Effect Floorboard Question

[Billygoat]

Hey Everyone,

If it is inappropriate to ask about this, please let me know. I am wanting to buy a nice effects floorboard/processor doodad and wanted some opinions. I am mostly considering either the Boss GT-6B or the Korg AX-3000B. I tried that new Line 6 Pod XT Live or whatever that one is and didn't like it very much. I'm not very keen on Line 6 stuff at all. I have owned floorboards in the past and just wasn't very happy with their sound quality. I had a zoom (forget which model) and a Digitech BP200. I traded them both in eventually for other stuff as I just didn't like their sound. They had a few great sounds but were quite thin and digital sounding. I owned those about 5 years ago. I had a discussion with a fellow that I deal with at my local music store who said that he thinks the multi effect processors have come a long way in the last couple of years because the digital resolution is getting so much better etc which makes sense to me. The quality of digital products seems to have drastically gone up lately. Computer recording is an excellent example.

Anyway, what I want to know is whether any of you own either of these units or if anyone has tried both of them and what they think. I play in kind of an ambient instrumental metal band so I'm itching to get my feet on one of these. I read on the Korg site that the 3000B has the ability to assign the expression pedal to an effect parameter which I think is an absolutely brilliant idea. Delay makes the craziest sounds when you tweak the parameters while playing and I think that would be rad.

Any opinions on these would be much appreciated. I haven't had much luck finding reviews on the Korg unit. The boss seems to get pretty good reviews.

Thanks,
The Goat

[kaaikop]

Just my 2 cents...

I had one of those GT-6B... Hated it (I also had tried the digitech's & line 6).
Those things just didnt work for me, they were affecting my sound (in a bad way)
and found them way too complicated. Yes if you are a very patient kind, you can
program your things, but as soon as you change something (bass, amp, room,
etc.) have to do it all over again. That's just not for me.

I ended going back to the little Boss pedals (chorus, flanger, octaver, etc.)
to me, they sound more "analog" and less "digital", plus they are so easy to
use. They do the trick when a little effect is required.

I'm sure you'll get lots of great advise on here! good luck!

[Billygoat]

Thanks for the feedback Kaaikop. Much appreciated! I can surely understand your point on changing rooms etc. I would tend to think however that once you've adjusted your amp's settings and eq for the room which you just about inevitably have to do, the effect would sound appropriate. Adjusting your effects to suit the venue would be very frustrating but i think amp tweaks can take care of your sound on a more global level. Maybe I'm wrong. I've never used effects at gigs before.

[adouglas]

Yes if you are a very patient kind, you can
program your things

There's a good point there about programming.

I didn't reply to this thread right off because I'm a Line6 user, and you've already eliminated that brand.

I've had a few of these, but until I got my BassPODxt they were all of the low-end variety (Zoom 506, Pandora PX4B).

Here's my $0.02 on all such units (including the Line6):

1) Of the zillion factory preset sounds, all but about two are useless rubbish, designed as far as I can tell to make newbies go "ooh, ahh" in the store. This is true regardless of manufacturer or unit.

2) In order to get good results, you must (MUST) dive into and understand the logic behind the controls so that you can tweak it to suit yourself.

3) Once you get past (2) you can get very good results indeed.

I like the Line6 for two reasons. First, the interface is very logical and intuitive once you figure it out. Second, saving and selecting setups is dead easy, unlike some other units I've tried.

Here's an example. I have a default setup I've created that I like a lot. One night we started playing a song that required me to have a heavy, overdriven tone that was boosted above the level of the rest of the band. I went over to my BassPOD, turned up the "drive" knob until I got some really nice overdrive, set the overall level to give good results, and saved it to a new location (a different button on the floorboard). The entire process took, oh, about a minute. Off we went...original setup intact, new overdriven setup ready to go at the tap of a button.

I've not tried either of the other two units you're interested in. But based on my experience, you're not going to get a good idea of whether you like them or not unless you really do your homework and understand what's going on before you buy them. Consider downloading the manuals and studying them, then going to the store and playing around for half an hour.

