Custom Pedal Boards vs BOSS GT-10

Which is best? Stomp box effects or a multi-effector like the BOSS GT-10? If you are gigging a lot this summer, here's how to make the call. Left Keeley's Fuzz Head and Digitech's - Scott Ian Signature multi effect pedal.

One of the main travel issues bands have to contend with is portability and weight. My acoustic rig consists of: A Fender Passport PD-500, (mixer is built in), an Audio-Technica Wireless Guitar System & AE5400 condenser vocal mic, Fender Wireless Headworn Mic, BOSS Dr. 3 Drum & Bass Machine, T.C. Helicon mic preamps, Martin D-16 and HD-28 acoustic guitars with pick ups, Autoharp with pickup.

My electric rig hauls a: Tech21 NYC Trademark 60 guitar amp, Fender Stratocaster, Keeley Fuzz Head, Keeley Compressor, BOSS Digital Delay, Ibanez WD-7 Wah Pedal OR the BOSS GT-10 with the same mics and sound support systems as listed above. So you can see that I can get most of all the same effects and more in the signal chain that I wish with the BOSS GT-10.

Still there is a place for home grown pedal boards. Most bands either have them custom made or set them up themselves such as the one here below by Jon Falk, a guitarist for the band 40Winx.

Home Grown Pedal Boards

You can see here that Jon has his pedals in the order he prefers and spaced for easy access during the set. The Volume pedal is over on the left but many guitarists have their Wah / Volume pedals on the opposite side of the board on the right. Still this is the beauty of making your own. One size does not fit all and this guitarist's preferences come first. The result? Mr. Falk was hitting his switches with ease and confidence throughout the concert. This band does many classic rock covers from the Beatles to Fleetwood Mac to Neil Diamond to the Black Crowes. When you have to cover that many styles, these pedals are almost a necessity to capturing the original "tone" of the guitar leads. With out them, a cover band could not pull off the "flavor" of the song they are trying to recreate.


BOSS GT-10 Multi-Effector

The BOSS GT-10 offers some of the same options as a custom or hand made pedal board. For example, you can order the pedals in a specific sequence or allow BOSS to do it for you by using one of the factory presets. Notice too that the volume/expression pedal is over on the right. If that is not to your liking, well you're sort of stuck with it!

Another thing that I noted with the BOSS GT-10 is that while many of the 400 + presets are good, they will often vary in volume. You'll be playing Texas Crunch and then switch to another preset and have a huge drop off in volume. So switching effortlessly between presets as shown in the BOSS videos is really just hype. Some of the presets are so much hotter than the others that they can cause major feedback should you want to plug in an acoustic. This even happens when you are trying the ultra clean channels.

The Wrap

You really have to judge for yourself which option is best. I like the fact that the GT-10 is a all-in-one multi-effector with more cabinets, amps, modeling and effects than I'll ever use. Still, it has its limitations. If you can keep it clean and sweet, I would recommend building your own pedal board for the road and powering it with a Voodoo Lab Pedal Power II. This will mean, no surprises and you will most likely be more comfortable finding and hitting the switches you yourself have put in place. Read our down and dirty article on how to build your own pedal board with tips on sequencing your pedals right here: Guitar Pedals Get the Effect & check this video below showing some of the features of the BOSS GT-10.

Eclectic Sound TV's HD Video Demo of the BOSS GT-10

BOSS GT-10 and DigiTech's RP-90

The BOSS GT-10 road-ready to rock!

Case by Tarcase Co., custom made in the USA

On the Floor...in Your Face!

One of the most outrageously fun things we've done this summer is check out the NEW BOSS GT-10 and DigiTech's RP Series of on-the-floor guitar multi-effectors. Having had experience with the BOSS DR-3 Drum & Bass Machine plus their BR1200CD Digital Recording Studio, this was an easy transition as the GT-10 is light-years more simple to use than any other BOSS gear I've worked with. The same goes for my owning DigiTech's VL2 and VL4 Vocalist Live line of signal processors. Kudos for both companies for making their units user-friendly without hauling out the phone book sized manuals BOSS is especially known for.

So how do these multi-effectors stack up, especially since in our last issue, we showed how to construct your own pedal board? I'll be honest. No multi-effector can replicate the tone and subtle nuances of your favorite pedal. On the up-side, these multi-effectors offer something of their own but you need to appreciate them for what they are and what they are not. First off, they are not boutique pedals. The Keeley Compressor and Fuzz Head boxes we tested are in a class all their own....really. You can even tweak the Keeleys for even more control over your individual sound. These are the originals upon which the analogs in the floor multi-effectors are based. In other words, manufacturers will try to approximate an electronic copy of the sound of your favorite effects pedals, cabinets, amps and pickups. They can get close but there's nothing like the real thing!

Well, what are you getting with a multi-effect unit like the GT-10 and the RP-90? Quite frankly, a lot. The GT-10 offers something like 198 presets with storage space for 400 of patches giving you everything from dirty to clean to weird with some effects I've never even heard of. One of the other students in my guitar class brought in his DigiTech RP-70, (a model below the RP-90), and it made his guitar sound like a pro-recording studio demo. The effects that he got from that little box were off-the-hook, incredible. Now while I really respect a tone snob's right to be picky, I think the floor multi-effectors have a place in a musician's arsenal of gig-tricks. For

example, you have an early morning radio show and want to

play live on the air with the station's DJ. Good enough but I know from experience that most radio station sound booths are very small. There's barely enough space for the broadcasting equipment, let alone you. If you think you are going to bring your full rig in to set up, think again! In this case the DigiTech RP-90, shown here to your right, would be perfect. It is very small but gives you 12 amp/cab models, 6 distortion models and 32 effects, 50 presets plus a drum machine. The sound quality of your multi-effector, like anything else is going to depend on your amp. We used a Behringer 45 watt amp, a Roland SA-300 Stage Amp, (350 watts) and a Crate GX-20M guitar amp, (20 watts) for a stereo mix. Therefore we had plenty of top and bottom end to allow them both to fully express themselves. I've done an instrumental recording with the GT-10 and it was as easy as plugging in the 1/4 jack cables into the back of the recorder. The results were impressive.

The GT-10 has the advantage of being a bit more box than the RP-90 but it is also cost about $400 dollars more! The GT-10 also has USB/MIDI capabilities, a parallel effects chain and a sound on sound 38 second phrase looper. I recently heard Phil Keaggy use a loop station in his performance and all I can say is you need to get one! The GT-10 is also quite heavy, built like a tank and something you'll appreciate in the long run. You'll need a serious flight case for the BOSS unit while the DigiTech RP-90 can be popped into a padded gig bag without much fuss. The sound of both pedals was quite impressive, (each has an onboard tuner), and I would not hesitate to gig with either in a live concert. In fact, I've seen a BOSS GT-8 on stage at a major rock concert and it was doing the job. In practical terms, if you like to experiment or cover music that requires more than a few pedals, either of these would be a great investment with a strong lean towards the GT-10. You're getting so many boxes and effects in one easy to use unit. We recommend Spectraflex braided pedal cables as their shielding helps prevent problems before they start. We used them to connect a send-return effect, that is a Keeley Compressor to the GT-10 showing that you can insert an individual pedal if you want. For more information, visit the websites below or check the banner ads on your left.

BOSS GT-10 Price: $499.00 http://www.bossus.com/

DigiTech's RP-90 Price: $99.95 http://www.digitech.com/

Spectraflex Cables Price : $17.99 http://www.spectraflex.com

Fall Features: We're currenlty on the road through Christmas but will be doing our "Best Guitar Gear for 2009" list and "Your Home Recording Studio" due out this autumn!

Guitar Pedals...Get the Effect Part III!

PHOTO: Custom road cases like these allow you to transport your individual pedals or floor multi-effector unit safely and securely. Once at the gig, simply lift the lid, plug in and play... right out of the case. Easy! Left to right: BOSS Digital Delay, BOSS Super Chorus, Keeley Fuzz Head, Keeley Compressor, Ibanez WD-7 Wah, BOSS TU-2 Tuner, in the back VooDoo Lab's Pedal Power II Plus. Fatso Flex Silent Plug Guitar Cable & Pedal Cables by Spectraflex. Pedal Board Case by Tarcase Co. USA. Guitar, Fender Strat.

Now we are going show you how to set up and transport your own custom pedal board with the individual pedals we're reviewed in Parts I and II. Likewise, you'll need to know the best way to power your individual pedals and effects rather than constantly buying 9 volt batteries or dragging along an adapter for each effect.

The Chain of Effects:

Now, you have these great pedals, distortion, phaser, digital delay, reverb, etc. ready to rock. Maybe you started out with a few but now you have a small herd you'd like to put to work. There are some basics, (not written in stone mind you), that will make sense as you daisy chain these pedals together. So from your guitar to your amp, you're going to have a set pattern in mind so that each effect can shine and allow the others to do their job as well. Here is a common set up for your pedals according to what they do:

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Guitar > Buffer, i.e. TU-2 Tuner > Wah Pedal > Compressor > Distortion/Overdrive> Chorus/Tremolo/Flanger/Phaser > Delay / Reverb > Amp

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If you use a volume pedal, that would fit in before your delay or reverb or next to last effect in your effects chain to the amp. This is so the fadeouts continue to decay after the volume is cut. Compressors are actually amplifiers and will increase the content of whatever is before them in the signal chain. Modulation pedals include chorus / tremolo / flangers and phasers. Since chorus likes to work on the entire tone, putting it before the overdrive or distortion will end up distorting the whole sound. When used after the distortion / overdrive, the tone is balanced. This is a basic set up according to many touring pros. You can and should experiment to switch things up for your own signature effect. Still, to optimize the individual characteristics of the effects you are using, this is pretty much the way it goes.

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Pedal & Guitar Cables

Your pedal cables are just as important as your guitar cables. Noisy, poor connections will rob your guitar from the tone all these stomp boxes want to offer. That doesn't have to happen. I use Spectraflex's, Fatso-Flex Silent Plug guitar cables which were voted into the winner's circle of best cables in this year's Guitar Player Magazine. I use their Right Angle Pedal Cables between the boxes. They are fully shielded and colorful just like the longer guitar cables which helps me to organize my pedal board. For example, you can hook up red cables to your distortion and overdrive boxes to quickly identify them visually. Sort of like zoning your effects by color. Made in the U.S.A. Very cool!

PHOTO: Spectraflex Pedal Cables

Price: $18.95

http://www.spectraflex.com/

Power it Up

The next and perhaps most important box on your pedal board is going to be your power supply. There are many on the market but the one that I see most consistently on the

pedal boards of the touring artists is VooDoo Lab's Pedal Power II Plus. Unlike some of the others that claim to take up only one outlet, the Pedal Power acts like 8 separate adapters. What this means is that there is less of a chance of loops forming between your pedals because they are essentially sharing one power source. This is not the ideal set up for your pedals. The Pedal Power II Plus comes with all the cables to connect up to 8 individual stomp boxes or effects. No noise, no hum. Packed in your pedal case, it looks like one of the gang but you'll find better performance from properly powered effects. Handmade in the USA.

Gotta Gig!

Undergirding all of this is my custom made Tarcase. Made in the USA, these individually designed pedal boards can accomodate individual pedals, wahs and floor multi-effectors. These are really well made and the fit is impeccable. It even has a built in rise for your volume or wah pedal. As they can be built to your exact specifications, the sky is the limit for your pedal board set up. Your stomp boxes, wah, volume pedal and power source can all stow neatly for safe transport to your venue. Lift the lid, plug in and start playing! Contact Jay at Tarcase Co. at: tarcaseco@comcast.net for more information on his custom road case pedal boards. You can check out all of the gear featured in this article by clicking on the banner ads to your left.

Next up!: The floor multi-effectors are coming! See what BOSS and DigiTech have been up to in the way of guitar and guitar/vocal multi-effectors. We're also going to discuss the pros and cons of using single pedals vs. a floor multi-effector. Don't miss this one!

The Eve of Distortion

Photo: Dr. M. with the Keeley Fuzzhead on the right and DigiTech's Artist Series, Scott Ian pedal on the left. Rolling Stones promotional "Shine a Light" tee courtesy of Fender

Guitar Pedals Part II: Distorted Ideas & Wah-ing for fun & profit...

