Effects Pedals - Best & Worst

[bloaty57]

Hey Gang,

 

New here............

 

I thought I'd post and get the general consensus on which overall effects pedal's were the best received.

I quit playing about 30 yrs. ago, and lately, due to an early retirement, I got back into it.

Back in the day, effects were limited to a series of stomp boxes, like MXR's, and given other various flangers or phasing effects, which I didn't use very often.

Nowadays, I see several "all in one" processor pedal units that incorporate numerous effects/wah's and loops all together.

Although I didn't use effects all that often back then, I hated to have a snakelike series of stomp boxes all laid out on the floor. With today's technology, I need to be educated I guess.

 

Another reason why I ask, is I had an offer for a used DigiTech RP300 for $75, and even though "it might" be a good deal, I don't know much about the quality of them in relation to another. I read reviews ranging from "stunning" to absolute "garbage", so I'm at a loss. I guess I'm looking for something that's overall "stage worthy" both in sound & durability........

I'm fairly aware of the DigiTech GnX's, Boss's, Line6's, etc......I'm interested in hearing personal preferences, and "why's".....

 

Any help you guys can lend would be greatly appreciated........

 

Thanks all,

Bob

[Jbrazz]

heres mine,

medium to heavy overdrive - 1980's Proco rat

Phaser - EHX Small Stone



those are the only two that really stand out in my book. everything else has its pros and cons.

[Crxsh]

I'd urge you to stay away from multi-fx boxes. Invest in some stompboxes and you'll be happier -- especially when you become addicted to buying/selling/trading pedals.

[Jbrazz]

unless you plan on just planing at home and noodling around, dont get a multi effect box, it wont be worth it at all.

[TechBrother]

You'll always get better sound quality from single effects units but some multi units can offer a lot of useable tones. Personally I prefer the Line 6 modeler units to other swiss army multi units. Reason being is that most distorions & amp simulators sound like crap to me so I prefer a dedicated pedal for that.

What effects do you use the most? Maybe those effects should be individual units and then get a multi for the effects you just want to play with.

[IvIark]

Single effects are going to be better generally, but for noodling at home I use a PODxt and GNX3000 far more than anything else because I connect them straight into my PC or use small studio monitors with them. So no messing about with amps and they sound great at lower volumes.

 

The GNX3000 is has a great selection of amp models and effects and is in a stompbox type format that you will probably find more useful than a desktop modeller like the PODxt. The newer RP250 or 350 are in a similar sort of vein and the Lexicon reverbs would make a nice addition but I've never used them so can't comment on their quality.

[bloaty57]

Well,

Thanks for the "uberquick" responses.........

I do studio work/recording, writing, etc., and ship tracks back & forth to some friend's in the business (upper end of the food chain I guess...lol)......and most of my effects are edited in using my mixing software at the time I compile tracks.

I thought I'd try and add effects at the source, instead of the other way around, and see how they turned out. Also, as a secondary choice, I wanted something I could use to play out with. Not that I'm doing that now, but I want the option.......

Multi-Effects = bad though, huh?

Almost sounds like the old saying....."no matter how much things change, they always stay the same".........lol.

Okay......point me in the right direction.....i.e.; brands, styles, etc........I've heard that the Line6 POD is suppose to be nice, but.........I'm all ears.....

Keep it coming.....

Thanks,
Bob

[IvIark]

I don't think some of the current multieffects are bad, just not as good as the individual pedals or amps. But it's all a compromise anyway. If you pay $250 for a multieffect you wouldn't expect it to be quite as good as if you spend $2500 on some of the individual effects and $20000 on some of the individual amps, but that only makes them inferior comparatively. They still stand up well in their own right and some great sounds can be had with them.

[Fender&EHX4ever]

I like to post this for those who are looking for a refresher on FX classics:

 

http://www.bassplayer.com/article/50-greatest-stompboxes/mar-05/4174

 

You might get some gas after reading this, but it gives you an idea of boxes that have withstood the test of time.

[bloaty57]

I still have a ton of those old MXR stickers on my old SG case....I can't bring myself to tug them off as they bring back old, old memories of the days when we jammed & gig'd up around central NY and all.

I always like the old MXR stuff back then.....when I had the money to buy the extra's.....

I'm always open to new stuff though....especially getting back into it......

