Best budget multi effects

Jovitull · 11-01-2009, 05:09 PM

Dudes, I need your advice. I have an Artist 3203 head & matching cab and I'm looking for the best multi effects unit I can get for £250 (new). Trouble is I'm no expert and I'm currently eyeing up the Boss ME70 but only because it looks really cool and I believe all the blurb they post on the website!

So, is the ME70 a good buy? Or are there better units out there for less? If it's any help I'm in a prog covers band so it will be used for lots of 70's hippy floaty things and not full on 'Eavy Metal!

Cheers.

xxGuy · 11-01-2009, 05:41 PM

The me70 is a really good processor without having all that digital stuff, which i find to be too complex for its worth. A couple others to take into consideration are the Line 6 M9 Stompbox modeler (Which takes a bit of work, but isn't as bad as digitech), and the Line 6 Pod Plus.

stookiebhoy · 11-02-2009, 03:38 AM

If you can stretch your budget another £50 you could get a Pod X3 Live. For the money this in my opinion is the best multi out there due to its' versatility. You can do all sorts of stuff with these pedals, such as dual tone (using 2 amps at once) etc..... It also has an fx loop which you can add your favourite pedals into, so for the money it's a lot of pedal.
However, there isn't a multi out there that can compete with individual pedals for tone and ease of use, so personally I would just figure out what sort of sound I want and get the pedals to fit.

wkcchampion · 11-02-2009, 04:26 AM

I have the Boss GT-10 which is PERFECT.
Automatism and flexibility second to none, plus looper and midi control.
The Boss ME-70 is a scaled down GT-10, so I think it owuld be a wise choice.
Stay aways from PODs as they don't have the automatism and flexibility of BOSS. Once you learn how to program it, they can almost do pizza themselves

Jovitull · 11-02-2009, 04:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxGuy

The me70 is a really good processor without having all that digital stuff, which i find to be too complex for its worth. A couple others to take into consideration are the Line 6 M9 Stompbox modeler (Which takes a bit of work, but isn't as bad as digitech), and the Line 6 Pod Plus.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stookiebhoy

If you can stretch your budget another £50 you could get a Pod X3 Live. For the money this in my opinion is the best multi out there due to its' versatility. You can do all sorts of stuff with these pedals, such as dual tone (using 2 amps at once) etc..... It also has an fx loop which you can add your favourite pedals into, so for the money it's a lot of pedal.
However, there isn't a multi out there that can compete with individual pedals for tone and ease of use, so personally I would just figure out what sort of sound I want and get the pedals to fit.

Cool, thanks for your help guys. The line 6M9 & Pod x3 live do look like serious pieces of kit but sadly my budget is pretty set in stone so I have to rule them out for that reason (can't find either for less than £300+ )

The Pod plus looks like it's worth checking out, I'll delve deeper into that thanks, anyone got one? It doesn't look as sturdy as the Me 70. You're not the first person to tell me to go for individual pedals btw, but again if I were to go for every effect I wanted I'd again be going well over my budget.

Jovitull · 11-02-2009, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkcchampion

I have the Boss GT-10 which is PERFECT.
Automatism and flexibility second to none, plus looper and midi control.
The Boss ME-70 is a scaled down GT-10, so I think it owuld be a wise choice.
Stay aways from PODs as they don't have the automatism and flexibility of BOSS. Once you learn how to program it, they can almost do pizza themselves

Cool, thanks for the tip. I think the Boss is winning so far, sounds like I wont be disappointed with it. I'm currently using an old ME 30 but it just sounds a bit cheap and I want something that sounds a bit more professional and will cover up all my mistakes!!!

HOT TUBES 70 · 11-02-2009, 08:46 AM

for 500$ (Canadian ) the T.C NOVA SYSTEM is a very cool unit , mabe more than your
budget will handle.but a full featured unit that does it all , and a very small foot print on stage !!

bro blue · 11-02-2009, 05:56 PM

DigiTech RP1000. Versatile, sounds good, works well with pedals, easy to use.

wkcchampion · 11-03-2009, 06:22 AM

I wouldn't suggest a Digitech. I tried a RP500 and it's ok for its value, but there's NO flexibility when assigning commands, and imo the sound quality is a bit on the fake side too.

