Multi FX pedals Vs. Many "single" pedals...

[tannerw_2010]

What are each's advantages and disadvantages??? I have a Digimax RP250, and so far, it is practically in all in one. But what is better/worse about a large group of single pedals??? Sorry, i am kind of a n00b when it comes to pedals and all that jazz...

[Telenator]

There are several threads on this exact topic. Dig a little deeper in the Stomp Box forum and you'll find more ionfo on this than you thought possible!

Welcome!

[studio1087]

Individual pedals allow for faster tweaking of one effect and you can swap out one effect and leave the others alone.

I like individual pedal but I did buy a Digitech RP50 to use for practice with a small tube amp; it's quick and easy but I hate the compressor in it therefore I find the whole multi unit to be a bummer at times. For the $59 that I paid, it's still a great value and a useful tool.

There are pro's and con's either way.

[Eddy Boy]

I used to have one of those digitech things years ago when they first came out, think It was an RP400 or something, it was good for what it was. I then bought a Korg Pandora PX4 which I still use for various bits and pieces and that was also great.

In time thought I have found myself back to individual pedals as it's so much easier to tweak them individually!

I currently have my board with all the pedals and the PX4 at the end of the chain which I use for random digital effects and other strange things like the synth!! Having said that I hardly ever use it and it's probably not going to be long before it waves the pedal board goodbye!

[Telenator]

Lots of good info here:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/stomp-box...al-pedals.html

[woodman]

the multieffect boards have typically sounded buzzy and thin to me.

[giantslayer]

multifx are cheaper than getting a whole bunch of stomps. You also don't have to worry about tone sucking as you do when you start adding more stomps to your rig.

However, if you want to use some of the mfx's effects in front of the amp (od, wah, comp) and some in the effects loop (verb, delay, modulation), a lot of multifx units can't support that kind of setup. Basically the mfx would need an effects loop of its own that could be set between the effects you want up front and the ones you want in the loop. I know the boss gt-6 or 8 has that and the tonelab doesn't, and I'm not sure about other units.

[pango_twango]

Originally Posted by tannerw_2010

What are each's advantages and disadvantages??? . . . But what is better/worse about a large group of single pedals???....

In some ways, that answer depends a lot on the quality of the alternatives and how realistic one is concerning the relationship between quality, practicality, price, etc. Even though it's fashionable to sneer at Multi-effects boxes, they do have considerable advantages. But buy the wrong one, and you'll either develop carpal tunnel from turning little wheels while holding little buttons (and straining to see an equally little digital display), or you'll be so disatisfied with the sound of the "Phaser" that you'll take up another hobby. Buy the right one (the right one for you, that is), and you'll in many cases get very close to the sound of a pedal that probably costs as much as you spent on the Multi.

That said, someone already mentioned the pandoras. It's hard to think of a more convenient gizmo if you want to be able to hold about 30 different effects (of varying quality) in your hand, along with a drum machine. The PX2s run on two batteries.

Another advantage of the Multis, and this probably depends on your "hassle threshold," is the lack of cables and power adapters and small metal boxes on the floor. Usually just one cable in, one out, and an AC adapter.

Disadvantage of Multis: a lot of the mega-buck pedals really are that good, so a poor quality Multi will sort of leave your blissfully unaware of what you're missing. And in a lot of cases, the Multis come from the factory with such unusable patch settings, that your bliss will be marked by extreme damage to your ears and attitude. So to really give the Multi a test-drive, be prepared to spend a few hours tweaking knobs and (where possible) deleting the patches that you know you'll never use. I suppose the same could be said for individual pedals. But I once owned a GT6 that had a patch that made your guitar sound like Alvin & the Chipmunks (I believe that is what the patch was called too). Let's see a show of hands: when was the last time you wanted your 1971 Thinline to sound like Alvin & the Chipmunks?