Bob

[Sabicas]

I'll probably be the only one here to recommend a multi-fx box. I use both a multi and single stomps. I own the $99 Zoom G2 and it does some things better than others.

It has 6 band-eq works as well as the Boss or Danolectro EQ.

The compressor is surprisingly good.

Noise reduction is better than anything else that I've tried.

Pitch Shifter and Harmonizer are better than the Boss HR-2(which i own) and the Boss PS5(which I've tried).

Distortions are subjective, but I use a volume pedal constantly(I'm a steel guitarist) so the attack is mostly removed from my playing which, in turn, evens a lot of the playing field between digi and analog distortions. I actually love the distortions in this box. I use it as a stomp box and not as an amp modeler. I can coax some very natural feedback out of some of the models.

The reverbs can't beat my Verbzilla.

The delays, while it does it allow 3 delays at once and has tap tempo, can't beat my DE-7.

I like my Polyphase better than the G2 equivalent.

I swore off multi-fx units after I owned the Line 6 Pod XTL which is a lifeless POS. The Zoom gives me hope for the future of convenient and space saving devices.

[Fightingmike]

THere are a ton of things out there and i would say just try things out and see what you like, but i have a few opinions:

I really hate the super multi effects racks! THey have hundreds of effects, but none of them are very good quality and they are impossible to try to use live.

The only type of multi effect i have is the Line 6 DL-4 Delay pedal. That pedal has about 15 different types of delay that replicate tape echo, space ech, analog and digital delays. The tones are great and you can save your settings so you basically 3 different delays saved at all times and you can control the tempo with your foot as well.

Other then that, pedals that i use alot and are good quality are Electro Harmonix SMall Stone Phaser, Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer, Whammy Pedal, Danelectro Reverse Delay, Catalinbread Super Chili Picoso Boost, and Boss Reverb/Delay.

I usually avoid digitech and DOD pedals, cause they are just lousy quality.

[mrweems]

What are you trying to accomplish exactly?

 

As in what effects are you looking for?

 

Delay/

Reverb/

Pitch shifting/

Distortion/

Overdrive/

Vibe/

Phaser/

Etc..

 

IMO i'd go with a single stomp box for a distortion/od for they have proven to be the best IMO vs a processor. Digital garbage just doesn't compare most of the time to analog when it comes to distortion.

 

If you give examples of what your wanting. People can refer cost effective choices.

 

Also Ebay can be your friend as well as the local Spam thread.

[Servant]

Welcome to the boards and, like the others have said, let us know what it is yer after and maybe we can be more helpful.

[the Dust]

if ya go multifx, go for the latest generation ones... the old digital sounds... old crap.

[bloaty57]

Thanks Servant & others.....appreciate it....

I'm an old player from the mid to late 70's, and I like chorus, flanging, phasing and echo (the old tape "Echoplex" was one of my old favorites).
I play, or enjoy playing with a moderate amount of gain or crunch ala' AC/DC, or ZZ Top style. My amp gives me alot of that, but I don't count out the added sounds & distortion that effects can bring either.

I never really was into effects to a huge extent, a few back in the day maybe, but I definitely would like to experiment nowadays.

If I had to pin it down, I'd probably say definitely an echo/delay, (I like a little slapback for leads or certain chord progressions), a flange or phasing effect, definitely a good wah pedal, and possibly a good distortion effect, or something that can give me those "sustain forever" singing lead notes.

I'm running a 5 mo. old Peavey ValveKing head through a an older Crate Celestion bottom, with either my new Dean Hardtail, or my old 77' Gibson SG with vintage Super Dimarzio's......I mean they both scream through the setup I have, but I'm looking for a little flavoring I guess.

Thanks guys.....
Bob

[mrweems]

well not knowing your budget situation i'm just going to list.

 

For delay. My fav for what you listed is a EHX DMM. Deluxe memory man. Sweeeeeet analog delay.

 

Also you said echo plex. Unless you can find an origional i'd hit up Fulltone on teh TFF. I haven't played one but they sound sick as hell.

 

And on the sustain forever. EHX Big muff. not distortion. Its a silicon fuzz.

[Brujo13]

if you want a pedal that will cover delay awesome ly and will also give you the abiltiy to experiment with different effect i would highly recomend the yamaha magicstomp, the delays and modulations in these are nice, the envelope filter is very good too. and then also get a wah (i woudnt recomend a digital mutli fx wah)

[echodeluxe]

worst: moog, way huge, electro harmonix, lightfoot labs, skreddy, fulltone, catalinbread, etc...

