I'm not selling it or putting it away, unless Boss makes a new one, with extra features added. Bassists only just begin to discover Dubstep and modern Bass Music for live playing. So, Boss guys, is the new model already in the works? It BETTER be! I'd suggest adding the following features, with electronic bassists in mind: 1) filter sweep, EXP controlled 2) tremolo, phaser, vibrato, wah - for poisonous bass! 3) another EXP pedal insert, for assignable controls 4) ability to store presets! So, yeah, it's gotta be a mini-processor, but for electronic bass players! I'm talking Dubstep, D'n'B and the like.

Sound
This is just the beginning of the whole evolution of synth pedals, I'm sure. (Already looking forward to SYB-6!) At first, I was looking for a pedal to use for Drum'and'Bass and Dubstep synth sounds. In many, many ways - I found it, in SYB-5. But you have to know your synths in order to be able to get your bass sound balanced. (Not to mention, you have to develop a taste for synth sounds as such. A background in electronic music really helps.) Passive pickups needed! Or at least a knob to regulate between active\passive. SYB-5 is capable of producing a nifty range of sounds, from growling D'n'B sweeps, to dubstep chainsaw squeals, trancey leads, funky bops etc. An added expression pedal unleashes all of it's creative potential to you. Control the LFO for your Dubstep wobble sweeps! Set the LFO for slow speed and mix the synth… read more to 50% clean sound - and your post rock\psychedelic stoner metal is going to send listeners to far away star systems. Play with filter Q and Resonance to explode the club with some unheard before fatness. If you're creative - this pedal is a true goldmine for sonic discovery and experimentation. Personally I can see no limits in musical genres where this pedal can add some spice. I've tried all of this, and I witness the sound strength of SYB-5.

Features
The LFO control makes it unmatched among the bass pedals. I'd say this feature already made this pedal stand out of the whole range of products. Don't forget to buy Expression pedal to foot-control the LFO speed (in 2 modes out of 11) and filter Q (in the rest 9 modes).

Ease of Use
Well, as I said, the full capacity of this pedal is unlocked when you add external expression pedal to control parameters. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. Requires some experimentation and getting used to, so that you understand WHAT you can do with the sound. So, don't be lazy, spend some time tweaking knobs, write down the interesting setups you find. This is not your typical 'plug-and-play' effect. It's a 'free-your-mind-Neo' type of pedal.

Quality
Well, as good as Boss goes. Sturdy, redundant, stood plenty of gigs and moving (and kickin!) around.

The Wow Factor
The SYB-5 for now is the KEYSTONE of my setup.

Musical Background:
Active Musician

Musical Style:
Dubstep, Funk, bass music. read less