Recommended Multi-Effects Units

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thisisbrianly

New member
Hey guys,

I'm looking to purchase a multi effects unit, going from my Brian Moore i8 into the unit then into our PA, no mic'd amps. I've got my eye out right now for the Boss GT6.

I really like the interface on the GT6 and the effects sounded pretty good. I also liked that it was $100 cheaper than the POD XTLive. I would really like to keep it under $250 and it seems like GT6s can be had for under that. A friend also recommended the Digitech GNX series--any experiences with those?

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
Just a thought, but Digitech's previous version of the GNX series was the RP20/21/21d. I've got a RP21D, and it has some pretty awesome power to it. Not to mention that it's very flexible in terms of switching patches - 12 tap pedals and an expression pedal to do it with. Pretty good sound, too, although really tube-y is hard to get... it does have a tube built in, though, and I've thought about switching it out for a vintage one. I've heard it makes a world of difference. One just went on ebay for around $225...
 
I would most definitely recommend the GT-6! I've had one now for a couple years although, when I bought it....it was newer and more expensive! I love it. There is so much tweeking you can do with the sounds...you'll never get bored, and when you think you have...you have quite a few speaker modeling options that change it even more. Love the delay on it, The expression pedal used as a wah is...well ok....as a pitch shifter NO! but all in all, for what it is, expression pedal and all...I'm completely satisfied. BTW...never did get to check out too much more than that though.....once I plugged into this one I had to have it.
 
DON'T DO IT! I know it's tempting but please, do no go the no-amp route. It will suck, belief me. There is not a single piece of outboard gear out there can do a halfway decent emulation of a guitar amp+speaker. None what-so-ever!

And I ain't even bashing the sound quality of things like GT-6, that's a whole different story. If you are going to add even the smallest amount of distortion to your sound, you will get a horrible screetchy sound that no EQ is gonna fix. I would go the 40 dollars amp with 80 dollar mic route before I would go the 1000 multi fx unit without a mic route, any day.
 
I agree...no speaker modeling can beat a true amp. but.....it's not as bad as what your making it. Just my opinion.
 
Ok I own the gt-6 and I must say the distortions suck ass

I run an external distortion pedal through it then use the GT6 for EFFECTS ONLY...couldn't be happier

...well mabie I could :D
 
I been playing guitar for a long time.At first a multi-effects pedal sounds awesome. After a while all the BIG digital sounds start to sound the same and blend all together with no real depth to them.Thats when it's time for me to hit the bypass on the pedalboard and go straight into my Fender Hot Rod Deville 4-10's =No Bullshit! Also the guitar is much more touch sensitive .When I get tired of Mr. Straight Sound BOOM I hit the switch again and its back to digital .Best of both worlds.Just like I like the studio but I love to play out too.
 
Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies--looks like the straight into PA is not the most popular around here, which is understandable, but I just cant lug around my amp and mic and pedals every week.....just tooo much.

Dwarf, you said you run an external distortion into the GT6....what pedal do you use?
 
thisisbrianly said:
Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies--looks like the straight into PA is not the most popular around here, which is understandable, but I just cant lug around my amp and mic and pedals every week.....just tooo much.
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?????????????? whats up with that??? do you have a disability that prevents you? If you do, then it makes sense, but if you dont........

not lugging some gear and being in a band dont add up to me. maybe you should switch to taborine. :) :) :) I am joking of course. hope you take it as funny.

go with a low watt all tube amp with one speaker around 20 watts. Your direct sound will stink no doubt about it, unless all your doing is recording. then it will be a ok amature recording.
 
metalj said:
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?????????????? whats up with that??? do you have a disability that prevents you? If you do, then it makes sense, but if you dont........

not lugging some gear and being in a band dont add up to me. maybe you should switch to taborine. :) :) :) I am joking of course. hope you take it as funny.

go with a low watt all tube amp with one speaker around 20 watts. Your direct sound will stink no doubt about it, unless all your doing is recording. then it will be a ok amature recording.
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Haha i should have explained--I'm not in a band, I play at my church. Also, my main mode of transportation happens to be my bike (albeit a very nice bike). That complicates things a bit.
 
If I have to carry a bundle of fx around with me I use a POD XT for the stomp box collection. If not and I know what sound I need to use I choose a certain range of stomp boxes.

I prefer to use my POD XT into a clean amp channel, not direct. I can never get a direct sound I like into a PA nor a recording soundcard. And i spend a lot of time setting up the POD XT to get the right sound - otherwise it can sound poor.
 
