For decades, if you wanted dramatic, foot-controlled pitch bends, there was really only one game in town: the Whammy. It was iconic, but it could be noisy and fussy with chords. The BOSS XS-100 feels like the spiritual successor we’ve been waiting for—it takes that same thrilling concept and elevates it with modern, polyphonic brilliance.
What sets it apart is the marriage of that familiar, addictive expression pedal with BOSS’s flawless polyphonic tracking. Chords don’t dissolve into a digital glitchy mess; they bend and soar together, cleanly and organically. It takes the Whammy’s party trick and makes it profoundly more usable and musical.
And BOSS packed it with features a modern player actually needs: 30 presets to save your favorite capo positions and wild pitch sequences, a clear screen to see what’s happening, and MIDI for deep rig integration. It’s the Whammy’s core idea, refined into a reliable, gig-ready workhorse that inspires you to play differently. It’s not just an effect; it’s an instrument in its own right.
At the heart of the XS-100 is its integrated rocker pedal, which allows for smooth, dynamic pitch bends and interval sweeps. This is complemented by dual footswitches for instant capo-style shifts or drop tunings, along with an assignable toe switch for additional performance flexibility. A bright LCD screen provides clear visual feedback and simplifies navigation through the pedal’s deep editing parameters, while 30 user presets offer instant recall of customized setups.
Connectivity is comprehensive, with MIDI I/O for system integration, an external control jack for additional expression pedals or switches, and an analog dry-through output for parallel signal routing. Designed for the stage, its rugged construction and bass-ready processing make it suitable for everything from subtle detuning to extreme octave effects.
Whether used for practical tuning changes, atmospheric textures, or expressive pitch bends, the XS-100 offers a level of versatility and sound quality that redefines what a pitch shifter can be.
