BOSS ME-25 Multi effects

[Ger the man]

Picked up one of these today for 200euro (living in Ireland) and am learning the ins and outs of it. It kinda struck me, why would anyone pay the best part of 200 euro for one or maybe two pedals when you can get a whole lot more with this? Am I missing something here because I already have a BOSS DD6 and a CH-1 and I cant see any difference?

Im playing through a VOX AD50 bypassing the on board eq and was thinking about a new amp.

Cheers

[kiteman]

I guess it's personal preference but stand alones tends to have better circuits while MFXs are consolated into a chip.

I like my MFXs fine though.

[tunghaichuan]

I've been thinking of picking one of these up.

How is the reverb?

I'm trying to decide if I want to get ride of my Boss DD-7 and RV-5 pedals and replace them with an ME-25.


Picked up one of these today for 200euro (living in Ireland) and am learning the ins and outs of it. It kinda struck me, why would anyone pay the best part of 200 euro for one or maybe two pedals when you can get a whole lot more with this? Am I missing something here because I already have a BOSS DD6 and a CH-1 and I cant see any difference?

Im playing through a VOX AD50 bypassing the on board eq and was thinking about a new amp.

Cheers

[Ger the man]

Well like I say Im just getting to grips with it now thanks to various youtube demo's and I have to say I love the sounds you can get from it. The reverb is good, im ruuning it through a vox ad50 vt which has built in tones but the BOSS is in a league of its own, so far so good.

[Eric]

I guess it's just personal preference. Some people like to be able to reroute their pedals in any order, have separate controls for everything, etc.

I tend to be with you. When I want to do effects stuff, I have a Boss ME-50 that covers pretty much everything I need.

[MAXIFUNK]

I have this pedal as well almost a year still learning my way around it but the best part of this pedal is the USB connection to your PC or laptop for backing tracks and storing tones and settings plus cakewalk software. Its the most complete package you can buy in that price range for any pedal not just MFX pedal. Plus the tones are fantastic and very tweekable.
I highly recommend this pedal.

[tunghaichuan]

I have this pedal as well almost a year still learning my way around it but the best part of this pedal is the USB connection to your PC or laptop for backing tracks and storing tones and settings plus cakewalk software. Its the most complete package you can buy in that price range for any pedal not just MFX pedal. Plus the tones are fantastic and very tweekable.
I highly recommend this pedal.

Maxi,

Again, how is the reverb? I've looked at the manual and it looks like there are only two modes, neither of which is modulated, which is the best thing about the Boss RV-5 pedal. I was thinking of ditching my last remaining Boss pedals in favor of the ME25, but maybe keeping the RV-5. I listened to some samples on the Boss/Roland site, but was not impressed with their patches. Of course, like most multifx processors, it seems as though each player needs to tweak them individually.

BTW, there is a $25 rebate from Boss for the ME25 until 3/31.

[Eric]

Maxi,

Again, how is the reverb? I've looked at the manual and it looks like there are only two modes, neither of which is modulated, which is the best thing about the Boss RV-5 pedal. I was thinking of ditching my last remaining Boss pedals in favor of the ME25, but maybe keeping the RV-5. I listened to some samples on the Boss/Roland site, but was not impressed with their patches. Of course, like most multifx processors, it seems as though each player needs to tweak them individually.

BTW, there is a $25 rebate from Boss for the ME25 until 3/31.
What do you mean by modulated reverb? I've been thinking about a reverb pedal for a while, so it would be useful info to know.

If you'd like, I'd probably be willing to sell you my ME-50.

[MAXIFUNK]

Maxi,

Again, how is the reverb? I've looked at the manual and it looks like there are only two modes, neither of which is modulated, which is the best thing about the Boss RV-5 pedal. I was thinking of ditching my last remaining Boss pedals in favor of the ME25, but maybe keeping the RV-5. I listened to some samples on the Boss/Roland site, but was not impressed with their patches. Of course, like most multifx processors, it seems as though each player needs to tweak them individually.

BTW, there is a $25 rebate from Boss for the ME25 until 3/31.

You know I have never messed around with the reverb on that pedal at all since my amp has spring reverb built in. I play around with tonight and get back to you.

[Duffy]

I replaced my simple but cool Danelectro Corned Beef reverb pedal with a Hardwire RV7 and it is a real decent reverb pedal, offering several different styles of reverb with controlable parameters.

