The Boss is OK if you just want to use the effects with your amp's tone.
Everything Digitech ever made has an annoying half second delay when you switch programs. For these cheaper models, that means a half second of dead time. I don't recommend them for live stage use.
You get a hell of a lot more effects with the Boss GT stuff. You should check to see if Jimi Hatt still has his Boss GT-8 for sale.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
thanks, lonewolf....yeah, I'm totally happy with my Marshall's tone, so I'm just looking for some cool effects and stuff... my Marshall doesn't have nearly enough fun effects to play around with....and I'll scrap the Digitech's because of the delay....I did read about that in a forum....how weird!
"I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too." - Mitch Hedberg
Dawn, I'm not familiar with each individual unit, but my honest answer is that if you want a quality multi-FX unit, then you're going to have to shell out a little more and possibly look at something from the Boss GT series that Lonewolf recommends, which a GT-10 is about $500, or invest at least a grand for something from Lexicon/TC Electronics/higher-end Rocktron/ect. Low-end multi-FX processors usually are very "digital-sounding" and are rarely true bypass. You are mostly likely going to comprimise that sweet Marshall tone that you have. No lie, I've seen cats put units like these in front of $3000 Rectifier rigs, which is sort of like buying a Lamborghini and then putting a Chevy Cavalier engine in it.
I hope that I'm not sounding elitist here; I'm just trying to steer you in the right direction. If you were just plinking around at home, I'd say go for it; but since you're gigging, I think having the most professional sound possible is very important. If you are playing songs that require effects that you don't have access to, I'd recommend investing in some high-quality stomp boxes and then building a pedal board. There would be some things about signal-chaining that you'd have to consider, but ultimately, I think that may be your best bet.
"He's the electric horseman, you better back off!" - old sKool making a reference to the culturally relevant 1979 film.
bassist_25 wrote:Low-end multi-FX processors usually are very "digital-sounding" and are rarely true bypass.
I'm not aware of any digital multi-FX processors that are true-bypass during the normal operation of the unit. They all go thru the A/D and D/A conversion no matter how many effects are selected.
Some have a bypass function to compare the wet and dry signal, but that turns off all the effects and is not how the effects are turned on and off during performance. Some others have true-bypass analog channels to wire in external effects pedals in addition to their built in effects. The built in effects are not true-bypass.
True-bypass is generally only available on stomp boxes with an on/off switch. The switch either directs the input signal to the effect circuit or directly to the output jack for the true-bypass.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
Perhaps I should have worded my response a little differently. Many lower-priced multi-FX units noticeably color your tone and add noise to the signal, even when fully disengaged. I have a Zoom bass unit that while it has some really cool effects, when I disengage it, it still is a tone-sucker and adds a lot of noise to the signal.
"He's the electric horseman, you better back off!" - old sKool making a reference to the culturally relevant 1979 film.
Dawn, I agree with what the other guys said; it all boils down to (like everything else in life) how much green you have to drop. I hear the Boss GT series is good stuff. It's been my experience to stay away from Zoom and Digitech. Noisy and really digital sounding. I definitely see Paul's point about absolute best tone and signal-to-noise ratio, but somewhere within lies the fine line of how much am I spending on this VS. how much can these rednecks I'm playing to hear the difference. Personally, I'm quite partial to Line 6 (I believe Jimi is as well). If you're sticking with the Marshall tone and just adding effects, any of the POD series is gonna be a waste of money to you. They're primarily about amp modeling, effects are, well, not secondary, but it'd be overkill for your purpose. Check out their delay modeler and modualtion modelers. I've used L6 nonstop since '02, and I can't complain. Matter of fact, one of our local big-shots (not being a smartass, I respect this guy) caught a gig on a flatbed last year and asked me if I had my Marshall hidden under the stage. I was running my POD XT direct into the PA. That said an awful lot to me. But I digress...... (Damn gear tangents anyway) It depends on how many effects you're looking to add. If it's just chorus and delay you want, buy individual stomp boxes. But if you want 50 different effects and are actually going to USE them, drop the cash on a Boss GT or a L6 effect modeler.
"well, why don't you make ten louder and just have that be the loudest one?"
Dawn, you may want to check into a good quality digital delay. A DD will give you all of your time delay effects, echo, chorus, flange, etc. If you have an effects loop, I'd insert the DD there. The other essentials usually are a wah, and to add some meat to your solos, a simple boost pedal or equalizer with a level control would give you more juice. If you are happy with your Marshall tone, everything else in a multi-effects unit, (like amp modeling), is simply a waste.
Dawn, don't you have a Marshall head that already has delay, chorus & flanger along with a separate reverb?
