Multi FX - is it just me?

[badinfinities]

Yup, presets are almost universally unusable. I've never found one that I would use as is.

 

[brookdalebill]

I like the Boss ME series.
I’ve owned 50, 70, 80, and 90 models.
All sound great, and are intuitive to use, IMO.

 

[Alamo]

What, no one mentioned the Sonicake Pocket Master yet?
I think it does fine in switching off all unwanted bells and whistles first.can add whatever is needed later.
it's small, sounds great, cheap, nice app interface and runs on it's battery.

 

[sadfield]

Boss Katana 100w head. Now, I know this initially sounds stupid, but.....

It does low volume well in 0.5w mode.
Has a built in 5" speaker, no cab required.
Has headphone out.
Has an audio interface.
Can save 8 presets, with 3 variations of drive, modulation (x2), delay, reverb per preset.
Has 5 amp modes.
Full of Boss FX.
Effects loop.
Sounds great.
With a cab, you can also gig it.

 

[lupowitz]

What Sansamp did you try? I only ask because not all of them is intended to use with headphones. The older models -Sansamp Classic, TRI-A.C., TRI-O.D., GT-2, are certainly not.
All of their Trademark amps are equipped with headphones out, just as their Fly Rig series Gen2 pedals. The Gen1s didn't have this option.

 

[LOSTVENTURE]

The OP has my sympathy. I spent the summer looking for a replacement for, what I though, was my Vox Tone Lab giving up the ghost.
I primarily play everything pretty clean, and the Vox delivered perfect clean, pure, Fender inspired sounds.
Thanks to GC's return policy, and a long relationship with my local store's manager, I was able to try out most of the higher end modelers. I figure I went through over $6000 worth of them. I played around with Headrush, Helix, Boss, Tonex, and Nux. They were all primarily effects based, with amp simulation options. Lots of control options, and some very interesting touch screen display screens.
But my problem was that the "clean" tones were very sterile with minimal realistic harmonic replications.
Since you are looking for a realistic overdrive, I would recommend either the Boss GX-10 or the latest Helix. Probably effects overkill, but workable as desk top or floor units, and the distortion pedals offered lots of control.
After all that screwing around, I found that my Vox might have experienced a voltage spike, and after letting it sit for a month, I put it back into service, where it's working just fine (fingers crossed).
I'm not going to recommend looking for a used Tone lab, as the were only produced from 2004-2007, but I do hope that you find what you're looking for.

 

[Twang-ineer]

What Sansamp did you try? I only ask because not all of them is intended to use with headphones. The older models -Sansamp Classic, TRI-A.C., TRI-O.D., GT-2, are certainly not.
All of their Trademark amps are equipped with headphones out, just as their Fly Rig series Gen2 pedals. The Gen1s didn't have this option.

This​

JOYO Guitar Audio Interface​

Plus this

CCZ Yinyoo Melody in Ear Monitors​

Total cost is about $30 … that plus an iPad is truly all you need. If you like a simple interface- you can get the Nembrini free amp and get going. Or for a measly $50 you can get the full Overloud TH-U suite on iPad and never need to spend a dime again…. Unless you want to that is.

 

[WalATX]

I didn’t like ANY modeling anything until I bought a nice quality QSC monitor. After that I kept buying and selling until I landed on the Zoom MS-80IR+.

DSM Humboldt simplifier x also seem to sound really good on demos.

 

[Hallo Spencer]

I'm using the old Line6 M9 in multiple setups for years, guitars, synths, bass, whatever. No complaints. I have three.

 

[Fiesta Red]

I have an old Line 6 POD v1.0 that I’ve used extensively for recording for the last 20+ years.

Prior to that, I tried to use it live/onstage, but it just didn’t work as well as a plain ol’ pedalboard and amp (at least for my needs, IMHO, YMMV, yadda yadda yadda).

At this point in my playing “career” (insert mocking laughter here), my main complaint/issue/whatever with multi-effect units is this:

I know which type of overdrive or phase shifter or fuzz or wah pedal or delay or [fill in the blank] pedal I like. I don’t need 50 different overdrives, especially since I’ve (1) developed ear fatigue and can’t tell the difference between them after the 15th model and (2) the five or ten on each end of the spectrum (extremely mild and subtle or extremely wild and weird) aren’t useful at all…I know I want either a Tube Screamer, a Blues Driver or a Danelectro Daddy-O.

The same thing could be said about delays, fuzzes, etc.

I think a multi-effect unit is super convenient (especially if it’s programmable) since there’s fewer points of failure (ie, no patch cables between pedals, integrated power supply, etc) and I think they’re great for a new player starting out, so they can try a dozen or more different types of the more popular effects…

But at my current point in life, let me have my individual pedals.

 

[J. Bonkosky]

I recommend checking your input volume settings and impedance settings (if accessible). Getting the input volume set correctly for whatever you are putting into the modeler is critical. Most likely you have too hot of a signal going into the DSP. That is why you have an all or nothing situation when setting drives. Just dive into some of the boring menus and settings before condemning a piece of equipment. You may be surprised by how good an old pod can sound when dialed in.

