Which multi use pedal?

[RNV]

I was going to go with a multi pedal pedal board, but then I got to thinking about it. I don't use effects that often to spend money on a bunch of stomp boxes. I currently have a Phase 90(used in the intro of one song), a CEB-3 which is rarely used as well, and a VT pedal that is always on. I would love some fuzz/distortion options, an octave down, phaser, and maybe a few other bells and whistles but none used too often. Any suggestions in multi use boards?


BTW, I play in a Thrash/Death metal band. I'm originally a drummer who played in my HS jazz band some 15 years ago. I understand the relations of the rhythm section and like to lock with my drummer and I also know that my clean tone is more than adequate with what we do. I just want to add some color in places where it could be added.

[Swift713]

IME, the Zoom B2 is a very decent unit and a great deal. You have to program presets and scroll up and down through them. It covers the basics pretty well and it's compact so if you decide to keep your VT Bass you've only got two reasonably sized pedals.

The Line 6 M9 has a little bit more to offer but cost significantly more. The interface is more pedalboardesque and there are about 100 different effect models to choose from. It' not too huge but it is relatively expensive. Also, the filters are kind of disappointing, IMO.

If you search "multi" or "multi effects" you'll get lots of perspectives on these and other units.

[ribafish]

Well, I'm looking for a multi board too, and I'm pretty much set on either Zoom 9b.1ut, Boos GT-10(non B, atm, becouse of the price) and Digitech GNX4. I'm looking for something under max 300€ (used, with shipping included to Slovenia), and I'm waiting for a reply from someone selling GNX4 for 190€. If he still has it I will get the GNX4...if not then I don't know....and I would like some input/help from you guys.

The effects I will be using are Octave down(absolutely necessary as I use it in one of our songs), Fuzz, Wah, Tap Delay(maybe). It would be nice to have some looping capabilities and drum machine of some kind(when I'm too lazy to setup loops and drums on pc). Other effects I don't know if I will use, as I currently have zoom b1, and it's not really fast-setup friendly. I would like to have 4+ buttons that can be setup to work like standard stombox buttons. I don't really need Amp modelling, although built-in DI is nice to have. The compressor must not be in the same row(or however you call it) as wah or other effects(like it is on ax3000b). Oh, and there has to be an expression pedal included(if it's in the price range, it can be connected by cable if it's not built in).

I really like the GNX4 control panel and included stuff. The recording section could be really usefull to record ideas before i forget them, as far as I've seen the setup is really easy and fast, almost like if you really had a few stomboxes in front of you. The only thing that I don't like is that it doesn't have Octave down effect...so, my question for those who have/had it: How does it work if used with pitch shift-1 octave or whammy -1 octave? I would like to go around the need to use the B1 as it can't be configured in stombox-like mode and its kinda clumsy in gig situations(easy to forget that you have to go one preset up to enable the damn thing and one down do disable it). Also, how is the switching latency on GNX4, boss and b9.1ut?

[bassplayerbob]

I own The Gt10b and the older GT6b. You can grab a 6b for the price of a cpl of good single pedals. Lots of fun to mess with.

[ilovenofrets]

There are Sooooooooo many, but there are ones to steer clear of. I would recommend, in the smaller units, finding a Korg Toneworks AX1B. Very simple to use, no fancy pretty lights or gimmicks, but a decent 2-switch multi-effect unit with expression pedal that has good effects, and many of the presets are good as they are. The Digitech BP200 is still on the market and still sells for $150.00. Used, they can be had for a good price. Not a bad pedal, will get the job done, and most of it's individual effects are good enough to use on stage. If you want one good unit and never need anything else, the Korg AX3000B, Boss GT-6B, Boss GT-10B, or even the Zoom B9.1 UT are great choices. They all have good amp modeling(great for studio and live PA connection), and each one may have features you don't need/aren't looking for, but they're there none the less. The Korg, now discontinued, will be the least expensive route. I've seen them go for $125.00-150.00. Boss GT-6B, also discontinued, can still yield a $200.00 price tag. The Zoom is $300.00 on the shelves, and the Boss GT-10B is $500.00. Ask around, read reviews here and elsewhere, and check out the manufacturer's websites. You will find detailed info there. Hope this helps. Cheers!

[RNV]

I didn't realize that Zoom was part of the Samson group. I may give that one a try. Can't hurt for the money.

[gumtownbassman]

1+ for the Boss GT-10B, this beast has it all, including a phrase looper, XLR outs for D.I. to desk, and the pedals are totally programmable to suit your needs.

[Floyd Eye]

None of them.

