This review covers the Boss IR-200 — a powerful pedal-based amp simulator and IR loader, complete with ambient effects and further pedalboard integration. If you’ve ever wished to transform and streamline your practice, performance, or studio rig for guitar or bass, the IR-200 could be the ideal solution.
What Is an Impulse Response (IR)?
In the context of audio and signal processing, an impulse response describes how a particular system or device reacts to an idealized, instantaneous input known as an “impulse.”
An IR represents the output of a system or device when an impulse signal is the input. It captures the system’s characteristics, including its frequency response and any reverberation or echoes that occur. IR technology is frequently used in microphone and speaker cabinet modeling, as well as room acoustics/reverb recreation.
More simply, an impulse response is a “snapshot” of specific sonic characteristics we wish to recreate or model.
How Does an IR Work?
An impulse response begins with an input signal. The signal, called an impulse, is extremely short in duration and high in volume. The impulse signal is fed into a system or device, such as a room or a speaker. Responses can include various factors, such as frequency response, reflections, resonances, and reverberation.
Next, the output of the system is recorded or measured, capturing the system’s response to the impulse input. This recorded output is known as the impulse response. In speaker and microphone modeling, the impulse response helps emulate the behavior of those devices.
The Boss IR-200 Offers a Wide Range of Capabilities in a Small Box
At a glance, the Boss IR-200 includes eight guitar amps, three bass amps, 144 Boss IRs, and 10 Celestion impulse responses. It also includes room, hall, and studio ambiences, so the digital signal never sounds too dry or sterile — a common problem with modelers.
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Boss made the IR-200 a complete guitar/bass rig on its own. Run it direct to the PA for live performance, or connect it to your computer over USB for direct recording. You can also plug in a pair of headphones and use it for standalone practice at home. Moreover, it comes with a built-in effects loop so you can integrate your existing pedalboard for a complete rig without the bulk and hassle of traditional amplifiers and speaker cabinets.
Boss IR-200 Review
Build & Footprint
Like all Boss effects, the IR-200 is as sturdy as they come. It features premium all-metal construction, tough-as-nails footswitches to withstand thousands of presses, and robust encoders for dialing in tones.
As far as the its footprint goes, the IR-200 can snuggle right up to the rest of your pedals on the board. It’s no bigger than the average “oversized” stompbox, and it only weighs a pound and a half. Users can take advantage of what’s ultimately a ton of power in a compact chassis.
Key Features
- Eight guitar amps
- Three bass amps
- 154 impulse responses from Boss and Celestion
- 128 user presets
- 32-bit/96 kHz conversion
- Class-leading IR reproduction
- Two custom, onboard DSPs
- Three ambience modes (room, hall, studio)
- Three-band EQ with additional global EQs for sound-shaping
- Built-in noise suppressor
- Straight-forward usability
- Dedicated software for loading custom IRs
How Does It Sound?
When you plug in for the first time and pull up a preset, you might wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into. It’s important that you fiddle with the noise suppressor right away, otherwise you might feel like the amp models are a little too unrealistic. Luckily it’s very easy to tweak these parameters, and once you’ve done that, the amp models themselves are impressive in terms of both sound and feel.
The IR-200 actually offers a decent alternative to larger and more involved modelers like those by Fractal Audio or Line 6. Eight classic amp models provide plenty of tones to keep you inspired and covering lots of sonic territory, especially for a busy gigging guitarist who wants to keep their rig as travel-friendly as possible.
Price
The Boss IR-200 currently goes for $379.99. That’s tremendously affordable for what it offers — you could easily spend $500 on something like a Strymon reverb pedal alone. To have multiple amp models and hundreds of IRs at your disposal for a few hundred bucks is a testament to the Boss company’s desire to remain consumer friendly.
Pros & Cons
Some of the major pros of the Boss IR-200 are the quality of the sims and impulse responses, the size of the unit, and its cost. User-friendliness is a huge plus as well, as modelers tend to be clunky — especially for first-timers. Putting traditional amp controls like gain and three-band EQ at your fingertips helps it feel and operate like a regular amp. There’s a familiarity there that greatly enhances the overall user experience.
Given what this product both is and intended to be, there really isn’t much to complain about. Eight amps might feel a little restrictive to some, but then again, the IR-200 isn’t meant to be a full-featured modeler with dozens of amps and hundreds of effects. Users will quickly realize just how drastically using a different impulse response can alter the sound, so if you’re finding the lack of amp options a little stale, give other IRs a go.
Closing Thoughts: The Boss IR-200 Works Great on Its Own or As an Addition to Your Rig
In summation, the Boss IR-200 is a highly usable amplifier and impulse response pedal. Boss makes it intuitive for users who prefer to skip the additional learning curve of a more complex, all-inclusive amp/effects modeler, which also keeps the cost affordable for virtually anyone. Overall, it sounds good and holds up as a standalone rig or integrates with other pedals effortlessly.