Everything you wanted to know about MIDI Guitar and an honest review of the Boss SY-1000
Roland/Boss needs to innovate again. Sorry not sorry. Timestamps below.
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0:00- Introduction
3:04 – MIDI Guitar
6:22 – Roland/Boss’s Lineup
8:23 – Uninspiring Factory Presets
25:00 – Making New Presets
42:29 – Tour of My Custom Presets
49:18 – Probably the best sound I’ve gotten out of the standalone SY-1000
54:43 – Complaining
57:03 – Wrap up and review
@Mazdak1986
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
this is the viedo that convinced me to go with the fishman system instead.
@johnbraucher1499
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Dude like you said your a regular guy like I am. I don't expect this thing to o be easy. It warns in all of the product descriptions I've read basically that this is a PROFESSIONAL piece of STUDIO equipment. It's not just plug and play, there are other options for that. You have to know what you're doing with this, take the time and do the digging and research of other people using it and setting it up who have more experience. Why even speculate if you yourself already said, you're a regular guy, so don't expect the world unless you're a sound engineer. I'm going to learn it tho.
@xsolardrift
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
that line noise…. you were too nice lol
@stoneyhudson
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I wonder if mk.gee saw this
@andrewharris6347
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Wow … playing an upside-down guitar …. It just looks so wrong to me 😂
@Gonboo
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Your first noodle on preset 11-3 give me strong Pantera's Flood outro solo vibes.
@BraveNewWrld
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Ya for as big of a corporation Roland is their User Interface is shit on all of their products, especially on computer software.
@MarcelChretien-z3t
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Out of touch. That sums it all up for Roland. Great video.
@JonathonTooke
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Curious to see if you'd do an update to the MIDI Guitar world considering the recent surge in interest courtesy of artists like Mk.gee and the inclusion of MIDI guitar on the recent Lorde record!
@etanfisher
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Sweet!
@enriquecorro
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
You’re an idiot those are arpeggios sound beautiful. I think I could find some useful flowery beautiful music come out of that thing. I guess your imagination is limited.😂🤣😅👎👎👎👎👎
@pedrofreire6169
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Fooled again is also a preset on the JV1080…
@noahguttell1953
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Thanks so much for the video. I’ve got one on the way. I wanted to know where I can find good preset packs for this unit? I’m not looking for guitar or amp emulations. I want cool sounds like Mk.gee.
@InnocentClippy
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I'm so happy i came across this video. I did find the factory presets usefull in a certain way, but most of the time for a few limited things only. You were totally right, the factory presets dont do it justice to the slightest. Do you have any presets for sale by any chance??
@Grecki_Bog_Domestos
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Does anybody knows soundtrack from this video?
@jasonwakeman
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
The more benn videos i watch the more i realize he is one of the most intelligent musicians ever, and one of the few utoobers who will never compromise honesty (and actually goes out if their way to tell the whole truth). The world needs more humans like this
@WDShorty
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I know this is a 4 year old video but as a left handed guitarist, please relearn with the strings flipped to the correct orientation, it will change your musical life
@zankfrappa93
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
"a true gentleman knows how to play a midi guitar, but doesnt" mark twain
@christophemagnan-bosse6313
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
That IS actually a guitar sitar model! At least that's what they wrote in the manual. Based on a the Coral Sitar
@andychongks
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
hi Benn, would like to ask, can the SY 1000 separate the string to do different sound ? for eg. 6th and 5th to do a bass sound but 4th to 1st string to do a guitar sound.
Where can i find this piece of info to do this setup ? Thank you so much !
@Steve-n7t
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I’m starting to think the only reason to own the SY-1000 is a replacement for a real GR-300. I watched a recent Jones video where he compared the real GR300, SY-1000, GR-55, and GP-10. The SY-1000 was the best compared to the rest (excluding the original). There’s a really nasty aliasing that occurs as you start playing higher notes. This problem destroys the quality of the GR-300 sound. The aliasing on the SY-1000 had almost no aliasing artifacts. Also, I imagine you could also include the acoustic guitar models. They’re also good. I have a GP-10 which I love the GR300 tones, but it has the nasty aliasing issue as you start playing higher notes.
@bobbobbington1132
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Hi Benn, do you know if there have been any improvements to the firmware or software for the SY-1000 in the last 4 years since you did this review? Have any of the problems you identified been addressed?
