I know nothing about pedals!

[claytitan]

I have the line 6 bass floor pod. It’s OK. I don’t find the distortion all that pleasing and I’m not sure about the compression either. It does have a built in tuner which is nice. I’ve been looking at a couple items thinking I may try to step up in the effect department. These items have caught my eye.

Overdrive with DI
VT bass deluxe (The way I am leaning)
MXR M-80 (cheaper than the VT)
Wild card Sansamp ParaDriver (I like the idea of being able to better control my mids)

Compressors
Markbass Compressore
EBS Multicomp
Demeter Comp-1

Tuner
Korg pitchblack

When I look at the $$$ spent on a couple pedals and a tuner. I start to ask whether a good multi-effect unit would make sense. Any suggestions?

I play classic and new rock and country so I need something flexible. I play a Fender Jazz or an OLP 5 string into a GK1001rbii.

[somegeezer]

I prefer single pedals to multi effects when I actually do use them. The VT, EBS and Korg would be my personal choice if I had to choose from them though. If you do want to go multi effects, I'd check some of the higher end line 6 stuff. Maybe get yourself a separate distortion/overdrive/fuzz pedal though if you don't like the sound of the distortion you have.

[mkandolf]

Hmm, I'm definitely not an effects expert by any means, but I love my Sansamp Paradriver. Great tone shaper box, DI, and compressor! I currently use mine to quiet down my '78 Fender Precision and give her a little growl.

What you could look into is perhaps the Tech 21 3 Channel Programmable Bass Driver DI or the Tech 21 Bass Driver Deluxe. Both units use the same Drive, Bass, Treble, Presence, Blend, and Level knobs. Both have DI. One has 3 programmable settings, the Deluxe has 3 or 6 (depends on the inputs). The Deluxe has 2 inputs and also has an effects loop. The 3 channel is the same price as the Paradrive while the Deluse is about $60-70 more. I think one of these alone could take the place of two of your pedals above. (but they might not give you as much mid control as the Paradriver does)

For the tuner I use Boss TU-3 but there's many on here using the Pitchblack.

I had a multi-effects pedal, a cheap one at that and found it difficult to shift between patches that I had programmed. Having to memorize and the difficulty in programming it made me scrap it. I now want to buy another one for home use only, but I'll never gig with another one again. I'll fiddle with it at home to find the tone I want and then buy a pedal that will get me that tone.

[grimniggzy]

seems to me that you'd be happy w/ the results of just the tuner and a VT deluxe. add pedals to taste afterwards.

The VT has quite a bit of tweakability and on the deluxe theres a certain amount of presets you can make.

[skulletwhip]

Don't forget a good way to save is to buy used. Thats how I do it these days.

[behndy]

yeah..... first, BE CAREFUL. it is VERY easy to get to where you are buying $200 pedals every couple of weeks that do EXACTLY what something else on your pedalboard does, with a tiny difference, that nobody in the audience can tell the difference.

if you want a good multi effects unit you should check out the Line 6 M9. it has a VERY nice range of effects, is easy to program, and just.... works. they did a good job with it. the only thing it fails on to me is the distortions.

so, a good preamp (VT Deluxe is my favorite option out there right now) that would give you some dirt, a good fuzz like the Team Awesome Fuzz Machine or Wren and Cuff Pickle Pie B, and an M9 you're going to be set for awhile.

the M9 DOES have a tuner on it. it tracks well (i AB'ed it with my Pitch Black), but the screen is tiny.

sigh....... pretty soon you're going to be refreshing the Post Your Pedalboard thread, wiping the drool of your keyboard. it's a fun, scary, expensive road to go down.

good luck!

[JimmyM]

vtd is superb if you like ampeg tones, but you have to like ampeg tones because that's all it does. anyway, yes, a couple pedals and a tuner are more expensive than most multis, and some don't mind the sacrifices of a multi in order to save the money and have the convenience. but there's a reason multi fever hasn't gripped the nation as much as pedals. i call it the law of the multi:

you will really like 2 or 3 effects, find 2 or 3 more that are usable, and hate the rest.

[lunarpollen]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

i call it the law of the multi:

you will really like 2 or 3 effects, find 2 or 3 more that are usable, and hate the rest.

That is definitely true! Also, if something goes wrong with your multi, you basically lose all your effects. With separate pedals, if something goes wrong, you still have use of your other pedals and you just need to replace one unit.

[TrevorOfDoom]

i'd say a good multi does made sense, but i've never found a good multi before

snag the VT bass, and then tell us what you're looking for from a compressor.

[Slackerprince]

VT Bass into Bad Monkey=Magic!
I have 2 Pitchblack tuners for 2 different boards.
Looking at an EBS MultiComp, right now.
I advise picking-up some extra hours at work!

S.