The multi-effect is always a great place to start. I have used them foy years, and have used many. The cheaper units will be a case of getting what you pay for. The original Zoom 506 can be found for around $20-30 with a power supply, but again, you may not be happy and end up with a bad taste for multi's. The Digitech stuff is subjective. It's not terrible, and can be had for good used prices. Korg and Boss are the ones that have done it for me. I'm currently using the boss GT-6B, and I love it. I wouln't recommend it as a first pedal, as it is rather complicated to work with. You may want to give the ME-20B a try, or seek out an ME-8B, or look for the Korg AX1B, AX10B, or AX300B. You may grow to like the multi-effect setup, or not. It's all pretty subjective, and it ends up being what sounds good to you. Still, they're a great statrting point for experimenting with different effects, and if you do end up liking the quick setup, the higher-end multi's are high-end and more expensive for a reason. Hope this helps. Cheers!