Is the Boss GT-100 the best bang for the buck for guitar multi-effects ?

[RockPianoman]

I think I'd be more inspired if I had a tube amp for my guitar monitor.....

 

I thought I should post this video.....I think the GT-100 sounds really good here......I may have to buy both the Line 6 Pod HD500 and the Boss GT-100 as I hear things I like about both of them....

 

 

[Steve2112]

Rock...if you think you need both of those something is wrong. The vid I posted of Glenn covers just about every genre. Direct. If you plan on going both direct and to amp, you will need to adjust each signal output differently. They will likely not sound good with the very same patch. Often, the cab sims at least get turned off or changed going to amp. The POD HD can do different signal paths to it's outputs. Not sure if the GT 100 does that in it's analog outputs. If I were going to use a tube amp as monitor, I'd just throw a mic up on it, instead of using direct too. Like one or the other really.

 

I hope you aren't planning on using both at the same time. It's either massive headache, or under-using one of the units. If it's some sort of amp or distortion from one or the other, you could just have a stomp pedal and use one unit's loop. I just can't figure out what you're getting at. Certainly, ONE of the 3-4 nice floor effects would suit your needs all but itself.

 

You might consider some sort of rack gear and a midi switcher. By the time you get 2 units you'r almost in an Axe FX. Or you could get something like the G Major and mesa preamp with a Palmer speaker simulator.

 

Maybe tell me what you like about each?

 

Also....IMHO...the Digitech RP is every bit as good as the GT100 for amp sounds, based on the vid you show. I htink for live use, the RP1000 is very suitable. The gt`100 I think would make a great studio tool.

[1001gear]

I can see the get 'em both philosophy. You get more given patches to choose from besides the connectivity options.

[RockPianoman]

I like the Boss's silent stomp switches.....my Line 6 Floor Pod Plus has silent switches too and this isn't the case with the new Line 6......at small venues clicky switches are really annoying......I think the dual displays on the Boss are miles better for editing without a computer than the Line 6......I like the Boss's clean effects MUCH more than the Line 6 but the Line 6 clearly.wins with distortions.....I'm still wondering how different my Line 6 Floor Pod Plus is from the HD500......maybe the Floor Pod Plus might be good enough to cover anything the Boss is lacking......I listened to the Digitech but the sound didn't grab me......the TC got disqualified due to no distortion effects......the Zoom pedal mentioned at the beginning of this post is too fiddley......I need quick access to what I need.....

 

I know the new Line 6 is a lot better than mine but mine does sound really good on distortion effects especially.....I did like some of the distortion effects I heard in the Boss too but the Line 6 seemed stronger in this category....actually, they both sound really good.....if you didn't compare them side by side, I'm sure both would work out great......I really like the new editor for the Boss at the link I sent (for anyone who hasn't seen it, here it is again)....

 

I do have a silent A / B stomp switch that would let me run into 2 boards.....two boards don't take up that much room....

 

Maybe I'd be better off to forget the tube amp and just run into the PA......I know both units have different settings for each.....running into the PA would be in stereo which would be cool.....I think most of the effects can be in stereo......it would probably be better to run each board into the PA in stereo than to use the effect send & return on the Boss......I'd still use the A / B switch to select whichever board I wanted at any given time.....I might find that with tweaking the Boss will work for everything just fine and one board will fill my needs.....I've been tweaking effects many years for both my synths and my guitars.....I can get what I want pretty fast and then save it.......I think the secret with the Boss is matching amps & cabinets in different ways to get totally different sounds.....there are tons of combinations possible....after you get a good combination of these, then move to effects.....there's quite a bit of tweaking just with the amps, cabinets and ways you can mic the cabinets......this can take you a long ways towards the sound you're after.....saving setups is a definite advantage with multi effects compared to the old ways of using separate stomp boxes.....it's total recall of anything you can dream up.....

 

Check this out:

 

[1001gear]

Right off the bat, the POD is fatter. The solo drive is good on either but the BOSS breakup on multistops is horrible vs kinda natural on the POD. The cleans are too plinky to care about. Good for recording I suppose. Intonation was real bad on the Boss. Don't know if it's the guitar or the ambience or both. I suppose they can both (the respective units across all parameters) be adjusted in either direction but so far the Line 6 wins.

[RockPianoman]

1001gear.....how would you say my Line 6 Floor Pod Plus compares to the HD500?

 

It seems it would be more sensible to buy a different brand than duplicate what I have.....I'm not selling the Floor Pod Plus.....it does really good on distortions.....it seems the Boss would offer different strengths (for one thing, about every Boss pedal ever built is in it).....while I'm sure the new Line 6 is better, I think just like getting different type of sounds from a different brand of synth can be expected, I think the same is true here......