These are modulation & delay effects that work best in the effects loop (after the preamp) and you already have most of them. It would probably be a waste to get a cheap processor that has these same effects--you really wouldn't gain much, if anything.
If you want to beef up solos, you may want to get a stomp box with clean boost, or an EQ or a compressor with boost--maybe even (gulp) an OD or distortion box. Boss makes a few of these and Electro-Harmonix makes a good clean boost for $39:
I have a Marshall 1960A cab and the MG100HDFX head... it does have Chorus, Chorus with Delay, Flange..... when I use the Chorus effect it sounds pretty good for solos but I thought maybe an effects pedal would sound even better (?)
"I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too." - Mitch Hedberg
It's every Line 6 effect in one programmable box without all the amp modelling. Looks like a lot of fun, and it's amazing how many pros use Line 6 stuff on their pedalboard already (especially the delay modeller).
The Boss GT line is good too. You can do anything with those. You can use 4 cables to put some effects in front of your preamp and some in the effects loop. Plus they do really advanced things like intelligent harmonizing.
My Boss GT-8 is totally for sale, BTW. The poor thing is gathering dust with the rest of my gear.
This is off-topic a bit, but the Line 6 Plug-In for computer recording is SO MUCH FUN! It's more addictive than a crack pipe filled with World of Warcraft.
Buy a better head. I think you would be suprised what a difference that would make for you. A better Marshall if u like your tone will hold its value too. I know u said u are happy with your tone, and u should be because u are doing a fantastic job with what u have. But its not big. And it never will be. It doesnt have to be massive... but it has to be bigger than what it is. It cant get there the way u are proceeding.
The FX wont make it sound bigger because they cant do that for the the MG series. I played with a dude who had the exact same setup (MG head with GT6, and Marshall cab) and he was looking for the same stuff u were and everytime he would run a cool effect thru it it sounded wrong. The cool things he was trying to accomplish were getting lost and falling under the mix.
Even with the allmighty gt8 (which is pretty effing cool) I think you might still be disappointed on overall tone after time. I am actually warming up to the idea of buying a Marshall JCM900 myself (for recording purposes PAUL!!!!; I never wanted a Marshall I swear!!!) but with the success u are having I think u can justify the purchase. With some real nice FX in front of a nicer warmer sounding head with some creamy mids I think u would really be happy.
Ive been down the road of slapping all kinds of crap in front of the amp and trying to do this or that; but ultimately I was never happy until I got that important purchase out of the way.
Just my thoughts.
Last edited by Killjingle on Monday Jul 14, 2008, edited 1 time in total.
I do want to concur with the thoughts about the digitech all in one stuff. I NEVER liked their units. The GT like Paul said can make a 3000 rig sound stupid if not used properly. I have a 2200 dollar rig and it can be tempermental with what I put in there.
I use stomp boxes because I want to be a jackass and say I am a purist, but I have had my eye on a really powerful rack processor for some time. Im not into changing presets and stuff though; or creating my own. I cant buy a all-in-one floor unit and get FX that fit what I do without changing all the parameters. Then I screw the whole damn thing up and I end up really dissapointed. With the stompboxes I just have to turn the three knobs.
It may sound stupid that I cant run a all-in-one unit; but Im tellin ya I just feel the need to screw with stuff that I probably shouldnt because I usually dont like the factory presets.
I am not putting your gear down. Please dont take it that way. What I learned yrs ago is to buy equipment u can grow into. When I started buying stuff; that I had already outgrown; it became a roadblock in my playing. When my sound got bigger our crowds got bigger.
In lamens terms, the more good gear I get; the harder I try to make sure I look like I belong playing it.
no offense taken. I'm sure in time I'll want to upgrade my head but for now my only complaint is lack of volume/gain boost in solos...but for now I'm set....I bought a boost pedal yesterday. thanks for your help, guys....
I still want some other effects to play with, but I haven't decided what else to buy yet.
"I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too." - Mitch Hedberg
The GT8 with the SOLO function would probably improve your sound if you used its amp models and just plugged it into the MG's power section (FX return jack).
The GT10 definitely would--I have been using one live since April. The GT3 captured 90% of tube tone, GT6 95%, GT8 98% and the GT10 is THERE, except that it is much more consistent than a tube amp.
Of course, you won't get that kind of tone from factory programs.
...Oh, the freedom of the day that yielded to no rule or time...
Hi Dawn, one word friend, tubes. Ditch the solid state head and go tubular! Your starving pickups will welcome the change. And I agree with all that's been said about Boss vs Digitech. Next time at the store I have to re-up with Digitech I think I'll pass. The new RP500 is pretty cool, but sure has it's shortcomings compared to the Boss GT10
