Amp Effects or a Pedal?

[steak&chips]

What is your view on built-in effects on amps (like delay, overdrive, chorus etc) compared to a pedal (let’s say same quality as Boss)? Do you consider buying a pedal if the amp already has the effect?

 

[soulman969]

Since I have pedals whether or not an amp has build in effects isn't consequential for me. I have one amp without an onboard reverb so with it I do need my pedal. My Blue Cube 60 has a tank reverb I use and my Quilter also has an onboard digital spring reverb which I also use.

Other effects like delay, tremolo, chorus/vibe, rotary are all pedals I run through an effects loop. My clean boost, compressor, and ODR-1 run into the front end. I don't use any real high gain settings so I can use either an amp or the ODR-1 for some breakup. The BC60 has "crunch" settings built in that are useful.

 

[steak&chips]

I guess the best option is really to get a pedal, rather than rely upon the amp settings. Easier to flick on/off too!

 

[Darkness]

Soundwise either one, and maybe I prefer the amp for that.

When playing though, I like a pedal more because it is easier to turn on or off on the fly. It makes mixing sounds far easier in my opinion.

I have a Vox amp with effects and the 4 switch pedal, but it likes to have preset sounds and can't really mix things on the fly. Also to go from say fuzz with a touch of delay back to clean, one switch has to be dedicated to clean on each bank. If I had fuzz and delay and wanted to kill fuzz but keep delay, I have to use 2 switches for that, you can run out of real estate fast. It is still good and fun but it is a lot more setup and preparation than just chaining a few pedals.

 

[soulman969]

I guess the best option is really to get a pedal, rather than rely upon the amp settings. Easier to flick on/off too!

Amps with onboard effects generally have a foot switch available to control them. An amp like a Katana has a wealth of onboard effects but they will all be BOSS effects.

Using separate pedals allows one to choose from other brands they may favor over BOSS. I see it as a matter of convenience over a broader selection but also a personal choice.

The Katana is a very good sounding amp and the effects are quite good. For some not having to run a pedal board with it's added cost is a positive while for others it too limiting.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

I go with both multi effects and pedals. Some multi effects don't have the "MOJO" certain pedals have, so I got a Decibel Eleven Loop Expander, that has four effects loop style in / outputs that are turned on by my controller , a Digitech RP-12.

I have yet to find a good reproduction of a EHX Electric Mistress Flanger Deluxe in any multi effects units.

 

[Raiyn]

Coming from a Katana, I find pedals in an effects loop more flexible. I ditched the Katana for a Nextone Special as having different amp patches was more valuable than an onboard effects suite.

I'm not opposed to a floorboard like the Fender ToneMaster Pro, and if I was gigging I'd insist upon it as my rig is heavier than I care to run around with.

A Boss ME90 or GX-100 would also be fun to mess with.

 

[3bolt79]

I had a Katana and the effects weren't that great. But at least it allowed dual delay. But the whole thing sounded sterile.

I think the worst modeling amp right now is the Marshall Code series. There was so much wrong with it, especially the crappy foot switch. I'd take a Katana any day over that.

 

[Raiyn]

I'm not going to bag on the Katana's effects, as I felt they were hampered more by the Katana's control scheme than anything.

I was able to get some decent sounds out of my 50W Mk1 through the Tone Studio and through user created patches both official and sneaky.

In the end though it just became a pedal platform for me, and that wasn't even ideal. Mainly due to the lack of an effects loop on the Mk1 50W. If I'd bought the 100W, I would have had that option, but instead all of my pedals went into the front of the amp.

The thing with the Nextone Special is that in addition to the patches you can get, you can use the generous amount of knobs to dial in whatever sound you want. Patches are just a shortcut.

Edit: I failed to mention the Nextone Special has an effects loop.

 

[Stillsour]

Can amp effects do this?? Lol

 

[Raiyn]

Can amp effects do this?? Lol

Dink around on the guitar while watching the first night of the Royal Rumble?

 

[Charles Carter]

The only pedals I have are a Boss RC10-R looper with a sh!t-load of drum/rhythm options to play along to and a Tuner.
The few (six actually) effects that the Udo Roesner DaCapo has are fantastic for built in acoustic effects and are very controllable and tasteful.
They're all I'll ever need.

 

[DECEMBER]

Built-in digital FX? Yuck, I'll use my pedals. Especially for distortion, chorus, and flanger. Digital versions never sound right to me.
Tube amp distortion? Yes. Has a depth and smoothness that solid state distortion just can't do.

 

[Maguchi]

What is your view on built-in effects on amps (like delay, overdrive, chorus etc) compared to a pedal (let’s say same quality as Boss)? Do you consider buying a pedal if the amp already has the effect?

I kinda like the effects on older amps, like the chorus effect on a Roland Jazz Chorus or the "saturation" effect on a Peavey Bandit, vibrato on a Blackface Fender etc. Sometimes these effects can be a one trick pony, but if you like the trick, what the heck, use it. Really depends on how it sounds and if I like the effect. I like trying out kind of unusual even cheap sounding built into the amp effects to get some unique sounds.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

Even though I have two multi effects units on my pedalboard ,


I had to add this, a Decibel Eleven Loop Expander to include footpedals to be MIDI Controlled .
Just assign the DE Loop Expander a slot in my send / recieve menue and add the pedal from the loop in my signal, with no hum, hiss or lag in the inclusion .

 

[Paruwi]

For just noodling around at home the Vox amps (DA5, DA10, DA20) with their build in sounds and effects are fine.


For playing live I prefer this setup

 

[steak&chips]

I kinda like the effects on older amps, like the chorus effect on a Roland Jazz Chorus or the "saturation" effect on a Peavey Bandit, vibrato on a Blackface Fender etc. Sometimes these effects can be a one trick pony, but if you like the trick, what the heck, use it. Really depends on how it sounds and if I like the effect. I like trying out kind of unusual even cheap sounding built into the amp effects to get some unique sounds.

I‘ve been taking that approach when want to play a set, purely to keep things simple. One guitar, one amp, one pedal. Been going light touch on the effects, other than a bit of reverb and delay.

 

[soulman969]

I‘ve been taking that approach when want to play a set, purely to keep things simple. One guitar, one amp, one pedal. Been going light touch on the effects, other than a bit of reverb and delay.

This is pretty much what I found myself when I owned a Katana 100w head. I think first of all someone needs to actually love all the same brand effects and while BOSS does have a few very good ones IME not all of them are top of the line in comparison to many others.

As others have pointed out we all tend to have favorites we like that can't be satisfied with only what's available through a single amp with onboard EFX unless we're just not that picky about them.

 

[Darkness]

For just noodling around at home the Vox amps

I don't do any sort of gigging but I think you hit the nail on the head here. The trouble I find with effects on my amps is having to dial them in, then if I change things up I have to remember how to get back where I was.

The Vox has a separate 8 bank pedal, I got that almost 2 years after getting the amp and that just about cures the "How'd I get that sound" issue. I still have to spend time learning because the volume isn't balanced, so if I go from a cleanish reverb to a bit of overdrive using the pedal, the volume jumps. Not the gears fault.

However, my Orange amp has half a dozen pedals in front of it and through the looper I get no trouble keeping volume balanced. If I were to lug this to my buddies for a session I'd spend more time playing and less time fiddling.

 

[AJ6stringsting]

I own some Univox Univibes from late 1968, two from 1969, my Digitech RP-12 has a great recreation of that Classic effects unit and it has a great MXR Phase 90 effect in it, gives me the Classic Van Halen 1 sound.
My RP-1 has a great MXR Flanger reproduction give me that " And The Craddle Will Rock" VH sound.