If you add one of the best multi-effects pedals for guitarists to your rig, you’ll be able to access a variety of effects from a single device. It’s for this reason, among others, that they look and sound so appealing to guitarists wishing to simplify their setup.
Even the best multi-effects pedals were once seen to be the obnoxious, ungainly brother of the individual stompbox. Thankfully, that sister has recently learned some manners, and the multi-effects industry is looking better than it has in a long time. Even those of you who already have some of the best guitar effects on your boards should pay attention, because there are some really versatile multi-effects out there that are well worth exploring.
Big leaps forward in multi-effects technology have seen these devices expand in popularity, which means we now have a larger option to play with, whether you’re beginning from zero with your effects or you’re a hardened pedal-head.
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Line 6 Helix Multi-Effects Guitar Pedal
- Allows you to control the entire guitar system
- Realistic sound with a new modeling engine
- Intuitive and easy-to-follow interface
Many people believe Line 6’s Helix pedal to be the most powerful multi-effects processor ever created. It has so many capabilities and is so comprehensive that it eliminates the need for any additional pedals on your pedalboard.
Line 6’s flagship piece of gear is the Helix effects units. It’s almost insulting to call it a pedal when it has the power and functionality of a sophisticated computer. This is especially noticeable in the amplifier simulations, where every minor element that gives that model its distinct personality can be heard. Compression settings and interactions between different components are all taken into account with great care.
The dual-DSP-powered Helix is a huge, sturdy floor pedal that combines amp and effects models. Onboard the Helix, there are 1,024 preset locations organised into eight setlists, each with 32 banks of four presets. Each preset amp simulations can have up to four stereo signal routes, each of which is built up of eight blocks of amps and effects.
There’s a lot of sound creation potential with 41 modelled amps, seven bass amps, 30 cabs, 16 mics, 80 effects, and the option of loading speaker impulse responses. Line 6 has included a simple editing system with a joystick and – wait for it – touch-sensitive footswitches that provide a shortcut to parameter modification; you can even pick a parameter with your feet before modifying it with the pedal treadle!
There are some fantastic sounds here, especially if you go beyond the factory presets and customise them to your liking. The Helix’s advantage is its extensive input/output and signal routing capabilities, which make it ideal for just about every guitar-related studio or onstage activity. If you don’t need all that connectivity and want to save some money, the Line 6 Helix LT, which is further down our list, is a good option.
The Line 6 Helix is definitely not the ideal pick for someone who is just getting started with guitar effects pedals. It’s also more expensive than the majority of the other possibilities. However, if you’re looking for one of the best multi-effects pedals money can buy and you’re excited about the potential of learning and developing your own sound, the Line 6 Helix is the Best Multi-Effects Pedal in 2023.
BOSS GT-1000 Guitar Effects Processor with AIRD Technology
- Guitar Multi-effects Pedal with Amplifier Modeling
- Simple Editing Interface
- Analog and Digital I/O
With their flagship pedal, the BOSS GT-1000 Multi-Effects Guitar Pedal, BOSS puts their AIRD technology at your feet. The Tube Logic technology established for other BOSS products has been improved for improved sonics and realism. When combined with the GT-1000’s 32-bit converters and integrated 32-bit/96kHz processing, a new level of seamless sound is achieved.
Since the early 1980s, Boss has been the industry leader in tiny effects pedals, and chances are, if you’re reading this, you possess at least a couple. The DD-500 delay, RV-500 reverb, and MD-500 modulation are part of the company’s newest 500 series of studio-grade pedals, which bring the company’s expertise to a new form-factor and a higher-ticket segment of the market. You’d be far from alone if you looked at the release of those pedals and thought to yourself, “If I had a board of just those three, I’d be set,” and that’s exactly what the GT-1000 delivers.
The standard variety of inputs and outputs can be found on the back, including USB recording out and an input for a second expression pedal, as well as jacks for two mono or one stereo external pedals and a handy send for amp channel switching. It’s not the most user-friendly in terms of editing. When you move between patches in a bank, you’re not simply turning off a ‘Tube Screamer,’ but also moving to a new chain without a gain block, which is common in rack-style processing but difficult for novices.
