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The Ultimate Question About Effects

Thaos627

Thaos627

Jan 10, 2011
238
4
Indiana
#1
I couldn't find anything on this so I'm going to ask it myself.

What is the better option: 1. A multi-effect processor or 2. Multiple effect pedals?

specifically I've been debating on whether I should grab a Korg Pandora Mini or buy all the effects I want as pedals (behringer, danelectro, etc.). I was only going to buy cheap pedals so the price wouldn't be any different.

If it helps if I go the pedal route I'm getting a tuner, equalizer, octave, chorus & flanger. Ultimately I want a bunch of effects to have a very synthy keyboard like sound (I already have an Ibanez synth & digitech bass driver).

Last time I used a Multi-effect pedal was Boss (I know it was GT something). It was awful, I couldn't use any of the effect combinations I wanted & the sound was crap at best. I wondered If Korg's was the same where I can only use 1 actual effect at a time.
 
#2
Without pouring over the manual, the Korg looks like it has the same standard layout of older multi-effects; one of each effect type in a preset order...hope you like it - if not, deal with it.


If you are going to look at a multi, you're going to want to look at a Zoom B3 or Line6 M9. They eliminate a lot of the problems with previous generation multis. They are worth the extra money for their superior control alone. B3 has a very attractive price: feature set ratio.

You're still going to get a ton of people saying, "get the singles!" and a ton of others saying, "get the multi!" but ultimately it will depend on your needs and how specific the tones you are looking to nail down are.

Of course, if you can, get into a store and try out whatever you can get a hold of.
 
#3
Mutli-effect pros:
Lots of effects for cheap
Single-unit: simplicity, reliability
Ability to store and recall presets

Multi-effect cons:
Not versatile, not changeable
Effects order can't be changed (usually)
Possibility of hiss/noise
OMG! Digital technology might hurt my toanz! :(

Individual pedals & pedalboard pros:
Cost: As cheap or as expensive as you'd like
Versatility, changeability.
Any pedal you want, stick it on there
Generally considered to sound better than multi-FX
True bypass and all-analog capability, if that's important to you. :o

Individual pedals & pedalboard cons:
Can be expensive
Inter-connect wiring can be expensive and troublesome
Power supply/supplies.
Hum and other 'interoperability' issues
No ability to store presets unless you have a fancy and expensive effects looper gizmo.
 
#4
I would add that these two things are becoming increasingly less true. You can change the order of effects in the Boss GT series (6B/10B/100 and all the guitar ones), Zoom B3, and Line 6 M9/M13. I don't know about the newer Digitech stuff.

Crater said:
Multi-effect cons:
Not versatile, not changeable
Effects order can't be changed (usually)
Click to expand...
 
#6
the power supply is no problem with me, i have a digitech ac adaptor with somethin i call the octopus that plugs into it & gives me a ton of power plugs. idk what its actually called it was made by a music store near me & they didnt name it.

basically what i want to do is have a pre-eq with fuzz & a synth effect while i can mix chorus & flange into it while using an octave to make it more boomy.

i think i will buy the pedals seperately since ive used multi's & no matter how i put effects together it never puts the fuzz in front of everything else which is what i want. the order of the effects is more important to me than the effects themselves.
 
#8
i completely hate line6 stuff, i never had an actual problem from their amp or effects but they sound horrible to me.

as far as zoom i never used their stuff at all but i was going to grab the 2.1b when i was younger for an interface & fuzz but i never could get enough money (i was a poor poor person now that i look back).

which zoom multi-effect processor are you talking about?

I have used the digitech & boss multi-effects & i recommend no one ever buying either of them. boss's single effect pedals are ok but i dont like any of them (not even the tuner). i love digitech pedals but im cheap (habit mostly).
 
#12
Thaos627 said:
i completely hate line6 stuff, i never had an actual problem from their amp or effects but they sound horrible to me.

as far as zoom i never used their stuff at all but i was going to grab the 2.1b when i was younger for an interface & fuzz but i never could get enough money (i was a poor poor person now that i look back).

which zoom multi-effect processor are you talking about?

I have used the digitech & boss multi-effects & i recommend no one ever buying either of them. boss's single effect pedals are ok but i dont like any of them (not even the tuner). i love digitech pedals but im cheap (habit mostly).
Click to expand...

Line6 M9 or Zoom B3. I understand multis aren't for everyone, and they may not be for you, but the most recent generation of multi-effects put to shame so many of the previous generations of work that you need to get into a store to try them before deciding they are worthless to you.

Thaos627 said:
basically what i want to do is have a pre-eq with fuzz & a synth effect while i can mix chorus & flange into it while using an octave to make it more boomy.
Click to expand...

Is that all :D? The B3 and M9 both have a limit of 3 effects, but you can run them in any order and run the same effect more than once. There's a handful of effects in each unit that could be counted as combination effects, combining aspects of two effects into one patch.

Zoom also has the MS series. MS50G and MS100BT is a guitar multi that comes in a single stompbox sized box, and has many of the same benefits of the B3, including effect order arrangement. The MS60B (bass)and MS70CDR (chorus, reverb, delay) are to be released soon I assume (they were at NAMM) and have the same footprint and similar abilities.

I can vouch for the octave, eq, and chorus on the M9, I have never been a great lover of flanger when I play bass so it's difficult for me to evaluate that. There is also a sub-octave fuzz distortion that is pretty fat and combined with a chorus makes for some synthy goodness.

You owe it to yourself to at least take one for a spin to re-evaluate the technology, since it is pretty clear you haven't touched a multi in some time.

Good luck.
 
#13
I personally don't like multi-effects... a good multi is as expensive as 4-5 decent quality individual effects, and the TB classified ads makes trying out different effects so easy. If you get an octave and don't like its "flavor" you can simple flip it and try another, which you can't do with a multi. Although its a slippery slope to the day you look down and have $1000 worth of effects under your feet.
 
#14
caeman said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

What is the best bear?


But really. I've had a Boss GT-10B and a Zoom B3. I started with Multis and I look back on those days with fondness. My board is mostly individual stuff, now (except for the Strymon Mobius) and the quality of sound is INSANELY better. But the whole board is probably a good $2000+ over one of those multis, too.
 
#18
The big advantage of a multi, for me, is in those certain situations where you need the memory slots, and don't have time to stop and mess with your floor pedals. For example, I used a multi (an old Boss GT6B) for a theatre show, Jesus Christ Superstar, where I wanted specific combinations of effects, and didn't have a lot of time to mess around between songs.

For normal use, though, I get by with my Nano and a couple of basic, good quality pedals.
 
#20
i looked up the zoom b3, it seems great until the fact that you can only use 3 effects & that includes amp/cab mods.

i have tried line 6 stuff & i hate the sounds their effects make, theyre useless.

does anyone know if the danelectro fab pedals work well on the bass frequencies? from what guitarists tell me they say it works better on low end but thats still not bass.
 

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