BOSS GCS-8 GigCaster8

Gigcaster 8 is a powerful all-in-one audio command center purpose-built for musicians who livestream and create audio and video content. It delivers all the tools you need for professional sound in a single desktop interface, along with quick-access live control via faders, knobs, eight assignable pads, and a vivid color touchscreen.

Plug in a guitar or bass and play with flagship-level GT amps and effects. Connect mics and process voices with studio-grade processing from the VE series. Or bring in a keyboard or drum machine using the line inputs. You can mix a total of eight sources as you stream, including background music and sound from a remote guest or student. Adding in external control support, recording to microSD media, and more, Gigcaster 8 is an essential partner for music performers, remote educators, podcasters, and anyone creating music-focused media.

• All-in-one USB interface solution designed for online musicians, music educators, podcasters, and music-focused content creators
• Premium sound quality with 32-bit floating-point processing and 48 kHz sampling rate
• Eight-channel audio mixer and numerous sound-shaping tools
• High-impedance input for direct connection of a guitar or bass
• Four XLR/TRS combo jacks for mics and electronic instruments
• Mic inputs feature phantom power and high-grade preamps with low noise and wide gain range (+70 dB)
• Flagship-quality BOSS amps and effects derived from the GT-1000
• Dedicated vocal effects, harmony, and voice transformer functions derived from VE vocal processors
• Ready-to-go preset libraries provide optimized sound processing for guitar, bass, singing, and speaking
• Dedicated stereo channels for remote guests and mobile device audio streamed via Bluetooth® or a wired connection
• 4.3-inch color touch display for intuitive control
• Independent faders and mute buttons for the eight audio input channels and master output
• Eight customizable pads for audio playback and real-time effects control (two modes with eight selectable banks in each)
• Talkback function for discrete communication between presenters
• Ducking function automatically lowers the background music volume while speaking
• Onboard stereo microphone and four headphone outputs with dedicated EQs
• Front-panel headphones output supports a headset mic or inline mic
• Also works as a 20x14 USB audio interface for multitrack recording in music production software
• Record live stereo or multitrack audio (32-bit/48 kHz) to an optional microSD card
• Runs on USB bus power* or included AC adaptor
• Supports hands-free operation via optional BOSS footswitches, expression pedals, and a GA-FC/GA-FC EX foot controller
• Dedicated Gigcaster 8 App for parameter editing, backup, and audio file conversion

*Minimum requirement for USB bus power: 5 V/3 A.

Killer Guitar and Bass Sounds, No External Gear Needed

With Gigcaster 8, you can stream and jam with impressive guitar and bass tones without the need for external processing. Just plug into the front-panel jack and start rocking with premium amps and effects ported from the top-line GT-1000. Versatile preset patches provide 100 ready-to-play sounds, while 200 user locations are available for storing parameter tweaks and custom-built setups. A built-in tuner is always at hand, a vital tool for every session. And with extensive control support via footswitches, expression pedals, and the GA-FC or GA-FC EX, you can operate your rig hands-free as you perform.

Connect Mics and Instruments

Gigcaster 8 features four XLR/TRS combo inputs for additional gear and playing along with other musicians. Tap into broadcast-quality XLR mic sounds with low-noise preamps, wide dynamic range, and phantom power support. Or use the 1/4-inch jacks for any electronic musical instrument. Dedicated vocal effects from the popular VE series allow you to sing with effects like compression, pitch correction, delay, and reverb, and you can even dial up harmonies that automatically follow a set key. Effects are also available for speaking—including fun transformer effects that change the sound of your voice—along with console effects to enhance the sounds of connected sources.

Pro Multichannel Audio Mixing

Gigcaster 8 puts a deep array of powerful mixing and audio routing features at your fingertips. Along with the four primary input channels, there are dedicated stereo channels for the sound pads, analog aux input, onboard Bluetooth®, and USB. Each mixer channel includes various sound-shaping options for pro mixing on the fly. Gigcaster 8 can also communicate with multiple computer audio channels over USB, providing lots of flexibility for different streaming applications and working with remote guests, DAW music tracks, game audio, and more.

Maximum Fan Engagement

Along with its versatile connectivity and great sound, Gigcaster 8 offers many tools to keep your streams filled with engaging content. Play music from a mobile device via Bluetooth® or a wired connection and use the ducking function to automatically reduce the volume as you speak over it. Eight sound pads are also available for triggering theme songs, sound effects, sample loops, and backing tracks, configured in eight pad banks for a total of 64 on-demand sounds. Pre-loaded factory samples are included, and you can set up your own custom libraries using the Gigcaster 8 App.

