Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

[guitarsjb]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

Thanks Lerx..I may have to give it another shot. I appreciate you taking time to give me the advice. I did print out the manual..I may have to give it some quality time..thanks.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

Pedals are great, but the really limiting factor is that you are going to be stuck with one sound per pedal, unless you feel like bending over and tweaking all the time.

Another compromise would be to get the all in one pedalboard - Ibanez made one with a tube screamer in it a few years back, you can find em used in my neck of the woods for $150 or so. You get compressor, delay, chorus and a TS9 in one footswitchable box.

Another option is the Yamaha DG Stomp - it's a modelling preamp that has EXCELLENT fx - and they are all tweakable by knobs, AND you can save presets. Best of both worlds. Around $120-$150 used. I got one today, as a matter of fact - want clips? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

By the way Ace - if the line 6 pedal emulations are so bad, why are their effects (yeah, the pedals, but it's the same technology that's in the amps) in MANY MANY pro pedalboards and setups? I've seen the L6 delay and modulation gear in several pro setups.

Pete

[Firebird V]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

L6 pedals are really nice. The delay units are really great. Built very sturdy too. The advice that pete has just might work for you but I guess you need to find a pedal that has all the tones you need and that you like in one unit. Those Yamaha units look pretty sturdy but I never played with one. Lets hear some clips Pete.

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

Pedals here. I love Dream Theater, and for a long time that was exactly the sound I wanted. Nowadays I'm more into the Black and Death metal type of guitar sounds, so I don't need much more than an amp and a couple pedals.

[Ninja Guitar]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

[ QUOTE ]
By the way Ace - if the line 6 pedal emulations are so bad, why are their effects (yeah, the pedals, but it's the same technology that's in the amps) in MANY MANY pro pedalboards and setups? I've seen the L6 delay and modulation gear in several pro setups.

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree with Ace that there are some tones out there that the Line 6 stuff just can't emulate. But on the same coin, those Line 6 emulator pedals are great! A friend of mine uses a dist. unit and delay unit in front of his Fender tude combo, and gets a great death metal sound.

[Ace]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

I never said the L6 pedals were bad, just that they can't do it all. Find me a L6 pedal that sounds like a Univox Superfuzz and I'll be impressed!!

[Emthrax]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

[ QUOTE ]

I have all my pedals in a rack draw and it is wired very neat. No mess.

A switcher is a patchbay that you can control through midi that you can program presets into. It enables you to put pedals in and out of the signal chain. button. I use a Rocktron patchmate and a midi-mate controller and it is easy to program and use. 128 different presets you can program with 12 banks. i only have like 7 presets but I use them all. Stupid people like me can use it so there is no headache to it.

Does that make sense? I hope so.

[/ QUOTE ]

Firebird,
Yes this makes sense. Thank You. Not sure what a rack draw is.. someone have a link to a picture?
The switcher makes sense too, I will investigate that.
Thanks for the explanation!

The guitar processors are cool, I agree. Fun to monkey around with and you can get some really good tones out some of them. I've messed with the presets on mine to get them where I want them. They're close, but like I said, I'm damn picky! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I'm looking into just a little rack system- I think that is going to be easiest for me. And just a few pedals to play with.

That new Podxt floor stomper stage model looks really fun though. But once again, I'd be stuck with a ton of amp models I wouldn't use and effects I wouldn't use. There is no way I would use all 128 programmable channels! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I don't even use all the ones I have now with my digitech deal.

Okay new question...
If you had a little rack system with say a compressor/limiter, tuner, the G-force thing and a vocal processor... and a few floor pedals... and you were only using this for home studio use. Type of music - rock, classic rock, and 80s type metal... what would you recommend for a good amp head?
I'm partial to Peavey (but can't afford a 5150!), but I also like Randall.
Not interested in an amp combo really. Which is what my local store carries (they don't have much). I've tried them all, I've found a few that are alright.

