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why the hate on multi-effects pedals?

#22
One reason for the hate could be jealousy. You, as a musician, have moved beyond the narrow-minded view of "analog warmth" and have a more complete view of your tone. You then choose to explore it, not allowing the opinions of others to sway you. You found something you like. And THAT is what bugs those that would spew their hate. You didn't choose THEIR path, and they just cannot accept that.

For the most part, none of the musicians I hang with care about analog vs. digital, single vs. multi. One of the worship leaders prefers his rack-mount unit because it is just one unit and one cable. No clutter. A guitarist at another church has two large pedal boxes, 15 pedals, easily, and free mixes their use because he likes the fiddle-bit nature of pedals.
 
#23
Eric Perry said:
I've just always experienced a much broader tonal range, and less tone-sucking with individual pedals. YMMV
Click to expand...

Agreed. I really *like* the idea of mfx, and I've tried more than a few; They just don't cut it for me.

I'm also frustrated by single pedals that do 30 thing - but AREN'T mfx.... You know, like the Digitech bass synth pedal - has a ton of different options - but really, in a gig, you're not going to be dorking with the pedal - so you have to pick ONE. I really wished that in that pedal's case, they had made one sound that was REALLY good and left the rest out... but to me, they're all lame...
 
#26
I would love to have a MFX pedal which:

a) maintains the tone of my bass when bypassed
b) has all of the effects I might like to use (compressor, delay, verb, envelope filter, wah, maybe fuzz/overdrive) available simultaneously so that I don't need any other pedals
c) allows the order of the effects to be reconfigured

That may be a lot to ask, but if I'm going to spend $300-400+ on a single device, it had better serve me well. I haven't found/tried the one that will do it for me, but I keep hoping. Haven't tried the newest Line 6 stuff yet.
 
#28
I certainly don't hate multi-fx, and I would even classify one of my pedals as a multi, too. (Digitech XP-1000).

What I will say about my own experience with multi-fx, however, is that every multi I've ever tried had something I really didn't like. One of them, I hated the amp models but loved the delays and modulation. Another one had much better amp models, but the modulations sounded tacky and plastic. So I always ended up wanting to supplement it with a single to fix that one thing I didn't like about it. And once you start adding singles, that kinda defeats the whole purpose of having a multi (one-stop-shop and all that). So anyways, that's why I ended up going with singles. Although, I will say that if Tech 21 ever released a multi with all of their character series in there as different patches, I'd love to give it a try.
 
#29
I think it entirely depends if a person is looking for effects to add flavor to their current tone that they like, or looking for effects to "create" their tone.

If the FX are the core and vital part of their tone, then in all likelyhood individual effects will allow more specific choice and tailoring of their tone.

IMHO.


.
 
#30
i definitely see both sides of the picture, thanks to everyone for your respected opinions. Ive also taken it to friend's practice spaces and i have used their guitars and cabs. and i think that also plays a role in the sound as well. I play a bc rich warlock platinum series with a peavey nitrobass head and a gk 4x10 gold line series cab. and no bias, i feel like i get better sound out of my rig then it did with my three friends. And ill be the first to say it, i hate the pre-sets on mine lol. but i spent hours dialing in the tones i described and to me they are killer for their respected genre. and i also understand the more capabilities with stompboxes and stand alone pedals. But maybe i just have not played around with the actual ampegs, mesa boogies etc enough to realize that the sound from my pedal is weaker. who knows?
 
#31
Well, I don't HATE them, and I'm certainly not "jealous", but I find they don't work for me. They sound a bit thinner, ad too much noise, and I find 98 percent of the presets useless. I'm sure there are some good ones out there, but for my needs, they take too much tweaking, etc. I know with individual pedals, I get just what I want and need, and don't have to screw around with it too much.

If they work for you, that's fabulous though. It doesn't make either one of us right, just different.
 
#32
I have the BP200 but pretty much only use it for the drum machine that it has. I have just found that I like the sounds that come out of the individual pedals more then the multi. I don't hate it by any means I just don't like it as much as others. But... I also don't like some pedals as much as others either.
 
#34
onosson said:
I would love to have a MFX pedal which:

a) maintains the tone of my bass when bypassed
b) has all of the effects I might like to use (compressor, delay, verb, envelope filter, wah, maybe fuzz/overdrive) available simultaneously so that I don't need any other pedals
c) allows the order of the effects to be reconfigured

That may be a lot to ask, but if I'm going to spend $300-400+ on a single device, it had better serve me well. I haven't found/tried the one that will do it for me, but I keep hoping. Haven't tried the newest Line 6 stuff yet.
Click to expand...

This got me to thinking... The Digitech BNX3 i had... What I wanted on it was LESS... Less and easier...

So...

Remove all the amp/speaker emulation nonesense;
Remove the baby looper & drum machine

Add the ability to re-order FX;
Simplify the user interface;
Add the ability assign more than one of an effect type to multiple pedals (3 different choruses? Why not?)
Improve the sound of the Fx - particularly the envelop filter
Add a LEGET synth sound

If my BNX had all of that, I would have kept it. Alas.
 
#35
I remember seeing a picture somewhere of a board that was made of wood, and the buy put into it the various analog effects, tube-based stuff.

Alternately, if you are absolutely certain of the pedals you like, you could re-house them in a single enclosure for a faux multi-FX thing.
 
#37
It just looks to me like a big messy gadget to have to rely on. One more thing to worry about when you play out. That's the thing, I guess... they strike me as the kind of thing that never leaves the house. I just added an overdrive to my rig. One solid switch on a cast metal box. I spend my time rocking, not fiddling with knobs.
 
#38
I'm a relative newcomer to this site compared to other guys, but I don't recall reading someone specifically saying he or she hated multis. Hating a specific unit, probably, but that applies to pedals as well, right ?

I started out with a multi and switched to pedals just 'cause I like to tweak the knobs a bit. Was a bit of a hassle with the Zoom B1 that I now use as a rythm machine. If I ever re-do my guitar set-up (which ain't in the horizon for now), I'll go with a Boss ME-70 or something similar.
 
#39
Hate?

I think you'll find that most of the TBFX regulars actually recommend Multi-FX units to to FX noobs.

Personally I prefer stomps but I won't discount a well put together Multi-FX unit such as the Line6 M5/M9/M13.
 
#40
I have a digitech bp80. Its good, alot of range, and once you learn to tweak everything, it is handy. I just use it as a wah pedal. Infact I'm about to mod it to make the pedal longer, and add a piece so I don't keep hitting the selector button.
 

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