Boss SL-20 Slicer
Boss’s TR-2 Tremolo is a simple and classic
stompbox, and while the company’s SL-20
Slicer isn’t nearly so simple, it’s definitely a
future classic. The Slicer is a less a tremolo
pedal, and more a robot samurai that draws its
wakizashi upon your guitar signal and precisely
cuts it into slivers before your eyes. These
slivers are then fed back to you transformed
and totally re-grooved into a form you could
not have previously fathomed. The Slicer has
fifty patterns in its repertoire of chops and
stutters, as well as a “Harmonic Slice” function
that not only creates a rhythmic groove from
the original signal, but also generates a
melodic element based on the notes played
into it. Controls include Attack, Duration, and
separate Effect and Direct Level knobs, Tempo
(which can be controlled via knob or tap), and
buttons for selecting from several luscious
stereo modes. As if that wasn’t enough to
keep one busy for a lifetime, the Slicer also
features an onboard 40-second looper,
allowing the user to create a sliced loop and
then play live over the top of it, which opens
up tremendous creative potential for the
clever instrumentalist. The Boss SL-20 Slicer is
much more than just a tremolo pedal. If given
the opportunity, it will do an awful lot of the
work of making music for you, but like a good
robot, it always lets you take all the credit.
ToneReport.com
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