What multi effect is this?

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daveyhdaveyh Frets: 681
edited September 2013 in FX

Recently I've had a loan of a Boss ME50, and whilst it's got obvious limitations I'm intrigued by the potential for using one. I know sod all about multi-effects though, so are there any multi-effects out there could do these things, or at least get close:

  • Display for song names
  • up/down footswitchs to move between song presets
  • knobs to control pedals ala stomps (not essential, just convinient)
  • individual pedals for each effect
  • could turn effects on and off within song presets
  • programmable pedal
  • extra loop(s) for fave dist pedal(s)
  • could run via 4 cable
  • decent amp emulation and emulated out 
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  • daveyh said:

    Recently I've had a loan of a Boss ME50, and whilst it's got obvious limitations I'm intrigued by the potential for using one. I know sod all about multi-effects though, so are there any multi-effects out there could do these things, or at least get close:

    • Display for song names
    • up/down footswitchs to move between song presets
    • knobs to control pedals ala stomps (not essential, just convinient)
    • individual pedals for each effect
    • could turn effects on and off within song presets
    • programmable pedal
    • extra loop(s) for fave dist pedal(s)
    • could run via 4 cable
    • decent amp emulation and emulated out 

    Line 6 Pod HD300 does all this. The up/down footswitch isn't up/down but is "scene" select. The "scene" will be the song name. You can choose up to 12 scenes in each bank and I think there are 4 banks of scenes - at least that's what it is on the M13, the HD300 might be even more.
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  • longilongi Frets: 95
    The HD300 doesn't do 4cm though, although the HD400/500's do. Just about every Boss GT does it all. I think the Pod XT does as does the X3. The Bigger Rocktron Utopia's do it all too, so do Digitech with the RP1000 and GSP1101. I think all of the other manufacturers make processors that will get you close. A lot of the older processor can do it as well. Not forgetting Zoom G9.2 too!
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  • Zoom G9.2tt and POD HD500 are both more usable than most others for all those requirements (particularly switching effects on and off within presets). The HD300 and HD400 are a bit limited in that respect (they don't have dedicated footswitches for that).

    The HD300 doesn't have an effects loop, so that's out. The HD400 does.

    However, both have limitations when it comes to 4-cable - the HD series have a whole load of tone loss when it comes to the loop, so you have to use EQ blocks before and after the loop to compensate; given the limited space for effects blocks, that means "no" to the HD400, so the HD500 is the only one which could actually be useful. The G9.2tt has very limited signal chain configurability - the distortion/preamp block is fixed in position, so - depending on your actual needs - you may find you're buggering around with the patches quite a lot to make them sound right.

    There's always the Boss GT-10 and GT-100, but I think they sound awful (especially when it comes to amp modelling).

    A good solution is the Digitech GSP1101, but that would mean buying and configuring a MIDI footswitch to do exactly what you want; not sure you want the pain there.

    I strongly suspect that the Utopia's just about the only one which does everything you want...
    <space for hire>
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    edited September 2013 tFB Trader
    I really find it baffling that no one seems to make a multi with the features people want. 
    The G3 is almost perfect for me, but it doesn't do patch switching in a way that I can use live or MIDI.
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    I really find it baffling that no one seems to make a multi with the features people want. 
    The G3 is almost perfect for me, but it doesn't do patch switching in a way that I can use live or MIDI.

    Have you tried something like the "skinny little twins" switch which allows you to go up or down through your presets individually? It's just a 2 switch unit which plugs into the little socket on the back.

    Let me know when you're bringing the D3 back, I'll bring in my G3 and show you what I mean.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    That's not quite what I want. 

    I want something which will switch in or out one of 2/3/4 preset sounds so I can for example turn on a trem/slapback/reverb and then in one press turn those off and go to compressor/phaser/long delay and then with one press turn all of it off.

    An up down thing doesn't really let me do that. I could put it in a looper, but if I was going to do that I'd be better off having separate pedals so I can switch them in and out individually. 
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    Ah, I see. Not quite what I though you meant. Never mind.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    I basically want the patch switching from the Nova with the ease of use and size of the G3. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited September 2013
    I really find it baffling that no one seems to make a multi with the features people want. 
    The G3 is almost perfect for me, but it doesn't do patch switching in a way that I can use live or MIDI.
    A bit of a diversion I know, but it's not just multi-FX...