I'll show you examples of the HUGE Boss automatism I love on my GT-10:
- Foot volume to zero ---> Tuner and bypass on.
- You're not playing ---> Manual mode off, so that u can change patch
- Press CTL1 button --> all together SOLO mode on, compressor on, delay on, EQ on
- Playing softly (i.e. under a certain volume threshold) ---> more reverb and compressor on... or dynamically swhitching between a crunchy and a distortion preamp sound...

And obviously you can do much more, just program it the way you like ^^

Another foolish thing I liked to do just for joking, was to trigger the automatic "internal" pedal to abruptly raise or lower the volume suddenly every X seconds... lol who was playing thought that the amp was broken Xp
Yeah, pretty childish and silly, but it was ok to have some laugh together

bro blue · 11-03-2009, 05:45 PM

The RP500 and RP1000 are similar but not the same. Also, a lot depends on how you want to use it. With the RP1000 I can use other pedals and bring them in or out of the chain. You can also put them before or after the on-board effects. You can use the effects only like a regular pedal board or, with the amp loop, take your amp's pre out and use the modeling to change the tone of the amp (and either use speaker emulations or not).

All are a little different and do certain things that may or may not be useful, depending on what you want out of it.

wkcchampion · 11-04-2009, 06:17 AM

Lol BOSS do it as well as did years before

They have a dedicated lien for external pedals, and the Manual mode, that converts every button to a stompbox-style switch or assignment

bro blue · 11-04-2009, 05:10 PM

I wasn't saying the Boss unit could not do what the RP1000 could. I was making the point about the differences between the RP500 and the RP1000.

wkcchampion · 11-05-2009, 03:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bro blue

I wasn't saying the Boss unit could not do what the RP1000 could. I was making the point about the differences between the RP500 and the RP1000.

Yeah right. But indeed, Digitech multiFX are somewhat "toys" compared to other brands. They're designed for teens who wouldn't have much chance to understand better processors.

I never tried them, but Vox Tonelabs may be worth considering (but they may be crap, I don't know).

But, eventually, I'd say: buy a Digitech RP series if you're tight on budget, otherwise get a Boss ME-70 or perhaps a GT-8 if you can find them used at a good price. I saw GT-8s selling for just 200 euros

bro blue · 11-05-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkcchampion

Yeah right. But indeed, Digitech multiFX are somewhat "toys" compared to other brands. They're designed for teens who wouldn't have much chance to understand better processors.

I never tried them, but Vox Tonelabs may be worth considering (but they may be crap, I don't know).

But, eventually, I'd say: buy a Digitech RP series if you're tight on budget, otherwise get a Boss ME-70 or perhaps a GT-8 if you can find them used at a good price. I saw GT-8s selling for just 200 euros

It has become clear to me you have no idea what you're talking about.

The lower number RP series processors are not anywhere near as robust and do not have the sound quality of the higher series. So you're a Boss fan-boy. I get it. I'm glad you like your Boss equipment and I hope you get years of enjoyment out of it. Just don't make asinine statements like the above.

I assure you, I an neither a teen nor do I have a problem knowing what works well and what does not. In fact, you strike me as a teen playing these "my stuff is awesome and your stuff is crap" pissing games.

bro blue · 11-05-2009, 01:38 PM

You Tube

Tell me this is a toy made for teens.

wkcchampion · 11-06-2009, 04:10 AM

Yes the preamps are decent, and then? They sure don't have the automatism/dynamics-based and Assignments part of Boss. Like changing parameters automatically or based on how hard u play etc...
But they're ok for the price. You buy what you get.
And no, I'm not a Boss fan at all. I don't like most of their od/ds pedals. Digitech od/ds pedals sound much more organic. But their RP multiFX are toys. The GNX series look better but I never tried one, pretty rare to see one here.

I apologise if I offended you in any way, my opinions are not directed to hit or bash anyone.

wkcchampion · 11-06-2009, 04:11 AM

Yes the preamps are decent, and then? They sure don't have the automatism/dynamics-based and Assignments part of Boss. Like changing parameters automatically or based on how hard u play etc...
But they're ok for the price. You buy what you get.
And no, I'm not a Boss fan at all. I don't like most of their od/ds pedals. Digitech od/ds pedals sound much more organic. But their RP multiFX are toys. The GNX series look better but I never tried one, pretty rare to see one here.

I apologise if I offended you in any way, my opinions are not directed to hit or bash anyone.

uhm why two posts ????

bro blue · 11-06-2009, 09:42 AM

Perhaps I'm getting ready to start my period. It's all cool.

Buggs.Crosby · 11-06-2009, 10:11 AM

I'm with Bro Blue here...Digitech are toys for teens?...here is my 40yr old been playing for 31yrs opinion? my son still uses my old RP6 from 95
and it sounds great and every button/knob/footpedal still work flawlessly...i have been using Digitech stuff for years and have yet to have a problem.
wkcchampion why dont you bring your GT-8-10 over and see how it compares to my Digitech 2101le?...bet your not even in its ball park.
but on a budget try the RP6 or 7 with the tube....i have seen them in guitar center for around $40 and for all its versatility you cant beat it

Gtrman58 · 11-06-2009, 01:19 PM

I had a Boss Gt-3....or 5. I forget. The 3 or the 5. Alot to those little buggers. If you have alot of time on your hands and know exactly what your going for I would say these are a good choice. Tons of options, alot of awesome sounds....but I would usually lose the settings/banks I programed.

It had like 9 million settings..... Waaaaayyyy too confusing for this old dawg. Went back to the individual pedal route. Much less confusion for me.

00jett · 11-06-2009, 11:54 PM

(sorry in advance...) best for budget is to stay away from multi effects cause 9 out of 10 players end up switching to a few decent stomp boxes and a good amp. I have not heard one unit yet that does not suck tone.. that being said if i had to go back the line 6 m9 and m13 do basic effects without the garbage amp modeling.....IMO

wkcchampion · 11-07-2009, 05:19 AM

Well it depends on how much the budget is. Keep in mind that with just 200€ or little more you can get an used Boss GT-8. They are excellent for the value, surely better than Me-50 or Me-70, as they have all the automatism present in the future model.
(off-topic a bit)
I don't use amp modeling on my GT-10, unless I'm playing without the amp - that is at home, for low volume practice. But the amp modeling is 95% close indeed. When I bought it as soon as it came out, I tried an A/B recording with my Vox AC30CC2X, that is: real VOX preamp VS GT-10 VO Drive and VO Lead in the VOX return, at performance volume... eeeeh man, if you tweak it right, they're barely distinguishable. Even the dynamics response is very close. The only difference is that the real Top Boost has more gain, but there's not a problem as Boss preamps are completely customizable (if u switch the Gain switch on High and Gain on 50/120 you're there).

The Boss weakness is that some "stock" emulated speakers, named "original" in the unit, sound fuzzy and shrill (mainly the ones of VOXes and Rectifiers models). But if you create your Custom one and use the FX named Resonator, following suggestions from Bossgtcentral Forum, you can simulate it accurately. And it's easy to do, luckily.

bro blue · 11-07-2009, 11:37 AM

I agree with wkcchampion here. I rarely use the preamp models live and the ability to have all your effects in one little box is nice. Also, when you consider the cost of buying different stomp boxes you will come out the same or less buying a decent multi-effects unit.

stookiebhoy · 11-07-2009, 11:47 AM

I tried the GT-10, and quite frankly I think it's a piece of shit. In fact, I've tried most multi-effects, and the only one I would give house room to is the G-system from TC, but it costs the guts of a grand. On a budget the Line 6 X3 Live is on a different planet to any of the rest at similar prices. Boss COSM effects are better than they used to be, but they're still shite nevertheless. The only place I would use the BOSS would be through the loop of my amp as their time based fx aren't too bad, but for front end I wouldn't go near it.
However, what I will say is this. Tone is a very individual thing, and what I think is really sweet, someone else may think sounds like a bag of rusty spanenrs. So my advice would be to try the boxes and buy the one that you like the sound of, regardless of who manufactures it.
I remember buying a wee Korg AX 30 I think it was, for my son to use in his room. But there was a couple of things on it I really liked, and so I incorporated it into my rig. So it just goes to show you it's nothing to do with price, or label where tone is concerned.

stone temple pinot · 11-07-2009, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkcchampion

I have the Boss GT-10 which is PERFECT.
Automatism and flexibility second to none, plus looper and midi control.
The Boss ME-70 is a scaled down GT-10, so I think it owuld be a wise choice.
Stay aways from PODs as they don't have the automatism and flexibility of BOSS. Once you learn how to program it, they can almost do pizza themselves

same here.

stone temple pinot · 11-07-2009, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wkcchampion

Well it depends on how much the budget is. Keep in mind that with just 200€ or little more you can get an used Boss GT-8. They are excellent for the value, surely better than Me-50 or Me-70, as they have all the automatism present in the future model.
(off-topic a bit)
I don't use amp modeling on my GT-10, unless I'm playing without the amp - that is at home, for low volume practice. But the amp modeling is 95% close indeed. When I bought it as soon as it came out, I tried an A/B recording with my Vox AC30CC2X, that is: real VOX preamp VS GT-10 VO Drive and VO Lead in the VOX return, at performance volume... eeeeh man, if you tweak it right, they're barely distinguishable. Even the dynamics response is very close. The only difference is that the real Top Boost has more gain, but there's not a problem as Boss preamps are completely customizable (if u switch the Gain switch on High and Gain on 50/120 you're there).

The Boss weakness is that some "stock" emulated speakers, named "original" in the unit, sound fuzzy and shrill (mainly the ones of VOXes and Rectifiers models). But if you create your Custom one and use the FX named Resonator, following suggestions from Bossgtcentral Forum, you can simulate it accurately. And it's easy to do, luckily.

and same for me here too...
I did the same test with my JCM 900 HGDR and I can get damn stinkin' close to the same sound.

Gtrman58 · 11-08-2009, 08:18 AM

I don't agree that they are tone sucking pieces of shit, I just don't think they are for everybody. There are alot and I mean ALOT to these babies and you have choices upon endless choices of settings. A techheads dream. A basic guitar players nightmare. For me, and only speaking for me, I learned that when it comes to playing out live simple is better!!

If its going to break down or lose its settings/memory or what ever funky issue you can think of, hit the wrong button and everything pops up Chinese....its going to do it in the middle of the gig!

Been there done that! Simple is better!

And as far as price goes, I have seen them used at decent prices but is this a piece of gear you wanna pick up used?

wkcchampion · 11-08-2009, 09:39 AM

oh well shit always happens. Any equipment can fail, unfortunately. And it may also depend on the single unit, some may have bad luck while some otherm ay not, and also on the way they're used/abused or mistreated.
Oh yes! Great buying used. Every multiFX I know of, can be factory-reset

They are circuits, they either work or they don't at all.

Guitar are much riskier to be used, IMO...

custom53 · 11-08-2009, 11:55 AM

An ibanez / Maxam PUE5 was the best cheaper effects pedal I have ever owned. (I have 5 for guitar and 1 for bass) but the past few years they have been going up. I paid less than $100 for each of mine but now they are going for $240 to $500....

wkcchampion · 11-08-2009, 04:33 PM

Well if money is the main and only tought, Behringer is always happy to give you a warm welcome... and to suck your tone out lol

11-01-2009, 05:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
Jovitull Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15	Best budget multi effects Dudes, I need your advice. I have an Artist 3203 head & matching cab and I'm looking for the best multi effects unit I can get for £250 (new). Trouble is I'm no expert and I'm currently eyeing up the Boss ME70 but only because it looks really cool and I believe all the blurb they post on the website! So, is the ME70 a good buy? Or are there better units out there for less? If it's any help I'm in a prog covers band so it will be used for lots of 70's hippy floaty things and not full on 'Eavy Metal! Cheers.

11-01-2009, 05:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
xxGuy Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 7	Re: Best budget multi effects The me70 is a really good processor without having all that digital stuff, which i find to be too complex for its worth. A couple others to take into consideration are the Line 6 M9 Stompbox modeler (Which takes a bit of work, but isn't as bad as digitech), and the Line 6 Pod Plus. __________________ Guitars- 2009 Epiphone Les Paul Custom Shop 2008 Epiphone Goth les paul with Dimarzio X2n's (Black) 2007 Bc Rich Jr Deluxe V (Black)) 2007 Bc Rich Calibre Warlock (Black) 2009 Bc Rich Custom shop Supreme V 2008 Schecter Avenger (White with Gold Pin Stripes) 2009 Jackson Demmelition King V (Red with Black Bevels) Amps- Marshall JCM 2000 DSL100 Head Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier Head Mesa Boogie Rectifier 2x12 cab Mesa Boogie Rectifier 4x12 straight cab Marshall 1960a cab

