Guitar Multi Effects Floor Processor?

G

gvdv

Member
Hi,
I hope that this is the right forum for this question.

For some reason, in the past month or so I have gone from being disinterested in pedals (using only the drive and occasionally a few other effects on my amp) to getting a swiftly worsening case of Pedal Acquisition Syndrome.

Why is this happening to me?

Anyway, in doing the first couple of stages of research, building up to narrowing down the contenders and then going out and playing them, I now find myself considering floor-based guitar multi FX units/processors.

So, would people like to comment on their choices/recommendations in the US $200 - $400 range?

My first thoughts are that the following would be important to have:
- Good distortion
- Delay
- Chorus
- Looper (with potential for long enough loop time to record a verse and chorus worth of backing - this disqualifies some processors
right off the bat)
- Editing effects

Some reviewers have talked about the importance of having MIDI capability, but I do not understand why this might be desirable.

Thanks in advance for any replies.
 
I feel like this should be in the guitar forum. Anyways, I have never spent too much time on those at all and what I did was a long time ago. But for me I would rather have a few dedicated pedals that do what I want well rather than something that does everything just ok. I guess it depends on what you are trying to do and why. are you just jamming with people and recording or playing out a lot? Do you know why you need/want some of these effects? I have been down the pedal rabbit hole and still am screwing around with different ones and I have found that I have no need for an OD, flanger or chorus on my board full time. I own them but dont keep them hooked up because I rarely use them. Reverb and delay are the only staples that I use often. Otherwise the others are used for experimentation and recording ideas.
 
I feel this should be in the Guitar forum also... and so I moved it there. :)

I use an old Digitech floor model amp sim. I feel it puts out good tones when you spend the time to dial it in. I recently bought a fender sim for my UAD card and have been using that exclusively. (Love it!!) So now, I use the digitech only for the stomp box sim. I don't think it does looping, thought the newer model might. The effcts are good. I don't use distortion too much and if I do, it's the Tube Screamer.

The Pro's in my use - easy, reliable, straight forward, edit parameters on the computer (USB connection)
The Cons - Can't rearrange the stomp boxes. You only get one of each. Can't run the stomp boxes through a separate effects loop. Meaning, the amp sim assumes you will use the built in amps, but if you were to use a computer based amp sim, the stomp boxes would be before the amp's pre-amp.

Disclaimer: I'm not a tone purist snob and anywhere in the ballpark is a homerun for me.
 
This is a tad outside the box, but I'll waste your time, just for the hell of it. On the outer limit of your budget, you could get a used Roland GR55 guitar synth and Gk3 pickup. In addition to tons of cool synth, and other non guitar sounds(piano, violin,brass, etc.)it's got tons of great guitar/amp modeling, and functions exactly like any multi effects units.I loved mine, but poverty forced me to part w/it.
 
I will second señor beezelbubba, the GR55 is a great thing to spend tons of time with. I will also add that if you only want modeling and effects, a Roland VG88 with a GK2 or 3 could be a cheaper option.
 
My expertise with multi effects is pretty dated so take what I say with a pinch of salt.

Being a terminal guitar wanker and widdler I find I get option paralysis when I have access to that much stuff, I'm the same with amp sims. I just sit there fucking about with different tones and adjusting knobs but not actually sticking with anything I like, I'm constantly looking for the next thing - like internet dating!

Far better to get a few boxes that you can get used to, set up and dial in to form Your Tone.

The only effects you talk about in your first post could be got individually for your 200-400 dollar budget.
 
For distortion I recently bought the Radial Engineering "Hot British" pedal. Easily the best distortion pedal I've owned. The distortion itself sounds great - saturated with harmonics and very crisp. Plus it has enough knobs and switches to sculpt your tone however you want.
 
Hi Everybody,
many thanks for all the replies and suggestions.

I ended up going for a Zoom G3X, which is quite a neat little box - durable, allows for rearrangement of effects, has a Looper, and Rhythm box, can be used as an audio interface, and can also output straight to a PA.

To me, the limitations are not to do with the particular features the G3X does or does not have, but are more to do with the fact that the features could be extended very easily in their scope.

For example, the Looper only allows one to record for 40 seconds when recording one Loop, and that gets shortened to 20 seconds when overdubbing subsequent loops.

Annoyingly, there is no way of retaining the loops in memory once the unit has been switched off - they just get erased.

Another limitation, from my perspective, is that the drum machine is not capable of any kind of real editing.

The amp simulations, and distortion effects really are nothing to write home about, but the modulation effects such as chorus, delay and so on are really quite lovely, as are the reverbs.

And I am having a wonderful time with the built in expression pedal.

Overall, the G3X unit is really user-friendly, is built very sturdily, and is a great deal of fun to use.

If only Zoom would address some of the issues that I mentioned above, this would be a real 5 out of 5 unit. But it is good enough for me right now.
 
teknomike said:
I will second señor beezelbubba, the GR55 is a great thing to spend tons of time with. I will also add that if you only want modeling and effects, a Roland VG88 with a GK2 or 3 could be a cheaper option.
Click to expand...
I will third it that Beeze was spot on when he recommended the GR55. I own one.... and it is truly an amazing processor. The piano tones are great. I had a keyboard and I gave it to one of my grandkids because the GR55 sounded better and also because I suck at playing keyboards and piano.
 
Hi Everyone,
Many thanks for your continued replies, especially regarding the GR55.

If I am in the market again for a multi effects floor processor, I will check that out.

Thanks again.
 
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