Boss XS-100 Poly Shifter Octave Pitch-Shifter

I recently had the opportunity to check out the XS-1 Poly Shifter from our friends at Boss, and it really opened up a new way to think about approaching writing and musical creation. Today, we’re taking a look at that lovely pedal’s big brother, the XS-100 Poly Shifter Octave Pitch-Shifter, a beast in its own right, and one that expands on the features and productivity of its smaller counterpart. Strap in for a wild ride, this thing gets really, really out there…

The XS-100 Poly Shifter redefines pedal-based pitch shifting with groundbreaking BOSS technology years in the making. Delivering natural sound, precision tracking, and deep customization options, this powerhouse expression machine transforms how you perform with pitch. Glide up or down four full octaves with the ultra-smooth pedal to infuse your music with evocative new colors. Enhance solos by triggering bold shifts with a single footswitch press. Instantly retune your instrument with drop tunings, capo simulations, and more. And with onboard memories, your favorite setups are always ready when you need them.

In developing the XS series, BOSS engineers pioneered new methods to advance real-time pitch shifting and eliminate the tonal artifacts common in conventional designs. Powered by finely tuned algorithms and a specially selected DSP platform, the XS-100 provides balanced polyphonic performance that feels natural and musical across all playing styles, pickup positions, and pedal setups. Your instrument’s attack and tonal character are fully preserved, and even complex chords and sustained lead tones—typically a challenge for pitch shifters—are reproduced with stunning clarity.

With the XS-100 underfoot, you’re in full command of nearly any pitch effect imaginable. The responsive pedal offers linear control of four octaves up or down, and independent pitch-change speeds for each pedal direction make it easy to produce motor revving tones and other interesting effects. At the end of the pedal’s travel, you can use the integrated toe switch to introduce momentary pitch jumps with adjustable range and rise/fall time. Two footswitches are also available to bypass the pedal shift and quickly retune your instrument at fixed semitone steps across eight octaves.

If you couldn’t guess by now, the XS-100 is a LOT of fun to play. Being obsessed a little bit with pedals, and having a couple laying around, I found that adding in all types of other genres of effects will lead to some serious exploration and experimentation. In the demo, I run through some presets, check out the menu, go through the different functionality and just have an all-around blast. Thanks as always to the Boss folks for sending this gorgeous machine my way, be sure to check out their website for more info, and grab and XS-100 Poly Shifter for yourself over at Sweetwater – cheers!!