11-02-2009, 03:38 AM	#3 (permalink)
stookiebhoy Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 31	Re: Best budget multi effects If you can stretch your budget another £50 you could get a Pod X3 Live. For the money this in my opinion is the best multi out there due to its' versatility. You can do all sorts of stuff with these pedals, such as dual tone (using 2 amps at once) etc..... It also has an fx loop which you can add your favourite pedals into, so for the money it's a lot of pedal. However, there isn't a multi out there that can compete with individual pedals for tone and ease of use, so personally I would just figure out what sort of sound I want and get the pedals to fit.

11-02-2009, 04:26 AM	#4 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects I have the Boss GT-10 which is PERFECT. Automatism and flexibility second to none, plus looper and midi control. The Boss ME-70 is a scaled down GT-10, so I think it owuld be a wise choice. Stay aways from PODs as they don't have the automatism and flexibility of BOSS. Once you learn how to program it, they can almost do pizza themselves

11-02-2009, 08:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
HOT TUBES 70 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: SASKATOON Posts: 1,674	Re: Best budget multi effects for 500$ (Canadian ) the T.C NOVA SYSTEM is a very cool unit , mabe more than your budget will handle.but a full featured unit that does it all , and a very small foot print on stage !! __________________ MARSHALL 6100LM MARSHALL 1960A W/-G12H 30's CUSTOM BUILT 2X12 W/-V30's "MARSHALL" - only the best will do !

11-02-2009, 05:56 PM	#8 (permalink)
bro blue Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern USA Posts: 112	Re: Best budget multi effects DigiTech RP1000. Versatile, sounds good, works well with pedals, easy to use.

11-03-2009, 06:22 AM	#9 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects I wouldn't suggest a Digitech. I tried a RP500 and it's ok for its value, but there's NO flexibility when assigning commands, and imo the sound quality is a bit on the fake side too. I'll show you examples of the HUGE Boss automatism I love on my GT-10: - Foot volume to zero ---> Tuner and bypass on. - You're not playing ---> Manual mode off, so that u can change patch - Press CTL1 button --> all together SOLO mode on, compressor on, delay on, EQ on - Playing softly (i.e. under a certain volume threshold) ---> more reverb and compressor on... or dynamically swhitching between a crunchy and a distortion preamp sound... And obviously you can do much more, just program it the way you like ^^ Another foolish thing I liked to do just for joking, was to trigger the automatic "internal" pedal to abruptly raise or lower the volume suddenly every X seconds... lol who was playing thought that the amp was broken Xp Yeah, pretty childish and silly, but it was ok to have some laugh together

11-03-2009, 05:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
bro blue Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern USA Posts: 112	Re: Best budget multi effects The RP500 and RP1000 are similar but not the same. Also, a lot depends on how you want to use it. With the RP1000 I can use other pedals and bring them in or out of the chain. You can also put them before or after the on-board effects. You can use the effects only like a regular pedal board or, with the amp loop, take your amp's pre out and use the modeling to change the tone of the amp (and either use speaker emulations or not). All are a little different and do certain things that may or may not be useful, depending on what you want out of it.

11-04-2009, 06:17 AM	#11 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects Lol BOSS do it as well as did years before They have a dedicated lien for external pedals, and the Manual mode, that converts every button to a stompbox-style switch or assignment

11-04-2009, 05:10 PM	#12 (permalink)
bro blue Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern USA Posts: 112	Re: Best budget multi effects I wasn't saying the Boss unit could not do what the RP1000 could. I was making the point about the differences between the RP500 and the RP1000.

11-06-2009, 04:10 AM	#16 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects Yes the preamps are decent, and then? They sure don't have the automatism/dynamics-based and Assignments part of Boss. Like changing parameters automatically or based on how hard u play etc... But they're ok for the price. You buy what you get. And no, I'm not a Boss fan at all. I don't like most of their od/ds pedals. Digitech od/ds pedals sound much more organic. But their RP multiFX are toys. The GNX series look better but I never tried one, pretty rare to see one here. I apologise if I offended you in any way, my opinions are not directed to hit or bash anyone. Last edited by wkcchampion; 11-06-2009 at 05:30 AM.

