Attention iPad users—there’s a great new way to get inside info on the latest Roland and BOSS gear, industry insights from pro musicians, and more. And best of all, it’s free! With our PowerOn digital magazines, you can keep up on the gear and artists you love, right from within the Apple Newsstand app on your iPad.

Packed with rich multimedia content and interactive features, our PowerOn mags offer lots of cool and interesting stuff for musicians:

• In-depth interviews with pro players, with info about how they use Roland and BOSS gear in their rigs
• Hot music industry news
• Detailed profiles of Roland and BOSS equipment
• Tips, tricks, how-to articles, and much more

Two different versions of PowerOn are published by Roland U.S. Both are available as free downloads at the Apple App Store.

Click a title below for a direct link:

• PowerOn Roland Users Group Magazine
  
• PowerOn BOSS & Guitar Edition
• PowerOn Global Version available for download outside of the U.S.

Screenshots

Screenshots: PowerOn Roland Users Group Magazine

Screenshots: PowerOn BOSS & Guitar Edition

A Continuing Tradition

If you’re a longtime Roland and BOSS user, you might remember the Roland Users Group and BOSS Users Group print magazines. Each of these titles was published for over 20 years, with new issues coming out about three times annually. They were available for free at all Roland and BOSS dealers, and were also sent directly to subscribers via mail. Around 2005, both Roland Users Group and BOSS Users Group moved to the web, where they’re still going strong today.

Blast from the past

PowerOn magazines from Roland U.S. are digital versions of these two popular print mags, reborn in paperless form for easy, portable access from your iPad. Of course, the iPad format also brings a huge range of hip, modern features, including audio and video content, interactive options, and lots more fun stuff.

Visit the Apple App Store and get PowerOn now!

Related links and articles:

• PowerOn Roland Users Group Magazine at the Apple App Store
• PowerOn BOSS & Guitar Edition at the Apple App Store
• Roland Users Group on the web
• BOSS Users Group on the web
• PowerOn Global Version available in the Apple App store outside of the U.S.

Led by guitarist Billy Duffy and vocalist Ian Astbury, British post-punk band The Cult is still going strong after nearly 30 years. Formed in 1983 and strongly influenced by classic rockers from the ’60s and ’70s, the group unleashed a hard-edged sound with shades of psychedelia that presented a strong contrast to the drum machine-driven synth pop that led the UK music scene at the time. Powered by Duffy’s melodic riffage and Astbury’s bluesy wail, the essential ’80s albums Love, Electric, and Sonic Temple saw the group evolve in an increasingly heavier direction, a tradition carried on today with their latest release, Choice of Weapon.

From the very beginning of The Cult, BOSS and Roland gear has been at the heart of Billy’s guitar tone. BOSS stomps have been his pedalboard mainstays for three decades, while the Roland JC-120 amp and its built-in chorus effect has a permanent home in his backline. “She Sells Sanctuary,” recorded in 1985 and one of the band’s most enduring songs, features this setup prominently, with multiple BOSS pedals and JC chorus shaping the tune’s memorable guitar intro.

BUG recently sat down with Billy to discuss The Cult’s music, his thoughts on tone, and his long history with BOSS and Roland. He also gave us a demonstration of how he developed the classic sounds in “She Sells Sanctuary” and “Fire Woman,” another iconic song that showcases Billy’s unique style.

When did you start using BOSS pedals?

The first time I got my hands on a BOSS pedal was really early in ’83. A guy called Jamie Stewart joined The Cult [on bass] when we put the band together in England. He used to be a guitar player, so he came with guitar effects. He handed them over and said, “I won’t be needing these anymore.” One of them was a BOSS Super Overdrive, which I’ve pretty much used until today. That was the first time I’d seen a BOSS pedal. Very quickly thereafter I started getting into BOSS delays—the old DM-2, the analog one, and I think it was a DD-2. And then I used a [BOSS] flanger. I never used chorus, because I always used [the built-in chorus in] my Roland JC-120.

A funny story about that: the first gig I ever did with The Cult was in a club in Oslo called Rats. We kind of debuted the band out of the UK. We did our first Led Zeppelin copy, which was “play outside the UK first, get your chops up, and come back.” So we did a gig in Oslo, and they gave me a thing called a JC-160, which I believe was a 4×10 [version]. I’ve never seen one since. That was the first amp I ever used [live with The Cult].

What is it that makes BOSS pedals appealing to pro players like you?

Continue reading on BOSS User’s Group  iPad magazine (Free iTunes download)

Continue reading online

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• Steve Stevens V-Guitar Experience Interview
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