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Taking it as read that MFX units have to sound decent and offer a reasonable usable choice of effects, amp and cab models, with good connectivity, what amazes me is the lack of thought in either the design of practical functionality and/or the penny pinching policy by manufacturers that ruins an otherwise decent MFX unit and demotes it to more of a toy instead of being gig suitable.
Whilst less important for home/studio recording use, for on stage use there are certain function fundamentals that for me an MFX unit must have. I make enough of a fool of myself on stage - I don't need my MFX unit to make me look even worse!:
Patch-naming: It is completely pointless to offer a 128 patch storage if you cannot name patches so that these are easy to identify on stage. Who can remember 128 patches from their number? The Vox TLEX fails here.
Fast, simple single foot button switching: To switch between pre-set and stomp mode, within 1-2 secs. On stage you need to move quickly, with confidence, and avoid tap-dancing. A protracted process such as the Zoom G5 makes it unuseable for gigging. A 'press two buttons simultaneously' approach as per the Vox TLEX is clumsy, particular if like me you have smaller feet. I tested the TLEX and repeatedly found that the switching was awkward and I need several tries to hit both button just right. The TC Nova is another example of an otherwise good quality unit that is overly complex with a clumsy switching system.
Display: A bright readable display of a decent size so that you can see it clearly on a dimly lit stage or in bright sunshine, and be able to read whilst standing over it, without having to bend down.
Tuner: Must be accurate and clearly displayed with simple single button access in either patch pre-set mode or stomp mode. Gimmicky excessive light shows as in the Vox TLEX is off-putting. The Pod HD displays and text are small.
Intuitive functionality: You should be able to deduce at least the basic unit operation without having to read a long (and often badly written or badly translated) manual.
Easy Tweakability: Having to scroll through menus via up/down buttons is fine at home, but no good on stage. You need simple on/off buttons and rotary knobs to engage/disengage effects, amp models, cab models or tweak basic functions - you don't need 'deep-edit' facilities on stage, but you do need fast easy access to the basics such as volume, tone, tap delay, mod speed, reverb/delay type etc.
Even with the ruggedly made Boss GT3 and GT6, I had to add two latching switches to be able to move around easily. I don't know if the latest Boss GT100 remedies this, but if not they need to do so. The Vox TLLE and TLSE are good robust working tools for stage use, the TLST and TLEX are veritable toys by comparison. The Zoom G5 sounds really good but its switching is awful (not sure about its tuner access), ditto the TC Nova system.
Why do manufacturers concentrate so much on unnecessary 'bells and whistles' but fail to address fundamental gig usability issues that loses them core customers on an otherwise decent unit. Do they just not bother to test their designs with real gigging guitarists?
One other gripe - some MFX units (eg Vox TLST/EX) come with mains 'wall warts' that have very flimsy wires that bend and break easily and are just not sufficiently robust for gigging. Units such as the TC Nova are way more robust with a built in transformer and direct 'kettle' cable. The Vox TLLE/SE have external heavy duty transformers and cables with a 5-pin DIN connector to the unit which although bulkier are very solid and reliable. I know this ups the cost of units, but in my view this is something they shouldn't stint on where their MFX is targeted at gigging and not just home players.
I find it very frustrating that there are some very nice sounding MFX units out there but that just aren't properly designed for gigging. My word of caution to anyone buying an MFX unit is to thoroughly check it out first to ensure its fit for what you need. And for gigging players in particular, I strongly recommend you spend time checking the units basic functionality, build quality and ease of use in a gigging situation first before worrying about how how many amp models or effects it has.
End of rant!
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Comments
Things I would like to see:
- Big tuner display
- Either none or very few menus
- Direct access to parameters
- Instantaneous patch switching
- Midi programability (ability to prevent a specific preset from outputting a program change for instance)
- Freely assignable FX slots, so you're not limited to just one delay, one reverb, etc.. etc..
- A single switch to go between preset mode and manual mode
- Global tap tempo that does not change when you switch between presets
- A musically meaningful set of parameters for the effects, so you're not diving too deep, but can still make tweaks to the algorithm
- Proper switches that are silent but feel good under your foot
- Delays that don't go pitchy or glitchy when tapping in the tempo
Boss gt100 sounds like it fits the bill just fine as do is predecessors.
I am guessing here that these items are based at the "bedroom guitarists".
Not knocking bedroom guitarists, as that is basically what I am now!
I have always preferred individual pedals, but that is just my opinion, as I have found it a lot easier.
It is a shame that these items are not thought out more, or it seems as though they are not thought out. I wonder how they are tested in "real life"?
"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
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
"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
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
"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
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein