question about pedals and pedal boards

[gpuma]

OK first of all I am a total ignorant here, so let me give you an introduction:

 

I played electric guitar a lot from the mid 80s to the mid 90s. I basically did not touch an electric guitar between the end of the 90s and ~2010ish.

So when I picked up the instrument again, the world of effect had changed.

 

In my days (it makes me feel so old saying this) you could buy 2 or 3 pedals but multi-effects especially in a rack where the way to go. Today it seems people shies away from multi-effect in favor of a pedalboard.

 

Why?

 

I mean, let's forget for a moment the weight issue, the cabling issue and all of the logistics-related things... but how can you really have different patches with a board?

 

Am I missing something?

 

 

Having said that, I tend to go straight into the amp... but still I am curious about this

[smurph1]

About a year ago I went on a pedal buying binge..Built my own board from scratch.. But now it's become a PIA to me.. I'm back to using just a nice overdrive and the onboard reverb on my amp..(Peavey Classic 30) Others will offer other ideas, but for me simpler is better..

[rockabilly69]

IMNSHO the sounds gotten from individual pedals are usually better than what's in a multieffects unit. Also on the fly adjustability is easier with a pedal board.

And from my professional point of view, if one pedal craps out on a board, I can still finish the gig and still have my other FX. If your multiFX unit craps, your

screwed! When I first started playing 5 and 6 nights a week, I had a Alesis Midiverb IV that lost all of my user reverb presets, and a few months later another one

did the same thing!

[Kuz]

Well, my answer is I use a pedal board, each pedal that is not true bypass goes through a looper for truer tone, and using the pedal means all my pedal are available if needed.

 

Now I do use a small version when I know exactly what I will only need.

 

At a minimum I need; tuner, OD, and delay (if reverb is needed it is on the amp). But now I need to remove these pedal from the pedal board so ultimately it is easier to bring the whole pedal board weight and all.

 

So again to answer question the pedal board is ultimately for convince, your version may vary.

[DetroitBlues]

Convenience, ability to swap, adjust on the fly, avoidance of complete rig failure, AC power not required.... Take you pick... For me, its about the ability to adjust my tone and volume on the fly. Not to mention most "multi-effect" units have shifted from effects to amp/cab simulators which are hard to remove from the setup on the unit.......

[tulk1]

Plus the convenience of swapping out pedals for newer ones. What fun is having just ONE flavor all the time? When there are so many to try? I used a Boss GT5 for nearly 10 years. I'll not go back to a single fx unit. Altho', to be completely honest, I actually have a ZOOM G3 on my pedal board, along with all the other pedals.

[gpuma]

The reason I ask is that with a pedal board it seems difficult to create patches, it seems awkward to set up the wiring and troubleshoot it, it seems a lot of connections you have your signal to go through.... other than for the reliability concern that is a very valid point I still find the other reasons to prefer a pedal board to be kind of debatable.

 

The sound? I don't know enough to have an informed opinion but it seems strange that in the past 15 years there has been an incredible development in pedals and not the same kind of development in multi f/x. But of course I understand the hardware of a multi f/x cannot be "fully dedicated" to a specific sound.

 

Just curious.

[tulk1]

Don't know about creating patches with a pedal board / pedals. Guess you could. I just turn on the ones I need.

 

My experience with Multi FX is that most of them are emulating the pedals. Generally using some sort of modeling software. Boss' COSM comes to mind initially. Whereas the pedals are, for the most part, the actual resistors and caps to create the pedals effect. There may be FX units out there that have the actual components of the pedals, but I couldn't imagine being able to afford it. Thing is, if you can get the sounds and tones you want from an FX unit, there is no rule that says you can't have one. I absolutely loved the chorus, delays, reverbs and such in the GT5. Hated the ODs. But, that was me.

[gpuma]

That is very true.

[Kuz]

With the Bradshaw switching system you can match patches with your pedals.... but I think it is a bit of overkill.

 

I mean how many effects do you need on a once? Even with the 10-12 "effects" you can use at once on the Axe-Fx, I only use OD, delay, reverb and maybe a tremolo.

[gpuma]

It is not matter of how many effects you need at the same time but of how many different settings you need. Suppose you are playing a funky tune and go from the crisp bright attack of the rhythmic part to a very distorted solo. In that case it is not just switching your OD on and off. Your compressor settings change, your delay settings change you reverb changes. In few words you go to a different patch.

But I think I did not formulated my question correctly. What I meant is why 20 years ago it seemed that the multi fx was the way to go and now is the opposite.

It seems rather strange. It is not credible that the multi fx product on the market have got worse than they were as they are many times better. Is it that the single pedals have improved so much?

