Going Direct.... Pedals Vs. Multi-Effects?

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

I'm happiest with a Strat or Tele plugged into a few pedals (overdrive, 'verb, trem) plugged into a good tube amp.

Hate those digital multi-effect things. I don't like spending time jabbing or spinning when I could be playing.

My mixing board has a lot of built-in effects, but I don't use any of them. Don't need 'em, don't want 'em.

I agree, My needs are based on a Solo act and minimal hauls out to the truck..
I would love to have a separate Tube Amp or? But it doesn't fit into the Light load idea
Plus the mixing headache(Vocal/PA-Guitar/amp) of having a separate amp..

This going direct is new to me also but so far I like it...As a Solo Act

[CASD57]

NUX MG30 is fine but all this thing is loaded with Celeb Tones??? How about just a BF Twin-SF Twin-Super Reverb-Tweed-Vox AC30 and AC15 etc..,
Not all these people I never heard of..Jeeesssssus

My Zoom G1Four isn't that far behind it in Tone...maybe not in flexibility but hey I only need 3-4 tones from basically the amps I listed above..

I need to figure out which pedal I should try next..Something that doesn't have bunch of weird sounds... Like "PONG" lol

In the defence of the MG30 it is easy to use... My problem is I get Tone deaf after trying to dig out a great tone for me... everything just sounds the same after awhile

Going to put it side by side with the Zoom in the next day or two to see how close it really is, maybe I'm just getting Sound-Shock lol

[abn556]

I have only individual pedals and try to keep it to a minimum of what actually gets used. I have boxes of pedals that are no longer in rotation and likely never will be. For now I use:

Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man Sun Face
Getter GHS 124
Strymon Blue Sky
Echoplex
Reinhardt ABY

Things I no longer use:

Cry Baby Wah
Deja Vibe
Chorus pedals of any make
Loopers
Blues Driver
Assorted Boss pedals


+

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by abn556

I have only individual pedals and try to keep it to a minimum of what actually gets used. I have boxes of pedals that are no longer in rotation and likely never will be. For now I use:

Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man Sun Face
Getter GHS 124
Strymon Blue Sky
Echoplex
Reinhardt ABY

Things I no longer use:

Cry Baby Wah
Deja Vibe
Chorus pedals of any make
Loopers
Blues Driver
Assorted Boss pedals


+

With me trying to go direct..I've got to have some kind of amp in a box..or multi-effect pedal at least.
After that, I wouldn't mind adding pedals separately so that I could pick and choose what I really want..

[GoPappy]

Have you considered the Quilter Superblock - either the US or UK edition? One of those plus your favorite pedals should get you close to the sound you're after.

[CASD57]

Originally Posted by GoPappy

Have you considered the Quilter Superblock - either the US or UK edition? One of those plus your favorite pedals should get you close to the sound you're after.

Hi
its powered... I'm running into a PA so I don't need a powered pedal.. Buit I do like the Quilter stuff

[bardsrback]

I've had the Line 6 Pod Go for a couple of years and been very happy with that. Lots of versatility and great tones plus a large, supportive community. Now I'm eyeing the new Fender Tone Master Pro which has a super intuitive interface and a few other features that would work well for me live. It's expensive but I'd sell my tone master amp and most likely the Pod Go to fund it.

[EZYPIKINS]

Get my fx from my mixer.

My only pet peeve going direct is, using a quality DI.

I prefer Radial JDI

[jonfields45]

I played my first gig using a Positive Grid Spark GO direct to the PA (a single QSC CP8 high and behind) last Friday (5-8pm shift indoors at a large winery facility). I was very happy with the tone and left my UA Dream 65 in a gig bag. I am using my guitar's volume control to go from clean rhythm to a nice light overdrive for solos or songs where I want crunchy rhythm. I do think the Dream is a way better 65 Deluxe Reverb, if slavish reproduction is your requirement.

Running the GO on its internal battery was a nice simplification of my setup. I used a summing cable of my design with 1K series resistors both right/left attached to the GO's headphone jack. I have found that the GO, like the Mini, does not like shorting Tip and Ring (left and right) together. This is regardless of whether you set the GO to stereo or mono. In mono mode the right channel is muted and mono output is on the left. Seems they could have put summing resistors on their PCB as low impedance headphones in the 8 ohm range would mean these resistors could be as low as 8 ohms... Open, short to ground, and left/right shorted together, compatibility are the norm these days for consumer electronic's headphone outputs.

A summing cable or true stereo connection to a PA is essential. This is kind of a pain... I have bought two of these (6' and 3') and they work perfectly and are a good Mini/GO headphone solution if you're not handy with a soldering iron.

https://www.castlineusa.com/index.ph...with-resistors

I did forget to mute my iPhone and my incoming text announcement came through the PA (once). I've got the GO connected as a Bluetooth speaker to my phone in addition to the app's Bluetooth connection. They are enabled separately and you don't need to have both.

Using the Positive Grid app on my iPhone was wonderful for small adjustments and tuning. The tuner is first class and obviously easy to see on an iPhone in any lighting condition.

The Go is light, compact, good sounding, has its own battery, a nice app worth getting to know, and plenty small to fit enough to fit in a guitar case or gig bag!

For house party no PA gigs I bring the Mini.

[FanoFan]

I was asked to play electric guitar for a large church a while back. I had never used anything but an amp before, but this was a silent stage situation. I ended up going with a Line 6 Pod Go modeler and have to say I absolutely love it, especially for P&W music where you are using a lot of effects. The Pod Go is an excellent option for a very reasonable price. More amps and effects on this thing than any mortal should ever need.

I've also compared the Mesa Lone Star Special model through a studio monitor side by side with my Mesa Lone Star Special, with identical settings, and they were almost indistinguishable from one another. The difference I did hear was very likely from the speaker difference between the monitor and the actual amp.

[Rolph]

I had a Zoom pedal when they first introduced them and it was Awful.
There's like 10 K different pedals now, so be patient.
I've been using: TC Elect chorus/flanger for true stereo, a Chandler tube driver from the early '80's, and just about any delay I connect, for decades.
It's really a good idea to discover and evolve your sound without effects, then add to taste. Good luck.

[CASD57]

Just went through two tube amps..BUt I'm coming back to the Direct Idea...I like the less stuff to haul...I'm running off a battery pack... So less is more for me..
So I need a pedal that sounds like a amp... I tried the UA Dream but it was noisey with my setup..

And my Joyo American has something wrong with it

Ideas?

[GoPappy]

I'd look at 3 different options (listed in ascending order of size):

1. Walrus ACS1. About $400, but I got mine used for a little more than 1/3 of that.
2. Quilter Superblock US. About $300, and this is an actual amp that will drive a speaker cabinet.
3. Pod Go Wireless. About $600, but this could be a truly one-and-done "pedal" with compression, reverb, delay, chorus, etc. all built in. No need for a pedal board, pedal board power supply or effects pedals . . . if you like what's already built into it.

I'm sure there are shortcomings to all of these. I like my ACS1, and it's all I need for now. But I'd sure like to try the Superblock US and the Pod Go.

[EZYPIKINS]

Unless I'm going wireless, (not very often) I just run into a Radial JDI and straight to the board.

Digital pedals like multi fx are like throwing a sleeping bag over your tone.

[6L6]

Here's what I use The Mosaic pedal is for 12 string songs I cover.

My acoustics all have K&K pups and I play into a Fishman Loudbox Performer amp.