Best multi effects unit with many knobs for around $300 used

[sony45638]

 

 

Im looking for suggestions on past units not shown on the big websites like musicians friend etc. Im using it for guitar, synth, drums, and vocals. I have a Boss gt-8 but havent used it yet. Im wondering if anything out-does it for around $300 used.

 

Because GT-8 does, it must at least have:

-many knobs to change parameters.

-tons of every effect (dist, chorus, flanger, delay, etc).

-a pre-amp so I can use only the unit and headphones with a guitar, non-pre-amped microphone, etc.

-a pedal.

-modeling. i.e: make a solid electric guitar sound like a hollow body. Imitate certain amp setups, etc (not sure exactly what modeling does, but want lots of it)

-make complex non-guitar sounds with a guitar or anything plugged in. i.e play one note on guitar and it plays a synth arpeggio or a synth pad, makes a guitar sound like a sitar, etc etc.

 

Im considering these, but dont know if they out-do the GT-8. (average used prices):

Vox ToneLab EX $200

Boss ME-70 $200

Boss me-50 $120

Boss GT-10 $300 but no knobs

 

Thank You.

 

[The Geoff]

If you want knobs, then a Digitech Genesis III, but it has no pedal - but the Digitech GNX-1, on which it is based, has the pedal, but few knobs.

 

G.

[CEB]

GT-10 smokes the GT-8. For my uses I find the knobs unnescessary. The only shortcoming I find is the only having a single pedal. I prefer to set the GT-10 on top my rack and controller it with this. Any effect changes I need made I do through patch selection.

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FCB1010?utm_source=CSE&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=none&utm_term=FCB1010&SID=0&zmam=89202644&zmas=1&zmac=1&zmap=FCB1010

 

I assign one pedal to permenant volume and the other as a wah and other parameter control. The only thing I don't like about the GT-10 is that is doesn't not have low impedance outputs like the Line-6 HD-500 or HD-400. The lower model Line 6 HDs were a viable option for me also because my biggest complaint was the feel of the pedal. Since I was control it with Midi foot controller the build quality on the pedal is moot. But I have an open side on my stereo DI that I can run the Roland through so I just went with the Roland because I have been using them since the GT-3 and am somewhat familiar with COSM.

 

I use a guitar processor because I am a keyboard player who plays guitar on a few songs where 2 guitars work best. I don't want to carry another amp and since we are going to IEMs we want to use as few amps on stage as possible. I've even given up using a Leslie which is something I swore I would never do.

[Winston Psmith]

My first question would have to be, why are you already looking for something else, if you haven't used the GT-8? It already has most of the features you've listed - it has a workable Guitar Synth, you can set up faux-arpeggios with the Harmonist, the Slicer or the Auto-Riff, there's a Sitar emulator (not so good) and some limited Guitar Modeling, so you can try for a modeled Semi-hollowbody, or a modeled Acoustic/Electric. The GT-10 has a few more features, like a built-in Looper, and a much more detailed display, but the effects are very much like the effects in the GT-8, otherwise - I'm not sure it's worth $300 to make the switch, especially if you haven't really checked out the GT-8.

 

Second, I would suggest that a Guitar multi-effects unit probably isn't the best processor for drums and vocals, even if you put it in the FX Send/Return loop of a mixing board - look for something like the Lexicon MPX series processors, they're inexpensive and easy to use.

 

I've been using a GT-3 for years, and still manage to get new sounds out of it. I also set up a GT-8 for a friend who's visually impaired, so I got to really dig into the GT-8, as well. The knobs aren't as much help as they could be. They're fine if you want a little more Drive, or something, but you still have to dig into the main menus to do any real patch programming. If you have a GT-8 and $300 to spend on expanding your sound, I'd look into getting something to supplement the sounds of the GT-8, maybe a Delay pedal with longer Delay times, or maybe another unit altogether for processing drums and vocals. That's going to give you the biggest bang for your buck, IMHO.

[Winston Psmith]

Nothing new here - I just wanted to bump this one up, because I wasn't sure if the OP had ever checked back in for a response.

[Strategery]

I had the Boss ME-50 for years and really liked it.

