Boss Acoustic Singer Pro Review

JackB1 · #1 09-05-2020, 08:27 AM

OK so I picked up the Acoustic Singer Pro for a few reasons....

1) I play a lot of small gigs and was hoping this would be a simple quick all in one solution

2) I need something for guitar effects (reverb, delay, chorus, etc) and was hoping I could use an amp for these instead of a stand alone multi effects pedal

So.....I tried it last night at a typical small outdoor patio gig and here's how it fared. This amp, although it says 120 watts, doesn't seem to have that much power. It seems about on par with a 60 watt Loudbox mini. This patio is right off the street, so its pretty noisy, but in order to be loud enough I had to turn the volume up to the point where it was distorting....not good. I guess for a situation like this, hooking into a powered speaker would have provided enough power.

So for the amp itself....the vocal effects sound very good. I really like the echo/delay knob. It gives you a really nice sound to your vocals and I like that its seperate from reverb. The guitar effects are also very good. I liked using a touch of chorus all the time and the reverb sounds good. As far as the harmony's and looper, they are functional but definitely not as easy to use as dedicated pedals. If you have the amp behind you or out of sight, you can't tell when the harmonies are activated, other than listening for them. The looper works but again, you can't tell what mode its in without looking (play, record, overdub). Two button loopers are much easier IMO. Double tapping to stop can be sometimes difficult.

So in conclusion, I am torn (as usual

)
I feel like the best way to use this amp, would be primarily for the guitar and vocal effects. So I would treat it like a "big pedal" and put it on the floor facing me as you would use a monitor. Then go out the back and into a powered speaker up on a pole. You would hear yourself great and also be free to place the speaker out front without the need to also hear it. For small, indoor rooms, you could use this amp by itself, but then you have the footswitch issues. If you have a footswitch that lights up when you activate it, that would help a lot with knowing when it's pressed. Also if its close to you where you can see it and make adjustments, that helps. But again, at close range you couldn't turn it up high.

Lastly, one very weird quirk, which is a head scratcher and rarely mentioned, is that when clearing the looper, it will play the loop for about 1 second before going into clearing mode. This means your audience hears a weird "spound" for a second while you clear the loop. The only way around this is to clear it by pressing the button on the amp, which won't make any noise. Or if you double tap the loop on the last stop and hold it down, it will also clear it. Just a weird design flaw and one that will bug some people and not bother others.

jricc · #2 09-05-2020, 11:16 AM

Thnx for the review JackB1! I've been curious about this series of amps...

Interesting (and helpful) your findings of the amp seeming under-powered for the claimed 120 watts.

A question, was the amp elevated? On a chair, milk crate etc? If it wasn't, perhaps that might make the amp project more and therefore not have to increase the vol as much?

An aside, I've found my Fishman Artist 120 watts handles a crowd of 100 people with no problem.

Good luck in whatever u decide...

JackB1 · #3 09-05-2020, 12:19 PM

Yes the amp was elevated sitting on a bar stool

Quote:

Originally Posted by jricc

Thnx for the review JackB1! I've been curious about this series of amps...

Interesting (and helpful) your findings of the amp seeming under-powered for the claimed 120 watts.

A question, was the amp elevated? On a chair, milk crate etc? If it wasn't, perhaps that might make the amp project more and therefore not have to increase the vol as much?

An aside, I've found my Fishman Artist 120 watts handles a crowd of 100 people with no problem.

Good luck in whatever u decide...

6L6 · #4 09-05-2020, 12:25 PM

Thanks for the review. I'm a big fan of Roland/BOSS products.

After many years of solo gigging I've settled on a Fishman LB Mini and a Fishman LB Performer depending on the size of the venue (the Mini is fine for 90% of the places I play).

I really prefer having pedals vs having to spin knobs and remember settings between songs. MUCH faster to stomp on a preset pedal.

For my money, the Fishman Loudbox Mini, Artist, and Performer are the way to go for solo gigs.

Tele1111 · #5 09-05-2020, 05:30 PM

I’m curious as to what guitar and pickup you have. I’ve owned and gigged with my ASP for a few years now. Never had an issue with volume. All my gigging guitars have the full anthem installed. I have heard one other person comment about having to turn the volume way up, but that was the Acoustic Singer Live, and not the pro. The live is under powered and with six inch speakers, never an option for me. The looper though at 40 seconds, is pretty much worthless for live work. I use a pair of FS-7 switches to control the effects. I tried the foot switch they recommended, but it’s a silly setup and didn’t control what I wanted. Otherwise, I’ve been very pleased with it. Of course I haven’t played a gig in six months, but you understand why.

Mark

ohiopicker · #6 09-05-2020, 06:22 PM

JackB1 - if you are going to use it to go into a powered speaker, why not go with the AS Live As your monitor/mixer. Same effects and controls, less weight, lower price.

MarkF_48 · #7 09-05-2020, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackB1

This patio is right off the street, so its pretty noisy, but in order to be loud enough I had to turn the volume up to the point where it was distorting....not good. I guess for a situation like this, hooking into a powered speaker would have provided enough power.