Even though I use multipedals, I have some good individual pedals, including my Boss Tremolo pedal that I like a lot for the rotary speaker type sound - sort of anyway. I have some other stand alone overdrive pedals and reverbs, like my Bad Monkey which is in my opinion a real good overdrive pedal. I also like my Wasabi overdrive and distortion pedals. The convenience of multipedals is really handy though.

A great deal of the time I just plug my guitar straight into the amp and enjoy the tone of a decent guitar thru a decent tube amp. This I often find very rewarding and it seems that I have a more direct connection between myself and my guitar and the sound I get this way. Seems sometimes like the pedals decrease the sensitivity of the attack and the ability to convey delicate nuances in my sound - the sensitivity is like blocked out and replaced with the digital footprint of what the pedal wants to do to the sound.

This Line Six HD500 is a lot of fun though and it offers some very good sounds for every type of guitar I have played thru it. I'm using my P90 Duncan Designed telecaster with maple fretboard right now and getting some great sounds and some quiet ones as well as some raw P90 ones. This is a real fun multipedal.

[deeaa]

A great deal of the time I just plug my guitar straight into the amp and enjoy the tone of a decent guitar thru a decent tube amp. This I often find very rewarding and it seems that I have a more direct connection between myself and my guitar and the sound I get this way. Seems sometimes like the pedals decrease the sensitivity of the attack and the ability to convey delicate nuances in my sound - the sensitivity is like blocked out and replaced with the digital footprint of what the pedal wants to do to the sound.

Ain't that the truth! I always did that, every few months I'd just plug straight to the amp and them kick myself in the head for never getting the same sound with pedals in between ;-)

I gotta tell you, the CM Octaswitch has really been a savior in that respect. It really removes pretty much all the 'pedal suck' effect.

I haven't used a reverb in my amp in years and years. I have these Boss Se-50 mfx units that have a VERY good stereo reverb, lush, thick and non-digital sounding, but they need a loop to be used anyway, and I would not want to mix rack gear with my head and pedals > too complex. I have tried a few rev pedals, a Tech-21 one and a Digitech Digiverb, which both sounded very artificial, mostly so that the adjust was like you either didn't know it was on or then it was too much reverb already. My friend had an Electro-Harmonix verb pedal though and that sounded real nice.

It'd be nice to try and find a decent verb pedal again, but, I dunno, the Ceria with the stereo cab has this kinda reverby depth to it anyhow, so I haven't really missed one at all.

[Eric]

It'd be nice to try and find a decent verb pedal again, but, I dunno, the Ceria with the stereo cab has this kinda reverby depth to it anyhow, so I haven't really missed one at all.
I do find this every once in awhile -- when I'm actually playing parts that need reverb (softer, cleaner, sustained, more sparse), I can frequently hear some sort of reverb-ish effect, even if I'm playing bone-dry. I swear, even when going direct and doing headphone monitoring, I still get it sometimes. I might just be nuts, but I've convinced myself of it before.

That said, reverb is on my short list of pedals to add: 'verb, volume, OD, and another delay.

[deeaa]

I believe the pseudo-reverb effect comes from the very complex layered harmonics of the 100% tube amp, combined with minute differences in intonation and guitar harmonics, and then the cab resonances between the different types of speakers in it reacting at slightly different times. It doesn't come through very well when recording the amp, but live, you could swear there is some sort of very slight reverb going on...I've always regarded it as a mark of a really good amp that it has a sound and depth of is own that is more than just the sound a speaker reproduces; the whole thing vibrates, radiates and oozes harmonics every way, and that is something I just can't get on tape, and what you can only get live with a real good amp setup and a guitar that is naturally responsive and not some dead piece of plywood.

[MAXIFUNK]

You know I have never messed around with the reverb on that pedal at all since my amp has spring reverb built in. I play around with tonight and get back to you.

Work has gotten in way of my life thus far this week I'll make time tonight.

[Duffy]

I must admit I like that wavering type tone I can sometimes hear from a good amp. It sounds almost like a slow shallow tremolo unit. That's how I like my tremolo units set, by the way, slow and shallow so I get what sounds close enought to me to a rotary speaker to make me happy.

I would love to have a Leslie rotary speaker cabinet. I see they make a guitar amp rotary speaker version. Wonder how it sounds? I think it is sixty watts but I'm not sure if it's tube or not.

I have heard of guys hooking up old fashioned Leslie rotary speaker cabs up to guitar amps and getting real good effects. I wonder how that would sound? I think Jimmy Page had one hooked up for some of his sounds.

It sure sounds nice hooked up to a Hammond B3 organ.