Pedalboard versus multieffects

[Robert Delahunt]

All,

I figured I'd move this from another thread so I didn't hijack. I was wanting to discuss the merits of multieffects versus pedal boards.

1) Easier to troubleshoot problems. If you have a whole 'nother multieffects, you can swap it in if the first one is acting weird. If the problem persists, it's not the multieffects. With a pedal board, you could have a "ghost" in any one of the pedals. You have more gain stages, so more can potentially go wrong (i.e. more individual items = more points of failure). While I'm not trying to prove this point before I get discussion on it, a professional sound engineer once told me the same thing.

2) Potentially cleaner signal due to less signal hops, less gain stages, and the thing being grounded to itself. With a pedal board you must make sure they're all grounded to each other, all being supplied a good clean power, make sure all cables are in good shape. Again, less points of failure.

3) Cheaper if you need a lot of effects. My one ME-50 board is $300 new, and I could easily get another for say $100-$200 used, etc, two dual footswitches if I needed them. With separate pedals, new is from $50 to $150 depending on pedal, but if you need say 7 pedals to make your complete setup, that's already $350 at the least (new), maybe cheaper used but still more in terms of shipping many items versus one. However, obviously this assumes that the player isn't rich, but if we were rich we all know what we'd own, plus we'd probably have a tech maintaining the whole thing lol.

Anyways, 1... 2... 3... discuss!

 

[Brow]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I for 1 love single pedals.

When I 1st started playing guitar and gigging, I 'dabbled' with Multi FX because they were the easier and cheaper option.

Overtime (and gigs) I found that I'm a player that likes to chop and change sounds depending on my mood during the particular song I'm playing. If I want a little chorus for a clean arpeggio part, all I have to do is step on my Chorus pedal. If I want a little more grit in my Overdrive tone, I can step on the 2nd channel of my Fulldrive 2 and it's there.

If I wanted to do the same thing with (most) Multi FX I'd have to bend down to the unit itself, enter a menu, change a parameter etc. It's just simpler for me to have individual FX.

I also believe that single FX sound better because the circuit is only having to concentrate on doing 1 job (OD or Phase etc) instead of 20 like it would do with a Multi FX unit.

Also, if the switch goes on my OD pedal (just for example) then I can simply unplug the pedal during a break in the gig, and then carry on without it. If the same thing happens to your multi fx unit, what are you to do if you don't have a spare? You end up losing all of your sounds etc.

Multi FX definitely do have their place, just not on my pedalboard

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

Overtime (and gigs) I found that I'm a player that likes to chop and change sounds depending on my mood during the particular song I'm playing.

True. I can do that with mine, but I do have to bend down to do it. I can switch to manual mode but it's what I had in manual mode that I get, not what i was using in the preset.

If I wanted to do the same thing with (most) Multi FX I'd have to bend down to the unit itself, enter a menu, change a parameter etc. It's just simpler for me to have individual FX.

Well like I said, mine isn't as draconian about modifying presets, but you've got a point.

I also believe that single FX sound better because the circuit is only having to concentrate on doing 1 job (OD or Phase etc) instead of 20 like it would do with a Multi FX unit.

Basically true, but I've never noticed that important a difference. However, in terms of analog versus digital, I agree even though I've never "proved" it to myself. If you're talking about switching delay, I agree and disagree. It depends on the pedal. Switching delay between a heavily saturated preset to another is going to be hard on any computer, but it depends.

Say you have 10 songs in your set. Me, that means I can set up all 40 banks if I want with one being normal, one without mod, one without distort, and I'm set. But I am still limited in that i can't do some things you can as quickly.

However, I'm also more capable than you because I have more potential effects I can bring to bear. But the ME-50 isn't computer-programmable that way, so I would ultimately have to dial each one in, which would be a day or two of only that. However, afterwards, I have a perfect setup that can't be easily disturbed (i.e. you have to press edit button and then write button when done), as with knobs any one of them could be off, and you might not notice it before the show.

For playing in church, like I do, basically i rely more on the factory presets, but I've yet to find one that didn't meet my needs for a certain style, and we play a very diverse selection of music. So far I only had to add one preset, but I could've just switched off the ME and turned on my amp's tremolo and reverb for the same effect.

But for a touring band, the ME would actually be less of a benefit. However, it would still be fine.

Also, if the switch goes on my OD pedal (just for example) then I can simply unplug the pedal during a break in the gig, and then carry on without it. If the same thing happens to your multi fx unit, what are you to do if you don't have a spare? You end up losing all of your sounds etc.

