Latest Guitar Processor

[Adam Makin]

Insidethe GP-10 is a wide selection of flagship effects derived from the GT-100. Most can be used with a normal guitar (without a GK pickup), allowing the GP-10 to do double-duty as an effects processor for any guitar gig. Included are overdrives, distortions, mod effects, delay, reverb, and more, as well as intelligent harmony and other great effects. The onboard expression pedal can be used for foot volume or effects such as wah, Pedal Bend, and others.

Guitar multi-effects pedals and processors come in three basic forms. First, there are floor-based devices which are operated by foot. These can often be completely customized, making them great at adding amazing effects with little effort. Your next option are the tabletop devices which have an array of knobs and switches for added freedom. Finally, rack-mounted devices offer an ideal solution for touring artists.

Keep in mind that each of these multi-effects processors or pedals is either analog or digital. Are you a music purist? Analog pedal would be a good fit, since analog effects don't use digital conversion. On the other hand, if you don't care about the process and want versatility and precision, digital multi-effects are the perfect choice.

Some guitar multi-effects pedals also offer dozens of additional capabilities such as recording and rhythm tracking - many even have MIDI and USB connectors so you can easily connect them to your computer or iOS software. If you want an even broader spectrum of sounds, a guitar multi-effects pedal or processor with downloading capabilities is the right choice, since it will allow you to sample, buy and download a whole range of effects and sounds from the Internet.

No matter what your style of music is, or whether you are a professional or amateur, a good guitar multi-effects pedal will give you the freedom to play with your art. And when it comes to quality, Sweetwater will supply you with the best products out there. We carry reputable brands and our online store stocks great products for all budgets.

I am quite new to home recording and have, so far, been recording my voice through my Boss GX700 guitar effects processor straight to my Korg D8 multitracker. Is this a bad idea? Would I be better off buying a unit especially for voice? If so, I would appreciate any recommendations on what to use.

Editor Paul White replies: You'd definitely be better off recording voice via a proper voice processor, as guitar boxes change the tonality of the sound specifically to suit guitars. Mic preamps, on the other hand, are designed to accurately represent the input signal. A box with a combined preamp and compressor is best for voice recording, in order to keep vocal levels under control, and the cheapest of these is probably the Hootersound B1 by Joemeek, which incorporates a compressor, limiter and gate.

Assistant Editor Mike Senior adds: While recording your voice through a dedicated microphone processor is certainly preferable to just going through the Boss, don't completely reject using the GX700 for vocals. The GX700 benefits from Roland's COSM physical modelling technology for its realistic guitar preamp emulations, and this can often be useful for enhancing vocals.

To take advantage of this, pass the output of your mic preamp through the GX700 using just the Clean Twin preamp model (switch off any speaker simulation) as a starting point. Use a small amount of the COSM preamp's gain to add modelled valviness, adjusting the Bass, Mid and Treble controls to taste. If you can't get a result you like, then experiment with the other COSM preamps for different tube flavours. It's a case of 'suck it and see', but with care this technique can often really help vocals cut through to the front of the mix.

All contents copyright SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2024. All rights reserved.

The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publishers.

Can I use the POD HD500X as voice processor and guitar processor at the same time? What I mean: 1 preset for the voice and a different one for the guitar? Is that possible in some way? In the case it is, could you tell me how? I can't find a way to do this, maybe is because it can't be done. Thanks

Select Guitar Input for signal path A. Select Mic Input for signal path B. Keep the two signal paths separate throughout the whole signal chain. You can put Guitar FX in path A and Voice FX in path B, turning them on/off as you wish. Youcan then use the mixer to pan the two paths L/R if you want them to come out different connectors. Does that sound like what you want? Two independent signal paths?

But now I bought electrical piano Roland FP10 which has USB-B for midi out and I want to play it through VST.

Should I connect FP10 to the GE300 which has MIDI DIN IN/OUT ?