I use both singles and multis, but the advantage that keeps me coming back to the Multi is again the hassle factor: once you find your Tone, you simply press "store" and you can always return to that setting. Other than hiring a really good Sound Guy (who has a photographic memory), it's hard to do that with Singles.

[mikespe]

Hey here's a topic I might actually be able to help out on!

I started out with the Behringer V-Amp 2 modeler and really liked it. The advantage of this unit is that you can play around with just about EVERY tone under the sun without breaking the bank AND without cluttering your home/pedalboard with effects you only occasionally use. This disadvantage is that it's hard to combine some of the effects. It's just the way some of these modelers are set up. I hooked mine up to my computer via a midi-to-usb cable and use the software available on Behringer's site. Overall, I am glad I went with this as a beginner. I learned a lot about what effects do what and what I liked. Plus for recording it is VERY nice. It sounds much better recorded (IMO) than out of the amp I used at the time.

Pedals....well I currently have a triple-decker homemade pedalboard with about 20 pedals on it. Advantages are mixing the effects is easy since they are all individually controlled. Plus, for me I listen to a lot of styles of music...blues, classic rock, 80's metal...so I have several distortion/overdrive pedals. This way I can have each set to a different tone and turn them on/off as needed...you can do the same with the V-amp but there is a slight delay when switching from one amp model to the other...the pedals are instant. The tone from the pedals is slightly better than the modeler (at least some tones are). Pedals are also nice because each effect can be individually tweaked to your desire. The modeler has its limits.

Overall, it depends on your needs...if you are live I suggest pedals...recording or home or beginner a modeler is a good choice

[Middleman]

For the studio, the multi is an option. For live, it just couldn't cut it for my purposes. The delay switching between settings just doesn't work when you need to move to 3 or 4 sounds within one song. Imagine a critical solo when you are chording right up to the lead. You hit the distortion switch and have to wait 2 seconds for the sound to switch, the result is a late solo. Just not agile enough.

Another scenario, you are jamming or suddenly become sonically inspired. With the multi unit you may have to switch to a mode to access certain effects i.e. phasers or flanging. Then you have to switch again to access the particular effect you want. Too cumbersome.

Another hassle is the hours of pre programming you may need to do to set up the multi for a full night of songs. Imagine the song order changing in the middle of a set to accommodate the mood of the crowd. You can't easily reprogram the unit to match the song order. In the heat of the performance multis have too many variables that can leave people standing while you press buttons to find the sound you are after.

I went back to a suitcase of pedals with a bypass switching system. I can get to any effect anytime as the mood hits me. Much more instantaneous for creative things.

If you only have 2 or 3 basic sounds you use all night long, the a multi could be an option but that narrow of a sonic approach usually leaves the crowd bored before long.

[rand z]

ive used a digi tech rp100 for about 5 years as the centerpiece of my pedalboard.

what i did, through a lot of experimantation and observation of others, is put an eq pedal, ibanez ts, mxr dynacomp... then the rp100 and finally into a bbe sonic maximizer to a pro junior. i used the rp100 for delays, verbs, chorus and other ring mod effects. the other pedals for overdrive/comp (obviously) cause i think the comp/overdrive and amp modeling, in the rp100 is its weak spot(s).

thats the setup used for many, many gigs and it sounded very good imho for our purposes.

just recently, i swapped out the rp100 for a yamaha magicstomp, using it for all of the same as the rp100. im still experimenting with the yamaha, but i initially feel it has a better sound than the digitech. higher quality. again, im still using the other pedals for comp/overdrive/eq etc.

so what did i do with the rp100? i put together another pedalboard for my acoustic rig.. martin dc 16 gte witha fishman blender into a baggs para di (for a bit more eq and sonic control and to go low impedence, if i want), then the rp100 (for delays, verbs, chorus etc) into another bbe sonic maximizer (wouldnt ever play without one!) going directly to the board.

just my take on these gizmos. i think they're OK.

imho.

rand z tropicalsoul.net

[mikespe]

Originally Posted by Middleman

I went back to a suitcase of pedals with a bypass switching system. I can get to any effect anytime as the mood hits me. Much more instantaneous for creative things.

