Guitar Tricks presents The Benefits of Multi-Effects Pedals

(This article comes from our friends at GuitarTricks.com – check out their site for tons of guitar-related tips and tricks!!)

Guitar Tricks presents The Benefits of Multi-Effects Pedals

By Shawn Leonhardt for Guitar Tricks and 30 Day Singer, the original platform for online guitar lessons.

Years ago stand-alone guitar pedals were the gold standard and the way to go if you wanted the right sound. In the past decade though technology has improved to create digital processing and modeling signal changes that are almost the same as analog gear. Even many professional musicians are making changes and streamlining their workflow thanks to all the benefits of multi-effects guitar pedals.

Everybody Still Loves Analog Pedals

We all know that analog, tube, and older tech has a warm vibe, great crunch when needed, and for many musicians sounds better. Stand-alone guitar pedals are great as you can fine tune sound with one specific effect and they were the original effects units for many years.

However single stompboxes need power, more space on a pedalboard, they get heavy, and soon can add up to being a bit of a pain. As great as they sound, the average listener is not going to know the difference, so in many cases it will be beneficial to have the lighter, more convenient, and flexible digital effects. Stand-alone pedals sound incredible, no argument there, but sometimes multi-effects are just easier!

Great For Beginner Guitar Players

If you are a completely new guitar player and really don’t understand the difference between analog, digital, modeling, and more terms, then a multi-effects unit is the right choice for you. Even entry level multi-effects units will have all necessary signal changes you need.

Tuners for getting started
Dynamic and frequency effects like compressors and equalizers
Gain and boosting for overdrive and distortion
Time based changes like reverb, delays, and echo
Modulation effects such as chorus, flanger, phaser, and more
Pitch Shifters and other harmonizing signal changes

A lower budget multi-effects unit will come packed with all sorts of effects to get a starting guitarist going. And one of the best benefits of digital pedals for beginners is that they often have presets that allow you to play different music genres and styles. If you must still learn guitar, keep your pedals and effects simple at first!

Multi-Effects Pedals Are Lighter on the Budget

The budget is one of the best benefits to multi-effects guitar pedals, if stand-alone pedals were cheaper we would all buy them all the time. They sound great, are colorful, and more boutique pedals are on the market that have more than one effect. However many do not have a realistic budget that entails owning many small pedals. For most, the digital pedal with various effects is the best financial decision to make.

Of course the multi-effects pedals also come in a range of prices, the more you spend the better the features. Smaller ones will just have different effects to choose from, while larger pricey ones will have pedals for expression and volume and even potential looping abilities. If possible try to budget for one that has a few different stomp sections and a volume pedal on the side.

There Are Way More Guitar Effects to Choose From

The greatest benefit of multi-effects pedals vs stand-alone is the amount of signal changes one can choose from. Whether you are trying to match a tone of another guitarist or experimenting with new sounds the possibilities are endless with many digital pedals. Even the lower cost models have a lot to choose from. A beginner with a small digital pedal and amp modeler can create a ton of cool songs in various genres.

Analog and stand-alone pedals are known for their powerful sound sculpting abilities, but digital allows for faster changes and more opportunity in our playing. Sometimes it’s nice to turn on a backing rhythm and just randomly pick through digital effects until you happen upon a new idea or riff!

Playing Live Guitar Is Much Easier

As mentioned in the beginning many professional artists are embracing digital effects, amp modeling, and other modern forms of altering their guitar signal. While purists feel betrayed, the fact is that a multi-effects unit is easier to move, carry, and assemble. A stand-alone pedalboard has way more pieces and parts to deal with when off and on stage.

Granted if you are playing very heavy gigs with lots of people you will want the top-of-the-line multi-effects unit with analog simulation. Otherwise there are many great brands that will be suitable for a local gigging guitarist. They will find that simplicity and convenience are more appropriate then chasing a specific sound.

Multi-Effects Units Are Great for Home and Studio Recording

Besides being easier to play live shows, create new music, and practice; these effects units also help in home recording and studio work, just like on stage it is also more convenient at home. The most modern multi-effects units even connect with DAWS and are easier to record with as opposed to stand-alone pedals. In most cases they will work seamlessly with your computer.

One common benefit of the multi-effects guitar pedal is how helpful it is to the creative musician. Whether you are experimenting to create new riffs or songs, playing a live show you have practiced, or making your own music; digital effects help the musician who may have a lower budget do more than they ever dreamed.

Expensive Multi-Effects Pedals Have Incredible Features

While there are many reasonably priced units to choose from, some are also very fancy. As the digital pedals get more amazing we are seeing more features than just guitar signal effects. In some cases these pedals are almost mini recording studios now! A guitar player can have thousands of choices of delays, crunch, spaced out vibes, and record and edit it all on a looper. Once you have seen what they can do, you realize stand-alone pedals aren’t always the better choice.

If you can benefit from a multi-effects guitar pedal it is a great idea to get one, the convenience, flexibility, and lower budget is perfect for most people taking guitar lessons. Along with that you will have thousands of sonic textures to pick and play, but regardless of pedal style there is always plenty of sound exploration to do. Whether you get a multi-effects or stand-alone pedal just be sure to learn all you can about operating it. That way you get the most use out of any guitar pedal!

_________

Affiliate Links:
Sweetwater – https://sweetwater.sjv.io/MX05KP
StewMac – https://stewmac.sjv.io/P0X7BQ
Perfect Circuit – https://bit.ly/3pHpS6P
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3FN04Mq