Effects unit or Stompboxes?

[aschreiber2010]

Since i havn't invested much money yet in any sort of effects, would you reccommend buying a multi-effects (was kinda looking at the new digitech one...RP500) unit or slowly stocking up on stomp boxes?

[makingbeds]

definately slowly stocking up on stompboxes. that way you can add or replace which ones you like. with a big multi-unit, if you dont like one effect you are stuck with it.

[zygoat]

Slowly stock up on stomp boxes. Multi effects generally suck unless you pay big bucks for like a TC Electronics G-System or something.

[I_infect]

I've had 3 different set ups over the years... one was about 5 or 6 effects boxes, one was an A.R.T 2000 with the big foot controller, and the latest is a digitech rp-50. To tell the truth i like the digitech the least. I end up using it for everything BUT guitar... direct in with vocals or bass guitar etc. I liked my ART the best... if you can find one in decent shape check it out. The stomboxes were good too, but i ended up stepping on 3 boxes at a time to switch sounds.

[bhsbhswarp]

go single unit pedals,i have a multi-fx rp150 and it's ok but none of the fx i would call great,just good.plus a major draw back is lag when switching programs,very unimpressive dead spot.i am moving towards single units,mix and match for better everything

[Captain Commie]

Multi effects generaly are of lower quality than a bunch of individual stomp boxes. However, the greatest benefit of getting a collection of boxes is the flexibility of your signal chain. Especialy when you string them up in paralel. There are many sounds I can achive with my collection of stomp boxes that are impossible with a mutieffects units simply because of the restraints of signal chain order.

[Jules-RM]

The only reason I'd see for a multi effects unit might be if you have very limited space and/or can't lug an amp around.

 

Otherwise, boxes are deffinitely the way to go.

[Agreed]

go single unit pedals,i have a multi-fx rp150 and it's ok but none of the fx i would call great,just good.plus a major draw back is lag when switching programs,very unimpressive dead spot.i am moving towards single units,mix and match for better everything

 

Problem there is that the Digitech multieffects units are terrible

 

Both, man. I've got individual signal chains for my amps, and I've got a couple of software modelers, and I've got a Zoom G9.2tt floor-based hardware modeling console. It has awesome effects, much more impressive than the Digitech unit's (or, frankly, any of the other floor-based ones, except for the Line6 Pod XTlive or X3live, and even then, the only effects which are better on the Pod are the time-based ones like Phaser or Flanger). I actually prefer some of its effects to single pedals. I'd like to have the G9.2tt's circuitry in a dual-processor rack unit with two signal chains that could be run simultaneously, switched between, parallel, etc. - that's how much I like them

 

It's also remarkably transparent. Once you achieve unity gain (easy with the controls you're given), transparency is amazing. You can compare it all day long with a TB A/B switch and I would promise you can't tell the difference. Quality DAC/ADC, 96khz sampling, and two 12AX7 tubes (one as a preamp run parallel to its solid state preamp, which you can dial in individually to achieve the desired texture, and one as an output buffer which can be used as a natural harmonic exciter to add some sparkle to the signal, or cranked up for natural compression and distortion).

 

Not a step ahead but a leap ahead. It can peacefully coexist among my pedals and amps, blending seamlessly and providing effects support for the sorts of modulations that cannot be achieved easily with single units (as well as lending its great selection of stompbox models, which in the G9.2tt and other Zoom G2-series units are housed on the same module as the amplifier models, meaning they get the full processing power used to model the intricacies of the amplifiers - you will not get more realistic stomp box models from any of the other units, and its selection includes many lusted-after boutique pedals, such as the Centaur or Hotbox+, and many classics such as the original Big Muff, original Rat, original Guv'nor, original Tube Screamer, and many more).

 

I think that the ideology which draws a false dichotomy between the current and future generations of digital modeling and our favorite analog gear does us no good. Keep an open mind and try some of the stuff for yourself

 

There are still problems with modelers. Generally lackluster cabinet simulation, for example, and an incredibly steep learning curve compared to a pedal with a few knobs that you step on to make noises... And the level of sophistication of the models, though very impressive given the complex and interactive elements that are being modeled, still doesn't quite live up to the real thing (even in the most advanced modelers). But it is the march of progress, and they have jumped every hurdle that was laid before them as the impossible hurdle thus far. I have a great deal of respect for modelers and look forward to seeing how they develop over the next decade or so.