BOSS SY-1 Synthesizer Pedal
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Imagine playing an ordinary electric guitar and suddenly producing the sound of a synthesizer, an organ or a sweeping electronic string section. That is the creative idea behind the BOSS SY-1 Synthesizer Pedal.
Rather than requiring a special guitar pickup or complicated programming equipment, the SY-1 connects using a conventional guitar cable.
Inside its familiar blue BOSS enclosure are 121 synthesizer sounds, ranging from expressive lead tones to atmospheric pads and rhythmic electronic sequences.
For guitarists who enjoy experimenting with different musical textures, it offers an interesting way to expand their sound without changing instruments.
Why the BOSS SY-1 Is Different
Most guitar effects modify the sound already produced by the instrument. Distortion adds saturation, chorus introduces movement, and delay creates repetitions.
The SY-1 takes a different approach by generating synthesizer voices from the incoming guitar or bass signal.
Its polyphonic processing allows both individual notes and chords to trigger synthesizer sounds.
This is particularly useful for creating layered arrangements. A guitarist could play sustained electronic chords behind a melody or introduce organ-like textures into a familiar song.
BOSS also designed the processing for responsive tracking, helping the synthesizer follow normal playing techniques without requiring a specialist pickup.
The SY-1 is therefore accessible to guitarists who have never used a conventional keyboard synthesizer.
Exploring the 121 Synthesizer Sounds
The SY-1 organises its sounds into 11 types, each offering 11 variations.
This provides a broad selection without requiring detailed sound programming.
Lead, Bass and Organ Sounds
The Lead modes provide synthesizer voices suited to single-note playing, including more prominent electronic tones.
Bass modes offer deeper, fuller sounds, including sub-octave and filtered synthesizer textures.
The Organ category produces layered keyboard-style sounds, some with rotary-inspired modulation.
These options can be particularly interesting when a guitarist wants to add a different instrumental character to a recording or live arrangement.
Pads, Strings and Atmospheric Textures
Pad sounds are designed for sustained chords and spacious arrangements.
The Strings category offers synthesizer-style string textures, while Bell sounds introduce a more percussive, metallic character.
These modes could appeal to guitarists creating ambient music, cinematic passages or slower instrumental arrangements.
Instead of always placing the guitar at the front of the music, the SY-1 allows it to become part of the background atmosphere.
Sequences and Sound Effects
The SEQ modes introduce rhythmic synthesizer patterns with changing pitch or filter characteristics.
SFX modes provide less conventional electronic sounds, including dramatic and animated textures.
These are more specialised than ordinary lead or pad sounds, but they offer creative possibilities for experimental playing.
Simple Controls Without Complicated Programming
Despite its extensive sound selection, the SY-1 uses familiar rotary controls.
The Type and Variation knobs select the synthesizer sound, while Tone/Rate and Depth adjust characteristics of the selected voice.
Depending on the sound, these controls can influence elements such as brightness, movement, depth or pitch.
Separate Effect and Direct controls allow the guitarist to balance the synthesizer against the original instrument signal.
This is especially useful when the guitarist wants electronic textures to support rather than completely replace the familiar guitar sound.
A rear-panel Guitar/Bass switch optimises operation for the connected instrument.
The controls are accessible, although achieving the desired sound still requires some experimentation.
Hold Function and External Control
One particularly useful feature is Sound Hold.
By pressing and holding the footswitch while a synthesizer sound is playing, the musician can sustain that electronic sound while continuing to play the normal guitar over it.
This creates possibilities for layered performances without relying on a second musician or keyboard.
The SY-1 also supports compatible external footswitches and expression pedals.
Depending on the configuration, these accessories provide additional control over synthesizer behaviour, including selected real-time sound adjustments.
They are optional, but could be valuable for musicians who want more expressive control during live performance.
Working with Other Guitar Pedals
The SY-1 can be connected within a conventional effects chain, but it also includes a parallel send/return loop.
This allows selected effects to process the direct guitar signal separately from the synthesizer voice.
For instance, a guitarist could use an overdrive pedal on the ordinary guitar signal while keeping the synthesizer sound cleaner.
Our BOSS BP-1W Waza Craft Booster/Preamp guide explores a different approach to shaping the direct guitar tone, using analogue preamp characteristics rather than electronic synthesizer voices.
For those who prefer an all-in-one effects system with programmable sounds, our BOSS GX-1 Guitar Effects Processorguide covers a more comprehensive alternative.
The SY-1 is different because it concentrates specifically on synthesizer sounds within a compact pedal.