Grab-and-Go Control

With the color touch display and intuitive panel controls, you can easily configure and operate Gigcaster 8 using nothing but the hardware. Mix sources with the faders and mute buttons, view signal levels on screen, quickly access and edit effects, and apply noise suppression, de-essing, and other tools for a polished sound. You can go even further with the Gigcaster 8 App, tweaking various parameters on your computer’s screen as you work.

Customize Your Workflow

Gigcaster 8 offers configurable features to suit any streaming style. The sound pads switch to effect mode at the touch of a button, giving you 64 command sources for quick sound changes as you play. Up to four effects controls can be assigned to each pad, including preset selection, bypass, and more. It’s also possible to control pad assignments via external footswitches for hands-free access. MIDI over USB is supported as well, providing advanced control of music, video, and streaming applications that respond to MIDI commands.

Onboard and Computer Recording

Offering 32-bit/48 kHz audio quality, Gigcaster 8 is a recording powerhouse for capturing livestreams, archiving jams, or creating full song productions. Onboard WAV recording is supported via optional microSD media, and you can choose to capture the stereo mix output or a multitrack performance either pre- or post-fader. Control recording/playback with dedicated panel buttons and use the convenient mark function to flag points and speed up editing in post-production. Gigcaster 8 is also a 20x14 USB interface, providing a professional front-end for your favorite music production software.

Sampling Rate

48 kHz

AD Conversion

24 bits

DA Conversion

32 bits

Processing

32-bit floating point

USB Audio

Input: 20 ch
Output: 14 ch

Bluetooth

A2DP, HFP

Recording

Data Format: BWF (48 kHz, 32-bit float)
Storage: microSD card (sold separately)

Sound Pad

Data Format: WAV (48 kHz, 16-bit linear)
Storage: internal storage(16GB)

Effect Patches

GUITAR: 200 (User) + 100 (Preset)
SING: 200 (User) + 30 (Preset)
TALK: 200 (User) + 30 (Preset)

Number of Effects

GUITAR: 1 ch (DISTORTION?PREAMP?EQ?NS?PEDAL FX?FX1?FX2?FX3?DELAY/REVERB)
SING: 2 ch (COMP?ENHANCE?DESS?EQ?NS?PITCH CORRECT?HARMONY?FX1?FX2?FX3?DELAY/REVERB)
TALK: 4 ch (COMP?ENHANCE?DESS?EQ?NS?FX1?FX2)
CONSOLE: 7 ch (COMP?ENHANCE?DESS?NS?FX)
FX: 1 ch (for SOUND PAD)
OUTPUT: COMP, REVERB

Nominal Input Level(Adjustable)

GUITAR INPUT: -10 dBu
INPUT 1--4 (XLR type): -40 dBu
INPUT 1--4 (TRS type): -10 dBu
MOBILE IN: -20 dBu

Input Impedance

GUITAR INPUT: 1M ohms
INPUT 1--4 (XLR type): 5.6 k ohms
INPUT 1--4 (TRS type):27 k ohms
MOBILE IN: 22 k ohms

Nominal Output Level

MAIN OUT L, R: -10 dBu

Output Impedance

MAIN OUT L, R: 1 k ohms
PHONES1--4: 47 ohms

Recommended Load Impedance

MAIN OUT L, R: 10 k ohms or greater

Display

Color Graphic LCD (480 x 272 dots) Touch screen

Controls

CH1--8 Edit buttons, OUTPUT Edit button,
CH1--8 Mute buttons, OUTPUT Mute button,
CH1--8 Monitor buttons,
Talkback button,
Rec button,
Mark button,
EFFECTS button,
Pads 1--8,
CH1--8 faders, OUTPUT fader,
Headphone 1--4 knobs

Connectors

Guitar jack: 1/4-inch phone type
Channel 1--4 jacks: Combo type (XLR, 1/4-inch TRS phone), balanced
Mobile jack: Stereo miniature phone type(CTIA)
MAIN OUT (L, R) jacks: 1/4-inch phone type
Headphone 1 jack: Stereo miniature phone type(CTIA)
Headphone 2--4 jacks: Stereo miniature phone type
FOOT SW jack: 1/4-inch TRS phone type
USB port: USB type-C(R)
DC IN jack

Power Supply

AC adaptor (PSD series)
USB BUS Power

Current Draw

1.8 A (with phantom power)
1.6 A (without phantom power)

Accessories

AC adaptor: PSD series
Owner's Manual
Leaflet "USING THE UNIT SAFELY"

Options (sold separately)

Footswitch: FS-5U
Dual Footswitch: FS-6
Expression Pedal: FV-500L, FV-500H, Roland EV-5
Foot Controller: GA-FC, GA-FC EX

Size and Weight

Width

217 mm
8-9/16 inches

Depth

267 mm
10-9/16 inches

Height

80 mm
3-3/16 inches

Weight

1.36 kg
3 lbs

* 0 dBu = 0.775 Vrms

*The specifications are subject to change without notice.