Boss ME v Zoom G3 Best Multi FX?

rolls1392

Can't decide which way to go.

Can't afford all the stompboxes I would like, so t satisfy my "experimental" side I reckon a multi might be on the cards.

What I am looking for I suppose is the nearest to a collection of al the stompboxes I want  to try.

Does either of these two come close?

I know nothing is perfect but wouldn't it be nice to get close?

Sadly I do not have a decent guitar shop within 70miles so good advice is needed.

Thanks guys.

Oh by the way any of these usable for recording(another whim)

EdGrip

I'm sure either way would be good - I have the G3 and it's a great bit of kit, laid out as it is in the form of three conjoined stomp boxes. You can put the effects in any order, plus there are amp and cab models that are great which you can follow with ambient stereo effects too (fuzz > flange > amp > cab > stereo chorus > ping-pong delay, etc)

The G3 can be used as an audio interface/external effects processor with DAW software. Not sure if the ME-80 can, but I expect it must be a fairly standard thing by now. 

d8m

I've gone for the G3 purely because I haven't read a bad thing about it(both on here and the www in general)

Alot of people actually use it as part of their gigging boards which for me is a testament to its sound capabilities and quality.

I've just downsized my board and will be using a G3 for pretty much all my effects now.

ICBM

I haven't tried the ME-80 yet, but I've owned the ME-50 twice and tried the ME-70, and for the 'collection of pedals' thing I much prefer my G3. It just works more instinctively and straightforwardly.

The ME-50 was better in a couple of ways - I actually prefered a couple of the overdrive/distortion models (I've never quite got the G3 to sound quite how I want), and the separate amp and emulated outputs which can be used at the same time to split the signal to an amp and the PA/desk is much better than the Zoom's one option through two different jacks - but overall, the ME-50 is a multi-FX which *can* be used as a collection of pedals (with a major limitation that the manual mode does not give you manual control over the selected patch, it's a separate single patch), whereas the G3 is a collection of pedal models which can be used as a multi-FX, if that makes sense!

I didn't like the ME-70 at all, I only tried it briefly but it sounded horrible and there was something else massively irritating about it, but I forget what now.

rolls1392

G3 in the lead then

Cheers R

Grumpyrocker

I've got a G3 too. Brilliant bit of kit, absolute bargain for the price. Runs for hours on a set of rechargable AA batteries, also comes with a PSU but you can also put in on a normal effects daisychain. Drums and looper great for practice, and it sounds great though headphones. I've also used it with FRFR speakers, before a guitar amp, in the loop of an amp. It's the the Swiss Army Knife of guitar effects.

deano

I have a G3X - it's a G3 with a footpedal. I love it. I use it with my Egnater Tweaker 112. Either just as effects box in the loop (delay and reverb etc), or just feeding the loop with amp effects.

I can't get a bad sound out of either of them. I don't play out anymore, just jam tracks or home recording.

guitargeek62

Are many (any?) downsides to the G3? I was planning to pick up the MS70CDR as a second delay pedal  for my board alongside my TC Alter Ego, but the G3 is only £20 more and has a lot more flexibility by the looks of it. Are there any differences in the MS70CDR & G3 models, I presume they're shared?

Grumpyrocker

Not completely. The MS70CDR has a few effects that the G3 doesn't have - various models from TC and Strymon gear. There's no shimmer on the G3 (though you can re-create it very well using the Pitch Delay).

d8m

I went for the g3 as it's only  a tad more expensive and if you wish you  can just treat it like three pedals rather than a multi-fx

iseverynamegone

Wouldn't a line 6 stompbox modeller get a look in here?

ICBM

iseverynamegone said:

Wouldn't a line 6 stompbox modeller get a look in here?

I don't really see why, when the M5 is only a bit cheaper than the G3 but only does one effect at once, and the M9 is more expensive than the ME-80 but can only do three at once (the G3 can do six, with most combinations) and doesn't have the expression pedal. They would have to be *seriously* better sound-wise to justify those limitations. My experience with Line6 suggests otherwise...

guitargeek62

Grumpyrocker said:

Not completely. The MS70CDR has a few effects that the G3 doesn't have - various models from TC and Strymon gear. There's no shimmer on the G3 (though you can re-create it very well using the Pitch Delay).

Ah ok, sounds like I should stick to the MS70 then - I'm not too interested in anything other than verbs & delays from the G3, but it would have been a bonus to have them. Cheers

menamestom

I've just gone the other way from G3 to individual pedals. So far not so good, the effects sound good in isolation but with increased noise and my bypass signal has gone shite. Do the effects sound better than the G3? Not so sure i'd say better, just different, but only a bit. Trouble with the g3 is the only place to go for *possibly* better effects is Strymon, I don't think TC or Line 6 are as good as an average (although I've not heard the G system). Still not too keen on the G3 reverbs though.

EdGrip

I should say - as I didn't earlier - that the G3's fuzz and distortion pedal models are *alright*. Such business will always be better left to analogue fuzz pedals, but then you already knew that.

d8m

EdGrip said:

I should say - as I didn't earlier - that the G3's fuzz and distortion pedal models are *alright*. Such business will always be better left to analogue fuzz pedals, but then you already knew that.

This.

I run my G3 at the end of my chain after my DS-2 and TU-2.

That said I have heard some people claim they prefer the G3 fuzz over the originals as they are more manageable.

menamestom

menamestom said:

I've just gone the other way from G3 to individual pedals. So far not so good, the effects sound good in isolation but with increased noise and my bypass signal has gone shite. Do the effects sound better than the G3? Not so sure i'd say better, just different, but only a bit. Trouble with the g3 is the only place to go for *possibly* better effects is Strymon, I don't think TC or Line 6 are as good as an average (although I've not heard the G system). Still not too keen on the G3 reverbs though.

After a practise last night I'd like to apologise to my new 80's Boss pedals, the bad bypass signal was down to a loose George L's connector.  No issue with noise now either and they did all infact sound great. 

EdGrip

d8m said:

EdGrip said:

I should say - as I didn't earlier - that the G3's fuzz and distortion pedal models are *alright*. Such business will always be better left to analogue fuzz pedals, but then you already knew that.

This.

I run my G3 at the end of my chain after my DS-2 and TU-2.

That said I have heard some people claim they prefer the G3 fuzz over the originals as they are more manageable.

"Manageable" fuzz. 

"Manageable" fuzz.

I mean, honestly.

frankus

ICBM said:

iseverynamegone said:

Wouldn't a line 6 stompbox modeller get a look in here?

I don't really see why, when the M5 is only a bit cheaper than the G3 but only does one effect at once, and the M9 is more expensive than the ME-80 but can only do three at once (the G3 can do six, with most combinations) and doesn't have the expression pedal. They would have to be *seriously* better sound-wise to justify those limitations. My experience with Line6 suggests otherwise...

I guess it depends what you need, I loved the G3 but the lack of midi was a problem for me.

If the G3 had Midi in and recieved clock signals I'd be greatly interested.

All the effects were pretty brilliant too, as were the ms70's

d8m

so far so good with me for the G3!

only bummer is ground noise using it with my diago micropower.

Ntt a big deal though just one extra plug to plug in!

does anyone know of a zoom g3 forum/dedicated community?

or maybe we can have a sub section on here for multi fx

Grumpyrocker

Mixing digital stuff with analog is often a bit noisy.

Why not just run the G3 on batteries. Get some rechargeable ones. It goes a surprisingly long time between charges.

@Frankus - I believe the G3 can be controlled via midi commands - but through the USB port.