stomp box vs multi

stomp box vs multi

  • any make stomp

    Votes: 30 88.2%
  • any make multi

    Votes: 5 14.7%

  • Total voters
    34

Bender

New member
Ok ,, maybe this has been brought up ,, maybe not
which is better and why ,, a floor full of stomp boxes or just one multi. fx
be specific and name names
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

Stomp boxes IMO is much less confusing. Step on the green thing, it gives you overdrive, step on the blue thing, it gives you fuzz. The multieffects you gotta deal with banks and menus as stuff. Of course you can have it set up easier for a gigging situation. Still, it is easier to change stuff on the fly on a pedalsboard filled with a few stompboxes.

Plus, the stomp boxes most of the time sound way better than the multieffects stuff. You're not getting any analog tone out of a multieffects contraption. I moved from a multieffects pedal (GT-8) to a bunch of stompboxes. I sold my GT-8 a few months ago, never gigged with it. Now, all I take to gigs pedalwise is my Fulltone Clyde Deluxe wah and my Keeley modded TS9 - couldn't be happier.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

I enjoy modding stomp boxes, but in the end, I have more fun with a multi-fx unit. I only play at home, so I enjoy spending hours tweaking stuff. Seriously.

As much of an apples-apples comparison as two different effect platforms may be, the approach is quite apples-oranges. If you like to plug in and just play, go with pedals. If you like to spend ridiculous amounts of time tweaking every little thing, you'd probably dig a multi-fx unit.
 
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Re: stomp box vs multi

ive never played a multieffects unit that gave me the sound quality i can get with pedals. im sure the quattro would be great but that is more of a group of pedals in one box
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

Stomp boxes, they allow creative freedom with where you place what in the chain, allow you to throw effects into the loop, or before the amp, or sometimes into a sidechain loop of one of the pedals themselves such as the qtron+

Additionally you can purchase each pedal to sound exactly like you want.

Its just not going to happen to find a multi-fx unit that has the exact fuzz tones your after, as well as the OD you love, and an ideal wah tone, and a lush chorus etc.

Multi-fx is about compromise, hand picking various pedals that each have one job to do is only limited by your wallet really.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

I have and use one multi effects unit. I must point out I use this specifically with my Marshall 900. When I bought my Marshall all the stomp boxes I ran through the loop just killed the tone. It was so bad I almost returned the amp. I only use delay and chorus (which needs to go through the loop). When I ran my DD3 and my CE2 through the loop it killed the tone. I found a DOD TR3 which has chorus, OD and Delay. At the time this was the only effect that was reasonable the did not kill the tone of my amp. I still use this with my Marshall today. With all my other amps I strictly use stomp boxes. The way I like to think of Stomp boxes is they are like single channel amps. They do one thing and they do it very well. Buy the boxes that you need and go from there.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

For sound, a stomp dedicated to the one task will always be better, IMO. For ease of use, the majority of multi units stink, along with the sounds. The one shining exception to the rule is the Boss ME-50...set the knobs, hit two buttons, and you have a patch in memory. The patches are really easy to do this way, and you can vary one pedal in a bank for a three channel amp type setup for a favorite pedal model. I have this setup with the TS, Blues Driver, Muff, etc.

The use onstage is a snap, too. The left pedal is OD/Disto, the middle is mod effects, and the right is delay. The wah has five voices, the top row has compression, EQ mods and noise reduction, and that's it for manual use. Choose/set your pedal models, and now you have four stomps lined up. Hit two at once, and you're in either tuner or memory mode. Couldn't have been made any simpler for a multi.

So, the ME-50 rules for ease...set it, throw it down on stage, plug in and rock. For sound, single stomps still rule, IMO.
 
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Re: stomp box vs multi

The only multi effects unit I have ever been really happy with is the Alesis Midiverb II. The choruses on that unit are awesome.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

I think, in general, that stompboxes have a better sound quality than multi fx (except for maybe the tc electronic stuff) and are usually simpler to use. The thing that i do like about the multi fx though, is that you can switch between say a distortion with compression to a clean signal with chorus and delay with only one press of the button.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

I've found that you just don't get the same quality of tone with a multi as you do with stopboxes. The multi's are useful in some situations but still don't have the best tone available.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

If your multi-effects unit goes down, you no longer have any effects. That's a very bad thing. By using several pedals, you spread the risk.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

I've got numerous stomps, which I use more than the multi , ( digitech RP-1 )
on stage , the rp is easier but as I've also found it just don't have the quality the stomps do.
realizing of course this is a first gen multi.. I haven't used any late models but am thinking of buying an ME-20 ,, ( on somewhat of a budget ) and noticed it doesn't have a pre-amp so shouldn't mess with my amp tones .. The stomps are just harder to place in a limited space and without a converter ya gotta keep batteries handy.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

Stomp boxes any day for me. When I use multi effect unit I find my self geting to fidgity and just swithing from this to that and this .. and not realy playing and sharpning my skills. But at times yes amulti effects unit cn be helpfull. I still use my zoom off and on but moslty not.
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

Neither, pedals and multi units both suck!


Guitar-cord-amp is the way I roll!
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

anyone ever use a digitech rp90 ? I do some home recording and thought the 40 drum paterns would be of help. perhaps a little easier than a separate drum box . If , the rp90 drum pats can be outputed with the guitar output.
so I'm kinda up in air about getting the rp90 or the boss me20.
maybe I should buy drums and learn to play,, but then I'd have to mic the suckers , which means more bucks for mics ,,,, WHAT DO I DO ? WHAT DO I DO ? hehe
 
Re: stomp box vs multi

I had a Digitech RP(I dont remeber the exact model number) back in the day and it sounded like PURE crap! It was seriously bad!
 
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