@Evil_OhBi
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Amazing insides thx for that
@TheJoYo
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Every time i looked at yet another monophonic synth pedal someone inevitably mentions a midi pickup. These honestly sound exactly like the monophonic synth pedals. I think ill just stick to fuzz when im playing with synth percussion.
@TheJoYo
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Mr. Toot music video mislead me to believe that there were way more midi guitars in use.
@TIZ1629
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
ThkU Ben for having the patience to tolerate this expensive headache. ThkU!
@absolutevalue23
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
"Maybe im just missing something" is my second to last thought before i give up on and sell that particular Boss unit. okay im done now- just some kind of relief in knowing i'm not crazy about how everything boss does manages to invariably fall short in at least 2 deal-breaking ways.
@absolutevalue23
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
and i dont get why all of the boss guitar software, which is a pretty identical environment with all their software compatible stuff, doesnt use graphics. it has bugged me a lot. i also dont get why they dont offer some presets for effects.
@absolutevalue23
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
im hitting the jump button in youtube the same time you are with these terrible presets. thats been a turnoff from their non-midi synth pedals for me. its such cheesy garbage. i dont get it. i can tweak just fine and get what i want, but the presets shouldnt have to be useless.
@CodyMWI
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I miss my vg99 now
@MrArjen1960
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I bought a VG88 last year, for such an old effect it is still an inspirational thing.
@KyleBevis-u7j
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Yeesh, imagine if they’d had actually talented people like you make the patches. These things would’ve sold like hotcakes. Is the software any quicker/better 4 years later?
@pedroleal7118
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I know it's a 4 years old video, and doubt you'll ever read this but, two things:
1) Boss/Roland products are made or created with Japanese very disciplined public in mind, gazillion options, pages and pages of parameters, etc, etc.
2) Guitarists, do not use their instruments like keyboardists do, and as you mentioned before, there's a reson why keyboards are used as the main controllers. And here's the main irony, guitarists do tweak permanently their gear and effects (it's part of the trade!), where most keybordists/pianists, rarelly if ever, program their synths.Apart for a parameter or two…!
A last point, more and more, it's not for the user, to orient 'R&D' on this expensive devices.It's on hem to do a proper job!
@iancosgrove
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Benn is the king of left handed upside down midi guitar
@Mazda13bRotary
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
20:31 such an iconic riff
@newage8852
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I use sy 300 and surprised that i can tweaking the sy 300 to “normal” pedal. 😄
@89ji76
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Have you tried the newer (and very different) GM-800?
@williepure2474
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Don't use the unit if you're just criticizing it through and through!!! Learn to play the guitar first!!!
@joddbeel
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
You suggested Allan Holdsworth as MIDI- king. Love that, and a bit awed. He has been my musician hero all my life. Audun
@BlackToof
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Fooled you again is a reference to THe Who brother!
@jdor7354
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
What a fantastic video. Thank you Benn for going so in depth, yet in a concise way. It does give a great insight as to what exists, what expectations one may have etc.
What do you make of the Jam Origin stuff and do you think they will release a newer and better version of their own system in the future for example?
@TargetedScapegoat
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
I came for the SY1000 and stayed for the accurate analysis and real world (and time) experience with midi interfacing with a guitar.
I love playing the guitar for the reasons you mention – the overtones and what you can do with years of practice and playing. The first time I used a midi processor with guitar I heard all of those out of control weird untamed tones and immediately realized that my lack of experience with a keyboard was no longer a problem. But you are so right to say that it’s not really like playing a midi instrument(s) with a guitar. It’s like a whole different thing.
This is sounding very familiar to both my approach and my opinions regarding guitar and contemporary music. My initial influences were A Belew and R Fripp, which morphed into Fred Frith and Marc Ribot … but I still love SY and Pavement. None of that should matter.
Have you used Jam Origin products? I’ll check your other videos and figure that one out. MidiMorphose seems to have vanished.
@recoveryoutdoors3009
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Been trying to get a realistic guitar sound out of my midi keyboard, for reasons. It's basically impossible… As far as i'm aware.
@GregParkemusic1
November 18, 2025 at 11:09 am
Thank you! I currently have and use a VG99 and GR55. For a long time I also used 2 GI20’s going into Roland 880 and 1080 synths. I recently tried the SY200 (useless imo!) and have been thinking about trying this new synth you just reviewed. I think I will stay with what I have for now. Thanks for saving me some $$!
Comments are closed.