The GT-1000 punches above its weight in terms of sound quality, with 32-bit, 96kHz sampling and a plethora of modulations, delays, reverbs, and drives. The so-called ‘Bossfecta’ comprising the MD, RV, and DD-500 series units may provide more flexibility if you use a larger, more traditional pedalboard, but for most players, the GT-1000 is a highly practical choice.
Obviously, the box contains more than just those three devices; certainly, many algorithms have been carried over for guitar players, but there’s also a cutting-edge amp and cab simulator, as well as an IR loader. The GT-1000’s Bluetooth connectivity is a notable feature, in addition to BOSS’ customary built-like-a-tank construction. This allows you to make quick adjustments directly from your phone or tablet, saving you time and effort both live and in the studio. When capturing guitars in your home studio, the built-in USB audio interface is also a great plus in one of the Best Multi-Effects Pedals in 2023.
HeadRush Pedalboard Guitar Amp & FX Modelling Processor With Eleven HD Expanded DSP Software
- Powered by Eleven HD Expanded DSP. Hands-free edit mode
- 100+ Realistic FX, Amp, Cab, and Microphone Models
- Gapless Preset Switching with Reverb/Delay Spillover
The HeadRush Pedalboard is the best multi-effects pedal on the market, with a tonne of functions. The DSP platform’s quad-core CPU allows for a faster and more guitarist-friendly user interface, as well as reverb/delay tail spill-over between presets, the option to load custom/third-party impulse responses, a looper with 20 minutes of recording time, and more.
The seven-inch touchscreen, which can be used to modify patches and create new ones, is the unit’s most noticeable feature. The Pedalboard is most similar to Line 6’s Helix in that it features a treadle and 12 footswitches with LED “scribble strips” that show the function of each switch and a color-coded LED for each.
There are various sound-calling modes to choose from this budget option, all of which may be changed with a few of footswitch presses. The two footswitches on the left scroll through and choose Rigs in Stomp mode, while the eight footswitches in the center bring up stompboxes within a selected Rig. The left switches cycle through the Rig banks in Rig mode, while the eight choose rigs.
The distortions on the HeadRush are very remarkable, given the massive amount of processing power available. Drives offer rich higher-order harmonics and plenty of headroom, interacting with the on-board amp models in a startlingly amp-like manner and functioning admirably when used to enhance a real-life amp in the space.
Though the HeadRush features the usual assortment of effects – old delays and choruses, modern copies of the same effects, and some stereo variations – there’s nothing genuinely unique about it. If you want wilder, space-cadet sounds, you’ll need to consider adding at least a couple of other pedals to this floorboard, as opposed to the Boss and Line 6 sets. In addition, while the touchscreen appears to be a brilliant idea on paper, it is often more inconvenient to operate than a standard joystick or arrow buttons.
Line 6 POD Go Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal
- Simple interface with large color display
- Compact, ultra-portable, lightweight design
- 270+ HX and legacy amp and effects models
Line 6’s Pod Go is another another fantastic multi-effects pedal. This pedal is simple to use since it combines classic controls with a color LCD display. The Pod can do it all, and more, whether you want to send live effects into an external amplifier, use modeled amps for recording and playing, or blast forth Helix-inspired tones through direct input.
The HX Family sound library, which is packed with natural-sounding amplifier models, effects for every genre and purpose, and a slew of other tone-sculpting features, is included with this pedal. You’ll get access to vintage Line 6 amplifiers like the Plexi Lead and Treadplate, which you may paint with any effects you like. It effectively allows you to take a classic amp and turn it into a blank canvas on which you may paint your own tones.
You can control the pedal’s performance in real time using eight stompbox-style footswitches, each with its own colored outline. The tap-tempo switch is useful for matching the tempos of any timing-based effects like delay and reverbs, while the onboard tuner allows you to modify your tone quickly and easily.