What do you mean by a bypass switching system? I would be interested in seeing/reading about how you did this.


Thanks

[Middleman]

Originally Posted by mikespe

What do you mean by a bypass switching system? I would be interested in seeing/reading about how you did this.


Thanks

I use a loopmaster 8 way and can bring any pedal into the signal path or out of the path. It also has a master bypass switch in case I want a clean signal quick.

My pedal board can be found here at the bottom of the page. There is a picture of the loopmaster at the bottom of the picture. http://www.tdpri.com/forum/stomp-box...-board-11.html

[sax4blues]

As a new budget minded player I started with the Digitech RP250 and found it very useful. I still use it as one of my options in home practice and recording.

That said my main rig is individual pedals for all the reasons listed by others.

Originally Posted by Middleman

For the studio, the multi is an option. For live, it just couldn't cut it for my purposes. The delay switching between settings just doesn't work when you need to move to 3 or 4 sounds within one song. Imagine a critical solo when you are chording right up to the lead. You hit the distortion switch and have to wait 2 seconds for the sound to switch, the result is a late solo. Just not agile enough.

This is interesting because I'm seeing touring professionals (Zak Wylde, Pat Travers, Brad Delson of Linkin Park) using multi's as their stage rig for the very reasons of simplicity, easier/faster switching, better trouble shooting (pull the thing and replace), amp simulators.

[JohnSS]

For live use, I prefer individual stompboxes, since I might need to tweak individual sounds on the spot. That said, I have used a Pandora on numerous occasions in the studio and have even cut session tracks with the Pandora that were released on CD. I think it's a matter of what works best in the particular situation.

[Tele Fan]

One other thing is that it depends on how many effects you use. I basicly only use a light OD, a slapback delay, and the occasional trem or chorus so my Boss ME-50 works great for me. I've never created a patch on the thing, I just set the compressor to where I want it and turn the effects on and off as needed with the individual foot switches.

[franchelB]

I have an old Korg Toneworks 411fx that barely works...I don't even use it anymore.
While I do love my individual pedals, i.e. Boss DS1, MXR Dynacomp, Crybaby Wah, and my Ernie Ball volume pedal, I wouldn't mind trying out Visual Sound's Route 66 pedal or Morely's pedal with a combination of wah, volume, and distortion.

[tazzboy]

I prefer individual Stomp boxes over multi-fx.

[giantslayer]

One thing that is worth noting is mfx, especially the <$500 floor units, have improved a lot in the last 5-10 years. Sound quality is getting better as higher quality parts (ada converters, etc) have been used. Latency issues have been getting better, too.

[ibobunot]

I use a Boss ME-50 for delay, modulation, reverb and volume.

Individual pedals for boost, overdrive, distortion and fuzz it's kinda like the best of both worlds.

I paid 150.00 for the ME-50 at the pawnshop so I couldn't really pass it up...

[jjz28]

I have an eighties, 8-bit, Boss BE5, noisegate,chorus,delay,od/dist,comp, that I'll never part with, no cables or batteries, lush sounds. I use it with a dunlop wah and dunlop volume pedal....good to go!

[eddiewagner]

Originally Posted by Middleman

For the studio, the multi is an option. For live, it just couldn't cut it for my purposes.

exactly like that.

[stinkymommasboy]

I've been using a Boss ME-50. To me, it's the best of both worlds. All the pedals I normally would use in one unit. Heard about it on this site and gots me one.

[beep.click]

Originally Posted by pango_twango

But I once owned a GT6 that had a patch that made your guitar sound like Alvin & the Chipmunks (I believe that is what the patch was called too). Let's see a show of hands: when was the last time you wanted your 1971 Thinline to sound like Alvin & the Chipmunks?

I never thought about it, before now, but suddenly I want that REAL BAD...