I have a GT-8 and it is a GT-6 on steroids...but it is about $450 too. I also use it in church to go direct, and find it is waaaaaay more useful than a one trick pony tube amp..or whatever. I have the tube amps too, and have been playing live since the early 70's, and so I feel comfortable I can make reasonable comparisions. I find that the people that diss items like the GT-8 are usually the ones that plug into one at a store, hit some presets, and then make their judgements. You may also find a couple people that even may have bought one, but didn't get into the deep editing that the GT-8 is capable of. I have spent a solid two months of experimenting in my church with the GT-8 and tweaking, and the sound continually gets better and better. It was good to start off with, and it is fantastic now. It will take a solid day or more to get even comfortable with the assigns and all the programming you can do on the GT-8. Is it a tube amp? No... is it a great amp emulator?...maybe..maybe not. Does it sound like a Marshall stack? possibly, but remember you are NOT moving air like a couple of stacks can. Does it sound good on its own? a very positive yes. Use it for what it is. If you want a Fender deluxe sound, by all means, go get the amp. If you want something that is capable of sounding good, then in the right hands, the Boss unit works great too. Built solid, fantastic effects, acceptable overdrive, and a boat load of features that put it waaay over the top of the POD, GenX units, imo. Downfall is basically no (factory designed) editor, but there is a guy at the Boss forums who made one up IF you have to have one. Personally, I don't need one, because you can do it all from the unit, UNLIKE some of the other units. You can access ALL parameters from the unit itself.

BTW, after 40 years of guitar playing, I have come to the belief that it is in the fingers, and you can make anything basically sound decent, given the equipment is at least useable. I have my doubts though about cheezy $40 amps however...unless you believe in Pignose stuff and the like. Go ahead...buy a cheezy Crate tube amp. Now..talk about lousy tone from the get go. /rant
 
btw, the GT-8 run in stereo kicks booty over a mono amp if you have experienced such a thing or not. The FOH may be mono in some cases, but if you have a stereo monitor setup, ...man o man...!! :cool:


and...asked about effects earlier. That is the GT-8 strong points. great reverbs (except the spring reverb sucks), great delays, great chorus, flange..etc, etc...

another useful feature...switching between different presets via volume..either on the guitar volume, or even just your pick attack. In other words, set if for "digging in" with your pick to kick in more overdrive (or it can be delay, verb, even another patch...your call), and then pick lighter and back to your original sound. You can set the "threshold" too of course. Killer feature and it actually works great.
 
I gotta keep ranting about this...

you can arrange your effects chain in ANY order too. No other unit can do that. Also has an effects loop...of course can be inserted anywhere in the chain also. And the effects chain of course includes your preamps, over drives, etc... and naturally your effects including EQ, compression...

and...
you can set up a 4 cable method IF you have to have your tube amp sound as a main sound, for instance, and then switch to go thru the GT-8. the best of both worlds to some people.

assingable expression pedal with jacks for more pedals/switches on the back.

and... Rondo music has a great metal case for $35 bucks that makes all the gig bags wimper in comparison.
 
ericlingus said:
I'm thinking about buying the GT pro in the future. I have a tube amp and love it(mesa boogie F50) but I also like a real processed tone too. The GT pro seems perfect for that.
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As I understand it, the GT pro advantages are, balanced outputs, USB interface...I think, computer editor, rack mount, stuff like that.... but it is the same unit otherwise as the floor unit..as far as the guts. There is an optional footcontroller which does appear to have more foot switches. I believe for those features you will pay more than double the price of the floor stomper. But something as simple as the balanced outs and the rack unit may justify it for many users.

Incidently, I run in in parallel with a Roland GR33 synth...all direct, and it makes for one hot puppy with alot of options. If all you want to do is emulate SRV...hey get his rig and have at it. If you want variety...which I need in a church setting...or maybe others in a cover band... something like the GT units are a good option.
 
mixmkr said:
As I understand it, the GT pro advantages are, balanced outputs, USB interface...I think, computer editor, rack mount, stuff like that.... but it is the same unit otherwise as the floor unit..as far as the guts. There is an optional footcontroller which does appear to have more foot switches. I believe for those features you will pay more than double the price of the floor stomper. But something as simple as the balanced outs and the rack unit may justify it for many users.

Incidently, I run in in parallel with a Roland GR33 synth...all direct, and it makes for one hot puppy with alot of options. If all you want to do is emulate SRV...hey get his rig and have at it. If you want variety...which I need in a church setting...or maybe others in a cover band... something like the GT units are a good option.
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Hey mixmkr,

Thanks for the great info. I found a used GT 5 in my vicinity for a pretty nice price and i think I'm gonna give that a whirl--reading about it, it seems to have many features similar to the newer GT6, different mostly in menus and knobs and that sort of thing.

Have you had any experience w/ the GT 5 at all?
 
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