Boss has just announced the IR-2 Amp & Cabinet pedal – a more compact version of its fully-fledged tube amp and cab sim pedal. This new release could be a game-changer in the pedal amp market.
Back in 2021, Boss introduced the IR-200, which was a great option for guitarists looking for a pedalboard-friendly unit with top-notch Impulse Responses and models. Now, the Japanese effects company has gone even further with the IR-2 – a small stompbox with big potential.
Promising “the inspiring sounds of classic tube amps and mic’d speaker cabinets in a standard stompbox”, the IR-2 comes loaded with 11 amp types and cabinet Impulse Responses from Celestion Digital.
This compact pedal boasts a 32-bit floating point processor, 96kHz sampling rate and the ability to utilize third-party IRs using the IR-2 IR Loader.
The list of amp models includes classics like Twin, Tweed, and Diamond, as well as Boss originals like Clean, Crunch, and Modded. Each of these is paired with a range of 4×12” Celestion IRs, including Vintage 30, G12M-Heritage, and G12K-100.
Controlling the amp models is easy thanks to the master control knob and three double-function parameters for Gain, Treble, Level, Middle, Ambience, and Bass.
In addition to all these features, the IR-2 offers a variety of connectivity options, such as IR loading, USB-C connectivity for recording software, and a rear-mounted headphones output for easy sound monitoring.
With a price tag of $199, the IR-2 offers an impressive feature set at an affordable price, making it an attractive option for guitarists looking to add a smaller amp and cab pedal to their setup.