The ME-90 is designed to offer exceptional audio quality with 24-bit AD/DA and 32-bit floating point processing, flagship-grade AIRD amp models, IR loading, an effects loop, and more.
With its intuitive interface and diverse effects selection, the ME-90 allows guitarists to create configurations and tweak tones with the ease of a stomp filled pedalboard. The panel includes 30 different knobs for selecting categories and dialing in sounds instantly. There are 36 preset patches with ready-to-play pro tones, plus 36 user patches for storing personalized setups.
The ME-90 features a massive library of Boss effects, offering seven different categories filled with selections derived from the flagship GT-1000. There are 60 effect types in total, with access to over 20 more via Boss Tone Studio. A send/return loop is available for external pedals, complete with the ability to save the on/off status in patches and place the loop before or after amp models in the signal chain.
Along with its effects, the ME-90 includes amp models ported from the GT-1000, driven by advanced AIRD technology for authentic tube tone and touch response. Eleven onboard amp types offer everything from clean combo tones to punishing high-gain stacks, and more selections are available in Boss Tone Studio. Each amp includes a dedicated cab sound for connecting to a PA or recording device, and it’s also possible to load three user speaker IRs with a dedicated software app.
The ME-90 features eight footswitches with smooth, quiet operation and an expression pedal with an integrated toe switch. Memory mode allows the player to call up complete patch setups with the footswitches, while Manual mode provides direct on/off control of each effect category within the patch. The footswitch LEDs light in different colors for quick identification in the heat of a performance. There’s also an option to set all LEDs to light in fixed colors for each mode if desired.
Boss Tone Studio for macOS and Windows allows users to organize patches, edit tones, and change out some amp and effect types with alternate selections. It’s also possible to download pro setups at Boss Tone Central and swap patches with the ME-90 community on Boss Tone Exchange. The ME-90 supports the optional Bluetooth Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor, enabling users to stream music from a mobile device and wirelessly shape tones using the dedicated BTS editor app for iOS and Android.
The ME-90 is lighter than its previous generation model while maintaining the rock-solid durability that Boss is famous for. The expression pedal has been newly redesigned as well for even finer parameter control. The processor can be powered with four AA batteries or an optional AC adaptor, and a rear-panel switch optimizes the outputs for use with a guitar amp or a full-range sound system such as a PA. And along with Boss Tone Studio communication, the USB-C output provides audio interface functionality for working with music production software on a computer.
The BOSS ME-90 is available in the U.S. now for $349.99.
For more information, please visit boss.info.
Supro Montauk 15-watt 1 x 10-inch Tube Combo Amplifier - Blue Rhino Hide Tolex with Silver Grille
This month’s mod Dan’s uses a 500k linear pot, a 1.5H inductor (L) with a 0.039 µF (39nF) cap (C), and a 220k resistor (R) in parallel.
Don’t let the name fool you, this is a purely passive device—nothing is going to be boosted. In general, you can’t increase anything with passive electronics that isn’t already there. Period. But you can reshape the tone by deemphasizing certain frequencies and making others more prominent (so … “boost” in guitar marketing language). Removing highs makes lows more apparent, and vice versa. In addition, the use of inductors (which create the magnetic field in a guitar circuit) and capacitors will create resonant peaks and valleys (bandpasses and notches), further coloring the overall tone. This type of bandpass filter only allows certain frequencies to pass through, while others are blocked, and it all works at unity gain.
“You can’t increase anything with passive electronics that isn’t already there … but you can reshape the tone by deemphasizing certain frequencies and making others more prominent.”
All the systems I mentioned above are doing more or less the same thing, using different approaches and slightly different component values. They are all meant to be updated tone controls. Our common tone circuit is usually a variable low-pass filter (aka treble-cut filter), which only allows the low frequencies to pass through, while the high frequencies get sent to ground via the tone cap. Most of these systems are LCR networks, which means that there is not only a capacitor (C), like on our standard tone controls, but also an inductor (L) and a resistor (R).
In general, all these systems are meant to control the midrange in order to scoop the mids, creating a mid-cut. This can be a cool sounding option, e.g. on a Strat for that mid-scooped neck and middle tone.
Dan Torres offered his “midrange kit” via an internet shop that is no longer online, same with his business website. The Torres design is a typical LCR network and looks like the illustration at the top of this column.
Dan’s design uses a 500k linear pot, a 1.5H inductor (L) with a 0.039 µF (39nF) cap (C), and a 220k resistor (R) in parallel. Let’s break down the parts piece by piece:
Any 500k linear pot will do the trick, in one of the rare scenarios where a linear pot works better in a passive guitar system than an audio pot.
(C) 0.039µF cap: This is kind of an odd value. Keeping production tolerances of up to 20 percent in mind, any value that is close will do, so you can use any small cap you want for this. I would prefer a small metallized film cap, and any voltage rating will do. If you want to stay as close as possible to the original design, use any 0.039 µF low-tolerance film cap.
(L) 1.5H inductor: The original design uses a Xicon 42TL021 inductor, which is easy to find and fairly priced. This one is also used in the Bill Lawrence Q-Filter design, the Gibson standard Varitone, and many other systems like this. It’s very small, so it will fit in virtually every electronic compartment of a guitar. It has a frequency range of 300 Hz up to 3.4 kHz, with a primary impedance of 4k ohms (that’s the one we want to use) and a secondary impedance of 600 ohms. Snip off the three secondary leads and the center tap of the primary side and use the two remaining outer primary leads; the primary side is marked with a “P.” On the pic, you can see the two leads you need marked in red, all other leads can be snipped off. You can connect the two remaining leads to the pot either way; it doesn’t matter which of them is going to ground when using it this way.
Drawing courtesy of singlecoil.com
(R) 220k: use a small axial metal film resistor (0.25 W), which is easy to find and is the quasi-standard.
Other designs use slightly different part values—the Bill Lawrence Q-filter has a 1.8H L, 0.02 µF C and 8k R, while the old RA Gresco Tone Qube from the ’80s has a 1.5H L, 0.0033 µF C, and a 180k R, so this is a wide field for experimentation to tweak it for your personal tone.
This mid-cut system can be put into any electric guitar not only as a master tone, but also together with a regular tone control or something like the Fender Greasebucket, or it can be assigned only to a certain pickup. It can be a great way to enhance your sonic palette, so give it a try.
That’s it! Next month, we’ll take a deeper look into how to fight feedback on a Telecaster. It’s a common issue, so stay tuned!
Until then ... keep on modding!