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The dry output of most acoustic pickup systems – especially undersaddle piezos – is often underwhelming, lacking the warmth and depth of a miked instrument. The Boss AD-10 acoustic preamp addresses this long-standing issue with a portable, stage-ready solution that transforms sterile pickup tones into detailed and natural-sounding acoustic sounds. At its core, the AD-10 is a fully featured dual-channel preamp/DI equipped with a powerful tone-shaping section, including four-band EQ, phase inversion, compression, and BOSS's proprietary Acoustic Resonance processing. This advanced circuitry restores the body and string resonances typically lost with piezo pickups. Onboard feedback suppression, studio-quality effects, and an 80-second phrase looper complete the package. Each section can be edited and saved independently, and the dual channels can be configured for two guitars or two separate pickup sources on the same instrument.
The Boss AD-10 is divided into three key areas: tone shaping, effects, and live tools. Acoustic Resonance restores the spatial, organic quality of a mic'd guitar while retaining the feedback resistance of pickup-based systems. The EQ section is especially stage-friendly, with a variable low-cut filter, midrange sweep, and effective bass attenuation. Onboard effects include chorus, delay, and ambience reverb – all specifically voiced for acoustic instruments. An assignable effects loop allows external processors to be routed and recalled with each patch. While not storable, the 80-second looper supports stereo recording and expands creative options for on-the-fly layering, whether building ideas in practice or layering full arrangements on stage.
Notwithstanding USB connectivity and built-in tuning, the Boss AD-10 is clearly designed for the stage. Its soft-touch footswitches operate silently – ideal for acoustic sets – and can be assigned to looper control, boost, tap tempo, or tuner access. Boss's multi-level feedback suppression combines automatic and manual notch filters, each targeting the fundamental frequency and its first overtone, effectively tackling common feedback frequencies. Ten memory slots allow complete setups to be stored for different guitars or songs while a dedicated boost function with adjustable EQ is ideal for solos or dynamic transitions. Thoughtfully engineered for live performance, the Boss AD-10 offers deep functionality without complex menu-diving.
The Boss brand has been an important part of the Japanese Roland Corporation since the mid-1970s and has caused a sensation from its inception, especially with its compact effect pedals but also multi-effect units and other helpful tools for guitarists. The company's single effect pedals in particular are legendary and can be found in almost every guitarist's home. An incredible 15 million have been sold to date. With its Katana series, the manufacturer now also offers excellent amplifiers at a very interesting price point.
Solo artists, singer-songwriters, and acoustic ensembles will appreciate the Boss AD-10’s studio-grade signal path, premium effects, and compact format. It enhances clarity, suppresses feedback, and adds professional polish – whether used to enhance a guitar's presence in a band mix or as a complete rig for solo shows. The dual input channels and flexible routing make it easy to accommodate different instruments or pickup types, while its rugged design and battery/adapter operation suit a wide range of live setups. Despite its depth, the AD-10 remains surprisingly intuitive, with a clear interface and intuitive controls that keep tone-shaping fast and distraction-free. For players frustrated by sterile pickup tones or bulky multi-device rigs, the Boss AD-10 offers an elegant and very musical alternative – refined, versatile, and performance-ready.