Construction and Everyday Practicality
The SY-1 follows the familiar BOSS compact pedal format.
Its blue metal enclosure measures approximately 73 mm wide and 129 mm deep, making it suitable for many established pedalboards.
At around 450 grams including its battery, it has a substantial physical specification without being particularly bulky.
The pedal uses buffered bypass and operates from a 9V alkaline battery or compatible BOSS PSA-series power adapter.
For musicians who regularly use synthesizer effects, an external power supply is likely to be the more convenient choice.
The Drawbacks
The BOSS SY-1 offers considerable creative freedom, but its strengths come with practical compromises.
No Programmable Preset Memories
One of the biggest limitations is the absence of stored user presets.
Although the pedal contains 121 synthesizer sounds, there is no facility for saving a collection of personalised settings and recalling them instantly.
Changing between different sounds requires adjusting the physical controls.
This can become inconvenient during live performances, particularly when several songs require different synthesizer settings.
Musicians who need rapid preset changes may prefer a larger programmable processor.
Finding Sounds Takes Time
The 11 types and 11 variations provide plenty of choice, but the control layout does not include descriptive names for every individual sound.
Guitarists may need to explore several settings before locating a particular texture.
Tone/Rate and Depth also behave differently depending on the selected synthesizer voice.
This makes the SY-1 less predictable than a conventional delay or overdrive pedal, where the controls usually have more consistent functions.
Keeping a written record of favourite settings may be helpful.
Limited Detailed Sound Editing
The SY-1 is intended to provide ready-to-play synthesizer voices.
It does not offer the detailed oscillator, filter and envelope programming associated with a dedicated synthesizer.
There is also no MIDI connection for controlling external synthesizer equipment.
Musicians interested in building entirely original electronic sounds from individual components may find the available adjustments restrictive.
Its main strength is quick access to synthesizer textures rather than deep programming.
Short Battery Life
BOSS specifies approximately two hours of continuous operation from an alkaline 9V battery.
That is relatively short for regular rehearsals or extended performances.
A compatible external power supply is advisable for dependable pedalboard use.
The BOSS PSA-series adapter is sold separately, and any existing power supply should provide the correct voltage, polarity and sufficient current for the pedal’s specified 115 mA requirement.
External Controllers Cost Extra
The Sound Hold feature is available through the built-in footswitch, but more extensive hands-free control requires optional accessories.
An external footswitch or expression pedal can make certain functions easier to use during performance.
However, these accessories introduce additional cables, equipment and pedalboard space.
For musicians trying to maintain a compact setup, that is worth considering.
Not Every Sound Suits a Traditional Guitar Amplifier
Synthesizer voices can contain deep bass frequencies, bright electronic harmonics and sustained textures that behave differently from ordinary guitar sounds.
The resulting character depends partly on the amplifier and speaker system.
A conventional guitar amplifier may colour certain synth voices significantly.
Players wanting a broader, more full-range electronic sound may need to experiment with suitable amplification or recording equipment.
The pedal also has a single main audio output rather than dedicated stereo outputs.
It May Not Suit Traditional Playing Styles
Perhaps the most important consideration is whether synthesizer sounds genuinely fit the music being played.
A guitarist concentrating on blues, country or traditional rock may use only a small selection of the available voices.
The more experimental modes are interesting, but they are not automatically useful.
The SY-1 makes the most sense when its electronic sound palette is something the guitarist actively wants rather than simply another feature to add to a pedalboard.
Who It Suits Best
The BOSS SY-1 is particularly suitable for experimental guitarists, ambient musicians, songwriters and players looking to introduce electronic textures into their performances.
Its polyphonic processing makes it useful for both melodic lines and sustained chord arrangements.
It should also appeal to bassists interested in synthesizer-style tones without requiring a specialist pickup system.
For other ways to develop guitar sounds, explore our Pedals & Effects collection, featuring dedicated stompboxes and more comprehensive effects processors.
Players who require extensive sound programming, preset storage or MIDI integration may prefer a larger specialist instrument.
Is the BOSS SY-1 Worth the Pedalboard Space?
The BOSS SY-1 offers a distinctive way to expand the sounds available from an ordinary guitar or bass.
Its 121 synthesizer voices, polyphonic operation and useful Hold function provide creative possibilities beyond conventional guitar effects.
The main compromises are limited preset management, relatively short battery life and the lack of detailed programming options.
For guitarists who enjoy discovering unusual sounds and developing new musical arrangements, however, the SY-1 is a compact and interesting addition that could encourage a different approach to playing.
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