and processed accurately. Since your sound is genuine in every register, you may devote your soul to playing without having to fiddle with varied settings for each song or style.

This Boss BC-1X Bass Comp Pedal is the perfect addition to any bass player’s arsenal. It has all of the features you need and more, so you can dial in your tone quickly and easily. Plus, it’s built to last so you can keep playing your favorite songs for years to come.

The BC-1X was created with the needs of professional users in mind. Even with the loudest signals from active basses, the 18-volt input circuitry provides enough headroom without clipping. The amount of compression is always visible on a 12-segment gain reduction meter, which is a high-end characteristic seldom seen on stompbox compressors. In comparison to other compressors, the pedal’s noise performance is remarkable, another major advantage of BOSS technology. The BC-1X offers bulletproof dependability for years of tough professional usage, thanks to the road-proven BOSS compact chassis.

Review Boss BC-1X Bass Comp

First of all, let me just say that the BC-1X Bass Comp and BB-1X Bass Driver are the two most beautiful effects pedals I’ve ever seen. The sparkle green and blue finishes with the chrome faceplate and knobs is quite elegant. The only downside is that the text can be a bit hard to read in some lighting situations. This compressor simply sounds fantastic, and dials in so easily. The only drawback to it is that there’s no knob for the attack time. You get Level, Release, Ratio, and Threshold. I hope in the next version, Boss adds a stacked knob for Attack and Release, and it will be perfect. The band crossovers are set perfectly for bass guitar. Kicking this pedal in makes everything pop. The subtle increase on clarity is particularly helpful in conjuction with the AD-2 Acoustic Preamp pedal, which I use with my piezo StingRay.

The other bass compressor I have is the tc electronic SpectraComp. By comparison, the SpectraComp has only one knob, but absolutely every setting you could think of to change on a compressor is programmable from a PC. That’s good and bad–good because if you know how to massage a compressor, you can tailor it exactly to your needs, bad because if you don’t know how to do that, you’re in for a steep learning curve.

Boss BC-1X has a nice attenuation meter which is very helpful in judging just how much compression you are applying, which is a huge advantage compared to the SpectraComp. If ease of use is a big deal for you, the Boss is definitely the clear winner, and gives up nothing on tone to the SpectraComp. The SpectraComp takes the cake when it comes to flexibility.

The boss BC-1X is a typical “always on” effect that brings out the best of the sound of your bass without coloring it.

What they say about this compressor is 100% accurate. No over squishy sound, easy to to dial, nicely compressed and extremely user friendly. Please do not expect a huge tone difference with a compression pedal because that is not what they do. However, once you turn it on, you will see the difference in output from your playing and the sound of each notes can be identified with exact same attack, which is what a compression does.

Coupled with the BB 1X Bass Driver you got a solid combination for any bass guitar & rig. I especially like the results going direct live, or studio recording. I set knobs at 12 and then adjust the Threshold to suite I certainly have a good ear but having the meter is priceless, well worth the investment!