The Line 6 Pod Go is the ideal compromise if you want a simple, economical multi-effects pedal but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a high-end, high-powered unit. It’s small, simple to operate, and the tones it can generate are astonishingly good.
The Line 6 Pod Go floor processor is a popular choice among guitarists, owing to its inherently smooth functioning and diverse effects library. You gain access to the entire Helix sound library, which includes many of Line-6’s most popular amps from the last few decades. The footswitches and controls make operating the pedal a pleasure. It’s also made to be as light as possible while still being durable enough to handle the bumps and scrapes that come with travelling.
MOOER GE300 Amp Modelling Processor Synth Pedal Guitar Multi Effects
- The GE300 contains dual-DSP processors delivering the fastidious detailed...
- 43 IR based factory speaker cab models, 164 high-quality effects, 255...
- GE300 has 108 digital amp models that utilize MOOER’s non-linear amp...
The Mooer GE300’s 164 onboard effects are only the start of a long list of remarkable features that put many pedalboards and other multi-effects systems to shame. Combine these effects with 108 preamps, and you’ve got the makings of a fantastic amp modeller – and you can even model your own amps with Mooer’s Tone Capture software.
Mooer is a newcomer to the realm of multi-effects for bedroom guitarists, but they’ve already made a mark at a variety of price ranges. The GE300 is their greatest value for money model, and although though they’re not one of the “major” manufacturers, they’re well worth investigating. Mooer has shifted gears after a decade of battling it out at the bottom end of the market with their trademark micro-effects, and has recently begun manufacturing ambitious digital pedals.
A issue with the GE300 is that Mooer’s success is based on their ability to compete on pricing. The business has gone upmarket with the GE300, as it has with the Ocean Machine, its Devin Townsend signature pedal, and there’s a price tag to match. The GE300 is a formidable piece of gear, but at approximately the same price, it’s difficult to suggest it over the Helix LT.
If that isn’t enough for you, the GE300 also has 43 speaker cab types, a 30-minute loop station, and an incredibly unique synth engine that transforms any guitar into a synth without the use of MIDI cables or special pickups. One of the added features that makes the GE300 a fantastic pick for anyone trying to keep expenses down is a customizable FX loop with configurable signal chain routing. Yes, Mooer is still a bit of a mystery in some circles, and the prospect for a poor second-hand value might make you nervous, but why are you selling it?
Zoom G5n Guitar Floor Multi-Effects Pedal
- 68 of the highest-quality digital effects onboard, plus 10 ultra-realistic...
- 100 custom-crafted effects chains by pro guitarists, up to nine effects...
- Built-in expression pedal for real-time control
The Zoom G3Xn is an all-in-one guitar processing hub that combines a variety of multi-effect possibilities with a pedalboard configuration. Due to the vast number of processing tools it provides, it almost doesn’t seem accurate to call it a pedal. It’s not only jam-packed with high-quality effects, but it also functions as an amp simulator, making it a recording studio powerhouse to be reckoned with.
You can examine the current settings on three extra-large LCD display panels and alter them by tweaking the many rotational knobs and buttons that surround them. The pedal has four footswitches to give it a stompbox feel, but on a much greater scale. The G3Xn’s interactive experience is enhanced by an integrated tuner, loop station, and rhythmic pattern generator.
Reverb, overdrive, phaser, and delay are just a few of the effects that are available with this Zoom pedal. You may use all seven effects at the same time to create unique blends and combinations. You also receive 25 amp simulator configurations, including British half stacks and American high-gain combo amps, in addition to the numerous effects.
The G3Xn has a preset memory bank that can hold up to 150 effect chains for subsequent usage. This means you can plan your processing ahead of time for each part of a set and trust that the pedal will produce with only a few button presses. There’s also an expression pedal built in, giving you complete creative control over the many features of each effect.
TC Electronic Plethora X5
- Highly-flexible TonePrint pedal board with simple, intuitive controls
- Create and customize up to 127 custom boards with any combination of...
