AMP IN A BOX
Two amps, one stompBoss IR-2 · Pedal Zines № 02

Issue02

IR-2 (n.) A whole guitar amp plus a mic'd speaker cabinet, squeezed into one BOSS compact pedal. Plug the pedalboard in front, send the output straight to a mixer.

§ 01 · What it isRead me first

11 amp types, each paired with a Celestion cab IR. Two saved sounds: the green channel and the red channel. One stomp swaps them. Plus an effects loop, headphones, and USB-C.

Wait 2 sec, then stomp

§ 02Where everything lives

The Map

Numbers match the official manual. Each round knob is two knobs stacked: the top label is the knob, the bottom label is the ring around it.

1DC INBOSS PSA-series AC adaptor only (sold separately). Or run on a 9 V battery.
2CHECK indicatorGreen or red = which channel is on. Dark = bypassed. Dim = battery low.
3SENDOut to your loop pedals. The loop sits after the amp sound.
4RETURNBack in from the loop. TRS jack: tell it MONO or STEREO (§ 07).
5OUTPUT A (MONO) / BTo a mixer, amp or interface. Mono? Use only A (MONO).
6INPUTGuitar or pedalboard in (TS cable). Plugging in here turns the IR-2 ON.
7CH SELOptional FS-5U / FS-6 / FS-7 footswitch to change channels.
8Pedal switchPress = swap green/red channel. Hold = bypass.
9AMBIENCE (top knob)How much room sound is added.
10LEVEL (top knob)The amp's output volume.
11GAIN (top knob)Amount of drive/distortion.
12BASS (outer ring)Low end.
13MIDDLE (outer ring)Mids.
14TREBLE (outer ring)Highs.
15Type knobPicks 1 of 11 amp + cab combos. Also picks options in the setup menus.
16PHONESStereo mini jack for headphone practice.
17USB-CUSB audio to a computer or iOS device, and the IR Loader app.

§ 03Power, outputs, first plug-in

Hook It Up

FIRST RUN

In this order

Power: BOSS PSA-series adaptor into DC IN (sold separately), or a 9 V alkaline battery (about 3.5 h).
Turn the mixer down before plugging anything in.
OUTPUT A (MONO) to the mixer. Mono = A only. Stereo = A + B.
Plug into INPUT last. That jack is the power switch: cable in = on, cable out = off.
Mixer on last when powering up, off first when shutting down.

GOOD TO KNOW

Tell it where it's going

The IR-2 tunes its sound for whatever its outputs feed. The factory setting is LINE: mixer, audio interface, recorder. That's right for a mixer, so you likely never touch it.

Going into a real guitar amp instead? Pick that amp in setup menu 3 (§ 07).

Headphones always use LINE, whatever the setting.

Unplug the INPUT cable when you're done, or a battery keeps draining.

✓ First sessionTap each one when done · saves on this device

Sound Check

0 / 10 done GREEN LIGHT. PLAY.

Power: PSA adaptor in (or a fresh 9 V)USB and headphones drain batteries fast.
Mixer channel turned downAlways turn down before connecting.
OUTPUT A (MONO) → mixer channelMono rig = A jack only.
Plug the cable into INPUT, then mixer onINPUT is the power switch. Mixer on last, off first.
Output select = LINEFactory setting. Check it in setup menu 3 if unsure.
RETURN mode = MONOFactory setting. Matches a mono loop.
Green channel: dial a clean toneTry CLEAN or TWN. Wait 2 s after your last tweak.
Stomp to red: dial a dirty toneTry BRIT or BROWN. It saves itself.
Match volumes with LEVELFlip back and forth until neither jumps out.
Add a little AMBIENCEA touch of room makes the direct sound feel like an amp.

§ 04Turn knobs, it saves itself

Dial a Tone

ORDER

Top to bottom

Type: pick the amp.
GAIN: how dirty.
BASS / MIDDLE / TREBLE rings: shape it.
LEVEL: how loud.
AMBIENCE: a little room. Room is the factory flavor; Hall and Plate live in setup menu 2.

