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

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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.
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Ive always found the Digitech fx to be pretty good. Really liked the format of the RP1000. The boss pedal models are really good too.
 
I think I have a brand new Lexicon foot controller for the G2 if anyone is interested I will dig it out of storage. I think they called it the R1.
 
Geo said:
I think I have a brand new Lexicon foot controller for the G2 if anyone is interested I will dig it out of storage. I think they called it the R1.
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Please do, I could use another one.
 
Having looked through the replies I’ve decided to try the Line 6 HX effects. I found a pre owned unit for a good price. I’ll be picking it up today.
I’ll report back.
I don’t have a rack unit. May consider other options down the road. Since Line 6 has the Helix software I think it should work fine.
Thanks 🤘😎🤘
 
gbsmusic said:
https://www.rig-talk.com/forum/threads/fs-tc-electronic-g-force-420-shipped.232436/
At this price I don't think you can beat it. These things have been around a long time but they still hold up incredibly well. I've thought about buying it myself several times.
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Appreciate the heads up bro. Trying to avoid rack gear. That’s a deep rabbit hole and a empty wallet. I’m getting the HX for less than that price.
Plus when those little coin batteries die it’s a PITA to replace them.
 
If STRYMON would ever get off their fucking high horse and have some forethought, see the market as racks have never gone away, they would crush the market. That would be next level shit with their designs.
 
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If loop only, TC G System. Effects are to notch and pretty strait forward programming. 4cm is a bit of a hit and miss though.

Still have mine for a rig and it always makes me smile. I have an AXE 3 for my other rig and honestly, except special reverbs and delays, i prefer the TC for basic effects. Sounds great.
 
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for the OP: few suggestions for when you get your HX Effects:

Take a bit of time to read the documents & watch a few YouTube videos about it - the more you learn about the interface, the less frustrated you will be trying to dive in. (If you spent enough time with the HX Stomp previously, you are already familiar with the Helix basics). You can adjust everything from the pedal itself, I like using the HXedit program from a PC, particularly when making set lists (usually set up a template & then make 1 preset per song).

A must-do after verifying it works: factory reset & update to the latest firmware (3.15 as of date of this post), make a backup of your settings, will need a printer USB 2.0 cable. Depending on how out of date firmware is when you get it, there are some very meaningful additions in the latest - new effects, bug fixes, etc. Bunch of recent YouTube videos that walk through the new effects in each recent firmware version.

I own some Strymon & Eventide pedals as well, no experience w/Fractal, I know it is a heated "religious" debate between Helix family and others. I have had two of them on different boards for almost 3 years- love them for their jack-of-all-trades ability and the programmable text LED strips, the combination of 4CM, onboard loop & MIDI capability make it very useful, especially in that price range. There is a ground loop possibility if you are using it to switch channels/reverb via 1/4 jacks on your amp - depending on the amp; specific limitation of the HX Effects that doesn't exist on full Helix floor- design limitation of jamming features into the same jacks.

I'm owned multi-FX units all the way back to ART SGX2000 in mid-90s, the one universal truth I learned regardless of the device: build your own presets from scratch for the best results, the factory presets will take a bunch of tweaking to get "right" for your rig, might have things buried in the settings you didn't want or fully understand.

The L6 tech staff are very active on their own forum & The Gear Page and do pretty regular firmware updates. Here's the latest release notes - the latest reverbs have got a lot of praise, particularly considering reverb was a major weak spot in early firmware:

https://line6.com/support/page/kb/effects-controllers/helix/helix-315-release-notes-r992/
Look forward to hearing your impressions!
 
Mentioned was the 4 cable method. Tone heads might notice regardless of unit loss of high and low tones. Vs guitar pedal amp. Try it yourself sometime. Definitely some tone degradation.
 
Anyone have thoughts or experience with the TC Electronics Plethora X5?
https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=P0D9M

Seems pretty cool for a simple solution. Up to 5 pedals, includes all of the TC Toneprint models. I think it’s all time based (delay, modulation, Reverb, etc…no OD), so it’s one of the only multi effects I can find like this (without amps and OD) that’s made for the loop.
 
stratjacket said:
Anyone have thoughts or experience with the TC Electronics Plethora X5?
https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=P0D9M

Seems pretty cool for a simple solution. Up to 5 pedals, includes all of the TC Toneprint models. I think it’s all time based (delay, modulation, Reverb, etc…no OD), so it’s one of the only multi effects I can find like this (without amps and OD) that’s made for the loop.
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I read about the Plethora when it was announced, interesting idea. $500 Price point seems a bit high compared to other multi-FX units that provide a ton more capability, including drive/distortion & modeling for just a bit more. Relative simplicity might appeal to some users, to me it seems like a used HX Effects for under $500 would provide vastly more bang for the buck.

For the OP @Tone Junkie - what did you end up deciding?
 
Since my post, I ended up going with a Strymon Timeline and BigSky. I already own a pair of Eventide H9’s that I’ve had years, so I figured that combination would give me pretty much anything I could ever dream up.
 
stratjacket said:
Since my post, I ended up going with a Strymon Timeline and BigSky. I already own a pair of Eventide H9’s that I’ve had years, so I figured that combination would give me pretty much anything I could ever dream up.
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I have a board with 2 H9s and an HX Effects, using MIDI feature of the HX FX for presets that use combinations of all 3, very versatile. Ability to adjust the H9s on the fly over Bluetooth with a phone or tablet is handy, wish all muti FX units had that. Do you have a MIDI controller? The H9s can send MIDI commands to other pedals, I don't remember how robust it is, don't use that feature on them because the HX FX covers my MIDI needs, might work for you. If you haven't been tracking, Eventide updated the firmware in the H9s several times in past 2 years, added algorithms & changed the control app.
 
9985 said:
I have a board with 2 H9s and an HX Effects, using MIDI feature of the HX FX for presets that use combinations of all 3, very versatile. Ability to adjust the H9s on the fly over Bluetooth with a phone or tablet is handy, wish all muti FX units had that. Do you have a MIDI controller? The H9s can send MIDI commands to other pedals, I don't remember how robust it is, don't use that feature on them because the HX FX covers my MIDI needs, might work for you. If you haven't been tracking, Eventide updated the firmware in the H9s several times in past 2 years, added algorithms & changed the control app.
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I bought a Morningstar MC8, it arrived a couple days ago. Seems like an awesome unit, connects via usb to the computer and has an awesome editing software that makes programming midi extremely easy. But I haven’t programmed it yet, just watched a ton of YouTube videos on it and messed around with it a bit.

I’ve been building presets in the Timeline, BigSky and Source Audio EQ2 to go along with my H9 presets. Once I have a few fine, I’ll program the MC8 MIDI controller to control them all. Going to be an awesome little project that I’m looking forward to diving into.
 
Call me old fashioned but I'm still looking for something that can replace the M13 in terms of ease of use. It's so simple to set up, simple to adjust all the fx with the analog controls, simple to select any of the fx at any time with one footswitch
 
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