Just wondering what everyones thoughts are on multi effects guitar processors. I was thinking of getting one just to have a buttload of effects to experiment with and learn how to use.

I recently got to run through a Boss GT3, which I had been thinking about getting. Glad I got to hear it first cause I thought it KILLED my tone. Can you say STERILE??

Anyone else had this experience, or had a good experience with one?? As in maybe I didn't have it set right?? Can multi effects truly compare to stand alone pedals when it comes to GOOD TONE??
Opinions please.

well, bein a stone tone freak,imho you will never get a good or decent tone when you plug into a multieffex unit-they just suck tone big-time-i've always believed in dedicated units to get my sound-when you start tweekin and dialin in what sounds good to you, you can be sure you have a unique and individual sound that no one else has or can get-to me that is very important in the scheme o' things...stanner

It seems to be a see-saw battle of the multi-effects units in pro player's setups. A lot of players have built big racks only to go back to amps and pedals...

There was a time, way back in the 90's where you would expect to see MULTIPLE multi-effects devices in many of the top player's rigs... Digitech, Rocktron, ART, et al...

Even now, when you read about setups of the stars in the guitar publications, you find a few high end multi-effect devices... usually limited to high end reverbs and delays... but you also see a lot of basic effects used as well.

I was surprised, for example that Steve Vai uses a Boss DS-1 as a part of his sound. After reading that, I found and dusted off mine, (which I hadn't played in about 4 years), and sure enough, found/ remembered it has some cool sounds.

You don't say what kind of music you play, who are your sonic influences, or what you really want from playing with a unit like this?

Some players prefer to have basically "one" sound that they gently add some effects to... In this case you might see a smooth chorus, (like TC Electronics), or a rack delay or reverb unit just to add flavor. Most multi-effects units can do this if setup the right way.

Some players can buy something and they can always find a couple of cool sounds from whatever they have... Even a GT-3... well...

I'd make a list of players who's tone you dig, then investigate what they use to get it. (I bet none have a GT-3!)

I think someone published a book on these sort of setups?

You don't always have to try to exactly model their sound, (a lot's in the hands anyway!), but it should give you some good ideas on what they use and in what order.

If you do decide that you have to get a multi-effects unit, don't rely on the presets to give you a true idea of the sounds the device can make... For whatever reason, the makers of these things tend to load them up with heavily effected and to my ears poorly designed patches. My best results with the ones I have is to plan on spending a number of hours trying out the features and making a set of my own patches.

Good Luck,

guitplayer

Guess I coulda mentioned what tone I like. I'm pretty much an in your face, crank up the tube amp kinda guy. I love most blues players tones, Stevie Ray, Buddy Guy etc..., but I have been runnin direct with a Sansamp lately and have actually been surprised to find I like the sort of processed distortion sound I get with it.
Especially when adding a little bit of reverb and delay to the track with my hard disk recorder. Not a tone I would like all the time but I'm kinda diggin the vibe I get with that setup too.
I woulda called you a liar if you'd have told me that a year ago

I used to play with a processor and I have a friend that still does. It is possible to get a good tone out of a processor if you like that tone. The big problem that I have with processors is that there is a delay when you switch effects like when going from a clean to a distortion. After pressing the button, there is a split second before it actually does what you told it to. I personally like the instant gratification of using separate pedals. That is what works best for me.

Matt

Stomp box vs. multi fx unit???
Well, first of all it depends on what sound would you like to have. If you're trying to sound like someone than best thing to do is to check their setup. On the other hand if you're trying to work on your own sound you're free to use everything. Using multi fx unit can be pretty cool. When you mentioned Boss GT-3... It's made to be connected to mixing console... But you could use it in front of your amp (not recommended) or connected to your fx loop (recommended). I'm using Boss GX-700 (rack version of GT-5) for few years. I have it connected to fx loop of my Marshall Valvestate 100 half stack. It sounds cool. You get to switch fxs via midi foot controller without single dropout. You have spillover when you're using delays (when you switch from delay to another program the delay continues). You can change almost all parameters real-time, volume pedal, wah-wah (use of this pretty sucks cause it should be plugged straight into amp and not after all eqs and reverbs) and lots of stuff... The point is you don't get to take with you on a gig bag of floor units... You take one rack unit... I have to mention other companies like Lexicon and TC Electronics which do make great multi fx units... So, it's up to you... Try it again with Boss GT-3 connected to fx loop but this time use dedicated fx and switch off all the speaker and amp simulators (very important)!!! Try firs just with chorus or delay and than work things out to your sound...
I hope that this would help (maybe I get some money from Roland corporation )

Yipes. If I got one of those processors my Les Paul would never let me live it down. It'd be like, "That's it! You're never getting a decent tone out of me again until you unplug that blasted thing!"

I have an Echoplex, and that's about the only effect my guitar will let me get away with. Plug it into any of them newfangled effects, even stompboxes, and it loses all its tone even if the effect is turned off. All that digital circuitry must just really piss off my vintage gear.

--Lee

thats wot i'm sayin-*tone*-it cant be gotten w/ mutieffex , too much interfernce w/ the original guitar sound.

If ya just want something to mess around with and try out new sounds you might want to look into the Zoom 505. I think it's like under a hundred bucks and it will give you plenty to mess around with. I'm all for stompboxes, but ya figure a decent delay would probably cost as much. I actually used to have a real basic Yamaha one and although I didn't use it for serious stuff, it let me know which effects I wanted to pursue.

You guys ever hear of a new one called RP200 by Digitech? it does amp modeling and has around 30 effects. hmm...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by joseph@andrews.edu:
[B]You guys ever hear of a new one called RP200 by Digitech? it does amp modeling and has around 30 effects. hmm...

The RP200 is the same as the RP100 with the addition of a expression pedal.

Personally I'm not a fan of Digitech / Johnson modelers. To me they have a "metallic" sound, (not in a good way IMHO), and the models don't sound all that great to my ears.

I had hoped the RP100 would be better, I have a Line6 POD, and while I like the sound of most of the models, I wanted to build a multi-amp, wall of sound ala SRV, Santana, etc... And as inexpensive as the RP100 ($99) RP200 ($149 I think), are, it was worth a try...

If I had liked it I would have bought two or three... (compared to $349 for a second POD).

But it didn't cut it sound wise for me... you're mileage may vary...

guitplayer