School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

ImmortalSix

ImmortalSix

John Mayer's Mankini
Okay, so I want some effects, but I hate getting effects and then thinking "Hunter, what the hell did you think you needed a __________ for?" (phaser, envelope filter...)

So I'm thinking a multi-effects board may be for me. I used to have one (DOD TEC8) a hundred years ago and I remember nothing about it.

Questions:

- I've heard about digital vs. analog effects, and that analog effects > digital effects. I have no experience here, help me out.

- Boss ME50 = digital or analog?

- What are the other options? Multi effects is a cop-out niche I know, but what else is good?

- Is multi-effects a cop-out? Do you think I'd be better off with a collection of single boxes?

_________________________

I'm looking for good overdrive for a Blues Junior (I don't have one, but I'm going to get one once I get settled in at my new place) chorus, delay, reverb, flange from time to time, and compression!

TIA!

-Hunter
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

multi-fx rock. so do single pedals. there are bad multi-fx, there are bad single pedals. the multis get a bad rap because some of them you actually have to program (oh my!). The ME50, like almost all multi-fx is digital, and sounds great. You get what you pay for, though. A $59 multi-fx sounds bad.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

Be forewarned that the Boss ME-50 requires additional footpedals for what should be standard features (bank up/down).

Skip the ME-50 and get a used GT-6 for not much more coin.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

will a multi-effects box have the same guts as stompboxes, or is it a different ball game?
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

actually yeah, they are pretty transparent. i do agree with JB that almost any semi-advanced Boss pedals need you to buy additional foot controllers to get the most of them. the me-50 and the loopers are good examples of this.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

The ME-50 is a great unit.

The silly added foot pedal arguement always comes up when talking about the ME-50. The truth is you don't need it. There are onboard buttons for bank up/down but that's not really the point of the ME-50. If you like to preplan and preprogram every conceivable sound you'll ever need and want it available at the press of a pedal, get a GT-6 and a degree in programming.

If you want a multi-effects unit with the simplicity and convenience of a pedal board that allows you to tweak effects in realtime with handy analog controls, get the ME-50. People don't program pedal boards and they use them everyday. The ME-50 encourages you to experiment with sounds and settings without having to preplan and preprogram everything. Like all multi-effects it is an all-digital unit which means tone snobs will frown upon it and insist you instead buy thousands of dollars in pedals you'll never use. The truth is it sounds good, is very convenient, and a lot of fun. Buy one.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

Dude, the foot pedal thing is NOT silly. Bank up/down has been a standard FOOT operated function on every processor since they've made floor-based processors. Look at the cheap Digitech, Korg, and Zoom stuff.... the only foot switches they have is up/down. It's like guitar companies requiring that you pay extra for volume and tone controls on the guitar.

If it had those footswitches, I would probably own one. In all honesty, though, the GT-6 does not cost that much more used, does way more, and is NOT difficult to use.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

HotSEXJ said:
will a multi-effects box have the same guts as stompboxes, or is it a different ball game?
Click to expand...

Eh....no.

The effect may get close, but it is by no means as if they'd cobbled the guts of many boxes into one place.

I like individual pedals and multi-fx units for very different reasons. And accordingly, they do tend to work differently to play to the strengths of the purpose.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

I have a me50, it has a slight delay switching patches and the bank up and down issue. Get a gt6.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

for the record, I'm a "bedroom guitar hero" and I gig maybe once a year right now, but I mostly record at home for fun.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

I recommend that you get both (multi & stomp boxes). Sometimes, I like the personality of the individual boxes, others, I feel lazy, and just plug in a multi, find a decent tone and play.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

HotSEXJ said:
- Boss ME50 = digital or analog?

- What are the other options? Multi effects is a cop-out niche I know, but what else is good?

- Is multi-effects a cop-out? Do you think I'd be better off with a collection of single boxes?
Click to expand...

Multieffects isn't a cop-out. Anyone who says this obviously is prejudiced. The ME-50 is digital, but multieffects can be very helpful if you have a complex tone you need. Would you rather make one step or two on a multieffects, or like five on individual stomps? I guess it depends what you use. There are a lot of times people are amazed at what I use and ask me what's in my rig, and I just tell them "an ME-50". Sometimes I even get asked about my tone when I'm using a krappy practice amp and a guitar. It's not what you have, so much as how well you know how to use 'em.

Just pick what works good for you. I could go on and on about how I love the Boss ME-50, but I'm not you. Still, for what it's worth, the stock presets are good, in my opinion, but you can combine a lot of stuff as well. I can go from Metal Zone + Chorus + Delay + Arena reverb to compressor + blues driver + tremolo + spring reverb in one stomp. The ME-50 is also, in my opinion, easy to understand, since it's almost all knobs. You can also set it up to have a nice default set in manual mode (like blues driver, tremolo, and delay, set and waiting) and then add a side pedal (like a dual footswitch) to go up/down in patch, etc.

Again, I like it, but I'm not you, so try it out.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

well if you constantly change your tone like me, get a multi effect system and since you are a bedroom guitar hero, get the me-50. the gt-6 though does have more options so now i want one, but i need money. :(
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

emilio said:
well if you constantly change your tone like me, get a multi effect system and since you are a bedroom guitar hero, get the me-50. the gt-6 though does have more options so now i want one, but i need money. :(
Click to expand...

I'm no "bedroom rock star". I'm not a pro, but I'm filling a need at our church, and doing very well with it, so I am told. We can all get better, sure, but I use the ME-50 live and it has everything I need (with the FS-6 extension). It's more about what people prefer and don't prefer, and what they're used to. I love the ME-50, but that don't make it the best processor.

But anyways, people who start the krap with analog versus digital mostly have no leg to stand on. Granted, I love analog too, but a multieffects does a better job meeting my needs. Maybe some day I can afford a controller that controls separate chains of analog effects, but I'd rather afford a GT-PRO and a FC-200 MIDI footswitch.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

Anyone know anything about the Boss GT-3? I used to a Digitech RP50 which leaves some things to be desired.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

Between multi-effect units and single effects, and between digital and analog effects, the categories are too broad to say that one is better than the other. It really comes down to personal preference. I have a collection of single-effect processors, but for someone who is about to explore the realm of effects, a solid, high-quality multi-effect processor would be an awesome way to take the leap. My recommendation would be to stick with the Boss GT series or the DigiTech GNX series. The single-effect route is more appropriate for someone who has an idea of a single tone they are trying to create.
 
Re: School Me On Multi Effects - Boss ME50?

TwinReverb said:
I'm no "bedroom rock star". I'm not a pro, but I'm filling a need at our church, and doing very well with it, so I am told. We can all get better, sure, but I use the ME-50 live and it has everything I need (with the FS-6 extension). It's more about what people prefer and don't prefer, and what they're used to. I love the ME-50, but that don't make it the best processor.

But anyways, people who start the krap with analog versus digital mostly have no leg to stand on. Granted, I love analog too, but a multieffects does a better job meeting my needs. Maybe some day I can afford a controller that controls separate chains of analog effects, but I'd rather afford a GT-PRO and a FC-200 MIDI footswitch.
Click to expand...

sorry man i was talking to hot sex. don't mena to offend by this.
 
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