Do think that possibly tweaking the EQ settings for either the guitar or vocal may have helped reduce the distortion, but been able to maintain an apparent loud volume and still have a full sound? Maybe a little heavy in a frequency range that the amp couldn't handle too well and the EQ could reduce?

JackB1 · #8 09-05-2020, 08:40 PM

I was using my Fender Acoustasonic. But the vocal channel was more of an issue than the guitar channel. That was where I heard the distortion when I pushed the volume a little. I bought this one used from Guitar Center online and I'm starting to wonder if it was a damaged speaker or something else malfunctioning in the amp? Only way to know now would be to test out a new one, since I already returned the used one today.

About the footswitch, I also used one FS7 to control the looper and the harmonies. I didn't have my FS7 plugged in, so I couldn't tell when it was engaged, which was awkward. When you plug in the FS7, I believe it has little lights that show you when its on.

I really liked the echo/delay effect on the vocals.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tele1111

I’m curious as to what guitar and pickup you have. I’ve owned and gigged with my ASP for a few years now. Never had an issue with volume. All my gigging guitars have the full anthem installed. I have heard one other person comment about having to turn the volume way up, but that was the Acoustic Singer Live, and not the pro. The live is under powered and with six inch speakers, never an option for me. The looper though at 40 seconds, is pretty much worthless for live work. I use a pair of FS-7 switches to control the effects. I tried the foot switch they recommended, but it’s a silly setup and didn’t control what I wanted. Otherwise, I’ve been very pleased with it. Of course I haven’t played a gig in six months, but you understand why.

Mark

JackB1 · #9 09-05-2020, 08:42 PM

Yes that would make sense. I was hoping to use the AS Pro as a single easy solution for small solo gigs and then only add the extra powered speaker for
larger gigs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohiopicker

JackB1 - if you are going to use it to go into a powered speaker, why not go with the AS Live As your monitor/mixer. Same effects and controls, less weight, lower price.

JackB1 · #10 09-05-2020, 08:45 PM

Possible I guess, but I didn't try that. The distortion was most noticeable on the vocal channel when the volume was pushed a little. As I stated earlier....its possible I got a damaged unit, since it was purchased used from Guitar Center. I would be willing to give it another shot in a new model.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkF_48

Do think that possibly tweaking the EQ settings for either the guitar or vocal may have helped reduce the distortion, but been able to maintain an apparent loud volume and still have a full sound? Maybe a little heavy in a frequency range that the amp couldn't handle too well and the EQ could reduce?

Zandit75 · #11 09-06-2020, 07:05 PM

I used mine on Friday night in a large open bar/restaurant. Seats around 100 people.
I copped a little feedback, which was a first for me, but then I realised I have the mic blend of my pickup turned up full. Must have knocked it at some point during the night.
While it sounded really bad to me, basically sitting just behind my right ear on top of a couple of toolboxes I use for carrying all my bits and pieces, according to some people I spoke to in the audience afterwards, they were very positive.
The venue operators were very happy with the turnout, and the sound result, so I call that a win!

For clarification, I don't use the looper, or harmonies at this stage. A little chorus and reverb on the channels, and I'm good.
Simple is better in my opinion.

Brent Nelson · #12 11-03-2020, 08:03 AM

I also own this little feature-packed power house, and it has far exceeded my expectations. My beloved SWR California Blonde finally died (again), so I stumbled on the Singer Pro at a price I couldn't refuse. To my ears, it sounds much much better than the Blonde in every way, both instrumentals and vocals. Great sounding amp with a ton of features that all sound very good. I am surprised it has not gotten more love.

JackB1 · #13 11-05-2020, 04:53 PM

It does have good sound, but there's a few little negatives that may be dealbreakers for some....

1) You need to buy additional footswitches to make the harmony and looper useable for live situations
2) The looper has a weird glitch where it plays for a second while you are clearing it. Very weird indeed.
3) The vocal channel starts to distort when you turn it up. At low volumes it's OK.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Nelson

I also own this little feature-packed power house, and it has far exceeded my expectations. My beloved SWR California Blonde finally died (again), so I stumbled on the Singer Pro at a price I couldn't refuse. To my ears, it sounds much much better than the Blonde in every way, both instrumentals and vocals. Great sounding amp with a ton of features that all sound very good. I am surprised it has not gotten more love.

Brent Nelson · #14 11-05-2020, 06:49 PM

Hmmm. I have had neither the looper nor distortion issue. Indeed, switch pedals are really necessary. But they are had for cheap. I have owned many many amps. For me, this is my favorite of the bunch. I like it so much my PA will stay home unless necessary.

JackB1 · #15 11-06-2020, 09:04 AM

Have you tried turning up the vocal channel to a pretty loud level? How big is your typical gig? Also the looper issue is well documented. Record a loop....play it...double tap and hold to stop and clear it and it will play for a second before it stops.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent Nelson

Hmmm. I have had neither the looper nor distortion issue. Indeed, switch pedals are really necessary. But they are had for cheap. I have owned many many amps. For me, this is my favorite of the bunch. I like it so much my PA will stay home unless necessary.