OT: guitar fx pedals

[CRM-114]

I need to add some effects pedals to my guitar rig, so I'm seeking opinions on the gear I'm considering. The main things I need are distortion and delay. Here's what I've been looking into:

-- BOSS ME-50 multi-effects unit, which has 11 types of distortion, as well as delay and a number of other effects. If I were to buy this one, I shouldn't have to buy any other pedals.

-- BOSS DD-6 Digital Delay pedal, which seems to be about the best standalone delay pedal out there. I think this would offer more control over delay than the ME-50.

-- MXR M-151 Doubleshot Distortion, which has two separate channels, so I could have two types of distortion that I could easily switch between. I've never used anything by MXR, so I have no idea how well they usually work.

I could buy the latter two for a little less than the BOSS multi-fx costs. Have you guys used any of these, and which do you think is the better deal?

[Paul14]

Ah... finally something that I really know about!
First off, what kind of music are you playing? There are a million distortion pedals out there, ranging from mild overdrive to raging nu-metal sounds. Without knowing what you play, I can only recommend that you don't get a Boss distortion pedal, since IMO they all sound pretty crappy, besides maybe the DS-1, but then again... You usually can't go wrong with a Tube Screamer. If you need more gain than that, the Turbo Tube Screamer is pretty cool, too.
For delay, you can't go wrong with the Line-6 delay modeler, but you may not need all of the features on it. It's kinda expensive, too, usually $249 - $299 range.
I would also advise against any of those multi-effect pedals that Boss and Korg, etc. make. They tend to sound way too overprocessed.

Paul

[CRM-114]

I meant to include music style but forgot. For lack of a better term, I play "modern rock." A better way of describing some of the sounds I want is to list some bands whose sound is similar to what I'm going for:

-- Hum (for distortion)
-- "Siamese Dream"-era Smashing Pumpkins (for distortion)
-- Pink Floyd and early U2 (for delay)
-- "OK Computer"-era Radiohead (in general)

[CRM-114]

What distortion/delay pedals do you guys use that you really like? And what type of sound do you get from them?

[nightshadecrisis]

i personally like the DD-6, although Digitech makes a pretty decent board now for under 400 which has a bunch of different and good effects(though i forget the model). Boss distortion is pretty bad IMO.....

ev

[katoramone]

I dont like digital pedals at all, I have demo'd all types since the mid '80's and they all have a nasty habit of colouring the tone even when off.If I plug my guitar into my amp and it sounds great, I want to insert my pedals and keep that exact same sound not change it just because I added something inline. I find that the best pedals that have true bypassing in them and seriously good sound are from Maxon (they built tube screamers for Ibanez) and Electro-Harmonix. The nicest phase I've heard is from Vox. Dont get me wrong I'm not an analog freak, almost everything I do is digital exept outboard pedals.

[Rabidium]

You can actually build your own bypass if you want it. It's only a sturdy switch, and three 1/4" jacks, (in, out, and through) good weekend project, very little soldering. Should run less than 10-$12 bucks, $15 if you need solder and wires...
-Olaf

[Paul14]

Hum/Pumpkins-type distortion is usually something like a EH Big Muff Pi, unless you have the means to by a vintage Orange head and run it fully cranked! Personally I find the Big Muffs a bit noisy, but there's no harm is trying one out.
U2 type delay is always done with a rack-mount processor, as you need total control over delay time to get the 'Edge' effect. The closest you'll find to that in a stomp-box is the Line 6.
As far as Radiohead, that's a tough one, since they use so many odd-ball effects. Try all EH pedals for that one!
Here's your best bet: Find a store (unfortunately it's probably going to be Guitar Center) that has the same amp that you do. Bring your guitar into the store. Try out as many pedals as you can.

My $0.02.


Good luck,
Paul

[sikoniko]

pumpkins use several preamps to get their tones.. i forget most of them, but I do remember seeing the marshall jmp-1 in a pic of billy corgins rack.

The best distortion will always come from an amp. I actually use 1 amp for clean, and 1 amp for distortion and a/b the 2. 1 set of pedals goes on clean, and 1 set goes on dirty. my clean i have a delay, flange and a phase and on my dirty i have delay and phase. this way i dont pedal dance. before a change, setup clean and at that change hit the 1 box, and there is my clean tone with the right effects, and same for dirty. ive also experimented with chorus and reverb.

line 6 dl4 is about the best delay available today but if it is too bulky, go for the boss. you cant get all those cool delays, but you can get by.

stay away from any all-in-one solutions. every one i have heard has always sounded like crap. it will take a tone and make it sound cheap quick.

[Greg M]

CRM-114,

You've already gotten lots of advice and recommendations, so I will just mention a few things to consider in your pedal selection. First, I have no idea what kind of guitar(s) and amp(s) you have. Your selections will depend a lot on that. Second, the tones that really count are the the ones that you use in a mix whether it be live on stage or in a PT session. These tones can sound pretty different than the ones that sound great playing alone in your basement.

My favorite distortion has never come from a pedal, but rather from a tube amp when pushing the power tubes and speakers (in my case it's an '84 JCM 800 pushing Celestion G12M70's). Having said that, good, usable tones can be had with both analog or digital pedals. Analog pedals often have a smaller "operating range" than digitally modeled ones. However, my experience with the digital models (Boss GT-6, ME-50, V-Amp, etc,) is that they take a lot of tweaking to get it right, but when you do, it is great. The factory presets have almost never been good for my guitars and amps.

In summary, try different pedals with your specific rig in a real "mixed" environment to figure out what will work best for you. This link Guitar Geek lists the rigs of many well known guitarists. A quick look might be helpful.

Hope This Helps,
Greg