[Harp-L] Review Boss JS-10 as a practice tool for harmonica players

[KEITH MITCHELL <keithm@xxxxxxx>]

Review Boss JS-10 as a practice tool for harmonica players

Just received the Boss JS-10, a jam playback and recording tool. You can read the complete spec here:
http://www.bossus.com/gear/productdetails.php?ProductId=1241

I am some what of a closet harp player and don't get much opportunity to play with a band. I do have a growing collection of jam tracks in all keys and the JS-10 seems to provide a nice portable place to access all of those.  Features that I think I'll use are the ability select portions of tracks to practice, the ability to slow down tracks, the ability to record myself with jam tracks with effects added and play back for evaluation. 

My initial response is that this is a fun tool to have available and may get me playing with music more often.   Since my focus is the blues, only about 12 of the  350 included loops are of value to me, but since the unit easily allows me to add jam tracks I have purchased or that are free online, that is not a problem. For example I purchased Jimi Lee's 2 CD set "Every Groove a Bluesman Needs To Know" and have loaded all of these tracks on the unit as well as a collection from David Barrett and Ronnie Shellist.   The effects of course are focused on making a guitar sound good not a harp but I easily created a custom reverb I like for the harp.  Still working on a harp blues distortion effect I like, but it seems possible.  

The speakers that come integrated into the unit sound good, but certainly are not loud enough to use live with a band or even a live solo performance if the room is very big.   I often practice and record with earphones rather than with the speaker on. The  slow down and change pitch features work, but the quality  of the sound resulting is much worse than I can do  on my Mac laptop using The Amazing Slow Downer.   

The Boss JS-10  is an update to the Boss JS-8.  There are lots of demos on Youtube you can review and the JS-8 has dropped in price.

In truth you can do everything in this unit with a computer so the value is in the portability and ease of setup for practicing and demonstrating my playing to friends.    At $429, the price is fair for the functionality but probably to high for someone who does not have my needs for my "band" time.    My 2nd option was to put all my jam tracks on an ipod, buy an amp loud enough to actually use in public, and the Pandora PX5 effects unit. That would still be pretty portable but I would loose the practice specific features the unit provides. 

If you are thinking about something similar, check also the Fender solution that is similar.

Hope this review is of value to the community.  Also thanks for those who complimented my SPAH photos in forum and direct through email.  You might also enjoy the photos I posted from the Hill Country Harmonica 2012 festival :
http://keithm.smugmug.com/Events/Hill-Country-Harmonica-2012/23085923_BgLPxW

Keith Mitchell