Distortion is by far one of the most distinguishable sounds of rock and heavy metal. It's what gives us the soaring leads we've come to identify with killer guitar solos and riffs. If you are into these styles, distortion and overdrive are going to be your best friends next to a decent electric guitar and amp. I play a Fender Strat coupled with a Crate GX-20M which is a very tough box, (I'm actually standing on top of it in this photo!), and has built in overdrive, chorus, reverb & eq. Another essential effect you'll want to include is a wah pedal. As the name implies, it gives your guitar a "wah-ing" or crying sound made popular by funk and other styles.

Keeley Electronics Fuzz Head

List: $250.00 / Street: $209.00

This is an amazing distortion pedal which is very unique in its design. In fact, it won Guitar Player's Reader's Choice Award for best effects pedal with good reason. This box sounds incredible! It couples a serious sustain and unbelievable boost for your leads with a rich blend of fuzz and overdrive. It will also drive other modulation pedals such chorus, phasers, flangers and tremolo which follow in your effect chain. Add another distortion pedal and it will sing forever. Keeley's trademark blue light and custom paint job assures it will stand out on your pedal board.

Internal Gain Control offers additional tone customization not found with other pedals. Externally you have a two knobs, "no waiting" approach with the Fuzz controlling the amount of distortion and the Head for volume control. The Si/Ge switch offers even more access to transparent tones and increased sustain. Built in the USA, Robert Keeley stands behind his equipment with excellent customer service and product reliability. Sound and quality wise, this is the best distortion pedal I've used. Prepare to be rocked!

http://www.robertkeeley.com/

DigiTech's Artist Series - Scott Ian Pedal

List: $166.65 / Street: $ 99.99

Do you have a cover band or are you just into a certain artist's tonal vibe? DigiTech's genius with Audio DNA2 & Production Modeling has produced a series of pedals which can offer the same "flava" of effects used by Jimmy Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Dan Donegan and Scott Ian as shown here. These pedals allow you to dial in the lead guitar sounds on these artist's top recordings.

The Scott Ian pedal we tested featured the tones from Scott's Black-13, (Anthrax), recordings. Seven settings on the fourth knob offer the lead guitar sounds for: "I am the Law", "Madhouse", "March of the S.O.D.", "Protest & Survive", "Room for one More", "What Doesn't Die" and "Finale". Metalheads, needn't only apply. I've found these distortion settings to be seriously fired up and off the hook. I especially liked the phaser on Model #7. Very cool!!! A beautiful pedal in shiny metal, (of course!), but built like a brick. Definitely roadworthy and a great addition to those who want to pull off those blistering leads heavy metal is known for thanks to legendary artists like Scott Ian. Thanks Scott!

http://www.digitech.com/

Ibanez WD-7 Wah Pedal

List:$179.95 / Street: $99.90

The WD-7 by Ibanez is a revolution in freeing your feet to control your wah and not the other way around. The WD-7 has a large sideswitch and is built to avoid the usual "clicking in" required of most other wahs. The Auto SW mode allows the wah to automatically turn on when you depress the pedal slightly. A spring tension adjuster controls the return of the pedal. It also sports an Auto Off Delay and a true bypass with no hum added to the signal chain.

Perhaps the best additions to the WD-7 are the most over-looked by manufacturers. That is the depressable control knobs. Dial in your settings, depress the knobs and no worries about your values being altered! Even without using the Wah pedal, the preamp on the WD-7 is fantastic. Suggested settings are included such as Vintage Wah, Funky Rhythm, Fat Lead and Bass Wah. My pick is the Fat Lead which offers just enough spank to the mix of my other pedals. Extremely well built, (I've seen flimsier tanks, really), this pedal is very heavy and would need serious Velcro-ing onto your pedal board. Also you might want to use an adapter as this thing eats 9 volt batteries like popcorn. Still, it offers a great quackin' - funk sound and is truly a gig worthy pedal.

http://www.ibanez.com/

Next Issue: Part III is going to pull it all together for you! We'll show you how to build your own concert-ready pedal board for the road. We'll also show you the latest in floor multi-effectors that prove you CAN take it with you!