[Leviathon]

Originally Posted by McFizz

I know you don't want to hear this, but there will come a time when you say, "why did i buy this? it sounds so fake." I speak from experience. I suggest that you build your own pedalboard, it is the best option. and i know it may not fit your budget but if you can wait for it to fit your budget, you wont regret it. but, of course feel free to ignore me if needed! that is all.

This is purley opinion. There are countelss guitarists that are jumping ship from tube and analog pedals to going digital and using digital.

This forum TGP Webzine is full of tone snobs and tube purists... There are some that hold this same mentality, yet there are many that are more and more jumping ship and going digital... Browse through this section... Digital and Modeling Gear - The Gear Page and see the many posts talking about the new Pods, Digitech RP units and the almighty Axe Fx. Listen to clips and recordings that these guys putting out and tell me if you would be dissapointed.

I have been using strictly digital since I started playing 7 years ago and for me it's great. I'm currently using a Digitech RP500, which however, after seeing and hearing some of the new POD HD's, I maybe putting the RP up for sale. The new POD HD500 is very slick and for $500.00 bucks has some very deep editing and has all the effects of the M13 (that people love as well).

THe other benefits of a MFX unit is that ease of use and set up. I take my RP500, pull it out of the gig bag, plug in the power, plug in the XLR out to the board, and plug in my guitar. I'm done in 90 Seconds. Whereas with pedals, and amps, your lugging all that around or you have to leave it or have to set ups.

Also, when it comes to home practicing, with most amps, you have to run them at some volume for them to sound decent, which will probably be too loud for most people in the house. You could go with a Roland Cube amp, they do sound decent, but after a while they become one dimensional. An effects pedal will have more versatility and have more options and be more fun to play around with and will open up the creative flow.

You can also hook most MFX to decent headphones, PC speakers, home stereo or decent studio monitors to practice with. Also, most of the MFX pedals out there are packaged with recording software so you can record to your PC. My RP500 came bundled with Cubase LE. Because it connects to my PC via USB, the RP500 has built in ASIO drivers and becomes my sound card and I can record latency free with no problems.

It's a great time to be a guitar player. The digital world is making it so fun to be a musician.

But if I had a choice. I would go with one of the new RP355 or RP500 (you can find used), or maybe one of the new PODS if you can afford it.