Multi-Effects Query (BOSS Content)

[SPHDS]

Hello Fellow 'Chatters
Seen a fair few Boss ME series pedalboards for sale.....trouble is, almost all are 'guitar' boards (Bass ones seem rare and rather dear.....), would the guitar boards be usable with a four stringer.....?
I bought my father (a guitarist) an ME-70 (replaced an ME-6) which he is really impressed by, so though about getting in on the action.....so thoughts.....Pros/Cons.......?

Cheers
Sam

[skidder652003]

I've tried guitar multi effects pedals  in the past and found them a bit thin on bass TBH, I think you would be better getting one actually made for bass such as a zoom (which I have and have been very impressed with).

The dedicated bass pedals are much easier to get a decent tone straight out of the box, the zoom has some great bass amp and cab simulators already pre loaded such as Ampeg SVT,  Fender Bassman,  SWR,  Trace Elliot and Aguilar 750 and all the compressors, Drives etc are designed specifically for the low end and at £130 its cheaper than the boss.

Edited September 22, 2018 by skidder652003

[Newfoundfreedom]

Can't speak for the Boss, but I have a line 6 M13, and I find it great for the bass. In fact it's the only effects I use or need. 

Edited September 22, 2018 by Newfoundfreedom

[songofthewind]

I have a Zoom G3 which I have on my board after my B3n. I use it for modulated delays and reverbs, but it has para EQ just like its bass equivalent. Works great, doesn’t sound thin.

[Al Krow]

54 minutes ago, songofthewind said:

I have a Zoom G3 which I have on my board after my B3n. I use it for modulated delays and reverbs, but it has para EQ just like its bass equivalent. Works great, doesn’t sound thin.

Interested that you have both on your board - I would have assumed them to be alternatives?

I was just about to recommend that the OP also considers getting a B3n... 

 

[BigRedX]

When I first started using multi-effects units in my bass rig in the early 90s there weren't any dedicated bass ones so after trying all the available models I bought a Roland GP8. It did't sound thin in the slightest. After all several of the effects were based on Boss pedals that I and many other bassists of the time were using.

These days I use a Line6 Helix. Very few of the effects or amp models that I have in my many patches are bass specificc. In fact I think the only dedicated bass module I have is one of the amp models that I am using on 2 patches solely for the distortion sound the drive control gives me. 

For me that's the beauty of modern multi-effects units. Because they are digital there's no danger of damaging them as you might be able to do with the actual effects/amps/cabs by expecting them to reproduce bass frequencies at gig volumes. The worst that can happen is that your patch won't sound very good, in which case you can replace the crap sounding module with something else and try again.

[skidder652003]

2 hours ago, songofthewind said:

I have a Zoom G3 which I have on my board after my B3n. I use it for modulated delays and reverbs, but it has para EQ just like its bass equivalent. Works great, doesn’t sound thin.

well thats wee wee on my chips! 

[Skybone]

I've had a few MultiFX over the years, however, I'm more than happy with my current Line6 HD500x.

Yes, it's designed primarily for guitarists, but with the HD Bass Pack loaded up, it sounds great to my ears, and the effects are pretty good too.

A lot of people are saying very good things about the Line6 Helix too, with both Bass and Guitar.

The Boss GT-10B & GT-6B get good reviews too, but I would seriously look at something like the Zoom B3n or alternatively, an older B3.

[songofthewind]

As a guitar player, bass player and inveterate fiddler, I like to mix and match. Many of the FX in the G3 are also present in the B3, and in an updated form, the B3n, I believe.

The ones I like to mess with are not instrument dependent. In fact, the autowah in the G3 seems to me to sound better than the B3n equivalent, depending on which bass I use. Come to think of it, folk on here who like fuzz or distortion seem to like vintage guitar models, or a Rat or TS9. If it sounds good, it is good..

But of course I have to admit I listen with my eyes as well. Anybody remember Stanley Clarke playing through a Mesa Boogie combo? That just didn't look right to me!

[funky8884]

I’m taking a brave first step into multi effects and ordered a zoom MS-60B,  pmt selling them for £69 including postage on evilbay

[Al Krow]

4 hours ago, funky8884 said:

I’m taking a brave first step into multi effects and ordered a zoom MS-60B,  pmt selling them for £69 including postage on evilbay

Great first choice multi. IMO the best value multifx...actually blow that the best value ANY pedal, on the market today (and a great price you're getting it new for too!). 