11-06-2009, 04:11 AM	#17 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects Yes the preamps are decent, and then? They sure don't have the automatism/dynamics-based and Assignments part of Boss. Like changing parameters automatically or based on how hard u play etc... But they're ok for the price. You buy what you get. And no, I'm not a Boss fan at all. I don't like most of their od/ds pedals. Digitech od/ds pedals sound much more organic. But their RP multiFX are toys. The GNX series look better but I never tried one, pretty rare to see one here. I apologise if I offended you in any way, my opinions are not directed to hit or bash anyone. uhm why two posts ???? Last edited by wkcchampion; 11-06-2009 at 05:30 AM.

11-06-2009, 09:42 AM	#18 (permalink)
bro blue Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern USA Posts: 112	Re: Best budget multi effects Perhaps I'm getting ready to start my period. It's all cool.

11-06-2009, 10:11 AM	#19 (permalink)
Buggs.Crosby Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 90	Re: Best budget multi effects I'm with Bro Blue here...Digitech are toys for teens?...here is my 40yr old been playing for 31yrs opinion? my son still uses my old RP6 from 95 and it sounds great and every button/knob/footpedal still work flawlessly...i have been using Digitech stuff for years and have yet to have a problem. wkcchampion why dont you bring your GT-8-10 over and see how it compares to my Digitech 2101le?...bet your not even in its ball park. but on a budget try the RP6 or 7 with the tube....i have seen them in guitar center for around $40 and for all its versatility you cant beat it Last edited by Buggs.Crosby; 11-06-2009 at 03:24 PM.

11-06-2009, 01:19 PM	#20 (permalink)
Gtrman58 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: St. Louis, Mo. Posts: 148	Re: Best budget multi effects I had a Boss Gt-3....or 5. I forget. The 3 or the 5. Alot to those little buggers. If you have alot of time on your hands and know exactly what your going for I would say these are a good choice. Tons of options, alot of awesome sounds....but I would usually lose the settings/banks I programed. It had like 9 million settings..... Waaaaayyyy too confusing for this old dawg. Went back to the individual pedal route. Much less confusion for me. __________________ 2009 JCM 2000 Dsl 100 MLB MC412A 1951 Fender Deluxe 2006 Hot Rod Deluxe 1995 Blues Junior 1994 Blues Deville Vox Path Finder 1982 Legend A 30 1980 Gibson Herritage Cherry Sunburst Standard 1980 Explorer White with gold HW 2000 52 Telecaster USA RI 1983 57 Strat LH USA RI 2003 57 Strat USA RI 1960 Silvertone Danelectro 1994 Fender P-bass 68 RI Acoustic guitars....not enough space to list !!!!!

11-06-2009, 11:54 PM	#21 (permalink)
00jett Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 133	Re: Best budget multi effects (sorry in advance...) best for budget is to stay away from multi effects cause 9 out of 10 players end up switching to a few decent stomp boxes and a good amp. I have not heard one unit yet that does not suck tone.. that being said if i had to go back the line 6 m9 and m13 do basic effects without the garbage amp modeling.....IMO

11-07-2009, 05:19 AM	#22 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects Well it depends on how much the budget is. Keep in mind that with just 200€ or little more you can get an used Boss GT-8. They are excellent for the value, surely better than Me-50 or Me-70, as they have all the automatism present in the future model. (off-topic a bit) I don't use amp modeling on my GT-10, unless I'm playing without the amp - that is at home, for low volume practice. But the amp modeling is 95% close indeed. When I bought it as soon as it came out, I tried an A/B recording with my Vox AC30CC2X, that is: real VOX preamp VS GT-10 VO Drive and VO Lead in the VOX return, at performance volume... eeeeh man, if you tweak it right, they're barely distinguishable. Even the dynamics response is very close. The only difference is that the real Top Boost has more gain, but there's not a problem as Boss preamps are completely customizable (if u switch the Gain switch on High and Gain on 50/120 you're there). The Boss weakness is that some "stock" emulated speakers, named "original" in the unit, sound fuzzy and shrill (mainly the ones of VOXes and Rectifiers models). But if you create your Custom one and use the FX named Resonator, following suggestions from Bossgtcentral Forum, you can simulate it accurately. And it's easy to do, luckily.

