Reccomendations for an effects board?

pbsuxok1znja4r

Hey, I'm looking around for an effects board I can use for gigging. My budget is anything under about €500 really (preferably far under), which should cover most everything, shouldn't it?
I'm pretty much an effects n00b so I'm in dire need of guidance on this, I think. Mainly what I'm looking for in effects is good delay, flange, maybe chorus. Something to mellow out leads, melodies (I feel mine always sound just a little too 'quantised' or have a lack of fluency, if that makes any sense...). Anyway we play slightly metal-influenced post (emphasis on 'post') hardcore punk/emo music with a (hopefully) progressive sound. We've a lot of instrumental parts slightly remniscient of what you might call 'stoner metal' or whatever, so I'm definitely interested in some good reverb+delay sounds.
Just throwing all this info out there so maybe someone can best advise me on what multi-effects product I might want.

Anyway, up 'till now I've always used my amp's tube OD, but for gigs upcoming this summer I'll basically have to use a variety of other people's amps, so to maintain a little consistency of sound (and to hopefully spare me from me a whole lot of frantic pre-gig fiddling with others' amps), I'm going to invest in an OD pedal, so I'd welcome any reccomendations or advice on that, too. I'm not interested really in any OD built into a multi-effects board as I've gotten the impression that for OD pedals only the dedicated, overdrive-only ones are worth a toss.

Anyway, I've been checking out reviews of the Boss GT-8 and it seems like a worthy piece of equipment...anyone have an opinion on that or know how much one would set me back if I were to buy from an Irish (/Dublin) retailer?
[Edit]: Also I've been checking out the Boss ME-50 which sounds promising, so any price/performance comparison between that and the GT-8 would be useful.

Thanks muchos, Ro.

Quattroste

Did you try the Vox Tonelab or Tonelab SE?

pbsuxok1znja4r

Not yet, this is the first I've heard of 'em. Cheers, I'll look into it. Have you had experience with either? Good/bad?

david

Ive a tonelab which i use with a Behringer FCB1010 midi foot controller and its brilliant. I'd say theres three big players in floor multieffects at the mo

Tonelab SE
Line6 POD XT live
Boss GT8

Try them out if you can

jcoote

the gmajor is a fantastic bit of kit i have one with an fcb1010..u could get one second hand for 500ish i reckon (inclusing board and cables etc)

pbsuxok1znja4r

I tried out an ME-50 today, I was quite impressed. In my foolishness I didnt realise that, it being a Boss, it has the actual Boss pedals, i.e. MT-2, DS-2 built into it, so I'd actually be sorted for OD stuff, too. The ME-50 is around €270 in musicmaker; the GT-8 is €470. AFAIK the ME-50 is far less customisable than the GT-8, but honestly I think it would be more than sufficient for my needs, especially at that price.

Doc_Savage

it's a quality pedal and has a fairly unique approach to effects.. pseudo stompbox style.. using either patches or 3 pedals is a great solution..

some great sounds on it and it won't just take over your amp's sound!

Feylya will probably agree.. i hope:o

feylya

Aye, the ME-50 is a nice auld pedal alright. Think a GT-8 is in my nearish future though.

david

The me50 is a computer, it doesnt have the actual effects circuits built into it. There are loads of second hand gt-6's flying around 2nd hand for about 200-250 which would be far superior to an me50

feylya

Eh, afaik, they're all the same...

conzy

Pod XT live

david

Tonelab

!_Brian_!

Been using the ME-50 for quite some time now. Great little pedal, very easily tweaked in "stopbox mode" and the 3 pedals make it handy if your using patchs and have a particular sound for a song. ie clean, distortion and a different one for lead or something to that effect. Its also built like a tank and well able to handle getting thrown around the back of the van to and from gigs. The wah pedal is really nice on it too. Only critism is it can sound a bit scratchy at times but for the price, its prolly one of the best in the range. And it looks really cool!

Kenny_D

Theres a Boss GT6 in the buy and sell for €250. Seems to have hardly been used. Its better than an Me-50 and has most of the features if not all of them in it plus more. Its more or less the same as a gt8 really. If I had the money I'd be taking it myself. Plan on getting one at some stage

riddik

yeah i got a gt6 about a year ago. goddam complicated at first, no idea wat i was doing. but if u spend a bit of time with it, it really pays off. it does everything i've ever wanted, except loopin, someone once told me it does do it but i think they were waffling, and ever since i started recoridin to my laptop i didn need it neway. 4 1/2 stars, only coz its not the gt8 [and not becoz the gt8 has the odd extra function, but its black and looks cooler]

pbsuxok1znja4r

Why's the GT-6 better than the ME-50 then? I'm relatively clueless 'bout the finer points of digital effects, patches, whatnot.
I was under the impression that the GT-8 was a computer, rather than the ME-50, no?

Giblet

The ME-50 has some latency issues when changing patches, whereas something like the GT-8 covers this up. The ME-50 is decent, but only in manual mode I think. It just pissed me off when using patch switching. The GT-6 is better than the ME-50. They are both "computers".

jcoote

g feckin major lads

david

You cant beat a GT-6 for ease of use and price second hand. Its an all in one package that does what it says on the tin. Feckin bargain at €250

Quattroste

Freakonaleashx. How much is that pedal board you speak off? I am looking at picking up a pedal board as I currently don't have one, just the lab!

jimi_t

Woah woah woah now... Korg Toneworks AX1500g - or even the newer model AX2000g, very cheap and extremely good - far better than the ME50 but the GT6 prolly has the edge on it if you can get one cheaply second hand

david

Quattroste wrote:

Freakonaleashx. How much is that pedal board you speak off? I am looking at picking up a pedal board as I currently don't have one, just the lab!

FCB1010? I traded Beecher a whammy for one, they're about €150 on the net

sei046

I use the Pod xt live and love it. Better modelling that the Gt8 but i think the gt8 has more effects ( you can buy a ton of effects for the pod though and its constantly being updated ). I liked the Vox but preferred the pod