Boss Pedals

Prince was known for his use of Boss pedals. From the 1999 tour onward, he always used a pedalboard containing multiple Boss pedals. He also used these pedals in the studio for processing, guitar, bass, keyboard and drum sounds. His distinctive drum sound that appears on records like 1999, Purple Rain, Sign O The Times and Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic came from processing his Linn LM-1 with Boss effects. His Boss pedalboards for live use are documented from the 1999 tour onward.

This page summarises Prince's Boss pedals for each era. There are reports of him using other pedals in the studio that weren't used live. Prince was reported to have multiple pedalboards, so it is likely there may have been some variations to these boards.

1982-1985 - (1999, Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day)

• Boss PSM-5 Power Supply & Master Switch
• Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
• Boss BF-2 Flanger
• Boss DM-2 Delay
• Boss VB-2 Vibrato
• Boss OC-2 Octave

1986-1992 - (Parade, Sign O The Times, Lovesexy, Batman, Graffiti Bridge, Diamonds and Pearls, Lovesymbol)

• Boss PSM-5 Power Supply & Master Switch
• Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
• Boss DSD-2 Digital Delay/Sampler or DD-3 Digital Delay
• Boss BF-2 Flanger
• Boss OC-2 Octave
• Boss VB-2 Vibrato

The analogue DM-2 Delay was replaced with the newer, digital DSD-2 Digital Delay/Sampler. Prince may have also used the similar DD-3 Digital Delay. There are reports from Prince's engineers of Prince using other Boss pedals in the studio, especially for use with his Linn LM-1.

• Boss HM-2 Heavy Metal
• An orange distortion, probably a Boss DS-1 Distortion
• An envelope filter, probably a Boss TW-1 T-Wah[1]

1993-1997 - (Come, Gold Experience, Chaos and Disorder, Emancipation)

• Boss PSM-5 Power Supply & Master Switch
• Boss MT-2 Metal Zone
• Boss OC-2 Octave
• Boss BF-2 Flanger
• Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
• Boss VB-2 Vibrato
• Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion

The SD-1 Super Overdrive was replaced with a MT-2 Metal Zone. The DS-2 Turbo Distortion was added in 1994.

1998-2007 - (Rave Un2 The Joy Fantastic, The Rainbow Children, N.E.W.S., Musicology, 3121)

• Boss BD-2 Blues Driver
• Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
• Boss OC-2 Octave
• Boss BF-2 Flanger
• Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
• Boss VB-2 Vibrato

The MT-2 Metalzone is replaced with a BD-2 Blues Driver and the PSM-5 Power Supply is replaced with a newer power block.

2009-Onward - (Lotusflow3r, 20ten, Art Official Age, Plectrumelectrum)

• Boss TU-3 Tuner
• Boss BD-2 Blues Driver
• Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion
• Boss OC-2 Octave
• Boss BF-2 Flanger
• Boss DD-6 Digital Delay
• Boss VB-2 Vibrato

The DD-3 is replaced with the newer DD-6 and a TU-3 Tuner is added.