Boss FS-5U Non-Latching Footswitch

I've been working on a personal music electronics project for months. It requires a non-latching (doesn't toggle between "on" and "off" positions with each click), momentary (only goes "on" [that's a "normally open/off" switch] or "off" [that's a "normally closed/on" switch] when you push the pedal) footswitch. I have now looked at and/or actually tested/used three different brands of such footswitches: Philmore 30-17090; Hosa FSC-502 and Boss FS-5U. All the makers have different versions of the same switch ... if you know you need a "momentary" switch, then you have to find out if the type you need is "normally open/off" or "normally closed/on." As explained below, the Boss switch eliminates that problem.The Philmore switch is the cheapest pre-fab switch I could find "out there," and comes with a basic 1/4 inch cable pre-installed. It "works," but it's like a noisy little tin can, and the guts of it are just too crude to really work effectively/consistently with any modern digital music devices. I couldn't get it to work properly/consistently with my project ... this switch is really designed for analog control of lights, ham radio mic/audio, etc.The Hosa switch is "OK," also comes with a pre-installed cable, and SHOULD work, but it's basically a glorified version of the Philmore device, designed/made a little better for use with digital music devices ... that is, the internal circuitry is better designed for that function.Then there's the Boss switch, which doesn't come with a pre-installed cable ... you'll have to provide your own. I've already been using two of these switches for years, as a controller for an Alesis SR-16 drum machine. One switch for "on/off," the second for switching between "A" and "B" patterns. They've worked so great for that purpose, I NEVER had a switch-related problem until one of them finally became so worn/glitchy that I had to replace it. That took about 10 years of regular (more than weekly) use.Inside and out, Boss is the best such device out there. The case is thick, solid aluminum with a hard rubber base, and is basically bombproof. It has modular grooves on the right and left sides that allow you to lock multiple units side-by-side, and create a "bank" of as many separate switches as you want/need. The pedal is firm and the switch action is QUIET. The design that transfers the heavier action of the pedal to the more fragile/delicate internal circuit-board push-button is the best I've seen, and the internal circuitry is specifically designed to properly interface with the highly sensitive circuitry of digital music equipment.Unlike the other two, the Boss pedal can also function as EITHER a "normally on/closed" OR "normally off/open" switch, by use of a toggle switch mounted next to the 1/4 inch input jack. This switch is simply labeled "polarity," but what it actually does is change the way the switch operates ... from "normally off/open" to "normally on/closed," and back again, so you know this one switch can easily be made to work with either type of input ... no experimenting with different model numbers.In sum, if you know you need a "momentary" footswitch, spend the extra money and buy the Boss. It's the best-designed, most durable and most reliable option out there for the price, and it will save you a lot of headaches in the long run.

Works fantastic with the boss RC1 loop station. Double clicking the loop to stop it is such a pain! This allows a solid punch out so you can hit the beat and not take away the functionality of the pedal itself with overdubbing. Easily triples my enjoyment of the RC1. Very solidly built like all Biss products.

This is a non-latching switch, so it works perfectly to set the tempo for Boss pedals. Nice size, fits OK on a pedal board but still big enough to hit with your foot and not trigger other pedals. Has a good solid "spring" feel to it, so you know when you have engaged the switch.

Works as intended and provides additional useful functionality to RC-1 Loop Station

I used this footswitch along with the below to turn my Nikon D7000 into a great photo booth along with 2 Alien Bees B400 Strobe lights and a white muslin background. I also use the cybersync transmitter and receivers.* I have read that this switch is very durable and stands up to allot of abuse. Plus it's easy to unplug for packing, etc.Allows guest to walk into the photo booth (It's just a mini studio) which I can setup in the corner at wedding receptions, etc. The foot pedal along with the pre-trigger cable allow the subjects to snap their own pictures and be as funny as they want. Seems having a photographer behind the camera makes people not come out and be as funny as they are when they know no one's behind the camera. I have an assistant had out props such as hats and mustaches on sticks along with chalk boards, etc. for guest to write whatever they want.(I have the camera set to manual focus along with a high f-stop so there's no issues with users being blurry. Camera is set with a 50mm prime lens and covers the entire backdrop)The wifi card allows users to view their images on my ipad and the otterbox case protect it from kids/rough guest. (also another reason to have an assistant).I tried the Eye-Fi Card along with Nikons USB Wifi card, and for the money, the transcend card was the best bang for the buck. I leave the camera in live view mode, so it never looses a connection to the ipad by turning off the wifi card. Also that's why I needed the ac power cord for my camera. The ipad is also plugged into power.Hope this helps someone else setup an awesome photo booth as well!* Nikon 27018 EP-5a Power Supply Connector* Kapaxen EH-5 EH-5A AC Power Adapter* ChargerCity Music Mic Microphone Stand Tablet Mount* Hosa Cable CMS110 1/8 inch TRS to 1/4 Inch TRS Adapter Cable - 10 Foot* C2G / Cables to Go 03170 3.5mm Stereo Coupler Female/Female* Fotodiox Pro Pre-Trigger Remote Shutter Release Cable for Nikon D7000* Transcend Information 32 GB Wi-Fi SDHC Class 10 Memory Card* OtterBox Defender Series Case with Screen Protector and Stand for the New iPad

Our audio studio breaks one of these every year or two. They work well when new, but the plastic construction and the switch they use on the logic board aren't super durable and tend to fail pretty quickly. I opened the product and looked at the switch to see if I could find a replacement to solder from Mouser etc but couldn't locate one which fit its specs. I'd love to find something super durable for 2-3x the price and buy it for the long term but haven't really found a replacement.

No hay mucho que decir. Cumple perfectamente su función y el material es de la excelente calida con la que fabrica boss.

Es Boss, Roland....no falla, si lo encuentras mas barato compralo.

Genuine product got it at a fair price. love it

Been using it for a couple of years now. No complaints.

Great solid pedal from Boss,and easy to set up and use,I bought this pedal to go with my Boss RC 1 loop Station guitar pedal and it works great, would recommend 5\5