Multi-effects question...

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:15 pm

After the Johnny Marr Jag post; I had a look at his stage gear and saw that he uses a Boss GT-5, and I know that one of my other heroes Will Sergeant uses an old boss me-10. So whatâ€™s the SS view on Multi FX?

onedaycloser · Post by **onedaycloser** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:33 pm

I've had a Boss ME-70 for a few years, while it's a good over all unit, there's some things I just prefer to get from single pedal units. The distortion/od samples it contains are certainly lacking, the fuzz especially.

I found I only really use 3-5 effects at most within the pedal and I have those served in individual units anyway.

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:45 pm

As part of set up they are useful but they don't cover enough bases to use on their own.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:46 pm

My only real aversion to them comes from being locked into all the sounds inside. Comparing different multi-fx pedals you'll see some excel in different areas. A single pedal will rarely have the best of everything, so you might prefer one brand's distortions, another brand's modulations, and so on. If you like the sounds of the effects you actually use the most, and the other stuff is just there to play and experiment with, then I'd say it's a pretty good setup, and definitely lightens the load and reduces setup time. But if you're one of those players who tries to assemble their pedal boards with the best of each effect they can find or afford, it might leave you a bit frustrated.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 3:58 pm

I'm sure Marr said he only uses them for time, modulation and comp.
I like them on the whole and use them exclusively at home but they always seem to fall short on the Gain sections. Although i have found if you tame the drive on them they can work well playing live with a decent amp.
The Digitech RP250 is an interesting one because it is actually a pedal modeller (Rat, D+, TS, etc.) and quite accurate as well. Plus you have all the extra's like modulation, time, whammy, wah and compression. The one thing i hate about it is you have to press both pedals at the same time to bypass/engage the tuner and because it is sensitive touching one pedal first can shoot you through a load of patches in a split second.

Out of the bunch of brands i think Line 6 have mastered the Gain sections best.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:05 pm

my reaction like all of your's is that i don't like them for all the reasons listed (and I bought one of thoes crap Zoom multi fx things in the 90's which made me think never again), but after reading a bit about them i'm thinking that something like the me-20 combined with a good overdrive pedal might be a good portable gigging tool.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:12 pm

You can pick up Korg Toneworks dirt cheap and they are quite decent, i've had one five years and still use it almost daily.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:36 pm

Fran wrote:You can pick up Korg Toneworks dirt cheap and they are quite decent, i've had one five years and still use it almost daily.

my father in-law used to have one of them and he thought it was da bomb... he loved the phaser on that thing.

Ps: Marr's rig...

Rhysyrhys · Post by **Rhysyrhys** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:22 pm

The Line 6: M-9/13, gets a great rap round here. I've used one and they are really, really awesome. I've used a few others that I've liked - the Vox tonelab SE was great, the Korg one was good, the boss and roland ones are really good if you use them right, but fairly standard if you want to use them in front of a tube amp. It's kind of a different deal: some are good for modelling and being run with the 4 cable config, some emulate there single pedal brethren and want to be run in front of an amp.

I think they are great, used correctly.

dezb1 · Post by **dezb1** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:48 pm

just bought a boss me-20 (Â£40) if I don't like it I'll put it back on the bay...

lorez · Post by **lorez** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:02 pm

dezb1 wrote:just bought a boss me-20 (Â£40) if I don't like it I'll put it back on the bay...

Â£40, it would be rude not to. Are the effects the same as in the pedals? For the delays it must be worth that alone if that is the case

gypsyseven · Post by **gypsyseven** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:04 pm

MultiFxÂ´s always took too much time tweaking around than playing my guitar....

plaidbeer · Post by **plaidbeer** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:28 pm

I was a little skeptical about multis after reading negative comments about them when I was considering my first pedals to buy, but Doog's M9 vids here made me reconsider. I then tried out the M9 a couple times in a GC and found that I really liked it. It didn't replace all my pedals--I use it for delay, reverb, and some modulation, but the drive effects (other than the high-gain stuff) aren't bad.

I sold my modulation, reverb, and delay pedals and use this in their place alongside my drive pedals. I still have a CE-2 and DE7, but only really because the M9 can't replicate the CE-2 and the DE-7 just to have as an extra delay (and it was pretty cheap). Lots of people on HCFX have an M-series multi and seem to really like them.

plaidbeer · Post by **plaidbeer** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:30 pm

gypsyseven wrote:MultiFxÂ´s always took too much time tweaking around than playing my guitar....

I've experienced some of this just because there are so many effects and combinations to experiment with on the M9. But, I still spent time tweaking effects on single pedals, too.

Rhysyrhys · Post by **Rhysyrhys** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:37 pm

gypsyseven wrote:MultiFxÂ´s always took too much time tweaking around than playing my guitar....

I rock a good few pedals - I'm always tweaking and messing around with different sounds. Its a big part of the fun. If you want to play guitar clean, just plug into an amp - otherwise spend the time designing cool sondz.

gypsyseven · Post by **gypsyseven** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 11:40 pm

Rhysyrhys wrote:
gypsyseven wrote:MultiFxÂ´s always took too much time tweaking around than playing my guitar....

I rock a good few pedals - I'm always tweaking and messing around with different sounds. Its a big part of the fun. If you want to play guitar clean, just plug into an amp - otherwise spend the time designing cool sondz.

Absolutely, but i rather use just a bunch of decent pedals...

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:35 am

lorez wrote:
dezb1 wrote:just bought a boss me-20 (Â£40) if I don't like it I'll put it back on the bay...
Â£40, it would be rude not to. Are the effects the same as in the pedals? For the delays it must be worth that alone if that is the case

THIS.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:03 am

I always found multi FX to have too many options and was never comfortable using them. My Line 6 DL4 is the only digital Multi-effect pedal I like. I like to physically see the knobs and settings for each pedal. It's odd because I am a geeky computer nerd, but I really prefer mostly analog guitar pedals to digital MultiFX.

Freddy V-C · Post by **Freddy V-C** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 11:51 am

I used to use multi-FX exclusively. My 'sound' improved tenfold when I started using individual pedals, so I don't think multi-FX are for me.

I suppose they have their uses, but no; not a fan.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 12:13 pm

I've been put off multi-effects ever since I had a Zoom 505 in the 90's. I guess technology has moved on since then though but i've never had the opportunity or desire to investigate. I like the idea of the Line 6 M9/13 but reports of people having them and still using stompbox OD/Dist/Fuzz pedals would kind of defeat the object of me having one.

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