Well either way, one would need a spare, but true, if you figured out which pedal is the culprit you can shut it off, but that's assuming that the problem is that simple.

Still that's a very valid point. Having to program two ME's the exact same way would be a royal pain. In my opinion, I'd have to ask Boss to either give me a better ME-50 (like a "signature" model or a redesign) or else I'd have to use independent stomp boxes. In my opinion they should offer a USB port and software, or even a sync port for connecting two of them (so that they can read/write to each other's patches).

Granted, my dream setup is a GT-PRO rackmount with the Roland 15-pedal MIDI. Then I can set the pedals for what I want them to act like, and the problem is more than solved. However, since I'm not yet a millionare...

 

[HolyDirt]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I use a multieffects processor, but I use it like a bunch of stomboxes. I programmed it so that when I step on certain buttons on my Midi controller, it turns certain effects on and off. I use the processor's tap tempo to make sure the effects are always compatable to what I'm playing. I works wonderfully.

 

[baritone]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I prefer single effect units. I an just interested in having a wide variety of tones available. I don't use all of mine at once, and I don't switch out pedals over and over. I usually leave 5 hooked up at a time, and those 5 I will use for everything for a few weeks. Plus most of my distortions are the ones frequently copied in multi-effect units and dostortion modelers.

 

[davedvdy]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I have a GT-6, and I am very satisfied with it. I would never say that is better or equal to boutique analog pedals or anything like that, but it really does everything that I need in effects: overdrive, Flanger, Chorus, Wah, auto wah, delay, etc. -- I enjoy using the Acoustic sim quite a bit as well for some clean stuff.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I've gone full circle, from pedals, to multiFX boards, to midi rackmount rigs, back to a pedalboard. I've handpicked every piece to do what I need, and haven't chaneged it much in over 5 years. I always mess with the L6's, to create new sounds. The OD section is tonal perfection. I can have full control over any amp it's plugged into.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

doesnt matter to me. although for my midi guitar rig, i use a multi fx setup since i dont use a conventional guitar amp. plus, they don't make pedals that get some of the sounds i need- and my pedalboard would be huge if they did.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I like my pedalboard . . . I've learned how to use each piece on it slowly as I collected it, so if I want a certain sound, I know how to get it right away. Plus, if I decide I don't like a sound on the board, I can always yank it off and trade it for somthing else. Multieffects boards are cool, but I just like to stick with what I have.

 

[pkkrat]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I have gone full circle too, I find I like the single effect pedals because it is just easier to use. I use all Boss pedals and a Morely wah. I play a strat through a fender hot amp. Simple but nice. I get a good sound and that is really all I am looking for!

 

[Dirt123]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I guess it depends on the job. With my church band gig, I need the flexbility of the MultiFX, which runs into the fx return of my amp. I have pre-programmed solo boosts for all the sounds.

If I'm doing a straight rock-n-roll gig, I can use my small pedal board, which is just an overdrive, wah,tuner & chorus. Or just the amp alone.

For my jam-band (which doesn't get out much) I use the Multi, because of all the weird sounds I have set up.

Eventually, I'll be able to use both the discrete pedal board & the multi fx, once I put together the right switching. And I need an additional amp.

 

[shaka]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I've had BOSS and Digitech multi effect units. I definitely prefered the BOSS.
In general I find most of them to be very sterile.

Truth be told I really don't like multi effects because I prefer my time based effects to be after the my amplifiers preamp. With multi-effects (at least the ones I've had) you either had to use the preamp in the unit (which were always lacking bigtime) and route it into the line in/effects return of an amp or run it into an amps guitar in jack killing the tone of your amp.

I do like some of the modelers that are coming out like the XT Live and feel they work pretty well when plugged into a power amp or the line in of an amp.

I prefer to run a wet/dry setup with two amps and pedals.

Eric

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

Truth be told I really don't like multi effects because I prefer my time based effects to be after the my amplifiers preamp.

True. You can't change the effects order on the ME-50. Granted, my dream pedal is the GT PRO and the 15-pedal Roland MIDI to go along with it. Expensive as heck, but there's nothing you can't do with it. I believe it comes with the computer interface too, but I don't know.

