Help with Multi-Effects

[PFDarkside]

For me, there are a few factors. Do you want gain pedals? Wah pedal? I prefer those as standalone, simple pedals that you can easily bend down and adjust. For time based effects like reverb, delay, chorus, etc. it’s up to you. You can get excellent, professional level results with a number of products. There are a few effects that straddle the line, I’m thinking of Phase Shifter and Uni Vibe. If you are looking for the overall sound, they are there in the multieffects. If you are really particular, the stand alone pedals are the way to go.

Sirion introduced me to the TC Electronic G-System a while ago. You get a floor controller, a rack or pedalboard mounted “head” and a few loops for standalone pedals that the unit can switch. Take your Mesa (it’ll switch channels for you) add a couple of drive pedals and the G-System and you’ve got a killer, easy to transport rig.

The other thing, if you only ever use a Tube Screamer and a slap back delay, I’d say two pedals is a lot simpler than a big multieffects!

[chadd]

The most important thing to know is how important the effects will be to your tone. Will you be playing a lot of ambient, heavily-effected stuff, or just using them for color and keeping them in the background. Second question is how much do you like programming and how long is your attention span?

The second one might even be the more important question. Your willingness to scroll through menus and experiment versus just turning a knob will make a huge difference in which one will work for you. If your tone will be based around the effects, you may be better off buying individual pedals that do very specific things very, very well. If you just want to have all the options available, or enjoy tweaking patches and presets, then the multi is absolutely the way to go.

[Mincer]

The Line 6 M9 is a very capable multi-effects that sounds great. Good drives, modulations, and special effects. Some people like individual pedals, but I don't care- if it sounds good, I'll use it either way.

[Erlend_G]

Multi-effects has (to my ears) just gotten better and better, for every year...

I remember my first multi effect pedal, a Digitech RP100 from 2003. It was really cool for me , as a 13 year old beginner.-
but the sounds were really ugly, and even when "bypassed" it killed the tone.

But recently, I've heard multi effects pedals that are so good, I could not tell it was not separate pedals. :o
same with amp modeling.

[Sirion]

I think you are on the right track. Pedals can be a lot of fun to some people, but unless your needs are very specific a good multi-FX can do it more than well enough: people have been touring with units like this since the early nineties.

It would, in any case, not be a problem to use with your amp. I'd recommend the Line 6 HX Effects unit as a good compromise between features, sound quality and price (the obvious downside for you is that you would have to get an expression pedal separately for the reverb). Perhaps I should have started by asking: what is your budget?

[Episcum]

Hey there. I'm very new to effect pedals and stuff. My whole playing time has been spent on a Peavey Vypyr VIP1. I recently bought a Mesa/Boogie Mini Recto 25 with matching 1x12 cab. Im looking to build up a pedal board with it mainly consisting of basics. (Reverb, Delay, OD/Distortion, Wah). I was looking at a multi effects pedal. My train of thought being that I could get a lot of effects in one space and not buy a bunch of different pedals. Would this type of setup work with my new amp? Or am i better off just buying individual pedals. Sorry if any of this is completely wrong or nonsensical, i'm new to pedals and head/cab setups. Thanks a bunch!