Effects rig finalizations

[Wired]

Well I've been overall very happy with my rig for the past 6 months... I wanna bring an Orange back into it, but its not going to happen... The AC30 and Transatlantic are just doing too good of a job right now. Maybe eventually I'll get another AD30 Combo to replace the AC30. Could use a bit darkening to the tone.


But the FX side is in need of some shopping.

I find I'm in need of a gate of some kind. Just to help control feedback. MXR Smart Gate?

I want reverb, I want a fuzz box, Vibrato, Flanger. The problem is I won't use them as much as I do my dedicated pedals I already got on the board.

I'm thinking of a multi-effects unit, but a "small" one. I'm really intrigued by the Line 6 M9 and M5. The 13 is just too big! The M5 and M9 are $200 and $450 respectively and both got their merits. Now I usually run away, and fast, from Line 6. I've given them their fare share of "chances" by owning the HD500 pod (which was a very good piece of kit. I would have kept it if I didn't want my Transatlantic. I still might get one just for home practice) The DL4 is the only product I own, and not for the delays, but for the killer looping abilities. The Delays are okay, but I prefer my analog boxes

These M series FX tho are a lot more "tweakable" by giving you similar live controls to a stand alone FX box.

The M5 is not bad price wise, especially for what you get. You get all the same effects as the M9, its compact. And space is becoming a huge premium as I already have to get a larger board (more on that later).

The M9 is more than twice the money, more than twice the size, both of which could cause issues. The nice thing? You can run 3 simultaneous effects. Switching banks is easier, and its got a looper in it which as far as I know can be run while in conjunction with at least 2 effects still available to be triggered on and off. This is huge as I'm already finding limited by only having one DL4.

Now onto my space concerns.

As you can see in the below photo (which is also an outdated photo) has very little room left. In fact now with the addition of my Diamond Trem and Wampler Cranked AC the transatlantic foot switch is off board.

I'm gonna replace the smaller sized board with a 16x30 board. I know i'll be able to fix the smart gate on, as well as the M5. But the M9 would probably require me to retire a pedal or two off the board... while I know exactly which two would get the cut, I know I would miss them very quickly.

So the question is.... M9 and remove my much beloved analog phaser (to use the M9's digital patch) and Wampler Cranked AC. Or just stick with the M5 and be limited to only one effect at a time?

I'd replace most of it all with just an M13 if the DL4, POG, and Diamond Trem could be recreated inside the thing...

[jason41224]

first things first, i'd forget about the noise gate. if you don't already, get yourself a high quality power supply. i just got the Voodoo Labs one and from using a One Spot forever, i can't begin to tell you how much it reduced my noise. incredible. if feedback's your issue, if it's not a bad preamp tube, too much gain, standing too close to the amp, etc., then i'd embrace it, rather than fight it. even the best noise gate in the world's gonna kill your tone.

as for the modulation, i'd look into the TC Nova Modulator. it's got two different chorus modes, two different flange modes, a trem, a phase, and a vibe. you can use two of them at once, plus you have the option of synching to tap tempo. they sound pretty good too. not sure how it would stack up against the M9 or M5's models, but i bet it wouldn't be that bad. it's also a ton smaller (if you're combining both of them). speaking of TC, you should also check out the Nova Repeater or Nova Delay. i own a repeater, and in my opinion, they sound better than the DL4, plus they give you a "Dual Delay" mode so you wouldn't need to use the M9. you can choose between quarter note+dotted 8th note, quarter note+triplet, or quarter note+eighth note, and it sounds awesome. the only advantage the delay has over the repeater is the ability to save presets, but i'm not sure what other features it has.

and as a side note...how awesome is the Diamond Trem? i just got mine a little over a week ago and i love it. it's such a creative tool.

[savage8190]

I tried the M5 and sold it a week later...I also had an M13...which I sold to go back to stand alone pedals. I guess what Im trying to say, is the line 6 stuff sounds like crap and its not as easy to tweak as you might think. The mods are just ok...and the distortions and fuzzes are outright terrible. I also thought the M5 was sucking some tone outta my chain.

Ill second the Nova mod, Ive tried it a few times in the store and it sounds awesome...plus its small. Ill be picking one up if I ever have money again (my little spree has tapped me for a long while).

[myboss57]

I think this is the second instance on here that I've heard great things about those Nova Mods, makes me want to go take a look at one.

