Beginner questions about Multi-Effect Pedals like Line 6, BOSS, Zoom, etc

[matty1039]

I've had a few multi-effects units over the past five years or so. The older Zoom B1-ON was the first multi I used a lot. Looking for something of an upgrade I went with the Zoom MS-60B, which is a great starting point. A lot of people use that pedal as a "catch all" on their boards since it is sized like a normal stomp box. I was upgrading the rest of my pedals and kind of built my current board around what the MS-60 can and can't do.

I have dedicated pedals for compressor, pre-amp and OD and use the MS-60 for: modulation, tuner and mute, noise gate, reverb, delay. I think I'll keep it on the board as my opinion on modulation changes all the time. (Sometimes I think chorus or flanger sound cheesy but other times I dig it. I love tremolo with a solo bass but don't think it would vibe well with a band.)

Multi-effects are great for figuring out what you like and don't like. In my experience OD/FUZZ is usually the weakest point in them. I feel confident I could use the MS-60 at the front of my board, but for me it made sense to keep it at the end since I'm so wishy-washy on modulation.

On any multi-effect I usually stay way from the factory presets. They are there to show what the pedal can do, not what it should do.

 

[Road Hat]

I picked up a Boss ME-50B, and the pedalboard hasn't come out of the case since. it's all knobs and switches, logically laid out, great tones. I especially like the reverb on it, quite tasty for bass and doesn't get blurry in the mix.

 

[Dr. Gonzo82]

If you play with guitar players who use multi effects units and encourage you to get one, my suggestion is that you sit down with them and see if you can come up with patches on their units.

Having someone who knows how to operate those things makes a start way easier in my opinion.

 

[scott sinner]

Broadly, to your question, I think if you are new to pedals, a decent multiFX is the most cost effective way to start. I think many folks end up with an evolution toward

• dedicated pedals for the things you use a lot
• a multifx for other things

If you don't know for sure what dedicated pedals to get, a good multi will help you learn about you needs/wants.

With the modern units, it is less an issue now with sound quality as it once was. More, you may well find that the multFX just don't model the particular overdrives or whatever that fit your style, rig, personality, genre the best.

Like I have a multifx (Boss MS3) with totally objectively nice sounding overdrives for bass. But they aren't the particular sound I like, so I have Darkglass units in addition. But I don't use chorus a ton and thus it is not as big a priority, so the Boss MS3 chorus does just fine.

I use a Line6 HX Stomp XL and I think it's great. The interface on a PC is super easy to use, at least compared to my old Zoom B3. It's not that difficult to tweak on the pedal either although it does take some getting used to. The only con for me is no DI out, but DIs are relatively cheap if you need to go that route. The amp and cab sims sound great to me, I use IEMs at church so I get a fair amount of use out of them. The XL is basically the same as the base Stomp except it has more stomp buttons. The only reason I can think of to go with a Helix or a Floor is if you need the connectivity options, which if you're just using it for a multiFX for a single bass you probably don't need. Or if you want a built in expression pedal. I'm always a little intimidated at the potential cost of single pedals so I like the fixed cost of a multiFX.

I don't personally have an HX Stomp, but the guitar player in my band does (not the XL but I think they share the engine) and I'll say I'm mightily impressed with the sound quality. Too my comment about the advancement in quality above, definitely a feather in the cap for Line 6, I was not a fan of some of their older units.

For one, in tracking our songs, he will reamp a DI through multiple real amps/mic combos and the Helix amp/cab sims. When I get to mixing, I usually minimize the tracks so I can listen 'blind' and just see what track sounds best in the mix raw. Helix has come up as frequently as the best sounding blind for me as any of his tube amps with pretty customized speaker cabs. Really, it is a lovely space to be just picking between 5 or 6 options that are all good.

I also, though again, 2nd hand experience, but I think the Helix will let you very much set it up for bass. He has mentioned it has bass effects too. And crucially, in my opinion, I know it has internal routing, so you can do like a clean blend, so you can effectively use most of the guitar effects on bass. That's something you'll find is the only real thing that often separates a 'bass' from a 'guitar' pedal; we often need to maintain that low end..not effuct the lows up to much.

