need help about boss effects

shilar3 · #1 03-03-2009, 03:44 PM

Hi!
I want to buy some boss pedals: Overdrive, chorus, flanger, reverb, octaver, compression sustainer, and maybe some wah and delay.
(I want only boss! Don't ask why...)
So, I was wondering which of them can Boss ME-50B or boss ME-20B replace,but I want the sound to be as good as compact pedals (at least close to that)
-I would like to buy Boss me-50b or boss me-20b and the rest of pedals which in multi-effect aren't good
Please help!

Projectile · #2 03-03-2009, 04:00 PM

None.

RickenBoogie · #3 03-03-2009, 04:14 PM

No multi effects pedals sound nearly as good as individual stomps. Was that the question?

MakiSupaStar · #4 03-03-2009, 04:16 PM

Why only Boss?

Projectile · #5 03-03-2009, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Why only Boss?

I doubt it has anything to do with how they sound.

nbtone · #6 03-03-2009, 06:12 PM

I have a Boss GT-6B, and I get everything I need out of it, except for fuzz. I use an experience pedal for that (prescription electronics). The volume pedal on the GT-6B is kind of awkward, too. I use an expression pedal that I stripped from a church organ for that.

Zooberwerx · #7 03-03-2009, 06:33 PM

I have the ME-50B and have found the selections to be representative of the effects in question. Close enough for what I need but certainly not on par with the higher quality units available. A multi FX unit is a cost-effective way to familarize yourself with how the different effects interact with your playing style and material. You may find the chorus and overdrive, for example, to be useful but not the flanger, phaser, whatever. So be it. Once you've separated the trash and the treasure, you can narrow the search for a quality component.

BTW, please don't start any threads with "What's the Best (list effect here)?" A search works better. I believe there are also a few soundclip links lurking around TB somewhere.

Riis

b_jamin41311 · #8 03-03-2009, 06:46 PM

I have the ME50B too, i find it to do the job just fine,i'm using it for hard compression,bass driver,chorus,delay,octave and there's a slow gear thing on there too which is sorta like ur doing volume swells and sounds really nice.
It does the job just fine in a band situation but maybe not for the FX enthusiast.

Projectile · #9 03-03-2009, 07:17 PM

I'm by no means bashing the boss multi-effect units. They can sound decent, but the simple fact is that those multi effects boxes are digital modeling, where as the individual pedals (for the most part) are analog circuits. Even the digital boss pedals, like the DD-3, is a different animal than the digital multi-effects boxes. The delay line is digital, but you aren't passing the entire guitar signal through a cheap ad/da converter, and when you twiddle the delay knob on the DD-3, you are actually changing the clock speed of the entire digital delay line, rather than changing a numerical value in a computer program.

It's not just that the pedals are just a higher quality implementation of the same effect. They are real circuits designed to perform a specific task, where as the multi-effects boxes are essentially... computer software. I think my biggest problem with the multi-effects boxes are that in order to even use a single effect, like a phaser, the entire signal chain is converted to digital, the effect is applied, and then your guitar signal is converted back to analog. You can hear the tone sucking going on no matter what effect you use. It just gives everyhting a slightly cheaper digital veneer.

But, yes, they are a great way to experiment with a bunch of effects on the cheap. Just don't even compare them to the stand alone pedals. It's a whole different ball game.

tom e smith · #10 03-03-2009, 10:29 PM

I own the me-50b and the me-20b and they both do the job. The me-50 does it a bit better for me (more options).

asherthemachine · #11 03-03-2009, 11:37 PM

why? why? why? why?

shilar3 · #12 03-04-2009, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asherthemachine

why? why? why? why?

don't ask me why, even I don't know...it's for a friend.

I write as I'm buying because I don't want to explane all...

HE doesn't need some special sound, just those effects, but whith less money

so,which of them can boss ME-50B replace? (just that they are ok...nothing special,just solid)

Projectile · #13 03-04-2009, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shilar3

don't ask me why, even I don't know...it's for a friend.

I write as I'm buying because I don't want to explane all...

