‘Best’ cheapish multi effects?

markslade07

Its looking like I’m joining a new band next week - my amp and guitars are fine, I just need to consider effects. Due to being out of the game for a while I have a small number of ok-ish pedals, but would still need perhaps 3 more to cover my requirements. If im going to spend £150-£200 on a few pedals plus patch cables, power etc I thought I may as well look at multis.

In the past I’ve had a GT8 and a Nova system so they are not alien to me, but something dead simple (I don’t have unlimited hours to go through a gazillion menus and options trying to set up a patch) would be ideal.

I saw a friend of mine in a Bowie tribute band and his ME80 sounded great and looks simple enough for me. Also, second hand they can be had for a decent price. 

So....is this the best option sub-£200 or should I be looking at something else?

guitargeek62

Boss ME-50.

markslade07

@guitargeek62 Over the ME80? What makes you recommend that one?

EricTheWeary

Line 6 M9?  Can be had for £229 new and much lower used. Relatively simple, not huge. 

kennedydream1980

I would go Nova System, if I was using an amp I would definitely buy another.
It really isn’t complex. Just use the Pete Thorn settings and away you go :-)

ICBM

markslade07 said:

@guitargeek62 Over the ME80? What makes you recommend that one?

If you're using a real amp the ME-50 is really good-sounding - noticeably better to me than the ME-70, although I haven't tried the 80 yet - but doesn't have amp modelling so you can't DI it. (Other than in an emergency or for a bit of extra 'fill' with stereo delays or something - the speaker simulator is best described as primitive.) It's also simpler than the ME-80 with only one row of switches that are better spaced.

timbuk02

Always thought the NUX Cerberus looks a decent setup to cover pretty much everything for under £200. No menu diving needed. 

PolarityMan

Got a Boss GT-10 plus additional foot switch on the FS

markslade07

Thanks for the ideas chaps...

Nova System...good sounding, though been there, done that, switching a bit of a pita
M9 - good shout, one for the list
ME50 - again, good shout, just wonder if the ME80 has a few more options for live use?
NUX Cerberus - never heard of it. Just had a quick search, sounds pretty decent. Needs more googling
Boss GT-10 - a bit too menu driven for me...I’d like to be able to tweak it quickly on the fly

kennedydream1980

Carl Martin Quattro??

vasselmeyer

Line 6 M9 or M13. Can be had for a very decent price and the effects are still pretty good.

blobb

ME50 if you want tweak quickly, I couldn't get on with the cosm distortion though. It was ok for what it was and at least it gives you quite a few to play around with. I used to put a synth through it and tweak on the fly at jam night, great fun. Great little knob twiddler, wish I hadn't sold it.

Legionreturns

If you have existing pedals and a board, would selling them get you into HX effects territory? £399 new and around £300 second hand at present. 

Pretty much unbeatable into a decent amp. 

ICBM

blobb said:

ME50 if you want tweak quickly, I couldn't get on with the cosm distortion though.

Most of them aren’t great, but I love ‘Natural’ and ‘Loud’ - Natural is genuinely my favourite overdrive of any pedal, even better than my old Mesa V-Twin. But one of the minor irritations is that it doesn’t retain the ‘Variation’ setting when the power is off, so you have to remember to turn it on again each time you use it... not a big deal but it’s caught me out once or twice!

One of the things that’s annoying about the ME-70 and 80 is that they dropped Loud on the 70 and Natural on the 80 as well. (And the resonant filter setting on the wah, which is also one of my favourite sounds on the 50.)

Dopesick

Zoom G3 is a good bet too, and a doddle to use live. Would recommend the newer G3n but reviews haven't exactly been glowing.

markslade07

Legionreturns said:

If you have existing pedals and a board, would selling them get you into HX effects territory? £399 new and around £300 second hand at present. 

Pretty much unbeatable into a decent amp. 

I guess I could get some of the way there....the HX Effects would probably have been top choice but for the price.

I have to sell: Fredric FX Klone, Boo Instruments Trem, Digitech Hardwire DL-8, Boss RV-6, a couple of pedal boards (nothing fancy), Fuel Tank Jr, maybe an old wah that's a bit intermittent. 

Hmmm....

menamestom

Zoom G3 and a nice drive or 2

sgosden

If you're only going to need one effect at a time the line6 M5 is also good sounds wise (provided you get a non breaking one).

markslade07

sgosden said:

If you're only going to need one effect at a time the line6 M5 is also good sounds wise (provided you get a non breaking one).

I think I'm going to need (want?) more than one at a time, which puts me at M9 or up I think

PolarityMan

markslade07 said:

Legionreturns said:

If you have existing pedals and a board, would selling them get you into HX effects territory? £399 new and around £300 second hand at present. 

Pretty much unbeatable into a decent amp. 

I guess I could get some of the way there....the HX Effects would probably have been top choice but for the price.

I have to sell: Fredric FX Klone, Boo Instruments Trem, Digitech Hardwire DL-8, Boss RV-6, a couple of pedal boards (nothing fancy), Fuel Tank Jr, maybe an old wah that's a bit intermittent. 

Hmmm....

The helix effects are certainly top notch..the reason my GT10 is for sale is that I bought a helix

midlifecrisis

i gigged with a zoom g3 for a couple of years, no complaints. i think you can pick them up used for around £70.