    I recently tried one of those Boss 'Fender Deluxe' pedals - to my surprise, it actually sounded very good (if not really like a Deluxe Reverb) - nice chunky light-breakup distortion, not-bad reverb, usable tremolo. But I didn't buy it because it's so stupidly designed as to be almost useless for live work. First, it has no speaker-emulated output (which I would have assumed was de rigeur on an 'amp simulator' pedal) so you can't DI it without an extra box; second, you can't turn off the tremolo with the footswitch (or even an external switch) while leaving the basic amp sound on; although you can set the speed of the tremolo using either tap tempo or a combination of the footswitch and a knob, it's almost impossible to do it quickly or accurately on the fly; and lastly they made the gain and volume controls (the ones you need most) and the tremolo depth (which you need if you do want to turn it on and off) the fiddly little stacked ones, and the treble and bass the nice big chunky ones, which is entirely the wrong way round... so much practical FAIL in one small pedal.

    So I suppose what I'm really saying is, do the people who design these things actually use them live?

    Sorry, bit of a rant! :) But I do generally find it very frustrating that many good-sounding effects units have such annoying functional limitations.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ... turn on a trem/slapback/reverb and then in one press turn those off and go to compressor/phaser/long delay and then with one press turn all of it off.
    Do you mean that you want the same switch to accomplish all that?
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    I would press switch one to get the first sound, then switch two to get the second sound then press switch two again and it would bypass. 
    Like a patch based FX. 
    The version 2 firmware of the G3 makes it worse as hitting two pedals in one go now scrolls the screens!
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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    Didn't Vox do something like that a few years ago? I'm sure (it was a few years ago) I saw that at the NEC show. I was slightly distracted with lots of guitars, amps, F/X and pretty womens.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • shadyshady Frets: 252

    My recent acquisition of a Korg AX3000G from DiscoStu does everything on the list.

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  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    @monquixote said:
    I want something which will switch in or out one of 2/3/4 preset sounds so I can for example turn on a trem/slapback/reverb and then in one press turn those off and go to compressor/phaser/long delay and then with one press turn all of it off.

    An up down thing doesn't really let me do that. I could put it in a looper, but if I was going to do that I'd be better off having separate pedals so I can switch them in and out individually. 
    Could you not set your presets as, say A1/A1 etc and use an up/down switch to flick between them? I know it's not exactly what you want, but it could/should work.

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

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  • shady said:

    My recent acquisition of a Korg AX3000G from DiscoStu does everything on the list.

    These look interesting. Getting old now, but I have a AX1500g which has always been awesome and very easy to coax decent sounds out of. The 'Black Phaser' (not sure if it's the same on the AX3000g) has always been my favorite jet engine noise.
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  • I would press switch one to get the first sound, then switch two to get the second sound then press switch two again and it would bypass. 
    Like a patch based FX. 
    The version 2 firmware of the G3 makes it worse as hitting two pedals in one go now scrolls the screens!
    Ok, so what you'd like is already available on other units but not the G3, right?
    (you might have to press a 3rd switch to bypass though)
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  • monquixote;36675" said:
    I really find it baffling that no one seems to make a multi with the features people want. The G3 is almost perfect for me, but it doesn't do patch switching in a way that I can use live or MIDI.
    If they did that, they wouldn't be able to do incremental upgrades to make people buy more of them.

    It's the same in the camera world, older dslrs tend to have nicer colours than new ones, but new ones fix things like noise (which was never prohibitive anyway, but if you read reviews it is...).

    One step forward, two steps back. Sorta.

    I'm also on the lookout for a nice multi effects. The zoom g7 looked perfect, but is sadly out of stock everywhere after being sold off for 110 quid! If only I'd known sooner... :(
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  • daveyhdaveyh Frets: 681
    Plenty of food for thought here, cheers. I was offered a Korg AX3000G recently for £80, that would have been handy :(
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  • SporkySporky Frets: 27586
    I really find it baffling that no one seems to make a multi with the features people want.
    I'm not sure that's quite true - more accurately I think no-one makes a multi with every feature that everyone wants at a price everyone can afford.

    The HD500, fer example, seems to do everything I want. I don't care about the FX loop so the limitations there are of no consequence to me (but I can see that they certainly are to other people). On the other hand, the free assignment of effect blocks is of very great interest/importance to me as it makes it a bit like a budget AxeFX, whereas it's quite possible that most people don't want to run four delays at the same time!
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    Sporky said:
    I really find it baffling that no one seems to make a multi with the features people want.
    I'm not sure that's quite true - more accurately I think no-one makes a multi with every feature that everyone wants at a price everyone can afford.
    That's not quite it. 
    I don't think what I (and I think a lot of people) want is available from anyone at any price. 

    Essentially I want something that does modulation, verb and delay in one small easy to program box which can sit on my pedal board and either work with patch switching or as individual stomps. 

    The G3 nearly does it as does the M9 and the Nova, but none of them do it in the way you would want as a gigging musician.
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