 

Each and every single reason I read so far answer the question "why do you use a pedalboard". Not a lot of answer to the question "why are you using a pedalboard today and you used a multi fx yesterday"

[rockabilly69]

I play funk rhythm and distorted leads all the time. The trick is getting you amp set right on the edge. You don't need

to change reverbs and compressor settings, just a little more overdrive to get you're amp singing. Personally I do it

with a Fulldrive II, and a Sexdrive, but my amp sounds great on it's own so these pedals just take it over the top. I

toured with a regionally famous funk band for two years and I loved it. At the time I used an original Mesa Studio 22,

clean channel only, where it was wound up to what I called Jeff Beck fake clean tone. My only FX were Vox wah,

Original Rat, and a cheap Danelectro Danecho Delay. All I had to do was goose the Studio 22 with my Rat pedal

set to two thirds volume (with the distortion side almost off, and the filter on about 2 to 3 o'clock). I had the Delay

beat timed to the drummer, with just enough decay to get to the end of the measures. By sight I could set the time

on that delay, no tap tempo needed. I would use the Vox to sing the solos with vowel sounds like I was actually

singing them. Those Isley Brothers leads lit the place up. At the time I had the most expensive Roland COSM

modelling rack pre and midi pedal board. I spent hours/days setting up patches, but none of them even came

close to what I was getting with my three pedals (and a Boss tuner pedal), and the Mesa Boogie. That amp was

stolen from me and I have never been able to get another Boogie that sounded as good. I still own all the pedals

though:)

 

IMNSHO Rack Multiprocessors are for RECORDING, but for live I'll take pedals any day. I went though

many pedals to find what works for me live, and that was pain in the a**. I can't believe it but I have two

digital pedals on my board. I use a BOSS Re20 Space Echo, because I like the high frequency rolloff of the highs

and the tone controls on the repeats, I also use a Dr Scientist Reverb because of it's organic sounding reverb.

 

For recording I typically use amps about 50% of the time for recording. But I really like using a Digitech GSP1101

and a Drawmer 1960 compressor when recording.

[tulk1]

It is not matter of how many effects you need at the same time but of how many different settings you need. Suppose you are playing a funky tune and go from the crisp bright attack of the rhythmic part to a very distorted solo. In that case it is not just switching your OD on and off. Your compressor settings change, your delay settings change you reverb changes. In few words you go to a different patch.

But I think I did not formulated my question correctly. What I meant is why 20 years ago it seemed that the multi fx was the way to go and now is the opposite.

It seems rather strange. It is not credible that the multi fx product on the market have got worse than they were as they are many times better. Is it that the single pedals have improved so much?

 

Each and every single reason I read so far answer the question "why do you use a pedalboard". Not a lot of answer to the question "why are you using a pedalboard today and you used a multi fx yesterday"

Because they were new.

[JeffB]

It is not matter of how many effects you need at the same time but of how many different settings you need. Suppose you are playing a funky tune and go from the crisp bright attack of the rhythmic part to a very distorted solo. In that case it is not just switching your OD on and off. Your compressor settings change, your delay settings change you reverb changes. In few words you go to a different patch.

But I think I did not formulated my question correctly. What I meant is why 20 years ago it seemed that the multi fx was the way to go and now is the opposite.

It seems rather strange. It is not credible that the multi fx product on the market have got worse than they were as they are many times better. Is it that the single pedals have improved so much?

 

Each and every single reason I read so far answer the question "why do you use a pedalboard". Not a lot of answer to the question "why are you using a pedalboard today and you used a multi fx yesterday"

Because its a fashion industry and things come in and out of fashion.

[Kuz]

Ok so I understand the question better it is still a matter of practicality.,,, every room is different. You will need to tweak your effects quickly. I can turn a few knobs and I done. You can't do that with patches.

As far as your funk example, my ethos has a clean channel, OD, and boost. One stomp from a clean channel funk on the Ethos to OD or Boost and I am ready to play R&R or blues.

Pedals are just more practical live, BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Ace-Fx for recording.... No mic'ing, no remember amp or pedal settings, and it sounds heavenly!

[rockabilly69]

BUT I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Ace-Fx for recording.... No mic'ing, no remember amp or pedal settings, and it sounds heavenly!

 

Yeah, and if you're in the middle of the tune and have to take a break it's going to sound the same way a few hours or DAYS later.

Also you can record without headphones because of no microphone bleed and your ears will stay fresh longer.

[Kuz]

 

Yeah, and if you're in the middle of the tune and have to take a break it's going to sound the same way a few hours or DAYS later.

Also you can record without headphones because of no microphone bleed and your ears will stay fresh longer.

 

Ding, Ding Ding... Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner!!! Preach on brother you are dead on, I love recording without the cans on.

 

Have you ever played through an Axe-Fx Daniel? With your talent, I would LOVE to hear the tones you could make.

[rockabilly69]

No Kuz, I haven't, but I've heard some tracks recorded with the AxeFX, and yes, they are scary good! I do have extensive amp

modeling software though, and with. my gsp1101 and my Drawmer 1960 compressor/pre I actually prefer that over amps and pedals 80% of the time

[t0aj15]

Each and every single reason I read so far answer the question "why do you use a pedalboard". Not a lot of answer to the question "why are you using a pedalboard today and you used a multi fx yesterday"

When it comes to my tube amps I use and often mix both a pedalboard and multi-efx processor. For a multi-efx unit I use a Line 6 M-13 but combine it with two Ditto looper pedals, a Fulltone ABY pedal, and an EHX Epitome pedal. The last four pedals all give me something the M-13 doesn't have, and the M-13 has everything else.

 

The Axe-Fx rig is another issue entirely and is basically a stand alone rig with no pedals needed except for the foot-controller.