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View Full Version : Best all in one, multi effects unit



Panamark
03-11-2005, 02:10 AM
A good friend of mine posed this question to me, "What is the best
all in one, multi effects unit out there.."

I told him I would find out.
(Real Meaning, I would ask the most excellent dudes at the Army.) :D

Ive got a POD that is kinda cool, but I bought it more for the AMP
modelling... Is the POD with a floorboard still cutting edge, or is
there better shit out there..

Zoom, Boss, Yamaha ??

Whats the expert opinions ??

ashstralia
03-11-2005, 04:05 AM
jeez mark this thread's gonna go 50 pages.

the latest boss stuff sounds good, pod's good,
toneworx is good,
i haven't heard the digitech gnx stuff.
but i bet it's good too.

(i'm being helpful, yeah? he he..)

my advice?
take a whole saturday morning
and go and annoy the shit out of that
salesman at parramatta by testing everything in the shop!!!

Panamark
03-11-2005, 04:32 AM
ASH, this was actually a mate of mine who asked me this.
I wasnt joking, I couldnt give him a straight answer. :D

Im personally happy with all my old Boss pedals and the POD.
Thats enough effects for the shit I do, but he wanted to
know, if I knew of a really great "all in one" job...

Be interesting to hear everyones input ! :)

ashstralia
03-11-2005, 04:49 AM
i know!
someone must be here who's tried 'em all!

kentuckyklira
03-11-2005, 05:47 AM
I still play my early 90s Roland GP16 and am absolutely happy with it.

I don´t know about amp modelers, but the latest Yamaha gear is pretty good. I can also recommend ART. Only good experiences with them, including light-speed customer e-mail support!

BTW, tell your friend to ask the guys at the musictoyz forum,

www.musictoyz.com

they´re absolutely tone crazy there!

Atomic_Rob
03-11-2005, 11:14 AM
I can even make my Marshall MG30 sing with the Korg AX 1500G I got a few years back. Has some real nice distortion on it, fairly reasonable price and is easily programmable.

Due to me getting a Hi Watt half stack [as seen in Who videos :D] I dont need it for distortion as my amp is a fuckin beast so I only use it for tuning. I would recommend getting one tho, its hard wearing and can take a fair amount of abuse.

Atomic_Rob
03-11-2005, 11:17 AM
Oh yeah, tell your friend to check out this web-site:

http://www.harmony-central.com/

has everything you could ever want to know about effects and much much more.

Hope I been of some use

Nitro Express
03-11-2005, 03:42 PM
All you need is a Phase 90 and a MXR or Ibanez FL9 flanger. All the rest is just extra stuff to fuck with that you really don't need. LOL!

You get too much shit in the signal path and you are just playing effects and not the guitar.

For me, all the modern digital moddeling shit is kinda like keyboards. A zillion options that are suppossed to sound like the real thing but they never quite really do.

Nitro Express
03-11-2005, 03:46 PM
I used to have a Hiwatt stack. They are monsters! Mine sounded great with a good fuzz peddle and moved so much air I actually vibrated the drywall fasteners in the basement loose. The drywall nails actually backed out of the wall. No shit.

BrownSound1
03-12-2005, 01:40 AM
I'm not up on the latest and greatest. Closest thing I have to any of the modelling stuff is an old Korg A3...and it's ain't all that, unless you're into U2 (The Edge still uses one) or Yes. I guess I could throw my Mesa Boogie V-Twin preamp into that mix...but it has tubes. :D I think that there are some programs for the computer that actually model better than the PODs, etc. Amplitube comes to mind...and of course Amp Farm..which is a Line 6 product.

I'm just more of a use the real thing kind of guy I guess...although I do welcome technological advances. I do think that one day they will get modelling to the point that you won't be able to tell the difference...and chances are you could be fooled with it now.

Panamark
03-12-2005, 03:03 AM
I dont think my friend wanted the AMP modelling side of it..
He wanted a Digital Delay/Chorus/Phaser/Flanger/Octaver etc etc
kind of setup....

BrownSound1
03-12-2005, 02:13 PM
Yeah, but most of the multi-effects pedals these days all have amp modelling. LOL

I know this...I've never been a fan of Digitech stuff...the sound is more sterile than a castrated Albino.

GAR
03-12-2005, 04:59 PM
Originally posted by Panamark
I dont think my friend wanted the AMP modelling side of it..
He wanted a Digital Delay/Chorus/Phaser/Flanger/Octaver etc etc
kind of setup....

