Best multi effects unit all in one instead of a pedalboard. Looking for suggestions

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Tone Junkie

Tone Junkie

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I’m old school. Guitar cable amp. A few effects mostly a bit of delay.
What is a good multi effects floor unit that doesn’t have amp models.
Looking for a multi effects unit that has quality effects to use either in front of or through the amps loop.
Chorus reverb delay a few other effects.
Most importantly something fairly easy to use. Plug and play.
I tried the line 6 stomp and didn’t care for the user interface.

Thanks.
 
Fractal FX8…overall best sound of all and flawless 4CM. Easy to program on PC, little harder on unit itself. Drives, delays,reverbs,modularions, noise gates, tuner … all top notch.
I like Boss 1000 series and personally have Core version. Still great effects not much worse than Fractal, capability of 4CM, easy to use, gapless patch switching, great as an backup or for home recording.
Helix…worst of all, most effect sound like 20 years old technology. Design flaw in channel switching. And users interface is in the end not much better than others. Maybe colour display make it popular 😀😀
 
To the OP: you are not alone! I also am pretty minimalist and have resisted the leap to rack or modeling. I went on a similar search a while back and found that the technology for amp models was so competitive that it was really difficult to find a ‘quality’ effects only unit - not much market for that as everyone wants the full amp models, IRS, and direct to board plug-ability. I also agree that user interface - programming - simple changes to effects parameters on the fly - was a big issue.

After falling through the bottom of that rabbit hole, I also realized how much the build quality and sound quality of stomp boxes have increased in recent rears. You can legit studio quality FX from TC, Earthquaker, and Universal Audio just to name a few. So I decided to build a really clean, pro level board that has exactly what I want where I want it. VooDoo has very high quality boards and power supplies in various sizes. I went 4-cable method for time based FX through the loop and front end FX out front. Paid for a professionally bundled snake and also sprang for high quality, custom length patch cables and DC power cables. It’s compact, very well made, very well sorted, has top quality components and FX and has that Old School ease of use.

Don’t overlook the lowly stomp box pedal board!
 
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Huh. Well I know fractal stuff in phenomenal and I do have some new pedals. I’ve also read about midi controls to switch channels and effects.
Diminishing returns. Make a pedalboard or go with a fractal.
Nothing wrong with modeling but I prefer analog tube amps. Just something missing in digital. Otherwise they wouldn’t be copying analog amp models. But on a limited budget I get it.
More research I guess.
 
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Greazygeo said:
Digitech RP1000. Ive been using one since 2008. Yes it has models but I don’t use them. It is setup like a traditional pedal board and can toggle each effect on and off like you would with individual pedals.
Click to expand...

I’ll check it out. 👍
 
Greazygeo said:
Digitech RP1000. Ive been using one since 2008. Yes it has models but I don’t use them. It is setup like a traditional pedal board and can toggle each effect on and off like you would with individual pedals.
Click to expand...
I have one as well. Insane value, and I just turn off amps/cabs. Does 4CM. Another is the Boss GT-100.
 
I use a Lexicon MPX G2 through the effects loop of my EVH 3 50w head.

When using my Plexi 100w, I use a Dr Z Z-Verb into the front only.

This covers all the sounds I need.
 
Greazygeo said:
Digitech RP1000. Ive been using one since 2008. Yes it has models but I don’t use them. It is setup like a traditional pedal board and can toggle each effect on and off like you would with individual pedals.
Click to expand...
This is what I did for years; but it was the far older GSP21. I'd shut the amp models off. Ran it with an ADA MP1. Works and sounds great. Since then I've tried the FX8 and it is better, no doubt. But these days I have a W/D/W rig and use Roland SD3000s. If you ever want a nice sounding rack unit that has just about everything including detune, grab a Lexicon MPX1. I believe you can use a foot switch for it but not sure which one exactly.
But the Digitech stuff is great.
 
Geo said:
I use a Lexicon MPX G2 through the effects loop of my EVH 3 50w head.

When using my Plexi 100w, I use a Dr Z Z-Verb into the front only.

This covers all the sounds I need.
Click to expand...
This is a great unit; haven't owned it but it's right there with the MPX1. For reference, I owned a PCM 80 at the same time as the MPX1...yes the PCM had more detail to the tone, and if you are a recording engineer PCM all the way. But for gained out guitar? I could hardly tell the difference.
 
Boss MS3. It’s tiny, very affordable and has everything you need. Programming is very easy on the board itself, you can use, but don’t need the computer interface.

I have the FX8 too and I agree it sounds a little better but the programming is no where near as easy and intuitive as the MS3.
 
I was looking at all this stuff a few years ago and ended up with a BOSS DD-500 and MD-500. They give me the sounds I want.

Boss GT-1000CORE looks interesting.
Each of the various brands and devices seem to kind of have a inherited voice or tone. I think it is the hardware that gives it the basic personality.
 
Racerxrated said:
This is a great unit; haven't owned it but it's right there with the MPX1. For reference, I owned a PCM 80 at the same time as the MPX1...yes the PCM had more detail to the tone, and if you are a recording engineer PCM all the way. But for gained out guitar? I could hardly tell the difference.
Click to expand...
I have both a MPX1 and a G2. Similar but for recording the MPX1 has a slightly warmer verb but the G2 has the analog effects and an actual knob on the back to raise the level for the loop.
 
thenine said:
Boss MS3. It’s tiny, very affordable and has everything you need. Programming is very easy on the board itself, you can use, but don’t need the computer interface.

I have the FX8 too and I agree it sounds a little better but the programming is no where near as easy and intuitive as the MS3.
Click to expand...
The MS3 looks like a handy unit.
 
napalmdeath said:
I have one as well. Insane value, and I just turn off amps/cabs. Does 4CM. Another is the Boss GT-100.
Click to expand...
4CM is how I use mine. But sometimes at practice will just go straight in to the singer’s TSL using a patch I set up with one of the models. Singer always just shakes his head after looking at his high end pedal board and me just plugging into the clean channel. These units really flew under the radar imo.
 
Racerxrated said:
This is what I did for years; but it was the far older GSP21. I'd shut the amp models off. Ran it with an ADA MP1. Works and sounds great. Since then I've tried the FX8 and it is better, no doubt. But these days I have a W/D/W rig and use Roland SD3000s. If you ever want a nice sounding rack unit that has just about everything including detune, grab a Lexicon MPX1. I believe you can use a foot switch for it but not sure which one exactly.
But the Digitech stuff is great.
Click to expand...
The footswitch is the MPX R1 it’s for the G2, but when you bought an MPX G2 they gave you an overlay to put in it so it would make sense for the MPX 1
 
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