Pedals or Multi FX units ?

[mindwalker]

Hey guys!

A very subjective topic of course
But it's a bit of a last minute decision for me because a local shop is offering 21% off on most of its products and I got quite a few eur off some pedals..

But then it got me thinking... I already have a Pod X3 which can basically emulate all of those pedals as long as I'm happy to play around with programming patches and the 4 cable method with my Blackstar HT-5

However I'm attracted to the simplicity of pedals...

I was thinking that I could get an Ibanez TS-9 30th and a T-Rex compnova since these are on sale (I'm saving like 50 eur on each) and they would be placed in front of the amp.
Then they also have a T-Rex Reptile 2 delay.. however I'm not so sure about pedals for the FX loop. These I could easily manage with a multi-fx unit and no 4 cable method in the mix..

Do you have any horror or success stories to share about this ?

And on another side note, if you go for pedals, do you get something like the T-Rex fueltank chamaleon that is also on sale ? Or would you do that later when you have more than 2 pedals ? That one is also on sale...

 

[WarMachine]

Im sure others can chime in with other ideas, but a digitech GSP1101 will do just that, and more! You can have all the preamp effects like delays, chorus, reverb etc and have post effects like distortions and OD's. I havent had any other experience with things like the G-Major and the like, the only other i have used and still own is the Rocktron Xpression. And that has top shelf effects as well. Only con to it vs the GSP is that it doesnt have built in OD/Distortions but the pro to it vs the GSP is that if you have a midi pedal you can run a 7 pin cable and power it whereas with the GSP it only has a 5 pin and you would need either their footswitch or an adapter/9v when switching presets...just my 0.02. Good luck dude!

 

[mindwalker]

Im sure others can chime in with other ideas, but a digitech GSP1101 will do just that, and more!

well seeing as I already have a Pod X3 I think it's capable of doing the same as the GSP1101 (also including the OD simulations). I did try plugging it in into my amp and it sounded good but I started to freak out with all the cables that I had to run around, and programming the Pod to play well with the amp (setting the output modes properly and such).

But I guess using pedals will also give me cable pain

I'm also a bedroom player so switching presets via MIDI isn't a huge deal (for now.. but then again.. one should always think of the future)

 

[Sephael]

pedals give you more options IMHO. Nothing wrong with a multi-unit because they give you a lot. However, you are not necessarily getting exactly what you want. Also pedals are more readily tweakable than a little bean multi like the x3. You don't have to set a separate patch or go in and edit just to turn your echo off for a second to see how something sounds without it.

That being said patches make it super easy to quickly change gears without having to worry about changing 8 different settings (hoping you remember how you had things set) so give an incredible amount of flexibility when it comes to what you can sound like live.

Adding a pedal means adding a small 4" patch cable to what you already have and depending on how you are powering things (and occasionally the pedal) it can be as simple as just daisy chaining the power supply without needing another outlet.

If you are looking at saving money on pedals don't forget you can always buy used, and if you don't like them you can usually get most of your money back when you sell.

 

[sawtoothscream]

im going back and forth on this as well. idk if I want separate pedals or a hd500. thinking all i need pedal wise is a delay, reverb and maybe eq pedal and boost. at the same time the hd500 sounds like a awesome tool to have anyways.

 

[leechmasterargentina]

I know pedals are the real thing, but nowadays Fx processors like POD HD500 have achieved almost the same sound quality as pedals, avoiding the hassle of making a pedal board with the same emulations...which would be big as hell...

I'm a singer/guitar player so an FX processor has the advantage of changing more than one effect at the same time; something which would be very hard to do while singing. Besides, you can have different configurations in each preset.

 

[Bloodbath Salt]

Multi FX pedals might be cheaper and changing presets is easier than engaging individual pedals. Other than that, IMO they're junk. They sound cheap and diluted. Plus you're confined to the processor's tonal capabilities. Having individual pedals and where you place them in your signal chain, is the best way to find "your" sound. Eg, you can modify distortion voicings, if you place an EQ before or after a dirt pedal. Pedal placement is an art, in itself. You can also push tube amps harder with an OD/boost. You can also do minor tweaking quickly and easily.

 

[N1h1l1ty]

My 2 C:

Having owned an HD500 and an Axe Fx Ultra to complement my 5150 II, I found myself running back to a traditional pedalboard, mostly because nothing comes close to the feel of actually having the pedals right there in front of you to tweak.

