Who is actually using a multi-FX live, and is happy with it?

[Plain Old Barry]

GT-1B here...

I don't use the GT-1B preamp 90% of the time. I mainly use it to replace a bunch of lesser used effects, like chorus, flange, phaser, slow gear, volume pedal, wah pedal... All of the GT-1B settings are built on a PC in Tone Studio and saved to the device. I still use an external MXR compressor, graphic EQ pedal, and Q-Strip, for easy access to quick adjustments and room / instrument adjustments.

When I do use the preamp in the GT-1B, it's for specific, one or two song sounds, like faking a 70's Peavey or Acoustic rig, an acoustic bass, or a whacked out deep reggae tone, without extreme amp settings changes.

My rigs are a Little Mark III with various cabs, a Fender Bassman 250/210, and occasionally others.

Routing is Boss TU3 > MXR Comp > Boss GEB > GT-1B > MXR Carbon Copy > Q-strip > Amp

 

[jimfist]

Yes, been using modeling almost exclusively for many years. It all started with the SansAmp BDDI and some pedals, but it escalated from there:

- circa 2008:
TC Electronic G-Force + Empirical Labs EL8 + SansAmp BDDI
Fractal Audio AxeFx Ultra
Fractal Audio AxeFxII
(big change of priorities): ZOOM B3 (this is when I developed a soft spot for their pedals)
Atomic Amps Amplifire (original 3 button)
-- circa 2015:
Zoom G5n
Zoom B3n
HX Stomp (only briefly...flipped it)
-- 2000
Atomic Amps Bass Box (not really a multi-fx, but has dirt, comp, EQ, amp modeling & cab sims)

I've been able to happily gig with all of these products, and as you can see the range is from the bottom of the budget Zoom stuff all they way up the ladder to the AxeFx (which did take a TON of learning curve to program and set up with a MIDI pedal, but well worth the effort, painful as it was). I think whether anyone likes modeling or not has to do more with what you are used to, and whether there is something very specific that you NEED to have that only traditional pedals and amps can deliver. Also factor in size, weight, convenience, flexibility, etc. I like it, but it's not for everyone.

Right now, only my Bass Box, Zoom B3n and G5n remain. I've got my eye on the Quad Cortex (until it matures a bit), Fractal FM3, and even the AxeFxIII (I'm anxious to see if the new "Cygnus" firmware does the same amazing things for bass as it reportedly does for guitar, and whether it will be ported to the FM3).

I don't really miss traditional pedals and amps (sole my full SVT Classic tube head and 8x10) one bit, and now my stage rig is only needed to amplify my modeled tones and effects. Sometimes I don't even need it and can go full DI to FOH and stage monitors without losing any sleep.

 

[mexicanyella]

Paging @andruca ...

 

[DanGroove]

My setup for the reggae cover band I play with is: Shure GLX D16 into a Helix floor (with a Future Impact III in the effects loop) into the PA with iems. I used to drag my old SVT out. But its been sitting in the misic room for awhile now.

Yeah! Man after my own heart. This is basically my exact setup except it is a Helix Rack. EDIT: oh yeah and I eventually traded the Shure GLX for a Relay G90 just so it would rack up nicely.

I used to (before getting Helix) have to add patch numbers for FI to my setlist and would often accidentally change the bank when I went to turn the FI on/off with the footswitch. Helix eliminated both those issues. I just turn FI on/off by turning the loop on/off on the Helix, and connect a MIDI cable from Helix to FI so I can hit a footswitch labelled with the name of the song and Helix sends patch change commands to FI.

And my SVT likewise started collecting dust after I got the Helix.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

This has got me thinking again - why don't I just get another M9? I liked the sounds, it would do 3 effects at a time which is more than enough and JHV3 still do audio / functional mods to the unit.

 

[mark roberts]

Bass-Line6 M13-Boss RC-3 Looper-Boss FV50L volume pedal.

 

[sethlow3]

Line 6 m9
Even the nashville session giants use it.
So far it has been fantastic.

 

[SubNoizeRat3691]

I’m using a Line 6 wireless into an HX Stomp. That runs around the side of the stage and back to a Stewart World 1.2 power amp into a pair of Bill Fitzmaurice Jack 15 cabinets w/ melted piezo arrays.

The left output goes to my rig, the right goes to FOH. I adjust my level to work with FOH, and adjust the levels on my amp to get the right stage volume.

I’m using the Ampeg SVT4 amp in the HX. The signal is split at 400hz with the low end signal running through a compressor, and everything above 400hz seeing all the effects ( pitch shifter, drive, flanger, and envelopes filter). Everything comes back together just before it hits the amp block.

The whole package sounds great. I would also have no problem running silent on stage with no back line.

 

[dkelley]

I have for eons. Years ago I was dedicated to the behringer bass v-amp pro. Yep. Really. Used it in studio and live and got nothing but compliments.

I've worked with line6 frequently over the years. Dabbled in Fractal. Used Roland gear a ton, had a vb-99 setup for my EBMM basses for a long time.