HE doesn't need some special sound, just those effects, but whith less money

so,which of them can boss ME-50B replace? (just that they are ok...nothing special,just solid)

It can't replace ANY of the stand alone pedals, period. If you want to use a multi-effects unit, that's cool. There is nothing wrong with them, but it won't replace ANY stand alone stomp box. It's not like those multi-effects boxes are just a bunch of cheap effects pedals crammed into a smaller box, it's a fundamentally different piece of equipment. It's a digital computer that emulates effects circuits, not the real thing. It will always sound cheaper, regardless of what effect you are using because it has to run your signal through a cheap AD/DA converter before it even does anything.

Some day they will make AD/DA converters that are cheap and sound good, but where technology is at today, you simply cannot build quality digital converters that cheap. Take for instance my home studio: I have a low budget ad/da unit to get audio in and out of my computer. That box alone cost me $200! And that is a cheap one. The inputs and outputs on those muti-effects boxes are bottom of the barrel cheap. They are equivalent to the AD/DA units they put in cheap handheld voice recorders. I don't know about you, but if I'm serious enough to care about spending all of this money on a nice bass, a nice amp, and good strings, the last thing I want to do with all of my nice gear is run them through an el cheapo analog to digital converter and then back to analog through an el cheapo DA convertor every time I want to use an effect. Yuck.

That is why you can't compare those boxes to a decent stand alone pedal. The effects in them sound 'okay', but since you have to convert your signal to digital in order to use those 'okay' effects, you are hitting a major drawback right there. Maybe you are cool with the whole AD/DA process, maybe you don't think it sounds that bad, maybe you can live with it, that's cool. I'm sure plenty of people think it sounds fine. But please don't try to compare them. If you want a multi-effects box, go for it. They are a lot of fun. If you want to go the more serious route, and buy individual pedals, then buy one at a time until you have enough money. Just don't think that you are going to be able to use a muti-effects box as a substitute to decent pedal board.

shilar3 · #14 03-04-2009, 11:51 AM

ok... thank you...

can you than tell me which effects (Overdrive, chorus, flanger, reverb, octaver, compression sustainer, and maybe some wah and delay) from boss me50b and from boss me20b are usefull (which of them have ok sound)...
???

Zooberwerx · #15 03-04-2009, 12:00 PM

Here are some reviews via our friends at Harmony-Central. Its a mixed bag as there is no consistency from reviewer-to-reviewer. That's okay...you're gonna get the same thing here.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/r...ss/ME-50B/10/1

Riis

tom e smith · #16 03-04-2009, 12:38 PM

I find everything "usable" on both the 50 and the 20 except the synths. They are pretty cheesy. I prefer the 50 because there are more options. For instance the octaver goes above or below the original note, while the 20 only goes below. One other thing if you are looking to switch effects during a song there is a delay between patches.

shilar3 · #17 03-04-2009, 02:18 PM

thank you all!

**sleepy_monkey** · #18 03-04-2009, 02:20 PM

I used to have Boss stomps then went the Boss ME-50B and now have Boss stomps again. The workstations are great for people that want something compact, and they sound ok, but for the best sounds stomps are probably the way to go.

Crystalman85 · #19 03-04-2009, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shilar3

Hi!
I want to buy some boss pedals: Overdrive, chorus, flanger, reverb, octaver, compression sustainer, and maybe some wah and delay.
(I want only boss! Don't ask why...)
So, I was wondering which of them can Boss ME-50B or boss ME-20B replace,but I want the sound to be as good as compact pedals (at least close to that)
-I would like to buy Boss me-50b or boss me-20b and the rest of pedals which in multi-effect aren't good
Please help!

Are you sure that you only want boss pedals? there are other effect pedals made from different manufacturers that has great sounds. have you ever try out effects from electro-harmonix, digitech, ebs, devi-ever, mxr, etc.? if not, give these pedals a shot. you might like them.

shilar3 · #20 03-05-2009, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crystalman85

Are you sure that you only want boss pedals? there are other effect pedals made from different manufacturers that has great sounds. have you ever try out effects from electro-harmonix, digitech, ebs, devi-ever, mxr, etc.? if not, give these pedals a shot. you might like them.

I know, bu it's for a friend...
I don't use effects. just my bass and amp