As to what sounds better, I think at this point its going to come down to your ears and your ears only - I've had people tell me a POD HD500 sounded better than anything they'd heard before, and I thought it was a piece of junk for the brief time I owned one.

I think its been mentioned here before, but buying used with pedals is reasonably low risk as well - you're buying one unit for usually a fairly reasonable price, that you can then flip if you don't like, rather than buying an Axe Fx for 1000+ and realizing that you don't get along with some of the effects that you really NEED.

 

[mongey]

pedals for me

I think they sound better overall and I like being able to tweak any knob rather than digging into patches . also if you run some things in front and some in the effects loop its the way to go

and probably mainly pedal collecting is fun and interesting . buying things and giving them a run. either keep or filp it for something else if you don't love it . the new toy factor is a fun part of playing guitar IMHO .toys for big boys

on the power supply. I put off buying a PP2+ for years. Every time I thought about it I thought bugger it I can buy a real nice new pedal for that that does something .I eventually got one late last year and the only regret is not doing it sooner. A power supply with isolated taps makes your rig so much quieter . I hear mates set ups with daisy chained pedals and the hum drives me crazy . its a must have to me

 

[rug]

Pedals dude, as others have said. You have a lot more flexibility to creatively mix up cool pedals, in different orders, and make neat sounds that are all your own. It's a lot easier to do that with the pedals in front of you, and mongey is right, pedal collecting is fun as shit.

 

[sawtoothscream]

im going pedals. x mas will be nice

 

[bluediamond]

Multi FX sounds 1000x better than pedals if you're playing low volume, especially if you use full range speakers. Also lots of features, easy recording, etc.
But on stage/loud volume they prone to sound bad. They seem very picky about what amp, what speaker you run them into. And they may sound really, really bad thru the wrong amp.
I recommend pedals if you gig frequently.

 

[mindwalker]

nice opinions in here mates! thanks a bunch!

I think I'm also leaning towards the pedals! Toys for big boys.. fun to play around and you tweak them instantly! As it has been mentioned maybe it's a bit more difficult to change patches that affect all effects at once like you could do with a multi-fx unit but well... I guess you must walk the path to realize what works or what doesn't!

But I think unless you're playing in a cover band (changing sounds dramatically between songs) it's not a biggie.. I find that the only things I may use is a tube screamer, compressor and delay.. and the settings in those shouldn't change much!

 

[sage]

Ginger or Maryanne? Both! Mushrooms or Bacon on your burger? Both! Pedals or multi-fx units? Both! On your board at the same time. I use a t.c. electronics Nova System in my effects loop to handle delays, intelligent pitch shifting, reverbs, compression, and modulation effects. Before my signal hits the amp, it has the opportunity to rip through a Weeping Demon wah, a Whammy IV, a boutique TS808 clone, a couple of Montreal Assembly boxes, a MuRF, and a Microsynth, most of which aren't available as effects from the Nova and, while I tried to like the Nova's whammy and wah settings with an expression pedal, the standalone pedals are just better. Downside, my board is 40"x20" and weighs about 95 lbs.

I'd recommend not replacing the effects that your Pod does well at first. Acquire the effects that you like the sound of and then, if it tickles your fancy, either change your Pod for a better or easier to use multi-fx or a bunch of pedals.

 

[troyguitar]

Neither, just play the guitar instead of screwing with effects.

 

[Bevo]

It really depends on how much you use them, simple but thats really the heart of it.
I have had a bunch and used them sparingly, in my HD I also use them sparingly.

If your only going to use a few go real deal, if you love experimenting the X3 would save you a huge investment.

 

[celticelk]

Neither, just play the guitar instead of screwing with effects.

Which is useful advice, unless you're making music that requires effects to realize the sounds that you're imagining. Guitar-->amp is a cool sound (given a decent guitar and amp), but it's not the *only* cool sound.

 

[Sephael]

Multi FX sounds 1000x better than pedals if you're playing low volume, especially if you use full range speakers. Also lots of features, easy recording, etc.

If both are being used with an amp, how are the pedals harder to record with? And with low volumes coming in at the power amp after the signal has went through all the pedals how are they going to sound worse at low volumes?

 

[sevenstringj]

Just so you know, there's no such thing as getting 1 delay pedal, 1 OD pedal, 1 comp pedal, or 1 anything pedal. Pedals are a black hole of GAS.

 

[sage]

^ that. Totally. I've got 2 amps, 2 cabs and spent more on my board than all of that combined. I have stuff I've never used in rehearsal. It's nuts.