Roland GP8 OR A 16

Nitro Express
03-12-2005, 10:02 PM
It's real hard to get a good flanging sound in digital. You will never nail Eddie Van Halens flange vibe with any digital unit. Only analog will get you into Unchained territory.

Nitro Express
03-12-2005, 10:07 PM
I still love the old stompbox's. I just got done cleaning up and fixing an old Fuzz Face I bought on Ebay. I love the thing. It looks cool in a tottaly rehtro future way and sounds so sweet. It really makes my Strat sing and with a Phase 90 behind it, you are in Voodoo Chile territory.

I like everything in my rig to have some personality and to be an instrument in itself. A computer box just doesn't give me the hard on the old stuff does I guess.

Panamark
03-13-2005, 03:26 AM
Originally posted by GAR
Roland GP8 OR A 16


Thanks GAR, I think this is the kind of thing he is looking for,
AMP modelling wasnt something he was interested in...

Don Corleone
03-13-2005, 04:50 AM
I'm a fan of the POD XT. Its got some real good effects and some killer amp models in it (Plexi with a Variac being a good one)

kentuckyklira
03-13-2005, 12:12 PM
Originally posted by GAR
Roland GP8 OR A 16 What I said. I had them both. Great.

buckshotjenkins
03-13-2005, 02:28 PM
is it good? i'm afraid to buy a pedalboard, not because it might not sound perfectly like the real things it imitates...but that it won't switch programs quietly and ON A DIME. i had a digitech or dod fx7 back in the day...(12+ years ago) and it visibly (audibly!) took time to switch programs! then again it sucked even then. i've heard great things about the podxt...but i gotta know if it's VERY quick switching wise! thanks!

kentuckyklira
03-13-2005, 02:48 PM
Originally posted by buckshotjenkins
is it good? i'm afraid to buy a pedalboard, not because it might not sound perfectly like the real things it imitates...but that it won't switch programs quietly and ON A DIME. i had a digitech or dod fx7 back in the day...(12+ years ago) and it visibly (audibly!) took time to switch programs! then again it sucked even then. i've heard great things about the podxt...but i gotta know if it's VERY quick switching wise! thanks! The switching problem was a problem with the old footcontrollers. Nowadays, I run my GP16 and other 19'' effects with an ART Ultrafoot. Everything switches in realtime now.

My 19'' gear has always switched quietly.

Panamark
03-14-2005, 03:29 AM
Whats the diff between the POD and POD XT, is it just a ROM upgrade ?

Don Corleone
03-14-2005, 03:41 AM
Originally posted by Panamark
Whats the diff between the POD and POD XT, is it just a ROM upgrade ?

Pretty much. The Pod XT's got a few more amp models and effects than the POD or the POD2 but the workings are much the same.

Panamark
03-14-2005, 07:57 AM
Cool ! Thanks Don, that means I can upgrade mine :)

Cathedral
03-14-2005, 04:41 PM
Less is more!
I have been using the same prosessor since the late 80's and have been looking for something better to replace the setup.

So far i am leaning towards old school pedals without all that modeling garbage included.
I have spent good money on amp mods so the last thing i want is stuff that bypasses the real tone of the amplifier.

I have a rule of thumb though. if the intent is to do nothing but home recording then modeling units may be the way to go.
But if live applications are what you need effects for then just keep it simple and go with pedals.
BOSS is the Holy Grail in that regard in my opinion.

The multi-effect units may be convenient and all that, but most fall flat in providing "everything" you desire in what they actually do.

All that said, there is no substitute for getting one's hands on the gear and trying it out for yourself.
One mans true love is another mans nightmare, and i know a thing or two about nightmares. :)

BrownSound1
03-14-2005, 05:55 PM
Phasing, flanging, chorus, delay, and wah...what the fuck else does anyone need? Some people are effects crazy, and have to have something running all the time, but as far as I'm concerned I'd rather not play with a lot of bullshit. That way, when you kick it on, then you really notice the change in sound. Most of the time, I don't even hook half of those pedals up...always have a wah-wah and a flanger though.

jojo2371
03-14-2005, 06:00 PM
i have the roland gt-8 and it kicks ass! i also liked the pod-xt but the roland felt more real like for live situations ,a lot of what pod makes sounds best when u use it to record ,but i do agree the pod does have a killer plexi w/variac model patch that sounds really good but i cant see spending 450$ just for that ,the roland does do a pretty good job of modeling the 5150 though !!!! plus the roland has every stomp pedal they make built into it !!!