Now I'm back with line6 using the helix, and it's heaven.

Any of these products can work great, but you need to know how to create patches from scratch and emulate real world conditions, understand F/M curves, how the device itself handles High Frequencies (every company has a different idea of the right amount to pass through to the output which means many, but not all, require some EQ to make it sound "real").

I'm currently recording an EP of cover songs with my band, and for the first time I'm exclusively using my helix for everything bass related, and even for tracking and monitoring the vocals when I record (using AUXes in the helix that I feed from my output mic preamps).

So yea, it's amazing what you can do with this stuff. Every generation improves upon teh last, mostly in usability but also in sound quality. But even with stuff 15 years ago or more I was getting great results and fooled other recording engineers into thinking I'd tracked everything with amps (which was the case for me with both basses and guitars over the years, I've used miked amps for both, DI out for both, and modelling for both, and I have gotten just as good results on guitar with modelling, and better results on bass with modelling, than with any miked up or DI-based system).

 

[JForest]

BOSS GT1000 since 3-4 years live (FoH+monitor) and at home (monitors or Rumble 25).
For a cover band it's incredible.
Very very happy !

 

[mexicanyella]

@dkelley At my last gig (A showcase set in Feb ‘20), I used the guitar V-Amp Pro as a bass preamp, and it worked great! Somebody had just given it to me as “maybe broken,” and all it needed was a memory battery replacement.

The Roland JC120 model in that thing makes a great bass preamp sound!

 

[Spidey2112]

Not live, but I use a GNX3 Workstation (don't judge; the station still works) to practice and record with.

It has a user setting called 'Jazz' I use all the time. I really need to note the settings which makes up this particular effect, to see if I can reproduce it without the GNX3.

 

[Zoffy]

These are my Line 6 PODS. The top Bass POD is from 2000, but is in perfect working condition. The bottom is a 2019 POD X. I can dial in sounds very quickly with the two manual rotary knobs on the older one, and once I figured out how to use the bottom one it was just as easy. The POD X also has a microphone jack to modulate voice as well. I use these about 30% of the time (usually, I just take a small pedal board and 3 or 4 pedals based on the song selection for the night).

 

[Eli_Kyiv]

I've got an old but quite nice Korg AX3000B. A lot of fund and useful staff in it. Mostly goes directly to console.

 

[Monkey]

Bass > Zoom B1Four > Markbass LMIII (or Ninja) > fEARful 12/6 (or GK combo)

 

[OogieWaWa]

Hmmm, no mentions of Mooers, Valetons, Rowins, Cuvaveys or Sonicakes in a gigging thread.

I can't get a handle on my multi (ME-50B) in a live situation. What sounds great at home never seems to work on stage. Maybe it's just not tweaked in enough, so I just gave up. I had an earlier Boss unit that didn't have any knobs at all. I like knobs.

 

[Hevy T]

I love my Zoom B3n! Now what is this live gig thing that which you speak?

 

[Nephilymbass]

Who's using one?
Are you happy with your tone?
Which one is it?
How are you routing it?

I REALLY want to go this route but haven't found anything I love. Who's doing what? (Feel free to direct me to the thread I'm missing).

The only multi I’ve tried that I really liked as a stand alone was my guitarist fractal. I’ve also heard some great tones out of the newer quad Cortex. Problem is they are both considerably north of a grand. All the Multis that are more affordable tend to be weak when it comes to one or two bread and butter effects (analog octave and analog dirt in Particular) but even really affordable multis like the line 6 m5 are great for a lot of different types of effects. Really if you have a good octave and a good dirt pedal you like and combine them with an m5, m9, or the newer hx stomp you can do just about anything in a very small setup.

 

[Resonance129]

I used a Zoom MS60B on stage for a while. It was great for audio quality IMO, but a bit cumbersome to switch between settings if you don't have them already pre-programmed. I guess that goes without saying, but it's definitely something to consider if you're in a live setting.
Once programmed to change effects with a press of the foot switch, it was great.

 

[dkelley]

@dkelley At my last gig (A showcase set in Feb ‘20), I used the guitar V-Amp Pro as a bass preamp, and it worked great! Somebody had just given it to me as “maybe broken,” and all it needed was a memory battery replacement.

The Roland JC120 model in that thing makes a great bass preamp sound!

Yea they're shockingly good once you get outside of what it says on the labels for each amp, and also change the default eq settings which are always extreme. Great units and go for cheap. the pro was a 2 (or 3?) space rackmount with xlr loops and outs and powerful routing... of course doing a great job of copying the concepts from line6 (which is the company that invented amp modelling). But unique patches, tones, amp models, and some great effects.

The helix I have now (obviously many many times the price of the behringer) is simply bliss to work with. The competition is also amazing now. Fractal has added a ton of bass amp models and effects (Finally!). Other brands are doing great things too. It's a great time to have a bad back and get old because I can get better tones now live and recorded than I did with much pricier and WAY bigger and heavier gear through most of my career.