Or should I connect it directly to PC ? I want to keep my set up with low latency for the guitar.

Should I buy MIDI controller to convert USB-B to midi ?

Some other thoughts:

It is a pitty that Asio/Cubase does not support low latency for piano VST which I am playing and high latency for the rest of the project, or does it? I dont need low latency for everything, just for 1 VST that I am playing.

It is a pitty that Asio/Cubase does not support low latency for piano VST which I am playing and high latency for the rest of the project, or does it? I dont need low latency for everything, just for 1 VST that I am playing.

My interface is an RME RayDAT which only has ADAT I/O, connected to that (for guitar) I have an ancient Behringer V-Amp Pro, which syncs via word clock (coax) and the audio is via ADAT lightpipe. This means the computer and the RME RayDAT is the master audio clock source, and I can connect anything I want via ADAT, and also enjoy the rock-solid RME drivers, regardless of the analog I/O.

The new Axe-FX has all the functionality and tonal quality of the old model, and then some. The introduction of the original Axe-FX unit into the pantheons of guitar FX processors was akin to the invention of the wheel. The new unit is like having four wheels and racing into the abyss.

The Axe-Fx completely and forever changed the way I look at guitar processing. The new model takes everything I love about the old one to the next level. All of the FX sound richer and the new interface makes it even easier to use. My rig has a new openness and clarity and sounds so much better as a result.

Brad Whitford: I switched my main amp, cab, and effects over to the FM3 in rehearsals, then moved up to the FM9 for the Aerosmith residency in Las Vegas. Sounds amazing in the in-ear monitors and house. Makes my playing onstage effortless.

Fractal Audio has finally achieved the goal of emulating real tube amps. You can achieve sounds that you would be hard pressed to get out of an amplifier. For The Madness of Many we had all these amazing high end amps at our disposal and were pretty committed to recording with them, but we found we were able to arrive at the tones we wanted with the Axe-Fx. In fact all of our albums have been recorded using the Axe-Fx.

The alternative theory is that, occasionally, you can stumble on something you've never used before and it can spark your creativity. This definitely happens, and is a happy side benefit of having so many effects at your beck and call. For a beginner, the sub-$200 range has plenty to get you excited.

If packing in as many effects as you can into a single box is your aim, you'll find plenty of options to choose from at all ends of the price scale. From budget options like the smaller Zoom pedals, through to entry-level versions of the pro models from the big names in effects like Boss and Line 6.

As you move up the range, you'll start to see extra features and functionality like loopers, hardened chassis models and extra connectivity. It's not uncommon now for multi-effects to link with apps on your smart device, where you can get in for deep editing of parameters and settings.

Also common nowadays is for a multi-effects unit to double up as an audio interface or amp modeller. These USB-enabled devices can be plugged into one of the best laptops for music production, allowing you to record songs into a digital audio workstation (DAW) like Ableton Live or Pro Tools.

Testing out a multi-effects pedal is a fairly straightforward procedure, and similar to testing a standalone stompbox. Although the quality of pedals is subjective - like many pieces of musical equipment - there is a set of criteria that every pedal should meet before we recommend it to anyone.

We'll first start with the build quality of the enclosure, controls and footswitch. Pedals are designed to be stood on, so we need to ensure that the enclosure and footswitch feel robust, solid and able to withstand being stamped on. We then check the quality of the dials, making sure that they have a smooth action with enough resistance to reduce accidental movement.

We also check to see how well spaced out and easy to use the footswitches are. We'll also check the expression pedal if there is one, and make note of its action and usability. Multi-effects pedals are here to make your lives easier, after all.

We then test the pedals sonically, and much like our amp testing procedures, we start with every dial in the middle '12 o'clock' position. We then tweak each dial towards a tone we would usually go for - and make sure that we experiment with the full range of sounds on offer. We'll then check any amp or effect emulations or presets. We'll cycle through those, while editing a few as we go to see how easy the process is (or isn't).

3a8082e126