[eddiewagner]

Originally Posted by jjz28

I have an eighties, 8-bit, Boss BE5, noisegate,chorus,delay,od/dist,comp,...good to go!

heho, i got one too. very good at home, but i am afraid it will not stand the stomping that happens in a band situation very long. other than that it´s hard to beat. too bad they do not make multi-pedals like that anymore: supersimple and practical.

[giantslayer]

For the studio, the multi is an option. For live, it just couldn't cut it for my purposes.

It can take a bit more work beforehand to get a mfx setup for live work, but it can be done quite well. In some instances, a well programmed mfx can actually be more practical on-stage than a set of stompboxes. As I mentioned earlier, latency issues with patch switching have improved a lot and latency is not noticable on some units. Additionally, a lot of the bigger units will have a "stompbox mode" where you can turn individual effects on/off and switch from amp A to amp B within the same patch, which typically has no latency.

[Nick Fanis]

I've been using a gazillion of stomp boxes for years ...
Nowadays I only use my trusty VOX TONELAB SE with a T Rex Novacomp or a JAM compressor in front of it & my sound is way better,lusher,tighter and QUIETER..
with METICULOUS programming I can get ANY stomp box sound (& than some) from the TL.....

I have to admit though that only the VOX TL can sound better (or the same) than individual stomp boxes most other multi effects sound sterile to me.. .

[OzDoug64]

Originally Posted by Nick Fanis

I've been using a gazillion of stomp boxes for years ...
Nowadays I only use my trusty VOX TONELAB SE

I have to admit though that only the VOX TL can sound better (or the same) than individual stomp boxes most other multi effects sound sterile to me.. .

I somewhat have to agree on the Tonelab SE. I have just spent over $1200 setting up my individual boutique stompbox setup and my Tonelab still has the edge. This is the first time I've found a multi effects unit to have nil tone degradation and give me the same sweet balance like only having my Bad Bob Boost pedal plugged in. This unit is a hidden secret.

Seems having 2 Tonelabs roadcased (1 for backup) is the way to go. Bypassing the internal amp modelling and just using the FX seems to be the best setup. No need for a bradshaw unit, GCX or true bypass issues. This Tonelab seems to be the highest quality effects with unlimited routing and to me is the swiss army knife of FX.

I'm going to give the Tonelab a go for a while and see how it pans out.

What's your view on this Nick.

[Nick Fanis]

Totally agree w/ you man.

I have TWO Tonelabs (I have copied the settings from the one to the other in 3 seconds w/ a midi cable ) & the one is a backup.

The only effect that the TL doesn't nail is the square wave tremolo (it simply hasn't got one) but I have decided that I can do without it (and simply use the TL's treble booster WITH the tremolo when I want an "edgier" trem sound) since the TL's vintage trem is killer!

The biggest revelation are the TL's DIRTY sounds though....

I have already been using the amazing modulations & delays (ALL of them tap tempo & expression pedal CONTROLLABLE btw.....a real lifesaver when you gig) & relying on some trusty od/fuzz/dist pedals for "dirt".

BUT since I starter experimenting with the ....hundreds of "dirty" sound options of the TL (dirty amps,pedals or a combination of the two) I was flabbergasted by how much BETTER the TL sounds than individual pedals (with the RIGHT programming of course....)

The dirty sounds are smoother,richer & most importantly you can EQ the bejesus out of them (so they can fit with ANY amp out there...)

I also never use the clean "amps" & cabinets and I run the TL straight into the front of my tube amps (I do use the "dirty" amp models for overdrive though...)

This thing is a lifesaver and the only pedal you REALLY need (if you play a tele) is a good compressor in front of it.

[eddiewagner]

i must admit that the boss me-20 looks interesting. it´s very small.

[giantslayer]

Gotta agree that the Tonelab's amp models have a big edge over anything else I've tried (new Zooms, Line6 stuff). The way they got the tube set up in there really gives it an organic tone.