Epic Flexible Pedal Rigs

Aceman

Aceman

I am your doctor of love!
So, I remember back in the day when a pedal was exactly that; One pedal. No Turbo modes, no eq switching, just three knobs to glory (maybe 4 on a Flanger...)

But today, things are different. So many pedals have mods/modes/tones etc. I was pondering a classic setup and realized almost all the pedals have way better modes/flexibility now.

Example:

TS9
Boss DS-1
MXR Phase 90
Boss SC-1
An Ibanez AD9
DOD FX45 Stereo Reverb

Today, I would get....

Ibanez TS9DX - 4 sounds (Or a JHS Bonsai)
Mooer Ultra Drive - 3 DS1 Sounds
MXR Phase 95 - 4 sounds; both Phase 45/90 tones plus vintage and modern
Digitech Chorus Factory - 7 sounds, all classics
EHX Canyon - 11 Delay types
TC Electronics Hall of Fame 2 - 8 Reverb types plus 3 tone prints

37 different effects! How insane is that in 6 pedals?!?!?! vs the original 6 pedals 6 sounds?
 
I don't know - but if I can't dial it in, there a bunch of others, and tone print options.

Could you imagine having that pedal in 1982? (Obvious tone print wouldn't be working yet, but still...)
 
They have more sounds now, but I find myself just using 1, and not switching through all those sounds at a gig. It is just more options to find the right sound, But once I find it, I stay there.
 
Mincer said:
They have more sounds now, but I find myself just using 1, and not switching through all those sounds at a gig. It is just more options to find the right sound, But once I find it, I stay there.
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No doubt - at a gig I'm using my favorite and rocking on.

But at home? What would it have taken to try that many reverbs, or chorusses, or overdrives?
 
Aceman said:
No doubt - at a gig I'm using my favorite and rocking on.

But at home? What would it have taken to try that many reverbs, or chorusses, or overdrives?
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Yeah I love those at home. The issue at a gig is generally you have to bend down to switch different modes. I might think I'd do that live, but it just doesn't happen.
 
Most of my pedals are set it an forget it except for my Carbon Copy. It is set to slapback for the VH stuff. I turn up the REGEN once a night for multi-tap on Ball of Confusion and Strut which are later in the set.
 
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What’s a better multi-effect?

A pedal with a million different sounds that I only use for one sound because I’m afraid to touch the knobs?

Or a pedal with one knob that I use for three different sounds?
 
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Little Pigbacon said:
I get more use out of my Earthquaker Plumes than I get out of my Line 6 M5.
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For me it’s the Phase 90. I use it for three sounds (9:00, 11:00 and somewhere around 2:30), and it’s so friggin simple I’m not afraid to experiment.

For similar reasons I also ditched the complex multi-delays in favour of an MXR Echoplex. I used to get hung up on presets, now I just turn knobs.
 
Aceman said:
Still, I'm just floored at the power of a simple OD or Reverb pedal these days....
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The real benefit, as I see it, is that the likelihood of finding a tone you will use is greater in some of the newer, multi-mode effects pedals.

It's really a golden age when it comes to pedals. There are far more options for players in every budget segment than any time before now.

Still, the vast majority of the pedals I own and use are more old-school, one trick pony designs. The ones I have kept just work for the music I play.

Great to have choices though, and I agree, the capabilities of some modern pedals are outstanding. Things can be purchased today at GC that do things that used to take a room full of equipment to do.
 
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