- Populate each BOARD with up to 5 pedals including all TonePrint FX
The TC Electronic Plethora X5 is a late entrant into this multi-effects war, but it could be one of the best for the money.Most of us are lovers of TC Electronic’s terrific sounding effects, and the Plethora X5 takes advantage of the complete TonePrint pedal line from TC, so you’ll have a hard time finding a terrible sound in this unit. The Plethora X5 comes pre-loaded with a variety of boards, including effects like Hall of Fame reverb, Flashback delay, and Viscous vibe, among others, so you can either use what’s currently in the Plethora or construct your own to really shape your tones to suit your needs.
Despite the Plethora’s limited pedal selection, what it can do is still impressive, especially since it costs less than a Mexican Strat. The level of tweakability is astounding, thanks to TC Electronic’s TonePrint technology. It may not have hundreds of different drive pedals or mental MIDI capabilities, but if all you want from your multi-effects pedal is various effects, you may have found a winner.
Tech 21 Fly Rig 5 Multi-Effects Pedal
- Utilizes included 9V DC Universal Power Supply
- XLR output with ground lift
- Silent-switching, custom footswitch actuators
Tech 21’s Fly Rig, which was released in 2014, was praised for providing superb tone in a compact pedal style. The original Fly Rig’s outstanding feature, aside from its variety of effects, was the all-analogue SansAmp technology, which gave it the sound and feel of a true stompbox.
Tech 21 has modified the original Fly Rig recipe with an independent reverb – which allows you to change room sizes – a tuner, an XLR output, and an effects loop in the fifth version of the pedal. This brings the overall number of effects to five. SansAmp technology has been kept, as have traditional choices such as Plexi/Cali crunch and vintage tape echo with tap tempo.
The Tech21 isn’t exactly an analogue alternative, but it’s as close as you can go for multi-effects. Although old-school ‘bucket brigade’ chips can be used to create analogue delays, reverb effects require digital processing, hence the Fly Rig 5 is a hybrid machine. Nonetheless, Tech21 understands how to design a great drive, and the Fly Rig 5 has a Plexi SansAmp and a boost, allowing it to be utilised in front of an amp or directly into a powered PA for optimum versatility.
The delay and reverb are adequate, but not exceptional; the true selling point here is how small this beast is. This is one of the best multi-effects pedals out there if you don’t need anything more than a simple delay and reverb aside from driving settings, especially as a back-up or – as the name says – fly rig.
Line 6 HX Stomp Multi-Effects Guitar Pedal
- Utilizes the same HX Modeling as Helix
- More than 300 effects and models from Helix, M-Series, and legacy Line 6...
- Up to 6 simultaneous amp, cab, and effect blocks (including a looper and IR...
The HX Stomp is a smaller version of Line 6’s HX Effects, a compact programmable instrument with amp and cab simulations, effects, and impulse response (IR). The HX Stomp’s versatility makes it well-suited to a variety of applications. It can be used as a’super stompbox,’ an add-on for other modellers, an audio interface, or as the primary guitar rig.
Line 6’s famed DSP and HX Modelling technology, which were both used in the company’s flagship Helix guitar processors, power the HX Stomp. You won’t be disappointed when it comes to tone selections: the device comes with over 300 options covering amps, cabs, and effects. Fans of Line 6’s legacy effects will be pleased to learn that the company has ported over effects from its M-series pedals, as well as four iconic stompbox modellers: the DL4, MM4, FM4, and DM4. A vibrantly coloured LCD panel and three capacitive-sensing footswitches with LED rings round out the feature set.
The HX Stomp includes 300 effects, including Helix, M Series, and legacy Line 6 patches, as well as the full-fat Helix’s amp, cab, and mic options. It even allows you to load impulse responses, so you can load them whether you’ve modelled your own amps or bought commercial IRs.
It’s an incredible effort to cram not only the sounds of those devices, but also a full-color screen into a machine the size of the HX Stomp. With MIDI in and out, it’s evident that the HX Stomp was designed with users who want to use it in a rig controlled by a pedal switcher in mind. It’s simple to see the appeal in that environment.
