SUMMER NAMM: Boss is on a roll right now when it comes to first in new gear launches. First the company unveiled its first guitar with the GS-1 Electronic Guitar and now it has the perfect pairing pairing for it, and indeed any pedalboard with the EV-1-WL Wireless MIDI Expression Pedal.
It's a wonderfully simple concept and also a world first; cable-free expression pedal control via Bluetooth. It's compatible with any device that can receive Control (CC) messages via Bluetooth – or connect via wired USB or MIDI TRS.
There's big potential here for Boss's own EURUS GS-1 Electronic Guitar and Waza-Air modelling amp products but far beyond that too. Any hardware or music application with Bluetooth MIDI connectivity is potentially open to control.
The EV-1-WL also supports communication with the Roland WM-1 and WM-1D wireless MIDI adaptors while also offering control input for up to two of the company's FS-series footswitches. With the latter you could potentially create a wireless mini pedalboard for selecting patches with a Bluetooth modelling effects unit or amp.
The expression pedal also has a built-in toe switch with on/off indicators on both sides of the pedal and can be paired with its own dedicated iOS/Android app for control, including assigning MIDI CC numbers and customising the pedal response.
The Boss EV-1-WL is powered with two AA batteries or Boss PSA-series adaptor and will be available from October 2021 for $149.99.
More info at Boss.
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Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.
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