 

[bungalowbill]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

There are a couple of things that turn me off to most multi-effects. The first is that the presets usually aren't very usable....way too much delay, chorus and reverb. The other is that programming most of them are a pain...I hate scrolling through parameters to do simple adjustments. I think they are great for rehearsals and practicing at home where you can set up the unit for a particular room and don't have to mess with it much. As far as gigging, I'll take my pedalboard over a multi everytime.....if I need a little adjustment, all I have to do is turn a knob. In the heat of battle, simple and user friendly is what is needed.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I've come full circle too. So much so it's to the point where I don't even have a pedalboard out front. One pedal (a booster), amp channel footswitch and that is it. I might start using the wah again. I've had 7-8 pedals plus a wah laid out on a homemade pedalboard before plus a wah, gone the rackmount route with a few OD's out front. Then I started trimming things down and slowly 1 by 1, the pedals got put away. Then I just started swapping between a few boosters and overdrives for out front. Power = one single 9V battery that lasts for months.

When I was using my Marshall, a DD-2 sat all alone in the loop but since I started using the Vox AD50, I don't need to use it and I really don't need to use the booster either, but I do to kick the Bassman and Plexi models a little harder. That gives me a couple additional options.

Needless to say, I love pedals although I don't use all of them at once.

 

[baritone]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I've gone full circle, from pedals, to multiFX boards, to midi rackmount rigs, back to a pedalboard. I've handpicked every piece to do what I need, and haven't chaneged it much in over 5 years. I always mess with the L6's, to create new sounds. The OD section is tonal perfection. I can have full control over any amp it's plugged into.

That's a really classy effect chain. Most of my pedals are Boss because they are accessible, and it is easier to buy a whole bunch of them and have a crazy variety of sounds to play with.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I've been thinking about this very subject here lately. Thinking of breaking out the soldering iron and trying something unusual.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

I do both. First of all- I'm a big fan of "sound cloning" I like to groove on Def Lep Hysteria with EXACTLY that sound. For Led Zep 4, another sound. AC/DC - same thing. Maiden, Priest, Scorps, Kiss ALIVE, ALIVE II, etc so on and so forth. I love the off-the-record vibe. So I love to have a big old bank of a jillion presets and effects to sculpt with (preferably by Boss/Roland).

Then, sometimes, I get more intimate and personal. For those times, I break out some choice boxes AND my little fender pro jr. I sculpt and tweek into a good place.

To gig - It's pre-sets all the way!

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

Hey all you guys who say you've gone "full circle" you do realize that involves a period of regression right? :laugh2:

I have both going. Here's my take on multi-effects. When they came out they were like computers. The "kids" thought they were great, but they sounded horrible like expensive toys. So the old timers said "bah, we don't need them, we have our trusty pedals, and they sound better." In the exact same way businessmen resisted the personal computer. "bah, give me a trusty calculator and a few sheets of paper and that's all I need. While you're fiddling with that computer I'll close ten deals!" etc.

Time goes by and by now they've worked out this "computer thing" so well that everyone young and old now uses them, and no one doubts their effectiveness. That's the way multieffects are now IF YOU GET THE GOOD ONES. Sadly, most multieffects are still just comprised of an anemic digital approximation of the "real thing". So sometimes you need that pencil and paper to really communicate something. Sometimes you want to write a heartfelt letter to someone and a microsoft Word document isn't the most personal way to do it. Sometimes a multieffects unit puts too much processing between your guitar and amp/power and it clouds what you're really doing, even when all the effects are turned off.

So basically I use pedals for wah and OD boosters, and multis for ALL time based fx and programmable EQ settings. Then midi allows me to pick what's in the signal chain. That way I can't say I've "regressed" because my rig has gotten progressively more complicated over the years. But the signal path that the guitar follows is always very simple. The huge rack and handful of pedals only serves to decide which few items I'll allow into the signal path for that particular sound. I have this huge rack and a pedal cluster and if I want to, I can pare it down to "guitar straight to vintage Fender head" or anything in between. And I would say never let a multieffector be your preamp.

But yeah final word on multis-most do NOT sound as good as well made pedals do individually.
Budget pedals=budget multis.
Pro level and boutique pedals=pro level and boutique multis.

...and loop EVERYTHING!:dance:

 

[Dirt123]

Re: Pedalboard versus multieffects

There are a couple of things that turn me off to most multi-effects. ....... The other is that programming most of them are a pain...I hate scrolling through parameters to do simple adjustments. ......

That's what I like about the Tonelab. You use knobs for programming. To be honest though, lately, I use a PC for programming.