[mrweems]

worst: moog, way huge, electro harmonix, lightfoot labs, skreddy, fulltone, catalinbread, etc...

 

 

getting a little ahead of yourself a bit.

[bloaty57]

well not knowing your budget situation i'm just going to list. For delay. My fav for what you listed is a EHX DMM. Deluxe memory man. Sweeeeeet analog delay. Also you said echo plex. Unless you can find an origional i'd hit up Fulltone on teh TFF. I haven't played one but they sound sick as hell. And on the sustain forever. EHX Big muff. not distortion. Its a silicon fuzz.

Thanks.........as far as budgets go.......well, I'm not a Trump....but I'm not on food stamps either....

Right now the prices on those old used (working) EchoPlex's are astronomical.....man...scarey high. More of a collector thing, as the sound has got to be easily eclipsed by today's standards I'd think.....

I'll check out the EHX Big Muff........after looking at Dunlop's buyout of the MXR line, and how high those have gone, it made me wish I'd of kept the old one's from long ago........

On wah's, the two (time tested) I think were the Morley's and the Cry Baby's..........I remember using the Dunlop Cry Baby specifically back then, and I liked them.

There was a phaser, or flanger I remember having back then that I really liked. I can't remember who made it but it was a wider box, probably 6-8" wide, short top to bottom, with a brushed metal surface and purple ink/markings on it. I keep thinking it was called a "Phase Linear" , or "Linear Flange" (soundes like an old PA amp I use to have) or something like that....(it really sucks getting old) that thing kicked ass and sounded great through my old Peavey & Marshall heads back then......

I only had it for a short time and it got swiped at a gig one night......I was distraught to say the least.......

I'd buy one of those again in a heartbeat....more than llikely they quit making it and I'd have to search forever for a used one.......at big money.....

Well, that's it in a nutshell more or less.........

Thanks,
Bob

[archofmusic]

Sounds like you're a pretty rockin' old dude. I like it. I'd like to introduce you to Pro Guitar Shop Demos. They're a good resource.

 

See my sig for HC Compiled Reviews. I like to print them out and then research them myself via demo videos. If a demo video doesn't exist or the pedal is way expensive it's pretty much off my list.

 

As far as Delay goes... I like my Earthquaker Devises Disaster Transport. It isn't on the list yet though. Nor are the Malekko Pedals (I need to update). But the DMM is pretty much God around here. For Phasers I'm gonna pick up the HBE Psilocybe. It is reasonably priced new and I think it sounds great with dirt going through it, at least it does in the videos.

 

Other than that you can see what I play in my sig. The Deja Vibe is pretty cool. I was hoping it would be a little grittier or dirtier but its a good sounding vibe nonetheless. I recommend the Danelectro Chicken Salad (vibe) and Tuna Melt (tremolo) for fun toys. The Vibe is actually quite the little tone machine, once you adjust the internal trimpot. You can have one of the guys here in the forum re-house it for you if ya want. Otherwise you have to pull the whole thing apart.

[bloaty57]

Thanks bud......

At my age it still hasn't left me at all.....

I have a close (metal) celebrity friend who's touring now, and to look at him & me together....you'd think I was 10 yrs. older....even though there's only 2 or 3 yrs. difference.......lol..... I saw him for his first couple of shows in the last 2 weeks and he hasn't changed a bit.....

We became great friends through music, and had a lot in common as musicians (dedicated as hell) back in the mid 70's and, although I hadn't seen him in a few years, he still looks the same......me on the other hand.....

The wonder's of hair dye & no glasses, right ?

We ate, slept & crapped music back then.......obscessed I guess you'd call it..........
He kind of prodded me of late into getting back into music to a given extent, and after giving it all up almost 28 yrs. ago, I guess I will. I retired after a disabiling accident as a cop, so now what the hell.......

My desires are to get back into it to write, compose & record tracks (which I was fairly good at back then) which he might be able to use.

I don't know....we'll see.......I already got a couple of songs composed & I'm working on the lyrics.........

That was the reason why I was looking into effects to add in before the mixing, rather than during. Some of the software effects sound "plastic" if you get my point. Not very full, or wholesome sounding.

I'll check out your site.....very nice btw......

Thanks,
Bob