Multi Effects Or Individual? Options

[GrowingDown1]

Hi! Let me start by saying that this site is the best thing a guitarist could hope for. My hat is off to everyone who made this website the best improvement tool Ive ever come across.

Now, I play in two bands and Ive always used a multi effects processor for live shows. Right now I am using the a Zoom G7.1 UT. Also on my board I have a Boss GT2 chromatic tuner, a Digitech Jimi Hendrix Wah, and I recently added a Digitech DF7 distortion factory. I have begun to notice how much more I enjoy the ease of use of the individual stom boxes as opposed to the multi effects. I am thinking of going to an all stomp box setup but I dont really know how to go about it. For example, if I am playing a song that goes from a clean tone to distortion to a chorus effect, how will I switch from the ditortion to the chorus fast enough without making a noticeable delay? I mean, I will have to first turn off the distortion and then turn on the chorus. With the multi effect I can program it all into the same bank. How do you go about switching between and combining effects without looking like youre playing hop scotch on stage?

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[dogman]

For example, if I am playing a song that goes from a clean tone to distortion to a chorus effect, how will I switch from the ditortion to the chorus fast enough without making a noticeable delay? I mean, I will have to first turn off the distortion and then turn on the chorus. With the multi effect I can program it all into the same bank. How do you go about switching between and combining effects without looking like youre playing hop scotch on stage?

Hmm, the age old question my friend....

I do like the simplicity of stomp boxes and how very warm & analog they sound. But the price you pay is the loss of multiple effect switching via midi control.

One thing I started to do was using a little chorus all the time so when I switched to clean it was there already and one less stomp if I had to add some delay or extra reverb.

I also had my marshall jcm 800 2210 head modded a few years ago so I could run a pedal board setup through the front end for channel 2 and run a different pedal board through the fx loop that had been modded to the signal path of the clean channel 1 only. The footswitch has also been modded to include the true bypass so you have 2 totally separate channels with their own effects.

It is very nice set up but you are still somewhat limited to what you can do because you are still a slave to the stomps...

I just make sure whatever sets we do have the songs that are similar effect wise back to back or grouped together and the songs that require more effort at the start or end of a set so I can get ready while the singer works the crowd.

It's alot of work but nothing sounds better than vintage boss & mxr pedals through a full 100 watt marshall stack cranked wide open my friend

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This post has been edited by dogman: Oct 19 2007, 09:04 AM

[GrowingDown1]

Hmm, the age old question my friend....

I do like the simplicity of stomp boxes and how very warm & analog they sound. But the price you pay is the loss of multiple effect switching via midi control.

One thing I started to do was using a little chorus all the time so when I switched to clean it was there already and one less stomp if I had to add some delay or extra reverb.

I also had my marshall jcm 800 2210 head modded a few years ago so I could run a pedal board setup through the front end for channel 2 and run a different pedal board through the fx loop that had been modded to the signal path of the clean channel 1 only. The footswitch has also been modded to include the true bypass so you have 2 totally separate channels with their own effects.

It is very nice set up but you are still somewhat limited to what you can do because you are still a slave to the stomps...

I just make sure whatever sets we do have the songs that are similar effect wise back to back or grouped together and the songs that require more effort at the start or end of a set so I can get ready while the singer works the crowd.

It's alot of work but nothing sounds better than vintage boss & mxr pedals through a full 100 watt marshall stack cranked wide open my friend

Hey thanks a lot there Dogman. I figured there would be no way around all the switching between effects. I just thought that it might be possible to run them all through a controller of some type. I think what Ill do is continue to use my DF7 for songs which require only distortion and clean, and Ill use the multi effects for more in depth stuff. I like the idea of arranging the setlist with similar songs back to back but unfortunately I am one of three guitarists in the band and we all have different setups so I have to compromise. Thanks again for your reply. Rock on my friend.

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[Saoirse O'Shea]

How do you go about switching between and combining effects without looking like youre playing hop scotch on stage?

I'm pretty certain that there are custom made controllers by the likes of Pete Cornish that let you avoid playing hopscotch on stage. They're probably quite expensive though - might be cheaper to just get a roadie to do it for you - gives you someone to shout at if things go wrong as well .

Cheers,
Tony

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[MickeM]

I'm sure I've seen pedal boards that will handle chains (of stomp boxes) rather than one pedal at a time.

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This post has been edited by MickeM: Oct 20 2007, 02:20 AM

[Muris Varajic]

Tony has the point,roadie is the main man to blame!
Off topic,sorry.

I use Prophesy for everything,from preamp to EFXs.
Which means no delay drops while changing presets etc.
On the other hand individual boxes like TC-Electronics offer better EFXs for sure
but it takes lot of time and effort to connect all between,plus drive pedals,amp and on and on.
Nice combination is also having 4 channels tube amp and some fine rack processor like G-Force,
connected with Fx-loop provides many options with just 2 controllers,
one for amp and one for processor.
Depends of your pocket really...

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