AUTO-SAVE

No save button

Every knob change saves to the channel that's lit. But if you stomp or pull the plug right after a tweak, it may not stick.

Wait about 2 seconds after your last tweak.

The 11 amps

CLEANBOSS original clean1×12 V-Type
TWNFender Twin Reverb2×12 A-Type
TWEEDFender Bassman 4×104×10 G10 Gold
DIAMONDVOX AC302×12 Blue
CRUNCHBOSS original crunch2×12 G12-65
BRITMarshall 19594×12 G12M-Heritage
HI-GAINBOSS original high gain4×12 G12M Creamback
SLDNSoldano SLO-1004×12 Vintage 30
BROWNBOSS lead (Katana-derived)4×12 G12M-Heritage
MODDEDBOSS extreme gain4×12 G12K-100
RFIERMESA/Boogie Dual Rectifier Ch.2 Modern4×12 Vintage 30

Celestion cab IR shown under each. Guitar only: there are no bass amp/cab IRs.

§ 05Like an amp with two channels

Green / Red

Two saved sounds. green channel and red channel. Each one remembers every knob, including the Type.

Press

Swap channels. CHECK turns green or red to show which one.

Heads up: after a swap, the knobs on the pedal may not match what you hear. The channel's saved sound wins until you touch a knob.

Hold

Bypass (effect off). CHECK goes dark.

CH SEL footswitch connected? Then this switch only does bypass.

Add a switch

Plug an FS-5U, FS-6 or FS-7 into CH SEL to change channels with it.

Then the pedal's own switch only does bypass.

TRY THIS

Green: Type on BRIT, set the knobs. Wait 2 s. Stomp to red: Type on BROWN, set the knobs. Stomp back: your BRIT sound returns. That's the manual's own example.

§ 06Jacks that matter

Loop & Outs

SEND / RETURN

The loop

Pedals in the loop come after the amp sound. BOSS pitches it for mod, delay and reverb.

RETURN is a TRS jack. Tell it what's coming back: MONO (factory, TS plug) or STEREO (TRS plug). Setup menu 4.

OUTPUTS

A, B, phones

OUTPUT A (MONO) alone = mono. A + B = stereo. Both get the same amp setting.

PHONES (stereo mini) for quiet practice. Your whole pedalboard comes through.

USB-C

Computer & phone

Works as a USB audio interface: record your rig, or play backing tracks through it.

Use a data-capable USB 2.0 cable (charge-only won't work). iOS needs Apple's Lightning-USB Camera Adapter.

Using USB or phones? Use the AC adaptor. They drain batteries fast.

§ 07The hidden power-up menus

Secret Menus

No screen, so settings hide behind a power-up trick. You'll rarely need these. Same moves every time:

HOW

Unplug INPUT (power off).
Set Type to the menu's position (table).
AMBIENCE, LEVEL, GAIN all the way down. BASS, MIDDLE, TREBLE all the way up.
Hold the pedal switch and plug into INPUT. CHECK lights green, then blinks orange on a loop. Count the blinks = which menu.
Turn Type to choose an option.
Press the switch to save (fast red blink). Play after 2–3 s.

Ambience: minLevel: minGain: min Bass: maxMiddle: maxTreble: max

Type at	Blinks	Menu & options
CLEAN	1× orange	Amp / Cab on-off CLEAN = amp + cab on (factory) · TWN = amp only · TWEED = cab only
TWN	2× orange	Ambience type CLEAN = ROOM (factory) · TWN = HALL · TWEED = PLATE
TWEED	3× orange	Output select (what you're plugged into) CLEAN + AMBIENCE all the way down = LINE: mixer, interface, recorder (factory). Other combos = JC-120, KATANA-100, NEXTONE Artist, tube combo/stack, INPUT or RETURN
DIAMOND	4× orange	RETURN mode CLEAN = MONO, TS plug (factory) · TWN = STEREO, TRS plug
CRUNCH	5× orange	USB mode CLEAN = GENERIC (iOS) · TWN = VENDOR driver for Windows/macOS (factory)

The IR Loader app (§ 08) can change these same settings on screen.