[Billygoat]

More very good points. I definitely hear ya and I understand that these things are not for people without patience. I have no problems learning the depths of their programming but I'm sure that they are not created equally as far as the sounds they can produce. I think the companies making these are starting to learn that people don't want to go through hours of programming these as I've noticed they seem much more "twist some knobs and save" these days. I'm mostly concerned about the quality of the sounds they have to offer. I'll definitely be doing my best to try them both out in depth before picking one. Just wanted to know if anyone had some experience with them.

Thanks Guys!

[syciprider]

Hi!

I got rid of 15 something stomps and bought a GT6B.

AFAI can tell, it doesn't color my sound.

I never use the pre because I like the sound of my amps.

I took the time to learn and program all the songs I play with effects. Took about two hours total and I never have to tweak knobs anymore regardless of how many times I transport the unit.

I like how I can, with one stomp, get all the effects I need for a song (for example, a trem+chorus+env filter+reverb, in that order). Thus, a working musician can load patches in the order that they appear in the set list and just be a stomp away from the next bank of effects he or she needs. Or even use two banks of effects within the same song.

I picked the GT6B for the harmonist and pitch bending feature which the Line 6 does not have. They're great for copping a 12 string bass.

Just a comment about Line6's modeling prowess. A few established musicians in Talkbass mistook the Variax P bass model for the real thing in a very eye opening poll.

[adouglas]

Just a comment about Line6's modeling prowess. A few established musicians in Talkbass mistook the Variax P bass model for the real thing in a very eye opening poll.

I originally got my BassPODxt just for effects, because I was using a pre-Fender SWR Grand Prix preamp-based rig at the time and didn't need any of the amp models.

When I was considering using a Bose L1 system (formerly called the PAS) to replace my rig, I decided to try the amp models out in the interest of reducing the amount of gear I had to lug.

I played around with all the amp models without paying attention to what they were supposed to be emulating, judging only by ear and a/b-ing against my own rig.

The model I settled on turned out to be the SWR model. I'm happy with it.

FWIW.

[Aussie Mark]

bought a GT6B.

AFAI can tell, it doesn't color my sound.

I never use the pre because I like the sound of my amps.

I also bought a GT-6B when they first came out, and found that it didn't color my sound. However, since I had no need for the amp modelling section or the preamp (but would be a nice option for a no-rig, direct to PA gig), and the LCD menus were a pain to navigate, I "downgraded" to a ME-50B, which is easy to tweak on stage and switch between settings, without any menu navigation.

[Randracula]

I also bought a GT-6B when they first came out, and found that it didn't color my sound. However, since I had no need for the amp modelling section or the preamp (but would be a nice option for a no-rig, direct to PA gig), and the LCD menus were a pain to navigate, I "downgraded" to a ME-50B, which is easy to tweak on stage and switch between settings, without any menu navigation.

Is the bypass just as good on the ME-50B as it is on the GT6B ?

[Aussie Mark]

Is the bypass just as good on the ME-50B as it is on the GT6B ?

Yes, I can't notice any coloration at all, and the bypass is noiseless.

[roballanson]

I ended going back to the little Boss pedals (chorus, flanger, octaver, etc.)
to me, they sound more "analog" and less "digital", plus they are so easy to
use. They do the trick when a little effect is required.

I'm sure you'll get lots of great advise on here! good luck!

Me too. I have what the band call the flight deck. Boss pedal board with chorus, flanger, auto wah, distortion, tuner and a compression pedal (hate it and its for sale). But that does me. I did not like having to scroll through menus and prat about. All I do is just set the dial and go....

[LeftyLB]

I have had the Line6 BASS PODXT Live for about a year.

Best thing I ever bought. Not everyone's Cup of Rosey, but I really got stuck in to getting to grips with it. My brother has the Guitar version, so do 3 guitar deps we use.

I would get a Variax Bass if they only did it left handed. From what I have seen they are awesome - at least for your covers band type bassist who is willing to admit that it is not illegal to use non EB products! ;-)