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Analog VS Digital Effects
- Thread starter i3rdadam
- Start date
There can be digital stompboxes... but I've found that individual stompboxes will always sound better than a multieffects unit.
-Dash
-Dash
bongomania
Commercial User
Not all individual stompboxes are analog, and not all analog circuits sound great. I love analog, I'm a huge supporter of analog, but I'll be the first to admit that analog can sound crappy just as often as digital.i3rdadam said:
Some people like the GT6B, some don't.
You can collect a pedalboard full of mediocre-quality analog stompboxes and be disappointed, or you can spend literally thousands of dollars on premium pedals for "best sound quality", and even that is no guarantee you'll like what you hear.
I used to be militant that only analog delays sounded good, digital ones sucked... but nowadays the better digi ones sound really good and have less noise than most of their analog cousins.
The one argument (for me) for buying individual stomps instead of a multifx unit is that you can trade out the individual guys until you find the combination that sounds best to you, without having to trade out the whole board.
It's only a matter of technology. Technology doesn't count, as long as it sounds.
Stop asking if this or that is digital or analog BEFORE you plug it. Just try it and trust your ears.
The example of delays is quite good. The analog and digital technology are just so different taht both are useful. I got an analog and a digital delay on my board.
Stop asking if this or that is digital or analog BEFORE you plug it. Just try it and trust your ears.
The example of delays is quite good. The analog and digital technology are just so different taht both are useful. I got an analog and a digital delay on my board.
Trust your ears. Analog, digital, doesn't matter if it sounds good to you.
The multieffects vs. individual pedals debate rages on for ages... myself, over all the years I've been playing I've gone from pedals, to multi, back to pedals, back to multi, and now I'm finding myself going back to pedals again.
The multieffects vs. individual pedals debate rages on for ages... myself, over all the years I've been playing I've gone from pedals, to multi, back to pedals, back to multi, and now I'm finding myself going back to pedals again.
Search the Basses Forum for that P Bass or Variax thread where jaded and accomplished musicians FAILED to distinguish analog vs digital in a blind test. D vs A is a good selling point but most ppl probably could not tell the difference.
Dash Rantic said:
+1
you tend to get a product when you buy just that product as opposed to an all-in-one device. my vote is individual effects vs multi's, but digital now-a-days is so good that it rivals even classic analog gear.
+1
I have a cheap digital multifx (Zoom 506ii) and a pedal board full of $200+ analog pedals.
I don't have any problem playing through the Zoom when I want a very compact rig, but I made sure to simplify the patches to that I wasn't over processing my signal.
That said, I prefer individual stomp boxes to multi's and analog to digital if given the $ to set it up properly.
Bottom line, the more FX you plan on combining, whether within your multifx or with a chain of pedals, the more trial and error you will have to do in order to keep your two main weapons (bass and amp) happy. The more items with variable envelopes, EQs, gain structures and signal levels you have in between those two the more tweaking you will have to do.
Buy the best gear you can afford and keep you signal chain as simple as possible to minimize trouble, but like everyone has said, use your ears to find sounds you like.
I have a cheap digital multifx (Zoom 506ii) and a pedal board full of $200+ analog pedals.
I don't have any problem playing through the Zoom when I want a very compact rig, but I made sure to simplify the patches to that I wasn't over processing my signal.
That said, I prefer individual stomp boxes to multi's and analog to digital if given the $ to set it up properly.
Bottom line, the more FX you plan on combining, whether within your multifx or with a chain of pedals, the more trial and error you will have to do in order to keep your two main weapons (bass and amp) happy. The more items with variable envelopes, EQs, gain structures and signal levels you have in between those two the more tweaking you will have to do.
Buy the best gear you can afford and keep you signal chain as simple as possible to minimize trouble, but like everyone has said, use your ears to find sounds you like.
someone had to say it...it really shouldn't matter what pedal you get, so long as YOU like the way it sounds....not what a few tb'ers thinkkeb said:
i don't know if i can believe that, it seems that the majority of people are comparing 150 dollar single effect pedals, while comparing them with $150 multieffect pedals....if your multiFX pedal is $150 and has ten different effects, you are looking at the equivalent of 10 dollars per effect, then you are looking at the behringer range of quality...however, if you put ten 100 dollar effects together, you should look at the higher end multiFX box range, like eventide effects or the tc electronics fireworx...or something to that caliber...imoDash Rantic said:
I too think that individual stompboxes are better. I've never had a multi-fx unit, but I have thought about getting one. The only thing that's stopped me is drawbacks. Every multi seems to have a lot of them, some major. Stompboxes have drawbacks to, but they're always for just the individual effect, and a lot of them seem minor IMO/E.
For example, say you hate the compressor on a multi. You're then stuck with it. If it was a single stompbox, you can just take it out and replace it with another compressor of a different manufacturer. As long as you can try-before-you-buy, or buy from a place w/ a return policy, you're set
For example, say you hate the compressor on a multi. You're then stuck with it. If it was a single stompbox, you can just take it out and replace it with another compressor of a different manufacturer. As long as you can try-before-you-buy, or buy from a place w/ a return policy, you're set
Meh I've tried a few of the different Multi units (Boss, Digitech, Line6) but was just never that happy with the sounds I could get from the patches. After spending some time listening to effects and reading reviews I feel I now have a sound I am very happy with and haven't spent that much to attain it....
The trick is to always try effects out for atleast a few hours in different settings and if you can ALWAYS buy used, you never know when your pedalboard is gonna do a 180 and it helps if you can resell your fx for close to what you paid for them.
The trick is to always try effects out for atleast a few hours in different settings and if you can ALWAYS buy used, you never know when your pedalboard is gonna do a 180 and it helps if you can resell your fx for close to what you paid for them.
i've found that you can get fantastic sounds with those multi boards, but they require a lot of tweaking and learning. with a single pedal that has a few knobs, it is way easier to get your head around it and get the desired sound. it is tough to get something out of a board where there are 50 default parameters before you even get to the effect...then there are other effects combined. just too much work to get something cool.
This reminds me of a friend of mine who still insists that vinyl LP's are better than CDs.Seigi said:
The thing to ask yourself is: Does this effect sound good? The analog vs. digital debate doesn't really apply in all cases. For me, some effects sound better digital than analog. The reference to delay pedals as posted above is a good one, and I agree that the digital variety generally sounds better to me, especially after seeing the price of boutique, analog delays.
However, some effects require a degee of warmth that digital just can't do. I will never have a digital distortion or envelope filter because they don't have the right feel or tone. (IMO)
Anyway, good luck with your search and be sure to let us know what you discover.
However, some effects require a degee of warmth that digital just can't do. I will never have a digital distortion or envelope filter because they don't have the right feel or tone. (IMO)
Anyway, good luck with your search and be sure to let us know what you discover.