[Wired]

hummm, maybe the TC should get a demo.. I fear it though because I HATED the Nova Delay. I'm not using DL4 for delays, I got two analogs and a Vox Time Machine to take car of those.

The Diamond Trem is bloody fantastic. I've been using the triplet and rhythm modes a lot. Just such a cool pedal.

[jason41224]

hummm, maybe the TC should get a demo.. I fear it though because I HATED the Nova Delay. I'm not using DL4 for delays, I got two analogs and a Vox Time Machine to take car of those.

The Diamond Trem is bloody fantastic. I've been using the triplet and rhythm modes a lot. Just such a cool pedal.

ahh, gotcha. well for loops, you could also take a look at an AKAI Headrush. it's shorter lenthwise, but they're about as deep as some of the old EHX pedals (Black Finger comes to mind). really, really good looper too.

with the trem i'm on the chop waveform about 99% of the time. that thing is just so fun for ambient stuff. for regular trems, i like the sharkfin setting the best. i'm still trying to get the hang of using it in conjunction with my delay. once i figure that out i can get some trippy stuff going on rhythmnically.

[Jondog]

I like my M9 alot, I think the effects are great. I never liked the fuzz or distortion models until I learned recently that they have too much high frequencies, so you have to turn them down, (saw a chappers review). They now work and sound pretty good.

[Wired]

what about the Nova System?

I would really love the reverbs, modulations, and pitch shifting capabilities. Which is primarily why I was looking at the M8 from Line 6. But why not go this route? Its not much more coin, and is a much more reliable unit from reviews I've read....

I'll see if I can demo one this week.

[Bensen]

I also used my delays for live looping (EH Memory Man WH and Boss DD7) - Now I bought a Boss RC3 and live is much easier. If you loop a lot I strongly recommend a dedicated looppedal - It's so much easier to create loops that are in time, to overdub asf. + You can store up to 5 hours of music on the pedal. I recorded some ambient pads on my rc3 that I sometimes blend in.

[tony_clifton]

In my opinion, M9 is the way to go. It can do three effects at once and you can do some very usefull things that way. For example, turning off an effect by engaging another (distortion on, reverb off for example). Also, scenes can help you turning on multiple effects at the same time.

And M9 has a master noisegate built in, which is accessible from the menu.

I think those units have way too many sounds in them to be limited to only one effect at the same time like you would be with an M5.

[tadaitstyler]

Save your smaller board once you get the bigger one, and use both of them at once with loads of analogue pedals. =)

[Wired]

I also used my delays for live looping (EH Memory Man WH and Boss DD7) - Now I bought a Boss RC3 and live is much easier. If you loop a lot I strongly recommend a dedicated looppedal - It's so much easier to create loops that are in time, to overdub asf. + You can store up to 5 hours of music on the pedal. I recorded some ambient pads on my rc3 that I sometimes blend in.

The DL4 is my looper. I do not use it for delays...cus well its delays suck. It has the options I need and is very quick and easy to use. I'm constantly using the half time,reverse, and play once modes.


I got three stand alone delays in the rig, a Vox Time Machine, a Maxon AD999, and a Malekko 616. The Maxon is for my really warm, old sounding delays that I can play with the knobs to get it to cascade really easily, almost use it as an instrument itself. the Malekko is for quicker delays, still warm, but more modern. It also has modulation in it to give me some tape like warble. The Time Machine is for when I need to tap it in.

That aside, I think having an additional bright digital delay will be great in the Nova System.

I think the Nova is the way to go over the M9 for the extra $75. Better sounding effects, better built chassis, better reliability, analog drive section. Just loose out on the looper and the number of effects to choose from. Notably a step tremolo.

[DrAaron]

I have an M13 and I really like it. It has no amp mods which is the main reason I opted for it vs. a GT10 or HD500 (all similar price). Its got noise gates, eq, verb, wah, screamers, looper, trem, OD, delays.... pretty much everything you would need. However, I have a caveat - I've played the guitar since the mid/late 1980s and in that time I've rarely used any kind of fx at all, other than gain/clean on my amp. I've never played with loads of separate analogue pedals and so I really cant compare the M13 to the equivalent pedal board. That said I know what tone I like and so far the M13 has not disappointed for use on either channel of my AD30. It IS big though......but if thats pretty much all you need out front then its pretty convenient!