BOSS GCS-5 Gigcaster 5 Channel Recording / Streaming Mixer

Gigcaster 5

Five-channel streaming mixer with guitar/bass input, two XLR mic inputs, stereo line input, eight onscreen sound/effect pads, and more.

All-in-One Audio Hub for Streaming Musicians

Gigcaster 5 is a powerful all-in-one audio command center purpose-built for musicians who livestream and create audio and video content. It provides a host of advanced features in a space-saving desktop interface, including premium audio connectivity and live operation via hands-on controls and a vivid color touchscreen.

Plug in a guitar or bass and play with flagship-level GT amps and effects. Connect mics and shape voices with studio-grade processing from the VE series. And bring in another instrument using the stereo line input. You can mix up to five sources as you stream, including background music and sound from a remote guest or student. Adding in customizable features, external control support, and more, Gigcaster 5 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 
• Advanced audio and control features in a space-saving footprint 
• Premium sound quality with 32-bit floating-point processing and 48 kHz sampling rate 
• Five-channel audio mixer and numerous sound-shaping tools 
• High-impedance input for direct connection of a guitar or bass 
• Two XLR jacks for mics and stereo line input for 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® 
• 4.3-inch color touch display for intuitive control 
• Independent faders and mute buttons for the five audio input channels and master output 
• Onscreen effect pads for customizable live effects control 
• Talkback function for discrete communication between presenters 
• Ducking function automatically lowers the background music volume while speaking 
• Two headphone outputs with dedicated EQs 
• Headphones 1 output supports a headset mic or inline mic 
• Also works as a 16x12 USB audio interface for multitrack recording in music production software 
• 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 5 App for sound pad playback, parameter editing, backup, and audio file conversion

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

For optimal performance, stay up to date with the current Gigcaster 5 system software and Gigcaster 5 App.

Download “Gigcaster 5 App” for Windows/macOS.

Killer Guitar and Bass Sounds, No External Gear Needed

With Gigcaster 5, 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.

Perform with Mics and Other Instruments

Gigcaster 5 also features inputs for additional gear and playing along with other musicians. Tap into broadcast-quality XLR mic sounds with two low-noise preamps, wide dynamic range, and phantom power support. And use the stereo line input for an instrument such as a keyboard or drum machine. 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 5 puts a deep array of mixing and audio routing features at your fingertips. Along with the three analog input channels, there are dedicated stereo channels for Bluetooth® and USB audio, and each mixer channel includes a variety of sound-shaping options for pro mixing on the fly. Gigcaster 5 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.

Compact Streaming Power

The compact Gigcaster 5 delivers a host of real-time creative tools while taking up minimal desktop space. You can play music from a mobile device via Bluetooth, and there’s a ducking function to automatically reduce the volume as you speak over it. When connected with the Gigcaster 5 App, it’s possible to trigger theme songs, sound effects, sample loops, and backing tracks with touches on the display as you stream. Eight pads and eight pad banks provide a total of 64 on-demand sounds, which you can easily configure and organize into libraries within the app.

Grab-and-Go Control

With the color touch display and intuitive panel controls, you can operate Gigcaster 5 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 5 App, tweaking various parameters on your computer’s screen as you work.

Customize Your Workflow

Gigcaster 5 offers many configurable features to suit any streaming style. Eight onscreen effect pads—configured in eight banks—give you 64 command sources for quick sound changes from the touch display. 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.

Pro Recording Partner

Gigcaster 5 works as a high-quality 16x12 USB audio interface for recording streams and full song productions in a DAW. Capture a live stereo mix in your streaming software for archiving and distribution. Or use Gigcaster 5 and its latency-free effects as a multi-channel front end for recording tracks and building songs in your favorite music production software.

Specifications

• Sample Rate
  • 48 kHz
• AD Conversion
  • 24 bits
• DA Conversion
  • 32 bits 
• Processing
  • 32-bit floating point 
• USB Audio
  • Input: 16 ch
  • Output: 12 ch 
• Bluetooth
  • A2DP, HFP
• 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, NHANCE, DESS, EQ, NS, PITCH CORRECT, HARMONY, FX1, FX2, FX3, DELAY/REVERB)
  • TALK: 3 ch (COMP, ENHANCE, DESS, EQ, NS, FX1, FX2)
  • CONSOLE: 5 ch (COMP, ENHANCE, DESS, NS, FX)
  • OUTPUT: COMP, REVERB
• Nominal Input Level (Adjustable)
  • GUITAR INPUT: -10 dBu
  • MIC INPUT 1, 2: -40 dBu
  • INST INPUT (L/R): -10 dBu
• Input Impedance
  • GUITAR INPUT: 1M ohms
  • MIC INPUT 1, 2: 5.6 k ohms
  • INST INPUT (L/R): 100 k ohms 
• Nominal Output Level
  • MAIN OUT L, R: -10 dBu
• Output Impedance
  • MAIN OUT L, R: 1 k ohms
  • PHONES 1, 2: 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
  • CH 1--5 EDIT buttons
  • OUTPUT EDIT button
  • CH 1--5 MUTE buttons
  • OUTPUT MUTE button
  • CH 1--5 MONITOR buttons
  • EFFECTS button
  • SOUND button
  • CH 1--5 faders
  • OUTPUT fader
  • Headphones 1
  • 2 knobs 
• Connectors
  • Guitar jack: 1/4-inch phone type
  • Mic 1, 2 jacks: XLR type, balanced, phantom power: DC 48 V, 10 mA Max
  • INST (L, R) jacks: 1/4-inch phone type
  • MAIN OUT (L, R) jacks: 1/4-inch phone type
  • Headphones 1 jack: Stereo miniature phone type (CTIA)
  • Headphones 2 jack: 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
  • 1.6 A (with phantom power)
  • 1.5 A (without phantom power)
• Dimensions
  • 177 (W) x 216 (D) x 78 (H) mm
  • 7 (W) x 8-9/16 (D) x 3-1/8 (H) inches
• Weight
  • 0.96 kg
  • 2 lbs 2 oz
• 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