 

[Don41_2]

I'm a hobbyist who is privileged to play regularly in a very, very good praise band at my church. Much of this depends on your effects use case or, like me, multiple use cases.

i've used a very small, analog board for years (tuner, Ampeg Classic Pre, Radial JDI) and was quite happy. I also had an MS-60B that i picked up five years ago. Played around with the MS-60B for a while but ended up setting it aside since you really had to engage with the unit to figure it out. Also, to find that "sound in your head", you need to explore different settings and, at times, dig deep into the parameters to find what works with your rig.

Recently, the B6 came out and it was getting excellent reviews. Also, I had been reading about compression, distortion, octave pedals, etc. on worship bass pedalboard thread. So i thought i would give the B6 a try, especially since I needed a silent (i.e., headphones) practice solution with decent amp emulation. In addition, the B6 also provided a prototyping solution, which gave me a chance to explore different effect types and configure different board layouts. I picked one up from Sweetwater and gave it a try knowing i could return it if i didn't like it or it didn't satisfy these use cases.

Well . . . the B6 arrived, I set up, played with it for about an hour . . . WOW, the B6 sounded great! And it was much easier to adjust and setup than the MS-60B. It satisfied my two primary use cases and it sounded so good that I'm now using it as my pedalboard at church. I'm keeping it simple for now, with a compressor, SVT Amp sim and dirt which, together, brings a massive bass on some of our songs. The first day i played out i received compliments from the guitar players in the band (line 6 users) and from many in the congregation.

As for the MS-60B, playing with the B6 made me curious again. So i brought it out and found it had a great MB amp simulation (I have a LM II that i like a lot) and an excellent compressor model. I'll now use that as an easy to carry, excellent sounding travel rig!

Regarding the presets - when I bought the B6 i scrolled through them to hear the range of what the unit could do, but i don't use them when playing out.

To recap here are my use cases, which the B6 addresses:

1. Silent practice rig - B6 is excellent for this
2. Learn about effects and explore different pedal board configurations - B6 is superb for this (MS-60B is ok, but not as easy)
3. Gigging Pedalboard for Praise Band- B6 is very good for this
4. Small, effective travel rig - MS-60B will be perfect

Hope that helps.

BTW - I find now that i would like to expand my analog board just a bit to emulate the B6 configuration I'm using at church (Tuner, Comp, Pre, Dirt, DI). I always like having a backup in case something breaks and it would also be nice as a "change of pace" set up. What the B6 did was help me figure that out without having to spend extra dollars and time buying and flipping pedals until i found a configuration that worked for me.

 

[groove pump]

Hello,

I've been playing bass for about 20 years and never really been into using effects before now...

Way back at the beginning I has a Zoom multi-effects pedal that I think was guitar + bass, and it was really awful.... the only 'overdrive' sounds it had were just way to rough and over the top.

Other than tuners and switches, I've had a Boss limiter/compressor and an Ibanez chorus pedal that I've been fairly happy with but rarely use. (I play lightly and thus make other players use the limiter if they're using my rig, lol ) I bought a JHS mute switch and a Donner noise gate last year and I'm really happy with them (first pedal purchase in well over 10 years).


The guitar players in my band are totally into their effects and they're good at it. Most of them use Line 6 (HDX?) and have started suggesting I get one.

So, I'm in the mood to play around with a multi-effects board now, especially if it has any good amp modeling, and happy to spend a few / several hundreds dollars on a good board or system... cringing at the ones that are selling for $1500+ but I'd go for it if there was compelling reason to do so.

I'd prefer for it to be something made for bass,not just "guitar" but I don't even know if that's barking up the wrong tree or not.

All that said, as an effects-newbie, I'd like to hear opinions on what gear to try, and why (why meaning Pros and Cons, + what do you like about it?)

Thanks!

P.S. in short: talk to me about multi-effects pedal boards please ;-)

Here's my update:

After a little more time in the trenches with the B6 and a little more noodling with the Pod Go, I think that deck is really stacked in favor of the Zoom in terms of starting out. I only needed one or two sessions of about a half hour to cruise through different patches and adjust a couple of them. In almost no time I was feeling comfortable enough to use some patches at band practices and gigs.

I'll need to do some of my own patch building from scratch to cook up a couple of synth-based sounds on the B6 that I'll want for a couple of our dance tunes, but this unit comes already loaded up with a bunch of different sounds right out of the box.

The Pod Go won't be ready to "Go!" in terms of playing with the band until after I get more used to building patches and then put several of them together. But I can also say that I'm very looking forward to this.

