BOSS SY-200 Synth Pedal

The BOSS 200 series welcomes another member to its growing family, the SY-200, a rather compact yet fully-featured latency-free synth pedal built on the successful polyphonic circuit of its little sibling SY-1, offering an expanded sound set, more tone-shaping possibilities, 128 memories for storing your presets, and two footswitches for preset navigation and other editable controls.

The BOSS SY-200 is a pedal that can be used to forge new sounds, but also comes with 12 modes featuring a large library of presets to draw inspiration from:

• LEAD—A wide range of sounds suitable for single-note soloing.
• PAD—Full tones that work great with chords, from layered pads to synth brass and more.
• STRING—Classic analog-style strings, including layered voices and sweeping textures.
• BELL—Percussive synth sounds with metallic resonance.
• ORGAN—A large selection of organ sounds, including many with rotary-style modulation.
• BASS—Fat synth bass sounds, including filtered and sub-octave tones.
• DUAL—Fat synth tones with stacked oscillators.
• SWEEP—Dynamic sounds with expressive and engaging movement.
• NOISE—Classic analog-style synth noise. Great for percussive sounds and dramatic effects.
• SFX—A variety of synth sound effects, including explosive one-shot sounds, animated pitch/filter voices, and more.
• SEQ—Pulsating sounds with rhythmic pitch or filter changes.
• ARPEGGIO—Generate rhythmic arpeggios based on the notes you play.

Each of these modes can be modified via three assignable knobs (1,2,3) and three more fixed ones (Dry Level, Effect Level and Variation).

The back of the pedal features an effects loop, Micro USB jack for firmware updates, while offering deep external control support via up to two footswitches, an expression pedal, and TRS MIDI.

Hear the sounds of the BOSS SY-200 in the video below. We’ll add it soon to our comprehensive article about the Best Synth Pedals on the market.

BOSS SY-200 Synth Pedal, Builder’s Notes

A World of Synth Tones at Your Feet
Offering a universe of rich, analog-inspired polyphonic tones in a small footprint, the SY-200 makes it simple to weave BOSS’s expressive guitar and bass synth technology into all of your musical journeys. Building on the fun, instant-gratification experience of the acclaimed SY-1, this blue inspiration machine features an expanded sound set, more tone-shaping possibilities, and 128 memories for storing your sonic creations. Two onboard footswitches provide deep real-time performance control, and you can take things even further with external footswitches, an expression pedal, and MIDI.

Standard Features
• Advanced BOSS polyphonic guitar synth technology in a streamlined 200 series pedal
• 12 analog-style synth categories with many variations in each (171 sounds total)
• Three adjustable parameters for customizing sounds
• 128 memories for saving and recalling sounds
• Fast sound creation with hands-on controls and large display
• No special pickup required—play rich, dynamic synth tones with any guitar or bass
• Latency-free performance for unrestricted musical expression
• Assignable Memory/CTL 1 switch for memory change, hold, pitch control, and more
• Blend synth and normal guitar sounds with independent level controls
• Parallel send/return loop for easy integration with other pedals on your board
• Selectable modes for globally optimizing the synth engine for guitar or bass
• Supports extended control with up to two external footswitches or an expression pedal
• Full MIDI I/O provided with space-saving 3.5 mm TRS jacks (connection cables available separately)
• Micro USB jack for firmware updates
• Runs on PSA-series AC adaptor or three AA-size batteries
• A Massive Library of Expressive Synth Tones
• The SY-200 transforms your guitar or bass into a versatile analog-flavored synth, ready to infuse your music with dynamic, compelling, and evocative new voices. This streamlined stomp gives you 171 total sounds organized in 12 intuitive categories, along with adjustable parameters for customizing the tone and response. And with 128 memory locations, you’re able to store your favorite sounds and instantly recall them while performing.

Build Custom Sounds Fast
With the SY-200’s informative display and hands-on controls, it’s quick and easy to call up sounds and balance the direct and synth levels. All the preset synth tones have been dialed in by the BOSS engineers to be inspiring and playable right away. But if you want to go deeper, you can tweak three different parameters for each sound via dedicated knobs.

Flexible Connectivity
The SY-200 smoothly integrates into your setup in a variety of ways. Patch it in your chain like a regular pedal, or use the send and output jacks to route synth and straight guitar sounds to different destinations. And with the send/return loop and level knobs, it’s possible to craft unique hybrid sounds by blending one or more pedals in parallel with different synth voices.

Powerful Real-Time Control
The SY-200 provides a massive range of control options while taking up minimal space on your pedalboard. Two customizable footswitches offer multi-functional operation with press-and-hold functionality, allowing you to control synth on/off, memory scrolling, pitch bend, synth hold, and more. Expanded control is possible via external footswitches or an expression pedal, and MIDI I/O is also available to interface with other MIDI-equipped pedals and devices like the ES-8 and ES-5 loop switchers.

Plug-and-Play and Latency-Free
You can use the SY-200 with any guitar or bass—just plug in with a standard 1/4-inch cable and start creating. Thanks to custom DSP and the latest BOSS innovations, you’ll enjoy latency-free performance that’s a natural extension of your instrument, letting you play freely without altering your normal technique in any way.

Supercharge Your Music with a Diverse Range of Sounds
The SY-200 is loaded with a large library of synthesizer tones to inspire new ideas and bring fresh voices to your music.
• LEAD—A wide range of sounds suitable for single-note soloing.
• PAD—Full tones that work great with chords, from layered pads to synth brass and more.
• STRING—Classic analog-style strings, including layered voices and sweeping textures.
• BELL—Percussive synth sounds with metallic resonance.
• ORGAN—A large selection of organ sounds, including many with rotary-style modulation.
• BASS—Fat synth bass sounds, including filtered and sub-octave tones.
• DUAL—Fat synth tones with stacked oscillators.
• SWEEP—Dynamic sounds with expressive and engaging movement.
• NOISE—Classic analog-style synth noise. Great for percussive sounds and dramatic effects.
• SFX—A variety of synth sound effects, including explosive one-shot sounds, animated pitch/filter voices, and more.
• SEQ—Pulsating sounds with rhythmic pitch or filter changes.
• ARPEGGIO—Generate rhythmic arpeggios based on the notes you play.