Boss ME8B replacement

Cochise · #1 01-01-2008, 05:23 AM

Having searched and not found what I was looking for I thought I'd throw this open to the masses. My Boss ME8B has finally died after the best part of 15 years of sterling service. I always thought that this was a great unit, and recently found out that greats such as Stu Zender used one. However, I now need to replace it with another multi effect. Two problems exist for me here-

1) In the UK we don't have the 'try for 30 days and return' policy

2) Spending hours in shops playing with different units doesn't really work for me on 2 levels, firstly the time involved, and secondly each successive go with each new unit seems to dilute the like/dislike I had for the previous units and I end up confusing myself.

So what I'm really asking, particularly if you owned the ME8B, is what you replaced it with that's as good or better in your opinion.

The only criteria here are that it must be a multi-effect and it must play nicely with active and passive basses.

Over to you...

varunkapahi · #2 01-01-2008, 05:41 AM

if you have the money to spend the pod bass xt live is one of the best multi fx units around for both studio and live use if you are really fixed on multi fx line6.com/basspodxtlive/
boss GT-6B is also very good, victor wooten has started to use one recently! www.bosscorp.co.jp/products/en/GT-6B/

on a lower budget boss me-50B makes sense to me
personally i have tried all three (not really spent days with them but tried them with a retailer/importer friend for a nice while

) and all three dont have that cheap "digital/synthetic/plastic" sound to a large extent

Steelix · #3 01-01-2008, 05:42 AM

| would just buy another ME8B or the next cloest thing.
If you used it for 15 years it isobviously a good one for you.

but...there's alwasy basspod

varunkapahi · #4 01-01-2008, 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steelix

| would just buy another ME8B or the next cloest thing.
If you used it for 15 years it isobviously a good one for you.

but...there's alwasy basspod

ME-8B is not in production anymore i guess

Steelix · #5 01-01-2008, 05:47 AM

hmmmm, well.... Ebay Listing

well there one right here.. but they won't ship to the UK.
but like | said, something simaler.

5not4 · #6 01-01-2008, 01:14 PM

Wow, what a coincidence. My ME-8B had to be replaced this year, too.

I tried the POD Live and didn't like it. Way more than what I wanted and didn't work well with my gear. Plus, I don't need all the amp modeling stuff.

I traded for the ME-50B and it's much closer to the 8B. Just a straight forward effects box. Although I'm not entirely happy with it, I'm still trying to get used to it and not compare it to the old pedal.

The ME-20B and FloorPOD weren't out at the time and couldn't try them. The GT-6B was too much like the POD live and turned me off. Zoom has a multi-effect floor model but couldn't find one local to try out.

Hope this helps.

BTW, I'm curious, how did your 8B retire? Mine actually still works but has an intermittent condition where it will go into "manual" mode or tuner mode without warning and it was a frantic scramble to get it back to normal playing mode. I have never been able to figure out what's going on with it. I've opened it up numerous times and checked for bad solder joints, bad connections, etc.

Cochise · #7 01-02-2008, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5not4

Wow, what a coincidence. My ME-8B had to be replaced this year, too.

I tried the POD Live and didn't like it. Way more than what I wanted and didn't work well with my gear. Plus, I don't need all the amp modeling stuff.

I traded for the ME-50B and it's much closer to the 8B. Just a straight forward effects box. Although I'm not entirely happy with it, I'm still trying to get used to it and not compare it to the old pedal.

The ME-20B and FloorPOD weren't out at the time and couldn't try them. The GT-6B was too much like the POD live and turned me off. Zoom has a multi-effect floor model but couldn't find one local to try out.

Hope this helps.

BTW, I'm curious, how did your 8B retire? Mine actually still works but has an intermittent condition where it will go into "manual" mode or tuner mode without warning and it was a frantic scramble to get it back to normal playing mode. I have never been able to figure out what's going on with it. I've opened it up numerous times and checked for bad solder joints, bad connections, etc.

Wierd, mine's the same. If you wiggle or otherwise disturb the input jack it goes into tuner mode and mutes the signal. I've also looked for dry joints and broken tracks and I've also de-soldered and switched around the sockets, but the fault still persists-just what you need on a dark stage mid-flow!

Peace

Kurt

Jon Ladhams · #8 01-03-2008, 02:21 PM

how strange - My ME8B had exactly the same problem with auto flipping to manual mode erratically. Or it did have until it died last year after 15 years of memorable service. Went dead and started smoking. I was actually very sad as i dropped it into our wheelie bin...

Nothing touches the ME8B chorus sound IMO and i've tried everything including analogman etc. I've settled on the CE5 as the closest thing to it...

RIP ME8B

5not4 · #9 01-12-2008, 09:05 AM

Yessir, the chorus was a favorite. In fact, it was pretty much constantly on for me. Most of the synth sounds were vary usable and my other favorite was the fretless effect. Damn, I'm gonna miss that thing.

I did notice that it was a different animal when a bass was connected direct or ran through an effects loop. But, that might go without saying about any floor unit. I suppose the input level is greatly different between the two.

I've spend some more time tweaking my ME-50B have come to the conclusion I really don't like it. It's just not getting it for me.

Guess it's time to move on to something else. Besides the POD gear, what's everyone else using and is happy with?

varunkapahi · #10 01-12-2008, 11:13 AM

single units!

RikiTiki2 · #11 01-12-2008, 08:31 PM

one of these maybe?
http://www.bassemporium.com/item.php?sku=ZJ79872

oh just noticed you're in the UK. This might not be so helpful after all

hubang · #12 03-15-2011, 12:34 PM

I've seen on the net a tips for prevent the ME-8B from going to tuner or manual mode, when disturbing the jack.

Put a jack between tuner and manual socket.

I had the same problem as some of you. I test it and it works.

Basehead · #13 03-15-2011, 03:36 PM

My ME-8B is still in service (God Bless!) and in order for it not to "flip" between tuner, manual, and preset modes, I make all of the external connections for tap tempo, Manual mode switching, Expression, and Tuner. Once all are connected, it's solid and I don't get any mode jumping.

Sav'nBass · #14 03-15-2011, 06:43 PM

You know a buddy of mine had the guitar version of that pedal.. and his problem was just that the internal battery finally gave out.. so it would not load the initial programming.. it just gave him partial leds which looked to me like an error code.. he took it to a repair place and the fixed it up in about a week..

Consider the Me-50B..

Me-50B $175 @ TB classifieds

Me-50B $150 @ TB classifieds

GT-6B $150-$160 @ TB classifieds

$120 Boss Me-8B @ TB classifieds

Zoom B9.1ut $200 @ TB classifieds..

I have gotten anhd sold some nice gear on the TB classifieds. Food for thought.

And that mode jumping thing sounds like a short on a switch almost..

MrUsefulAlien · #15 10-14-2011, 08:59 PM

sorry to be off topic, but i just bought the Me-8b for $95 online!
did you find it essential to have an expression pedal?