Effects Unit for my Mark IV

[loudriver23]

Hey All,
I was looking for some input on effects units for my Mesa Mark IV. I looked into the Boss and Digitech stuff. I am currently interested in the Line6 POD stuff as well.
What I mainly need is delay, chorus, and some flange. I may want to play around with some Modeling, but I'm loving the Mark IV for the time being.
I want a nice quiet unit that has a true bypass mode.
Any suggestions?
Loudriver

[Hawkman]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

If you plan to run the effects through an effects loop and you're looking for only the time-based effects, then I'd strongly recommend a Lexicon MPX-1, or if you want some stomp box modeling, the the newer Lexicon MPX-2 http://www.lexiconpro.com/mpxg2/index.asp

I had one of these for years that I used with the foot controller and the sounds were amazing. Lexicon is widely known as an excellent manufacturer of studio quality reverbs and delay. I sold mine a few years ago when I converted my entire signal chain into all analog (like using a Roland Space Echo, analog choruses and flangers). I kinda wish I kept the Lexicon though - it really has some incredible sounds.

There's really so many options out there to choose from. The Lexicon is just one that I was impressed with when I had it in my rack rig a few years ago. Good luck.

[NoMoreMKIV]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

Ugh-

That question brings me pain. I've used the POD 2.0, and tried other units like the Boss ME-50. Used to have a Digitech Valve FX several years back. Now I have settled on using pedals for everything. I think that effects processors are cool in theory, but it is really easy to completely lose touch with the actual playing and music if you end up having to spend hours messing around with a processor to get it to do neat things for you.

The big complaint I have about processors is that their best selling point is also one of their biggest drawbacks. Processors are cool because you can step on one button and get a whole bunch of different effects to toggle on and off. This is convenient. But you also need to spend a lot of time making sure that your levels are comparable, which can vary a lot from room to room.

And what if you want to toggle various things on and off at different moments? Well, a lot of processors now have stomp-box-like controls as well, so supposedly that's covered. But then there's the issue of switching time. A lot of midi foot controllers have a slight delay in switching, which can be noticeable or at least annoying. Some controllers don't have this (I think the ME-50 doesn't have that problem?). And I'm sure a lot of higher end gear doesn't have the switching delay.

The thing I like about pedals is that you can be completely random in your decisions. If you make a spontaneous decision to use a certain effect at a certain moment, you don't need to ask yourself if that sound is in the bank you are currently using.

The other BIG scary thing about processors is it seems like there is always the chance that an accidental pedal depression (or double hit) can cause you to switch to some unknown la-la-land, or edit mode, and there you are in the middle of a song, on stage, and you have no clue what just happened.

Of course, if you decide you want to use all pedals instead of a processor, you might start liking that Mark IV a lot less... that's what happened to me. Once I accepted that I could just use pedals for all, I built a nice pedalboard, and switched to using a Twin Reverb because it's a louder, cleaner, nicer sounding amplifier.

To give you a final anecdote... I was playing covers with some guys a while back,and one of them was a definite gear-head. He had bought the Zintera modeling amplifier, which is like the Mercedes of modeling amps. However, if he wanted to get a Marshall-like sound for some AC/DC or Aerosmith, he was flipping through the banks of the amplifier, and invariably every bank had oodles of delay and chorus on it as well, and the sound was brittle and overly bright. In the meantime, with my little Mesa Maverick amplifier and a RAT pedal, I was already cranking out Highway to Hell with a damn good approximation of the right tone.

If you want to make your bandmates happy, keep it simple.

[Hawkman]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

Now I have settled on using pedals for everything. I think that effects processors are cool in theory, but it is really easy to completely lose touch with the actual playing and music if you end up having to spend hours messing around with a processor to get it to do neat things for you.

you also need to spend a lot of time making sure that your levels are comparable, which can vary a lot from room to room.

The thing I like about pedals is that you can be completely random in your decisions. If you make a spontaneous decision to use a certain effect at a certain moment, you don't need to ask yourself if that sound is in the bank you are currently using.

If you want to make your bandmates happy, keep it simple.

Great points here!

These are ALL reasons why I ended up selling my Lexicon unit!

I'm also now known as an all analog tube snob who would prefer to have acid sprayed in my eyes before I had to run my guitar signal through digital effects units. They simply suck the tone and vibe right out of your guitar.

[NoMoreMKIV]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

The Lexicon MPX G2 sure does look good - hadn't seen it before.

But... we're talking like $1500!!!

For that money, I'll buy myself another guitar and amplifier

I don't know. My feeling about fancy effects is that to a large extent it's going to be hard to hear the differences in quality in a live setting. So it's more about recording, or just playing by yourself and listening to how cool it sounds.

My bass player likes to use compression and overdirve and flangers on certain songs, and he'll always say, "what did you think of the flanger that i was using on the second verse?", and my response is always "what flanger?".

[Hawkman]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

The Lexicon MPX G2 sure does look good - hadn't seen it before.

But... we're talking like $1500!!!

For that money, I'll buy myself another guitar and amplifier

Yeah, they sure are pricey brand new...but, if you look around you might find... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

[loudriver23]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

I think i've got caught up with the whole hi-tech philosophy without revisiting the good old pedals. I have had some good luck with pedals before. What type of Delays, Chorus, and Flangers do you all recommend?
Boss, DOD, Danelectro? Other??
Thanks

[some_dude]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

I'm also now known as an all analog tube snob who would prefer to have acid sprayed in my eyes before I had to run my guitar signal through digital effects units. They simply suck the tone and vibe right out of your guitar.

Ahh, but there's plenty of crap anolog pedals, just like there's crap digital ones.

(I'd first like to say this part isn't directed at you)

I've seen plenty of anolog snobs turn their noses up at digital rack processors while the have a Boss DD-3 or some digital reverb on their board.

While I do agree that a good anolog pedal has plenty of mojo, getting six seconds of delay/looping time out of an anolog pedal is pretty expensive, and I don't think that digital delay/reverb pedals can hold a candle up to a digital rack.

[Burkwieser]

Re: Effects Unit for my Mark IV

I think it all depends on your playing style. If messing around with effects all day is your thing. Cool. I prefer to just have some nice reverb,delay, and some chorus I can turn on once in a while. I spend more time on the guitar than I do the effects. As far as pedals, same thing. I use a rack and would rather have the effects rack mounted. Set it up to what you like and just leave it. That's me though.