 

[zencat]

Hey Guys,
I would like to land on a satifactory multi-FX or modeling solution for home practice, but I'm having trouble. I've tried out quite a few of the lower-budget options, and disliked all of them. These include SansAmp, older Line6 Pod, Boss ME-?, Yamaha THR, and one or two others. My complaint is always the same. Cleans are generally fine. But then they all seem to leap from clean to too-much distortion. And the boosts always seems to be weak and fuzzy. I don't want fuzzy distortion. I just want a simple thick crunch, or very light gain, just some edge. Since I keep being disappointed over and over, I've become doubtful about the whole search. (And trust me, I know factory presets are always garbage, so I'm not relying on those).

Is it just me? Are my ears broken? Am I searching for something that doesn't exist? Am I missing something about the way these things operate? Or do I need to jump up to the next budget tier (Kemper Player Profiler, Boss GX, etc.) to get something decent? Has anyone else experienced this, or have a suggestion?

Here is my criteria:
1. This is just for home practice, usually in headphones. I don't need gig-related features. It does not even need to be in pedal form, desktop is fine.
2. Ease of use is primary. Simple to operate. I don't need bells and whistles, just good sounds.
3. A tablet-based app is OK. I'm not crazy about having to use a tablet, but I'd rather have that than a too-cumbersome onboard editing process.
4. Amp/speaker is not needed. But if it comes that way in a small desktop form, that's ok.
5. Honestly all I need is about 10 different models/rigs/patches than I can create, save and call up easily.
6. I don't need a Helix or any of the high-end options. I'm just some dude playing through headphones in my den.

I hear you. My experience with various multi fx pedals I've tried has been similar to yours ... for the most part. They aren't just plug 'n' play. However, if you take time to experiment with the controls and parameters, you can probably find the tone you're looking for. Sometimes it further helps when you run it through outboard gear like a rack EQ, Compression, etc.

 

[cob666]

About 15 years ago I was getting frustrated with my effects board and tried a few different switching systems but wasn't entirely happy. Multi-effect systems were starting to take off around then so I tried a few but found that most models had a few effects that sounded good but others were lacking. I stumbled on a modeling system called AxeFx from Fractal Audio. It seemed a bit overkill for what I wanted but it seemed like the effects were all top notch and the routing options were near limitless, so I pulled the trigger and ordered an AxeFx and a MIDI controller. I initially used it for just the effects but found the amp models were realistic as well so switched over to full modeling.

They've since released several floor products included a multi-effects unit with no amp modeling. I'm currently using an FM9 as my main setup, with a Sansamp GT2 as a backup. I have nothing bad to say about Fractal Audio or their products and would recommend giving one a try.

 

[Apollwn]

I have found that with most multieffects units it is a good idea to disregard the manufacturer's presets and make your own. That usually yields the best results for me.

From then on it's a case of what you are looking for. Do you want mostly amp models or lots of effect options? What functionality and connectivity do you require? Is ease if use an important factor (it is for me) or are you OK with having to spend some time studying a manual in order to get to grips with the pedal's functions? Does it have to be portable or is size not an issue? And of course, what is your budget? Once you answer these questions, you will probably bring your options down to a very manageable number.

 

[Blrfl]

I didn’t like ANY modeling anything until I bought a nice quality QSC monitor.

The same goes for whatever headphones OP is using to listen to the output. I've got patches for my Helix and headphone lumps that I've tried out with a pretty wide variety of headphones and good ones definitely make a difference. I find that I prefer open-back, over-the-ear headphones to pretty much everything else, with the caveat that I haven't tried a good set of IEMs.

 

[Telecastoff1]

Digitech RP155. Been using this for years at home, some gigs, depending on the amp I use, and in the studio. This is an older unit, but it works great. Easy to dial in and store your own effects and very reliable. You can interface it with your PC if you choose and dial in your own effects much deeper. This is very easy to use and does not require you to have a degree in computer science to understand it and use it. I'm an old guy and I really like this RP155.

 

[sadfield]

The same goes for whatever headphones OP is using to listen to the output. I've got patches for my Helix and headphone lumps that I've tried out with a pretty wide variety of headphones and good ones definitely make a difference. I find that I prefer open-back, over-the-ear headphones to pretty much everything else, with the caveat that I haven't tried a good set of IEMs.

Yes, this. Open back, over ears. I like K702s as they have a wide soundstage and don't hype bass, and are detailed in the midrange where guitar mainly sits.

 

[jdkr]

Have you tried the Blackstar ID10 v4? I picked one up used for $125cdn. It's small, has decent sounds, pretty easy to set up.

 

[bigaldart]

For great crunch tones that even respond to guitar volume control and picking intensity it's hard to beat a Spark Mini. Sounds great at very low volume using the built in speaker system, practically fits in the palm of your hand and doubles as a fantastic speaker for my laptop. Best money I ever spent on a piece of gear.

 

[gitapik]

HX Stomp is pretty incredible for its size and cost for what you’re getting.

Fractal stuff is more expensive but I find that it cleans up better with the guitar volume pot and, overall, I like the sounds a bit more. YMMV.

Neural DSP Nano Cortex.

Or get an interface and some plugins. The Neural DSP stuff is great. Tone King is exceptional.