I was so impressed with the ease of use that I found with the B6 that I went crazy... again... and picked up Zoom's G6, which includes a multi-purpose pedal that can do volume, wah, and I'm not sure what else. This has a interface like the B6 that's just as easy to navigate and I can say that it's also a lot of fun right out of the box. But now that I can compare the G6 and the Pod Go side by each, I can say that the Pod Go is sounding purdy dang good on guitar and making a great case for itself.

The Zoom multis give me that terrific ability to dive right in, but the guitar patches in the G6 absolutely do not outclass the Pod Go. When comparing several patches that are aimed at similar tones, amp models, etc., I'd give the edge to the Line 6 (in some cases, not all). The Pod Go could potentially also sound at least as good in terms of some bass patches, but I'm going to need a while to either build a basic menu of bass patches or download a few so that I can start using it with the band. Right now I can't do that.

...and I may even keep all three...

 

[PollyDahl]

Here's my update:

After a little more time in the trenches with the B6 and a little more noodling with the Pod Go, I think that deck is really stacked in favor of the Zoom in terms of starting out. I only needed one or two sessions of about a half hour to cruise through different patches and adjust a couple of them. In almost no time I was feeling comfortable enough to use some patches at band practices and gigs.

I'll need to do some of my own patch building from scratch to cook up a couple of synth-based sounds on the B6 that I'll want for a couple of our dance tunes, but this unit comes already loaded up with a bunch of different sounds right out of the box.

The Pod Go won't be ready to "Go!" in terms of playing with the band until after I get more used to building patches and then put several of them together. But I can also say that I'm very looking forward to this.

I was so impressed with the ease of use that I found with the B6 that I went crazy... again... and picked up Zoom's G6, which includes a multi-purpose pedal that can do volume, wah, and I'm not sure what else. This has a interface like the B6 that's just as easy to navigate and I can say that it's also a lot of fun right out of the box. But now that I can compare the G6 and the Pod Go side by each, I can say that the Pod Go is sounding purdy dang good on guitar and making a great case for itself.

The Zoom multis give me that terrific ability to dive right in, but the guitar patches in the G6 absolutely do not outclass the Pod Go. When comparing several patches that are aimed at similar tones, amp models, etc., I'd give the edge to the Line 6 (in some cases, not all). The Pod Go could potentially also sound at least as good in terms of some bass patches, but I'm going to need a while to either build a basic menu of bass patches or download a few so that I can start using it with the band. Right now I can't do that.

...and I may even keep all three...

I have a B6 coming. I've been a long time user and fan of Zoom's gear. I've gigged a B3n for 4 years now. For the price/sound/intuitiveness it's better than anything else I've tried multi-effects wise. I gave both the Line 6 Stomp and Stomp XL their day in court and couldn't get on with interface. They're great units but I have to have reasonably easy access to change things quickly on a gig or during rehearsals. There's too much menu diving there. The B3n is incredibly simple to navigate and tweak, and loses little compared to the Stomp in terms of sound quality imo, with much less in terms of routing and effects options of course.

Having said that...the B6 comes in at a totally different price point and so I expect a significant upgrade sound wise. The reviews over in the B6 thread are very promising so I pulled the trigger. I have no doubt that I'll find it easy to work through so if the sounds are there it will be a winner for me. Honestly the biggest and, at this way too early stage, only downside is that it's effing huge!

 

[Zooberwerx]

A used Zoom B3n will run you < 150 clams...that's what I use. I feel I'm being ripped-off because I can't find realistic applications for each and every effect.

I'm a Luddite but still manage to navigate and fabricate a few usable patches...it's fun! If joining an "ampless" project, I'd be looking at some of higher-tier stuff which, at the moment, is overkill for a schlub like me.

Riis

 

[G On Bass]

I recently went back to a multi (B3N) from individual effects. These are my reasons:
- I don't want a huge board and thousands of dollars worth of pedals
- Doing lots of originals that give me lots of latitude for different tones
- I like being able to experiment with lots of different sounds
- I don't like twiddling with knobs on pedals or amps when playing. Set and forget
- I'm not a purist, a pedal snob or a studio bassist. If it sounds right for the song, it's good enough for me
- I am OK with the fact that there are lots of useless effects on a multi.

So I set my patches, switch between them and toggle effects on and off as needed and I'm a happy guy.