Need Help Looking for Multi Effect Pedal

[mam1862]

I have never used any pedals before but after some research I really like the following effects. Compression, chorus, limiter and some synth. I would like to be able to use these either individually or any combination of them. What I am looking for is the simplest pedal out there that can supply these effects. I do not need or want anything that has too much going on. Looking for suggestions.

[Swift713]

I'd suggest the Zoom B3 but its not the simplest pedal in the world. No multi effect is, especially anything decent. Give it a whirl, it's not rocket science.

[Jaycephas]

Line6 M9 or a Boss ME20B. Both very intuitive to use. The M9 is the best.

[Planet Boulder]

Zoom B2. Simple, easy to program (and change on the fly) and plenty of really good effects. I've owned one for years and i still use it on one of my boards.

Plus, they can be had for cheap now that the B3 is out.

[Bassist4Eris]

Originally Posted by Jaycephas

Line6 M9 or a Boss ME20B. Both very intuitive to use. The M9 is the best.

I have the Boss ME50B, which I guess must sound similar to the ME20B. It does some stuff quite well, but not necessarily the stuff that the OP wants. To my ear, the synth sounds in that pedal are unusable. The compressor is (surprisingly) ok, but nothing special. Not the horrible tone-robbing monstrosity I was expecting . The chorus isn't bad, but not as good as the same company's CEB3, IMO.

I think any multi is probably going to fall short of individual pedals. It will be more complex, yet less flexible, and in many cases it will not sound as good. OP, you are looking for compressor and limiter, which can generally be found in a single pedal. (Check this out: http://www.ovnilab.com/). Then you'd only need a chorus and a synth. Three pedals. Not a particularly complex or (necessarily) expensive setup. I know you want a multi, but IMHO, you should at least consider this first.

[mam1862]

Originally Posted by Bassist4Eris

I have the Boss ME50B, which I guess must sound similar to the ME20B. It does some stuff quite well, but not necessarily the stuff that the OP wants. To my ear, the synth sounds in that pedal are unusable. The compressor is (surprisingly) ok, but nothing special. Not the horrible tone-robbing monstrosity I was expecting . The chorus isn't bad, but not as good as the same company's CEB3, IMO.

I think any multi is probably going to fall short of individual pedals. It will be more complex, yet less flexible, and in many cases it will not sound as good. OP, you are looking for compressor and limiter, which can generally be found in a single pedal. (Check this out: http://www.ovnilab.com/). Then you'd only need a chorus and a synth. Three pedals. Not a particularly complex or (necessarily) expensive setup. I know you want a multi, but IMHO, you should at least consider this first.

I was just looking at the individual set up and I agree with you. I might go this route. Thanks for the input everyone.

[iamdenialNJ]

line6 m9?

[gjbassist]

Zoom B3. It's basically set up as having three separate stomp boxes in one package, so it's really not that hard to figure out. It has a lot of very good effects and amp models. The Edit and Share software makes it very easy to create and organize effects patches.

[Fingers Green]

I've been looking at this too, and get the impression that the Zoom B3 Line6 M9 or a Boss ME20B are pretty popular, but I have no idea which one to go for......

I play in a covers band, Beatles, Killers, Muse, Queen, Blondie and some more unusual stuff as well but would like to get into a few different sounds particularly for Muse - Starlight. Any advice would be very welcome.
Cheers

[Jazz Ad]

Zoom B3 all the way

[MCS4]

Originally Posted by mam1862

I have never used any pedals before but after some research I really like the following effects. Compression, chorus, limiter and some synth. I would like to be able to use these either individually or any combination of them. What I am looking for is the simplest pedal out there that can supply these effects. I do not need or want anything that has too much going on. Looking for suggestions.

If you are sure those effects are all you need, I would recommend just buying a good compressor that functions well as a peak limiter, a chorus pedal, and a synth pedal or two. You'll probably pay a similar price to buying a good multi-effects unit and likely be happier with your overall sound.

However, the multi-effects units everyone have mentioned are a good way to go if you aren't so sure about what you want. I have used a Boss ME-50B as my sole unit for 8-9 years, and I can vouch for it as a great option that has acceptable quality for many effects. Using it has helped me to determine what I really need for my purposes and what I don't need, since I've been able to experiment with them all. I'm now in the process of replacing the ME-50B with set of dedicated pedals for for my primary needs (a couple different distortions, a chorus, and a reverb, with a compressor possibly to follow), but I wouldn't have been able to make intelligent choices on those in the beginning.

[mam1862]

Decided to go with three separate pedals. After listening to quite a few audio clips I went with three Mxr pedals. The bass compressor, the bass chorus and the envelope filter. The sound of each is great. I am still messing around with the settings to hear all of the possibilities.

A question I do have is there a particular order that the pedals should set up in?

Thanks.

[Swift713]

I'd put the filter first because its controlled by your playing dynamics - the compressor second so it can control signal peaks from the filter - and the chorus last because it sounds good after a filter.

[4Mal]

Zoom B3 ... Would have been a better choice... But yeah, filter,comp, chorus - unless the filter is super sensitive or you are heavy handed in which case, comp then filter... Octave, Filter is nice too and the BOD is a nice choice. The Zoom rocks though...