Though the HX Stomp’s front-panel controls are minimal, it’s highly configurable and offers a wide range of professional-grade effects to experiment with. The HX Stomp is a sensible, small solution for guitarists who want certain modulations, delays, or a cab sim on tap “just in case.” The capacitive footswitches make assigning and editing a relatively error-free procedure – you’re unlikely to need to refer to the instructions much.
Behringer FX600 Digital Stereo Multi-Effects Pedal
- Behringer Digital Multi-FX FX600 Stereo Multi-Effects Pedal - (9V Battery...
- Ultimate digital multi-effects pedal comparable to state-of-the-art studio...
- 24-bit high-resolution stereo effects including Flanger, Chorus, Phaser,...
With the Behringer FX600 multi-effects pedal, you get all of the features of a studio effects processor on your pedalboard at a far lower cost. With sensibly laid-out controls and clear effect labelling, this robust hub is incredibly easy to operate. The pedal features a 24-bit, high-resolution stereo FX engine that can produce a wide range of effects, including space, dirt, and modulation.
Pitch-shifters, flangers, chorus, phasers, delays, and tremolos are among the effects featured with the FX600. The modulation-based effects are particularly noteworthy, as their quality is comparable to that of stompboxes specialised to phase or flange. The pitch-shifter is also excellent, and when combined with an expression pedal, it can be used in the same way as a Whammy pedal in the style of Jack White.
The rotary knob, which can be used to toggle between the 6 built-in effects, is the pedal’s focal point. The two-parameter knobs can then be used to tweak the effect’s subtleties, while the volume control determines how much of it is present in the mix. True bypass switching preserves your signal integrity, and the LED display indicates whether the pedal is on or off.
The Behringer FX600 is based on six main effects, each of which can be tweaked to produce unique tones. Chorus, phase, flange, delay, pitch-shift, and tremolo are some of the effects available. Despite its ease of use, the FX600’s ability to create complicated and fascinating effects mixes is impressive.
NUX MG-300 Multi Effects Pedal
- 25 TSAC-HD amp models for authentic tones.
- 50 effects: distortions/overdrives, modulations, delays, reverbs.
- User-friendly interface with large LCD.
The MG-300’s sound quality right out of the box is outstanding. Its user-friendly design, which includes an expression pedal, tactile controls, push-buttons, and a color screen, makes it simple to operate – you won’t even need to open the handbook. The MG-300, on the other hand, does not overburden you with features. It comes with only the essential garden variety of desirable amp models and classic effects – all of which sound and feel fantastic – as well as 25 built-in cabinet IRs that combine four classic microphones with three positions, as well as the ability to load third-party IR files via NUX QuickTone edit software for added versatility.
The TSAC-HD (True Simulation of Analog Circuit) algorithm, which generates studio-quality guitar tones that sound more authentic and dynamic than other modelers, is this guitar pedals audio modeling secret weapon. The NUX MG-300 punches well beyond its weight in terms of affordability, mobility, and performance, with 56 built-in drum beats and a 60-second loop feature.
BOSS GT-1 Guitar Multi-Effects Processor Bundle with BOSS Tone Studio
- OFFERS MORE THAN 100 EFFECTS - The BOSS GT-1 Guitar Multi-FX Processor is...
- ALLOWS YOU TWEAK PATCHES QUICKLY - The multi-effects processor has...
- COMES WITH BOSS TONE STUDIO SOFTWARE - The free Tone Studio...
Boss is regarded as one of the kings of multi-effects pedals, with its products earning a reputation for being strong, long-lasting, high-quality, and capable of producing some fantastic tones. The GT-1, despite being geared at beginners and people with limited pedal experience, does not let you down.
The GT-1 has 108 effect types, 99 presets, and 99 user patches, as well as a 32-second looper, making it a versatile and excellent learning tool. The looper is also great for practicing time and using an internal metronome, especially for beginners.
It can run for up to 7 hours on four AA batteries, or you may add a 9V DC power supply to keep your tone going. The built-in USB connector can be used to download additional sounds, modify them online, or use it as an audio interface for recording. Granted, it’s a little more basic than we’d prefer, but for the price, we can’t complain.