The Current State Of Multi Effects

I've written about multi-effects on here before, But there has been a lot of time in between now and then so here we are. What do I think about multi-effects? Well, I use to hate them. I had a pretty bad experience with them. I owned a few Digitech units. These were early 2000's and early on in my guitar playing. So I thought they would a good way to have lots of effects without going broke. And it was, what it wasn't was passable for live performance which is what I would later try to make it do. I would later attempt to use multi-effects with Marshall's line of amps before their current CODE line. Again, these left a lot to be desired. I blame these two experiences with the poor impression of multi-effects. It has been a long time since I have tried seriously use multi-effects. So let's take a look.

Line6 did a lot to turn the tide of multi-effects. The POD had a lot of serious users, but I never bought into it. It was too soon for me. I just had a bad taste in my mouth from Digitech. Also, it wasn't a pedal, so it wasn't cool enough. Then came the M series. The M series probably turned the tide on multi-effects. The large unit, M-13, could be your entire pedal board. It could also be a part of our pedal board. The M-13 probably pushed the limit in many respects. It was really expensive compared to other units. Despite that fact, the M-13 was extremely popular. There had been other "high-end" multi-effects" but the M-13 did so well that it renewed interest in premium multi-effects. Yes, Line6 ushered in the new era of multi-effect. Eventide and Strymon probably would be as successful if Line6 didn't help so many of us find faith in their ability again.

Today, multi-effects are again surging in popularity. Line6 have again pushed the boundaries. The Helix series has filled in a gap in the market. With the rise in popularity of high-end,multi-effects, all-in-one boxes, Line6 took what they do well and married it to super-detailed, high-fidelity effects processing. Headrush and Positive Grid both have products that compete with the Helix. Both of these companies have great products that basically changed the multi-effect game practically overnight. But what Line6 has done is married their experience with pedal making (love it or hate it) and the full weight of their multi-effect engineering. The product of all this was Helix.

Is the Line6 Helix the end-all-be-all of guitar effects? I don't know. I not trying to tell you that you need to buy a Helix. In fact, I not trying to say that the Helix is better than making a pedal board of all sorts of different pedals. But, these effects are doing so much more than they used to. Entire digital rigs that act more like their physical analogs than ever before. It all depends on what you want from your rig and how you use it. A guitarist that use a DAW could possibly replace their entire rig and silently record and still have a great product. Some will always love running through an amp and analog effects. There are less and less differences between the actual product, so what you use will depend on what you want from your effects. At the end of the day, Digital improving so much and so fast that soon it will be hard not include these effects.

NAMM 2018: Fender Mirror Image Digital Delay Pedal

If I asked you to imagine a Fender effects pedal what would it look like? Would you think of the vintage Fender Bender, or the recent line of micro pedals? Either way, you probably would picture what Fender brought to NAMM 2018. These sleek, brushed aluminum bodied effect are rather impressive coming from fender. While it is rare to see a brand have a successful line of guitars and effects, Fender wants provide everything from the instrument to your effects, to the amp you play through (not to mention Fender branded cables, tuners, picks, etc...) What is surprising is that these effect look like a solid offering. They look high quality, and from the demonstrations that available, they don't sound bad at all.




The Mirror Image is no lazy nock-off of a popular delay. It seems functional and well thought out. I can honestly say that this is the first Fender effect pedal that I've seriously considered purchasing. I'm sure we will find out more about the pedals as more people are able to review. This is a step is the right direction for Fender effects.

More Information:

Pugilist Distortion

The Pugilist Distortion features a dual circuit design that can provide a huge range of distortion tones, from light breakup through to fully-encompassing saturation.
The two circuits can be run independently and blended together, or cascaded (one running into the other) which can provide a thick saturation and a high degree of interactivity.

Dual Circuits

Each of the Pugilist's distortion circuits features tone and gain control to let you shape your sound to how you desire. The circuits can be operated in blend mode, which runs them in parallel and means you can blend both sounds together for an incredible amount of diversity. This mode is fantastic for achieving a nuanced distortion tone for riffing and complex chordal work.
In the Pugilist's Series Mode, the two distortion circuits are cascaded, and this has the effect of letting circuit A become a 'boost' into circuit 'B'. This mode lets you achieve a full-on saturation with thick sustain and dynamic articulation that is ideal for crushing rhythm sounds and liquid smooth lead guitar playing. A bass boost also lets you achieve a thick low-end response.

Professional Features

The Pugilist has a rugged and lightweight aluminium chassis with a brushed metal finish. This gives it both read-ready durability and a classy-aesthetic that can take pride-of-place on your pedalboard. The pedal is built by Fender who have a multitude of experience in amplifier design and you can be sure that this pedal will last a lifetime of gigging, rehearsing and recording.

Magnetic Battery Door & Jewel Light

The jewel LED light not only looks great, it also adds a handy on-stage visual indicator of the pedal's operation. The pedal has a clever battery compartment door; it has a magnetic latch which means you can easily change the battery with no fiddly screws to worry about.
This is a thoroughly professional pedal - both in tone and appearance - and would make a welcome addition to your pedalboard.

