The latest addition to the Boss pedal line-up comes loaded with 11 premium guitar amp models, and a set of cabinet impulse responses courtesy of Celestion Digital. The IR‑2 Amp & Cabinet pedal delivers a wide range of tones of of the box, and also allows users to load their own cabinet impulse responses.
The IR-2 offers a range of amp models from valve combos to vintage and modern stacks — popular models from the likes of Marshall, Fender, Vox and Mesa/Boogie are joined by some of Boss’ own offerings, and all of the models are paired up with Celestion Digital impulse responses that emulate a variety of different speaker cabinets. Those who wish to use their own cabinet IR files can load them into the pedal via a dedicated Windows and macOS desktop application. The pedal promises pristine audio quality thanks to 32-bit floating point processing and an internal sample rate of 96kHz.
Amp models can be selected from the top panel via a rotary switch, which is joined by a trio of dual concentric pots that offer control over Ambience, Level and Gain parameters, as well as providing a three-band equaliser. The IR-2 can, of course, be used alongside other pedals, and as well as happily accepting a signal from other effects units at its input, a built-in effects loop makes it possible to patch other processors in after the modelled amp stage — the return connector utilises a TRS connector, offering compatibility with stereo effects.
Six quarter-inch TS and TRS sockets provide all of the pedal’s connectivity, with a mono input joined by a stereo output pair and effects loop send and return connections, as well as a socket that makes it possible to connect an external footswitch. There’s also a USB-C socket which can be used to send and receive audio to and from a computer or mobile device, as well as import IR files. The pedal requires a 9V PSU or will run on a 9V battery, and draws a current of 160mA.
Pricing & Availability
The IR-2 Amp & Cabinet pedal is available now, priced at $199.99.