§ 08Optional · computer required

Your Own IRs

SET UP

IR Loader app

From the BOSS IR-2 downloads page, install the IR-2 driver first, then IR-2 IR Loader (Mac or Windows).
Connect USB-C, open IR Loader, choose IR-2.
Click the IR LOADER icon, pick a .wav, click Open.

WHAT LOADS

The fine print

WAV44.1 / 48 / 96 kHz16 / 24-bit or 32-bit float200 or 500 ms

Stereo file? It asks which channel to keep.

There are 11 cab slots, one per amp type. Your IRs go into those same slots, replacing the stock Celestion IR there.

SAFETY NET

Don't yank it

Never unplug USB or power while an IR is loading. It can corrupt data.

SLOT RESET (MENU) puts one slot back to factory.

ALL DATA BACKUP saves everything, IRs included. Restoring overwrites it all.

● Heads up
It's the IR-2 IR Loader app, not BOSS Tone Studio. The BOSS manuals for this pedal don't mention Tone Studio at all.

§ 09Last resort only

Factory Reset

NO UNDO

Back to factory settings

Back up first: IR Loader → MENU → ALL DATA BACKUP. Note the knob positions are different from the setup menus: everything goes all the way down.

Type: BROWNAmbience: minLevel: minGain: minBass: minMiddle: minTreble: min

Unplug the INPUT cable (power off).
Set Type to BROWN.
Turn every other knob all the way counterclockwise, rings included.
Hold the pedal switch and plug into INPUT. CHECK goes green, then blinks orange .
Press the pedal switch. Fast orange blink , then solid orange = factory settings restored.
Unplug INPUT to power off. Then re-dial your green and red channels.

▸ The manual doesn't say whether a reset also wipes custom IRs. Back up first to be safe. To restore one IR slot only, use SLOT RESET in IR Loader instead.

§ 10My board

In My Rig

Guitar

→

NotaklonJHS

→

SD-1Boss

→

RATProCo

→

Phase 90MXR

→

Lucky CatJHS delay

→

IR-2INPUT

IR-2 effects loop · after the amp

SEND

→

JamMan ExpressDigiTech looper

→

SDRUMDigiTech drums

→

RETURNMONO

IR-2OUTPUT A (MONO)

→

Mackie Mix12FXone mixer channel

TIP 1

Drums dodge the amp

BOSS puts the loop after the amp emulation, so the SDRUM's drums and the JamMan's loops don't get the GAIN or amp Type piled on. Stomp green to red all you want; the drums stay clean.

Since the loop is after the amp, what the JamMan records should already have the amp sound baked in. Switching channels changes only your live playing (my read of the loop placement, not a manual line).

BOSS doesn't spell out whether the cab IR, AMBIENCE and LEVEL sit before or after the loop. Trust your ears.

TIP 2

Keep RETURN on MONO

The SDRUM sends one mono signal back (from its AMP OUT). RETURN's factory setting is MONO, which matches. Only change it (menu 4) if a stereo pedal ever ends the loop.

TIP 3

Mixer moves

Leave Output select on LINE (factory): it's the setting for mixers.

One mixer channel: use OUTPUT A (MONO) only.

Use the IR-2's LEVEL to make green and red equally loud, and the mixer channel for overall volume. Turn the mixer on last and off first.

§ 11One light, many moods

CHECK Decoder

solidblinkingfast blinkdimdark

Looks like	Name	Means
	Solid green	Green channel is on.
	Solid red	Red channel is on.
	Dark	Bypassed (you held the switch), or no cable in INPUT = power off.
	Dim / not lighting	Battery is low. Swap it, or use the AC adaptor.
	Green, then orange blinks ×1–5 on a loop	You're in a setup menu. Count the blinks: 1 amp/cab, 2 ambience, 3 output, 4 return, 5 USB.
	Fast red blink	Setup saved. Play again after 2–3 seconds.
	Green, then steady orange blinking	Factory reset is armed. Press the switch to go.
	Fast orange blink	Reset running. Hands off.
	Solid orange	Reset done. Unplug INPUT to power off.

AMP IN A BOX Two amps, one stompBoss IR-2 · Pedal Zines № 02