Features

• Dual circuit distortion pedal
• Dual circuits can be cascaded for thick saturation with great versatility
• Bass boost to bring back the low-end
• Series/blend lets you control the two circuits (parallel or series operation)
• Dual tone controls
• A very versatile pedal, with great interactivity between the two circuits
• Rugged anodized aluminium construction
• Classy brushed finish and jewel light
• Battery door with magnetic latching opening (no screws needed)
• Powered by 9V battery or DC

Specifications

• Effect Type: Distortion
• Controls: Tone A, Drive A, Tone B, Drive B, Blend (A/B), Blend/Series Toggle, Bass Boost Toggle (On/Off), Output Level, Bypass Footswitch
• Inputs: 1 x 1/4'' Instrument
• Outputs: 1 x 1/4'' Instrument
• Power Requirements: 9-Volt Battery or DC Negative AC Adaptor
• Power Consumption: 22mA
• Input Impedance: 1M ohm
• Output Impedance: 1k ohm
• Material: Anodized Aluminium
• Colour: Gold

Best Delay Under $50

A delay pedal is one of the most intimidating pedal-decision that a guitarist can make. There are endless features, staggering costs and tons of options. Despite this, a delay is a core effect on the pedalboard of most guitarist. The first time I bought a delay, I just asked the guy working at the guitar shop what the best one was. I bought it. And that was it. I spent over 200 dollars and luckily ended up with a great pedal that I enjoy, but I easily could have ended up with a turd. So here is a list of pedals that are cost-effective and useful.  If you are in the market for a "cheap" delay, then here is my list of the top eight pedals to take a careful look at.


Behringer DD600

This pedal is inspired by the BOSS DD6. Behringer has done a decent job of copying BOSS pedals. The feature list is nearly unheard of on a pedal in this price bracket. The availability of tap tempo and tons of different delay modes make this pedal a tempting pick. I'd encourage you to test one out. There are reports of noise with this pedal, so be sure to test drive before you buy.


Behringer EM600

This pedal is a long time favorite. This is based off the Line6 Echo Park. The Echo Park is still loved by a loyal set of fans. The Swell effect only made this pedal very desirable. Besides that, you have analog and tape filters included in this digital delay. Tap tempo and available Mod filters on your delay tails add a cherry on top. As of a few weeks ago, this pedal was difficult to get a hold of, so prices might top $50 on the used market, but keep an eye out for one of these.


Ibanez DE7

The Tonelok series from Ibanez was unfairly overlooked. Fortunately, you can still find these pedals relatively easy and for $50 or less. 2600ms with an available 'echo filter' give you plenty to play with. Solid metal enclosures are a plus over the plastic Behringer boxes, but the feature list takes a bit of a hit. Overall this pedal is a solid choice with few drawbacks. Not to mention the key feature of these pedals: the set-it and forget-it knobs. If you have a core sound you can lock it in and not worry about it getting knocked around.


Danelectric D-8 FAB Delay

This is one of the cheapest options for a standard type delay. At $25 this pedal is tempting to pick up just because. Obviously, there are limited features on this pedal, but it's a solid choice for bargain-ben prices. It has about 600ms of delay which is decent for half of some of the other pedals on this list. It's another plastic pedal, so it's not one to beat around. If you don't ask much from your delay and want to save some money this one might be one to consider.


DigiTech Digidelay

This is another full-featured delay that has come and gone. Although you can't pick one up new from the store, there are plenty out there to be had. Up to 4 seconds of delay and handful of useful modes, including looping, make this a top contender for best delay under $50. The used market goes up and down, but you can find these hanging around $50 fairly common. All this and tap tempo make this a must watch.


TC Electronic Prophet

Fair new to the market is the TC Prophet. This is a simple digital delay. The most impressive features of this pedal are structural. Top jacks and super-solid construction make this pedal impressive just to hold. Features wise, this pedal doesn't really impress. There are three modes, but they aren't extremely useful. For being one of the most impressive on this list, the features of the actual delay doesn't seem impressive, but this pedal probably has the best "feel" on the list. Street price on these pedals is $60, but I've caught them on sale for well under $50.


Behringer VD400

Another bargain is the Vintage delay from Behringer. Plastic? Check. But you get the feel of an analog delay for under $30. Your delay time is limited, but if you don't like the D-8 but want to find a bottom dollar delay, then give this pedal a try. This is another one you want to test drive. Find a local dealer is see if it's right for you.


TC Electronic Echobrain

Everything that you can say for the Prophet you can say for the Echobrain. The delay time is limited, but it's built like a tank and the delay sounds great. This is probably the best/interesting sounding delay on the list. While the digital delays do their best to sound like analog, this pedal delivers on the authentic analog sound. It's a little on the dark side, but that's what the appeal of these pedals is. Dark, dirty delays are what this pedal does. Again, the list price is over the limit, but if you want to check one out, then wait until they go on sale and snap one up.

WHAT NOT TO BUY:

JOYO Digital Delay

This pedal did not make the list, but I thought that I'd put it on this post in case you were looking at inexpensive delays. This pedal has an issue with passing signal while in bypass. Don't buy this pedal. There are better options. In my opinion, every pedal is a better choice than this one. This pedal also goes by the name "Time Space" but I'm pretty sure it is the same pedal. Check out the full review of this pedal here.



Conclusion

These pedals aren't in any kind of order. All of these pedals are worth a look if you want to spend minimal dough. I've played all these pedal personally and tried to share some useful information to help you make your delay decision. There are several from Behringer. I don't particularly like their pedals, but they have a large list of inexpensive pedals. So, what do think? Did I miss any pedal that should have been on the list? Leave it in the comments below!