 

Another thing is the Boss gets mostly rave reviews on all sites.....this is definitely not true about the new Line 6.....

 

When I bought the Line 6 I have, it was the best they made.....it seems to definitely offer more variations than the HD300....under amp models, every setting has a red and a green setting....the pedal can switch back and forth between volume and wah.....it holds 128 setups and tons are available free from the website that can be loaded in.......the Boss holds 400 (200 user).....

 

Another thing is it's hard to judge what a unit is capable of by presets.....sounds I make on my synths smoke the presets but they do take a lot of time to make......I think it really has what is needed inside it (my brother and I have been using Boss stomp pedals forever)....

 

You should hear how good the Line 6 unit I have sounds.....it rocks.....(especially when I play my Les Pauls).....

 

 

 

These don't even begin to show what it can do.....

 

 

 

[1001gear]

Just going by the comparison you posted. I've heard the kidney bean PODs through amps and powered plastic box PAs and they sound very credible either way. Same goes for the GT 100 and the previous silver box model. They can all be tweaked beyond live requirements. Then again these were in use by guitarists as rig substitutes. Your requirements as a synthesist are no doubt more specific and complex. Short answer,

[Steve2112]

I can see the get 'em both philosophy. You get more given patches to choose from besides the connectivity options.

 

 

 

The thing is....you would have to integrate them...and you have this mess on the floor. I am not saying it's impossible, or doesn't have benefit.

 

If it were just about distortions, I would find a nice distortion pedal- like a dual pedal and run the stomp loop option inside the MFX.

 

I have run multiple MFX pedal before...I had a piezo acoustic system, and ran my regular electric effects and a Korg AX Acoustic pedal. The Korg was very small, and I didn't have to integrate it with the electric effects....still somewhat cumbersome on some stages, and heads up to manage.

 

If I were going to do something like this rock, I would get a midi switching pedal to operate both units within one pedal.

[1001gear]

 

 

 

The thing is....you would have to integrate them...and you have this mess on the floor. I am not saying it's impossible, or doesn't have benefit.

 

If it were just about distortions, I would find a nice distortion pedal- like a dual pedal and run the stomp loop option inside the MFX.

 

I have run multiple MFX pedal before...I had a piezo acoustic system, and ran my regular electric effects and a Korg AX Acoustic pedal. The Korg was very small, and I didn't have to integrate it with the electric effects....still somewhat cumbersome on some stages, and heads up to manage.

 

If I were going to do something like this rock, I would get a midi switching pedal to operate both units within one pedal.

 

True from a performing guitarist perspective but for recording or integrating into a studio, options is options.

 

 

 

[RockPianoman]

There's no doubt about it......I'm going to have to buy both the Boss GT-100 and the Line 6 HD500.....It's a lot of money but they both bring things to the table that the other doesn't.....I've been trying to avoid spending that much but I know it's the right decision.....I'm sure I can save a bundle buying them both used on Ebay.....(I've seen the GT-100 for as low as $350 used on Ebay and that includes shipping)....

 

Regardless of how they sound in the various videos, they both have the capabilities to do whatever is needed and they both have different strengths.....

 

I'm going to sell my Line 6 Floor Pod Plus on Ebay to cover some of the expense.....I still have the original box and manuals.....it will be obsolete compared to these.....

 

By having both at gigs, it makes sense because you should always have backup gear at gigs in case something acts up and usually having a backup means you won't need it....it's when you don't have backup that things tend to fry out.......life is nice like that......

 

I want to thank everyone for your help in making my decision.....I should definitely have zillions of options with both......they will both also work great recording directly into my Yamaha Motif XF7....I also have a Boss Micro BR BR-80 with more Boss effects and this also records well....it's kinda cool because even though it's an 8 track digital recorder, it has 64 virtual tracks so these virtual tracks can be alternate "takes" although you can only use 8 at once.....

 

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/deta...yvYaAl6r8P8HAQ

 

By the way, I've heard people say you can't turn off the built in mics on the Boss Micro BR BR-80

to record line in.....this isn't true.....you turn down the mic input level all the way and adjust record

level on the volume control of whatever you're running into the line in......this is a screwy way of doing things but that's how it works....you can record in stereo.....buy a 32 GB Secure Digital card for it....I think that's as big as it will take.....I've even run the mixer into it and recorded the whole band at once and it turned out really good (but since it's one stereo track you can't do much balancing afterwards)....

 

The Motif has the same shortcomings.....it's designed for recording one track at a time too....

 

Connecting a jackfield to a computer and recording each instrument on it's own track is the most cost effective way to get a little control.....recording the instruments separately never has the chemistry of a live performance where everyone is recorded at the same time but a lot of people record the instruments one at a time......it can be a lot more polished that way......