Boss has ushered in a new era for its compact effects pedal catalog by unveiling the PX-1 Plugout FX – a ‘convertible’ stompbox that lets players load up and play through a generous range of the firm’s legendary effects from one unit.
It’s an interesting move from Boss, whose collection of compact effects pedals is the stuff of guitar legend, from the OD-1 – deemed by many as one of the most important stompboxes of all time – to the CE-2, which took over the guitar world upon its release.
Indeed, over the years, John Frusciante, Steve Vai, Eric Clapton and Joe Satriani have been just some of the big-name players who have championed Boss’ affordable effects pedals, which have been used by beginners and pros alike.
Now, with the PX-1, guitarists can browse, upload, and play through many of those popular effects through the convenience of a single stompbox, which carries the same visual and functional layout of a standard compact Boss pedal.
“The PX-1 Plugout FX is an innovative hardware platform that captures the timeless Boss compact pedal experience in one versatile pedal,” Boss explains. “This convertible stomp holds multiple authentic effect recreations from the historic Boss lineup, providing endless fuel for every creative journey.
“With the PX-1 in your setup, exploring the vast and influential world of Boss compact pedals has never been easier.”
At its simplest level, the PX-1 looks to be for Boss what the HX One was for the Line 6 Helix ecosystem, and what the Plethora X1 was for TC Electronic.
It leverages newly developed algorithms – potentially the same ones used for the recently developed software plugin – which promise “the genuine sound and response of the pedal it’s based on”.
In practice, the PX-1 hooks up to an accompanying Boss Effects Loader app, through which 16 effects are available. Available effects include the OD-1 Over Drive, CE-2 Chorus, SD-1 Super Over Drive, DD-2 Digital Delay, CS-1 Compression Sustainer and more.
Eight of those can be loaded into the PX-1 itself, and can be accessed through the intuitive control layout, which comprises three multi-function button knobs that are used to navigate effects, tweak parameters, adjust settings and more.
Other appointments include a ‘Swap’ function to make switching between two effects easier, stereo inputs and outputs for wider rig assimilation, tap tempo and MIDI clock support for delays and a jack for either one or two expression pedals.
The PX-1 has been launched with a price tag of $250, including a free six-month subscription to Roland Cloud.
Additional paid-for effects will be added from January 2026, although they can be trialed for free.
For context, the TC Electronic Plethora X1 weighs in at $150 – markedly more affordable, though it doesn’t offer drive or distortion effects.
The HX One – arguably the PX-1’s closest competitor – is slightly dearer at $299, though offers an additional footswitch for ease of operation, as well as a much larger bank of effects (including reverbs).
Whatever the case, the PX-1 is still a statement launch, and with the full weight of Boss in its corner, it could prove to be a popular pedal for those who don’t want to pull the trigger on a standalone compact pedal and, for a slight premium, would rather get 16 of them in one ’box.
Head over to Boss to find out more.