[ribafish]

Well, today I tested pretty much every multi board I could find(including guitar ones) and here's the thing: Boss GT-10 and 10B have lage while changing presets/stombox usage/etc. while this may not seem like a big deal(its like half a second i would say), I don't see how a thing like that can cost 500€. even the GNX3000 and GNX4 are better(and older), but still aren't near perfection. I couldn't find the m9/m11, they also had no fbv pedalboard so I could try how do the podx3 and x3 pro work. The best thing I could find is the Zoom B9.1ut. The switching was the fastest, almost like it had no digital things in it. So, if I'm going the multi way I'm gonna get zoom, if not, well than I wont.

Zoom users: the wah on this thing was almost unhearable. I'm wondering, was something set up wrong or it just is like that on Zoom products? I didn't have the time to fiddle around more, but I will get some this week and will post an update.

So, if I'm going the multi way: I will need a good octaver(if it helps, now i use the one on zoom b1 and its not bad at all-while it is true I haven't tried anything else yet), I like fuzz, I'm gonna need a volume pedal and I'm going to try Boss pw 10 in the next 14 days, which i can get for I think 80€(used) and Dunlop Bass Wah, which is here 145€ and on Thomann 120€. I'd like to have some other things to fool around with, but a octaver, volume pedal, fuzz and wah(If i like it) already go over 300€ mark I set, so that would be all for now. So, what fuzz and octaver to get? I was think in ways of bass big muff and EBS octabass....any other suggestions?

Damn, I wrote all this? I'm going to bed˘˘

PS: also, with what could i get some kind of mixture of low frequency fuzz which fuzz-es very slow(kinda like slow oscillations if you know what I mean..almost like some fuzzy-slow-synth-thing). Haven't heard it anywhere, its just a sound I have in my head which I would like very much. Any suggestions how to get it(with multi's or separate stombox)?

[dudelove]

I heard the line 6 is great deal, but kind of high price to me, so I have zoom b1 pedal, and not that great as b2, if I knew I'll take the b2, the dicitech bp355 is olso nice

[newbold]

Just get a fuzz and an octave pedal, guy. You already have 2 GREAT pedals. No need to drop them and start fresh just yet.

I suggest that you just build a nice little pedalboard setup. You can do it for about the same price. Get a TU-2 OR 3 and use that as a power supply and to tune and a big muff pi or a boss os-2 overdrive/distortion.

Those can be found really cheap and will fill out a great (and I mean it) setup.

Why mess with gear that isn't as good as what you already have.

[matt descending]

Boss ME50B. Go try it. Leave it in live mode, not the presets mode because of the lag time, but it's all dial it up. No digital interface to navigate. Best and eazyest, rugged as all hell (I gig with it always), and has better wah+resonance filter, volume, and multiple fuzz and drive. Octavia up and down too

[rhino333]

+1 Boss GT-6B.

I've had a Zoom 506, a Korg AX300B & a Digitech BP-80 and the Boss is the best. It takes a bit to get used to the programming of it, but once you've got that down (and that's what manuals are for anyways), it's an amazing pedal.

That being said, I also have 3 other pedal boards with various pedals that I use for different, but specific, uses.

[dopejohnpaul]

I've been through 4 different multi-effects boards including the Boss ME-50B, The Boss GT-10B, Line 6 Bass POD XT, anf the Korg Toneworks AX3000B. All of them sucked in comparison to my dedicated pedal board setup. If i HAD to choose one I'd go with the GT-10B which had the most versatile effects and allowed the most tone tweekage. But all in all, I'd say save your money and just buy dedicated pedals for the effects you know you're going to use regularly.

[RNV]

I have decided to keep getting pedals, even if I only smash on them once a set. I just need an octave down and some sort of Fuzz and I'm done.

[PJSShearer]

I have a Line6 Bass Floor Pod and, once you've spent some time with it and programmed your own patches, I believe that you simply can't beat it for the money. I only needed a compressor, a chorus and maybe an envelope follower and (unlikely) some distortion. But it includes an Octdivider and a synth emulator as well.

As with any effects unit, I took some time to set up a bunch of useable patches for various gigs/songs/situations and with a volume/wah pedal and a muting stage tuner (which helps if you use more than one Bass onstage) as well, I immediately went out and bought a boom mike stand so I could use it on stage!!.

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by dopejohnpaul

I've been through 4 different multi-effects boards including the Boss ME-50B, The Boss GT-10B, Line 6 Bass POD XT, anf the Korg Toneworks AX3000B. All of them sucked in comparison to my dedicated pedal board setup. If i HAD to choose one I'd go with the GT-10B which had the most versatile effects and allowed the most tone tweekage. But all in all, I'd say save your money and just buy dedicated pedals for the effects you know you're going to use regularly.

I have to agree with that. I've a Line6 bass POD XT pro. And even though it is an amazing product with lots of tonal possibility's I find quite many of the effects to lack all the tonal possibility's that the real stomp box's (or amps) have. I use my Sansamp BDDI most of the time instead of the amp modeling on the line6.
One thing is very nice with these multi-effects units is they are a good start in learning about various effects and amps, so when time comes one can buy what one really wants (after learning about them through these units).