11-07-2009, 11:37 AM	#23 (permalink)
bro blue Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Southern USA Posts: 112	Re: Best budget multi effects I agree with wkcchampion here. I rarely use the preamp models live and the ability to have all your effects in one little box is nice. Also, when you consider the cost of buying different stomp boxes you will come out the same or less buying a decent multi-effects unit.

11-07-2009, 11:47 AM	#24 (permalink)
stookiebhoy Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 31	Re: Best budget multi effects I tried the GT-10, and quite frankly I think it's a piece of shit. In fact, I've tried most multi-effects, and the only one I would give house room to is the G-system from TC, but it costs the guts of a grand. On a budget the Line 6 X3 Live is on a different planet to any of the rest at similar prices. Boss COSM effects are better than they used to be, but they're still shite nevertheless. The only place I would use the BOSS would be through the loop of my amp as their time based fx aren't too bad, but for front end I wouldn't go near it. However, what I will say is this. Tone is a very individual thing, and what I think is really sweet, someone else may think sounds like a bag of rusty spanenrs. So my advice would be to try the boxes and buy the one that you like the sound of, regardless of who manufactures it. I remember buying a wee Korg AX 30 I think it was, for my son to use in his room. But there was a couple of things on it I really liked, and so I incorporated it into my rig. So it just goes to show you it's nothing to do with price, or label where tone is concerned.

11-08-2009, 08:18 AM	#27 (permalink)
Gtrman58 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: St. Louis, Mo. Posts: 148	Re: Best budget multi effects I don't agree that they are tone sucking pieces of shit, I just don't think they are for everybody. There are alot and I mean ALOT to these babies and you have choices upon endless choices of settings. A techheads dream. A basic guitar players nightmare. For me, and only speaking for me, I learned that when it comes to playing out live simple is better!! If its going to break down or lose its settings/memory or what ever funky issue you can think of, hit the wrong button and everything pops up Chinese....its going to do it in the middle of the gig! Been there done that! Simple is better! And as far as price goes, I have seen them used at decent prices but is this a piece of gear you wanna pick up used? __________________ 2009 JCM 2000 Dsl 100 MLB MC412A 1951 Fender Deluxe 2006 Hot Rod Deluxe 1995 Blues Junior 1994 Blues Deville Vox Path Finder 1982 Legend A 30 1980 Gibson Herritage Cherry Sunburst Standard 1980 Explorer White with gold HW 2000 52 Telecaster USA RI 1983 57 Strat LH USA RI 2003 57 Strat USA RI 1960 Silvertone Danelectro 1994 Fender P-bass 68 RI Acoustic guitars....not enough space to list !!!!!

11-08-2009, 09:39 AM	#28 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects oh well shit always happens. Any equipment can fail, unfortunately. And it may also depend on the single unit, some may have bad luck while some otherm ay not, and also on the way they're used/abused or mistreated. Oh yes! Great buying used. Every multiFX I know of, can be factory-reset They are circuits, they either work or they don't at all. Guitar are much riskier to be used, IMO...

11-08-2009, 11:55 AM	#29 (permalink)
custom53 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ohio Posts: 104	Re: Best budget multi effects An ibanez / Maxam PUE5 was the best cheaper effects pedal I have ever owned. (I have 5 for guitar and 1 for bass) but the past few years they have been going up. I paid less than $100 for each of mine but now they are going for $240 to $500.... __________________ 2004 Gibson Les Paul Flametop 1995 Hamer Duo Tone Sunburst 1991 Ernie Ball EVH Trans Black 1981 Hamer Special Trans Green Quilt Sustain Block Bridge with Checkerboard Headstock 1975 Ovation Breadwinner Black Marhsall JMP 2203 Half Stack Marshall JTM 45 Reissue Half Stack 2ea 370/301 Acoustic Bass Amps Peavey Classic 100 Half Stack Tweed Soldano HR50+ Half Stack Black Peavey Butcher 120 Watt Half Stack

11-08-2009, 04:33 PM	#30 (permalink)
wkcchampion Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 144	Re: Best budget multi effects Well if money is the main and only tought, Behringer is always happy to give you a warm welcome... and to suck your tone out lol

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