From there, I put together a board of individual pedals and have decided...for ease, footprint, and sound...to go with the Boss ME-70.

It has everything you need and with knobs that you can set and then hit SAVE. It's just too easy.

 

Randy

[Scott Fraser]

I had the Boss ME-50 for years and really liked it.

From there, I put together a board of individual pedals and have decided...for ease, footprint, and sound...to go with the Boss ME-70.

It has everything you need and with knobs that you can set and then hit SAVE. It's just too easy.

Randy

 

A few years ago I had to put together a system for a traditional Chinese pipa player who had been given a one-of-a-kind electric pipa. Knowing that this player wasn't tech savvy at all, but wanted to explore a lot of sonic possibilities, we went shopping & ended up with the ME-70. It was all the effect power she needed in a package that made intuitive sense to someone who had never used effects before. Great pedal.

[harvey]

A few of my students have the ME70 - yep it's very intuitive and sounds good. For tweekability though the GTs are great...depends on what you want to do (like WP I have a GT3). I think the GT8 (with knobs) is a good step in terms of depth and ease of use.

[Caevan O’Shite]

What about the Roland "V" series?

[Winston Psmith]

What about the Roland "V" series?

 

Caevan, IIRC, there were a few different guitar products from Roland with a "V" in the name. If you're thinking of the VG-series guitar processors, you really need a GK pup to operate all the features in those, (I don't think you can use the original VG-8 at all, without a GK pup) and they're more Digital Guitar Modelers than effects processors. There's also the VF-1 processor, which Scott mentioned in the "OC-3" thread - it's a half-rack effects processor - and the short-lived V-Amp series, which also required a GK pup to access all the features.

[Scott Fraser]

There's also the VF-1 processor, which Scott mentioned in the "OC-3" thread - it's a half-rack effects processor -

 

The VF-1 is heavily menu driven, though. If someone wants to tweak knobs during a gig it's going to be tedious. But it has a big array of sonic weirdness available. Discontinued, along with everything else in my rack.

[Winston Psmith]

Discontinued, along with everything else in my rack.

 

Had to laugh at that - most of my synth and signal processing gear is just old, without the distinction of having become 'vintage' yet. At a quick glance, the only current piece of gear in my effects rack is a Furman power strip.

[picker]

I really like the sounds of the Vox Tonelab stuff I've tried out. They sound, well, warmer, for lack of a better description. The highs are not as brittle or hard sounding to my ear. But you mightbe able to fine some of the Line 6 stuff for less, and I really liked my Pod XT Live.

[Griffinator]

Second, I would suggest that a Guitar multi-effects unit probably isn't the best processor for drums and vocals

 

That's putting it mildly.

 

To put it more bluntly, why would anyone want to put vocals or drums through a stomp box?!

[Caevan O’Shite]

How many of the aforementioned units can do the following?

 

-make complex non-guitar sounds with a guitar or anything plugged in. i.e play one note on guitar and it plays a synth arpeggio or a synth pad, makes a guitar sound like a sitar, etc etc.

[Scott Fraser]

How many of the aforementioned units can do the following?

 

-make complex non-guitar sounds with a guitar or anything plugged in. i.e play one note on guitar and it plays a synth arpeggio or a synth pad, makes a guitar sound like a sitar, etc etc.

 

Boss SE50, SE70, or VF1, & they aren't knob boxes.

[Caevan O’Shite]

How many of the aforementioned units can do the following?

 

-make complex non-guitar sounds with a guitar or anything plugged in. i.e play one note on guitar and it plays a synth arpeggio or a synth pad, makes a guitar sound like a sitar, etc etc.

 

Boss SE50, SE70, or VF1, & they aren't knob boxes.

 

Well, there you go.

[Winston Psmith]

How many of the aforementioned units can do the following?

 

-make complex non-guitar sounds with a guitar or anything plugged in. i.e play one note on guitar and it plays a synth arpeggio or a synth pad, makes a guitar sound like a sitar, etc etc.

 

Boss SE50, SE70, or VF1, & they aren't knob boxes.

 

Well, there you go.

 

Getting back to the original post, however, the GT-8 will serve all those functions for Guitar, at least, and it seems that the OP has a GT-8 they haven't even dug into yet.