Thanks for entertaining my questions! [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]
Em

[lerxstcat]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

Em, I think he meant rack drawer, which is exactly what it sounds like - a drawer made to bolt into the rack. Pull out the drawer with pedals mounted, put it on the floor and you're ready to rock by hooking up acouple of cables.
Ace did the same with the back panel of his rack and some velcro.

A good head that's pretty cheap used is a Peavey Transtube Supreme; they discontinued them in favor of the XXL which is probably very similar with a cosmetic redo. Probably get one on Ebay for under $200 if you shop for a couple weeks. Decent clean and a nice high gain for metal. It would probably do classic rock sounds okay, but probably not blues.

The thing with multieffects is to not get overwhelmed by 128 preset locations. Basically you usually want or need 4 basic sounds: a super clean, clean that will get a slight bit of dirt when pushed, a crunch rhythm and a lead drive. So you set up 4 presets tweaked to the tones you like and now you're good to play. Then just create more user presets as you feel the need to add sounds. Like I might have the lead drive that I like, but say I want it with 2-part harmony in A minor. Just copy the patch number you already like into the next slot, then just edit it to add the A minor harmony option. his is if your multi has IPS of course. Save it and now you're Adrian AND Dave playing Aces High!

[shreddermon]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

[ QUOTE ]
Pedals are great, but the really limiting factor is that you are going to be stuck with one sound per pedal, unless you feel like bending over and tweaking all the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Exactly the point I was going to make. With a multi-effects setup, you can switch patches quickly and use multiple setups of the same effect or effects. IMHO, the flexibility far outweighs any marginal tone advantages.

Also, with a ME-unit, you only need to learn one manufacturer's programming language or lingo. It's a royal pain to figure out if DOD, Boss, POD, Ibanez, etc. mean the same thing with different words and knobs. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Newc]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

I stick with Digitech and ADA. I tried an ART and thought it was KRAP [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I had something like 13 pedals at one time, and it was a PITA to drag them around, set them up, repalce all the batteries at the same time, run 3 or 4 power strips because the power supplies took up so much space, etc etc, so I ran across a GSP21 Pro for $350 back in 90 or 91 and bought it.
Right now I mostly use an ADA MP-1 and Digitech TSR-12, and use the GSP21 mostly as a MIDI switcher for those because it has a better foot board than the ADA.

I definitely prefer having the wider range of tones and textures available in a rack than pedals offered, as well as "tweak once and save" so I don't have to write down my favorite pedal settings (or worse, get 9 EQ pedals to give me 9 different EQ tones).

[Emthrax]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

Thank you all for your responses, I REALLY appreciate them! I am reading them all and absorbing them. [img]/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif[/img]

Cheers [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

Em

[Ace]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

I agree about the ADA MP-1 footpdeal. That thing is so long and cumbersome, it's just plain silly.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

ADA did make a more condensed version than that one a little later on. Personally I like pedals-I used to use a rack and everything, but I'm currently switching back to pedals because I don't really use or need the amount of signal processing that I had before. Just a few basic effects, a guitar, and an amp...

[charveljunkie]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

I prefer both
I have found what works best for me is to have a dedicated delay,chorus rack units and pedals.
Maybe it's just me but I do not like multi-effects processors
the always sound jumbled to me-but thats just my 2 cents.
Everything (even though there are more effects pieces) the single units stand out better and are more clear [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I just seem to have more control over them.

[Firebird V]

Re: Dedicated pedals -or- guitar processors?

Yeah - mmmm duh. I can spell... really I can. Where is Ron when you need him... lol. I have all my pedals loaded in a Drawer in my rack. They are velcro backed and they stay there. I roll my rig in and put the midi controller on the floor. Plug into the wall and I am done. It is all set up and rolls around. I dont remove the pedals. I just turn them on and use the midi controller to put them in and out of the signal chain. Works great. No signal loss. No mess. Pro setup.