Multi effects.?

[Schneeky]

.. Hey guys.. I'm wanting some more toys for use with the newly aquired Dinky and I've turned my attention to an effects unit.. Been lookin at the Boss ME50 and such but I'm not sure if a multi stomp box is the way to go for in-house mini studio work.. Last unit I had of this sort was one of those old ART units back when they first came out.. I seem to remember it having a few annoying shortcomings and it sounded funny sometimes..
..What's available now and how about some recommendations.?? And again, I don't mind plunking down the green if I really get something for it.. Thanks.!! d:^) Schneeky..

[wilkinsi]

I own a Boss GT-10, a really good unit. Watch out for the bright red led's tho! Nice big screen, lots of powerful features including 8 assigns per patch, configurable FX chain, has a USB port. Go to www.bossgtcentral.com/forum. You'll find tons of really useful info, including a free patch editor by Gumtown.

[jgcable]

For in house mini studio effects you should use software.

[Inazone]

I have a Boss ME-50 and like it a lot for live use, but a rack unit with lots of configurable parameters and/or software plug-ins would be the better choice for any serious recording. I have an old Rocktron MultiValve for one-at-a-time effects, Line 6 Gear Box Gold (which I haven't actually used with my current setup) for computer recording, and an ART DST-4 for both live and studio use.

Lexicon makes some rack processors that can be connected via USB to act as software plug-ins, but (supposedly) don't use your CPU and are therefore good options if you have limited hardware resources. E-MU makes recording cards that have onboard effects and also can be used as plug-ins.

[Racerx2k]

I've been looking at those ME-50s. Looks nice for live use, but notsomuchso, for home studio usage. I still use my trusty old Johnson J-Station for that, and I use it for my effects unit and tuner, live, in the loop of my amp. that may go away, soon, as I'm thinking of re-configuring my live rig, hence the ME-50. I want everything to be out front, on my board.

[jgcable]

For studio nothing beats software plug ins.

[Racerx2k]

Eh, I tried a bunch, several years ago, and wasn't impressed, especially with Amplitube. thought it sucked, hard. Hopefully, they've all gotten better. I STILL say nothing beats hardware.

[jgcable]

Eh, I tried a bunch, several years ago, and wasn't impressed, especially with Amplitube. thought it sucked, hard. Hopefully, they've all gotten better. I STILL say nothing beats hardware.

In our studio we have racks of studio effects. We always end up using something either from Sonar or Amplitube. We have about 5K in software plug ins alone. My keyboard player works as a video/music editor for MTV. He is a senior editor and has been working there since they first started. He has a full production suite in his house which is also our studio.

[markD]

hahaha, i am the opposite of john. i PREFER using hardware for the same reason my studio still uses a large format analog mixer. i LIKE the grainy-ness you get from older (cheaper) digital gear and analog signal-paths.

i WILL use software based effects, but ONLY during the mastering process- everything used during tracking and/or mixdown is outboard.

as far as my guitar rig..the same thing applies. i DO use a digital effects processor in my rack, but i purposely use a slightly older unit for this reason:

i am playing a tube amplifier, with MOST of my tones coming from the overdrive channel i find it a bit silly to use a high sampling/bit rate processor that is just going to get "flattened" when it hits a hard-working tube power stage. even the clean channel of a tube is slightly grainy, so again the use of the previously mentioned type processor is silly to me.

now, if i was playing live using software, then those kind of processors would be useful, but then i'd prolly be using plug ins since everything is software based anyway...

in my rack i USED to use a tc electronic 2290. i liked it a lot, but got offered A LOT of cash for it about 6 years ago. now i use a lowly digitech studio quad 4 - which is actually a 4 channel effects processor. it is cool for me because i play in true stereo with a wet/dry set up, so i can run two completely different effects processors with different effects chains to each power amp. it creates some trippy shit when i play both sides wet...

[jgcable]

we record everything dry. For reference we have effects going but they are not recorded. We also re-amp all the guitar signals, we midi trigger all the drums and the bass and keyboards are all midi. The only thing analog is the vocals and we usually do some pitch correcting on that. Regarding backup vocals.. if we get a good take we will usually fly it into the spots it reoccurs. Lots of digital trickery going on in our studio. We even layer our acoustic drums with samples that are triggered. Its nice to be able to line up all the beats so that the timing for the songs is perfect.

[Racerx2k]

Well, shit, you just took all the fun out of recording, now didn'tcha?

[semagic]

i own a boss me-20... by far the best out of the stuff i've tried prior to it.

[surfreak]

After quite a lot of experimenting with stomp boxes, multieffects and plug ins, both live and in the studio, I now use a TC Electronic G-System with a few good boxes in the loop for distortion and clean boost (original TC Distortion+Booster, Fulltone OCD).

Pro build, studio-quality effects, and perfect for live playing too.

For small gigs (the G-System takes up a lot of stage real estate, at least in the lilliputian venues we get to play...) or casual jam sessions, I have a Carl Martin Quattro multieffect: super tone quality, as easy as it gets and just like the TC, pro build, no cheap plastic.

[Inazone]

I should add that, although I don't record with the ME-50, there isn't a reason not it *IF* the effect is exactly right in a given situation. I recorded a demo and a full-length album using the tried-and-true method of a pedalboard (distortion, EQ, gate, delay) into a clean tube amp, and was quite happy with how it turned out. The butchery that happened in mixing . . . not a big fan!

On my current recordings, I'm using all rack gear, including effects. My perspective is that some preamp/processor units have distortions and effects that are perfectly matched for guitar applications. The distortion in my ART DST-4 is exactly what I want for lead tones, and I never found another delay that blended as well with it as what's in the ART. But for any major EQ work, I like software plug-ins.

[wilkinsi]

I've hated all software FX for guitars that I've tried. Just couldn't get the sound I wanted. I also hate adjusting settings with a mouse/keyboard. Feels very impractical adjusting EQ for example, as opposed to having a control surface that allows you to make changes and save them very quickly. If my multi-track dies, I still have my guitar FX and headphones. If all my stuff were to be on my PC and it died, I lose everything.