Guitar Effects Boards

Is1ldur

Anyone got any opinions on here about pdal boards. Looking in particular at either a BOSS ME10 or whatever that is called or a Digitech GNX3000 or GNX4. I'm particularly interested in Death metal, black metal, etc., although I am also into a broad range of tones and styles including Satriani, Vai etc. I think my Metal Zone has pretty much run it's course.

Dord

Is1ldur wrote: »

Anyone got any opinions on here about pdal boards.

Yes. I don't like them. By getting a multi-effects unit you're generally comprimising on tone just to have 500 odd effects. You might have about 10 usable sounds and some weird robot sounds that you might think are funny for about 5 minutes. Just my take on it.

Alanstrainor

Joe Robot wrote: »

Yes. I don't like them. By getting a multi-effects unit you're generally comprimising on tone just to have 500 odd effects. You might have about 10 usable sounds and some weird robot sounds that you might think are funny for about 5 minutes. Just my take on it.

+1
Completely agree with Joe Robot, you can't beat real analogue stand alone effects, some do use and like the multi effects but just not me.

Neo#

Joe Robot wrote: »

Yes. I don't like them. By getting a multi-effects unit you're generally comprimising on tone just to have 500 odd effects. You might have about 10 usable sounds and some weird robot sounds that you might think are funny for about 5 minutes. Just my take on it.

+1

Multi effects boards become limiting after a while and never sounds as good as single effects in my opinion. With single effect pedals you can add, change, and take away in the future. With a multi-effects board you are stuck with it.

feylya

And I completely disagree with you guys I think the good effects boards (Pod Live, gt-10, etc) are getting better and better and let you customise your own sound so much that you can use pretty much any amp and still have your sound. They're even handier for covers bands!

Voodu Child

I really think it depends what you're after.

A Boss GT-8 (or 10) for 400 odd quid gets you nearly every effect you'd want. Forgetting about the 'weird' effects, by the time you'd bought a separate delay, wah, chorus, flanger, reverb, volume etc, you'd have spent way more than 400.

And the quality issue, well, people say 'you can't beat the quality of analog pedals', but tbh, most guys arent running quality pedals anyway. Your average Boss, EH, Vox stompboxes are nothing to shout home about...factor in the cheap patch cables most guys use, and crappy power supplies, and there really isn't such a huge quality issue between stomps and a good multi-fx. If you were to put together a stombox pedal board that was actually good quality, you could spend close to a grand just to get the same basic effects (forgetting the daft robot effects that nobody uses).

And of course, the patch presets, midi out, and 1/4" channel switching relays on something like a GT8 make it a hugely more versatile option than stomps. I had a GT8 for a couple of years, and didn't even come close to scratching the surface of it's capabilities.

On the flip side, maybe you don't WANT every effect under the sun. That's the way I am at the moment. So personally im gravitating away from the multi-fx boards. But it's definitely not a cut and dry issue, for a lot of guys they make MUCH more sense, both in terms of tone quality and value-for-money.

-=al=-

Its also a lot more hassle with more single fx u have, i use 10 and tis a pain movin em around, but i wudnt change it

unless i get a Vh4 a midi floorboard and a few rack systems

Demeyes

I'm all for multi effects boards, as long as get a decent one. I've got a gt8 and it is fantastic. Compromising on tone? I think not. You can coax some awesome sounds from them. It can be overwhelming as you can adjust every little thing.
Also if you play in a band, its great. Many sounds that you can change between easily, no need to adjust your pedal between songs. You can do some cool stuff too that you can't really recreate with analogue pedals. Also if you are playing through someone elses amp you can get something close to your sound with the same functionality.
I wouldn't knock them until you try one out for a few weeks, if you just get your opinion from a quick test run or from someone elses sound then you're not fully informed.

Denalihighway

why don't you look at putting a small multi-effects unit in with your standard pedals? Best of both worlds. I use yer usual, distortion, overdrive, chorus, delay, reverb but then I've got one of these http://www.thomann.de/ie/digitech_rp90ps.htm

in the mix as well and its incredible what versatility it gives me when I want to mix it up. For quality, quite rightly, I'll probably get slated for suggesting this model . I don't use it when I record for that reason but althought tricky initially to get used to, its been great live. I'm not actually suggesting this model per se but its cheap and you could stick it in the mix and see if you like it and decide if you want to go the multi route, or stick with the stomp boxes, or like me, both...
just some other thoughts on the matter