Make sure to download the Tonelib editing software on your PC. It makes creating and editing patches both fun and a doddle. 

 

[songofthewind]

Plus 1 for Tonelib.

[funky8884]

1 hour ago, Al Krow said:

Great first choice multi. IMO the best value multifx...actually blow that the best value ANY pedal, on the market today (and a great price you're getting it new for too!). 

Make sure to download the Tonelib editing software on your PC. It makes creating and editing patches both fun and a doddle. 

 

I have heard about Tonlib, 

I will set up a few hpf and comp patches to start then have a play with the drives and amp sims 

 

[ead]

Pardon my extreme ignorance on these matters, my faily simple board has a tuner, chorus, distortion and an envelope filter (individually rather than together).  Can something like the B3n do this i.e. each of the apparently three units representing one of my pedals that I can turn on and off without having to do any tap dancing?  I get put off by the half inch thick manuals and loads of modelling stuff that I'm not interested in.

[Newfoundfreedom]

15 minutes ago, ead said:

Pardon my extreme ignorance on these matters, my faily simple board has a tuner, chorus, distortion and an envelope filter (individually rather than together).  Can something like the B3n do this i.e. each of the apparently three units representing one of my pedals that I can turn on and off without having to do any tap dancing?  I get put off by the half inch thick manuals and loads of modelling stuff that I'm not interested in.

Yup, me too. I had a boss multi effects pedal a few years ago and couldn't make hide nor hair of it, and everything I've ever tried with amp modelling just sounds awful. That's why I went with the line 6 M13, basically every foot switch is an individual and stand alone pedal, just like haven't a separate effects board. 

[songofthewind]

It’s very easy to set up three stomps in a row, which is exactly what I do. I can’t stand tap dancing and would use the B3n if it required me to do so.

To access the tuner, one press of the right handle paddle is required.

As stated above, I use it with another multi unit set up the same way, three stomps in a row, so I have six effects in a line. One patch cable between them. Simples.

[visog]

10 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

Yup, me too. I had a boss multi effects pedal a few years ago and couldn't make hide nor hair of it, and everything I've ever tried with amp modelling just sounds awful. That's why I went with the line 6 M13, basically every foot switch is an individual and stand alone pedal, just like haven't a separate effects board. 

I have the GT-1B and it's a mixed bag - not sure how it compares directly with the B3n (which may suffer from the same issues) but pros/cons:

• Delays and modulations - good
• Synths and tracking patches - glitchy to the point of unusable
• Octave and tone altering patches track much better
• Amp models - bass ones good BUT any high-gain ones start to get noisy and uncontrollable quickly
• Compressors - ok if used very subtlety - any more and they become clothy - some suffer from the gain introduction above
• Overdrives - same problem of gain and noise
• It does have good software for adjusting all these parameters but my unit whistles when connected to the PC. (A USB filter did not solve the problem.)

Up-shot is, chaining even a few effects gives you multiple EQ points and gains so that controlling your end signal becomes a challenge.

Also, Boss do not seem to promote it on their Tone Central sharing portal with only three 'artists' patch libraries shared - and only a few of these are any good.

Perhaps B3N users would comment by way of a comparison?...

[BigRedX]

11 hours ago, ead said:

I get put off by the half inch thick manuals and loads of modelling stuff that I'm not interested in.

Personally I wish high tech gear still came with half-inch thick manuals. The helix comes with a double-sided A3 sheet and a PDF of an out of date version of the manual on a USB memory stick. Quite how anyone with just a phone or a tablet as their "computing" device is supposed to get the best out of it I don't know.

As for modelling stop using your eyes and start using your ears. Currently my favourite amp and cab model on the Helix for the bass is the one of the Roland Jazz Chorus combo. In real life the puny 12" guitar speakers and open-backed cab design would make this totally unsuitable for bass guitar frequencies at any decent volume. However because it's just a digital representation of the real thing there is no risk of damaging anything, and as a result it sounds glorious!

Edited September 25, 2018 by BigRedX

[itsmedunc]

I only ever used guitar effects until recently (got an ME50B about 12 months ago). Still have the ME50 but our guitarist has nabbed it! To be honest I'd use them both if I could get the blummin thing back off him!