Effects processor good enough to use with a JEM?

[BenC]

I love my JEM 90.
I love my Boogie.
I even love my pick collection
I HATE just about every effects processor I've used...what is the point of an effect if it destroys the quality of your tone? I have puzzled over this for some years but never really looked into it too deeply, being quite happy with a fairly simple setup that gave me a great tone.
(I am reminded of truly terrible dealer ads everytime I use the word 'tone' *cringe*)
Lately however I have been getting more interested in subtle use of effects to....create an effect. I think Satriani's Crystal Planet is a perfect example of what I am talking about. The effects bus is usually subtle in the mix but it is 'crystal' clear and either supports the unprocessed sound or adds a new dimension to it.

So, to the fanatics out there, what are some units worthy of my attention?
I have never played let alone seen an Eventide, which may be a rough fit for what I am looking for...
I guess paramount in the features dept are:
- High quality signal processing, as for pro-audio recording with low noise and clean signal path. Minimal compromise here
- More pure effects and less gimmicks. I tend to walk away from effects that disguise good playing, so leave out the 'Ultra-Hendrix-Fuzz-Wah-Buzz-Box' patch. Excellent delays reverbs choruses are more important.
- An appropriate choice of inputs and outputs, ideally suitable for use in the studio aswell, but not compromising it's use in a guitar rig
- Reliability. Up to being mobile not just a bit of stationary rack gear.

Things not an issue:
- Complexity. I don't mind having to read something written in Double Dutch to build my own sounds if they will be worth it.
- Price. I will worry about that when I know what I want!

I am sure there are plenty of players out there who have puzzled over the same thing, so let's hear your thoughts!

Ben C.
Syd, Aus

[Soup Kitchen Studios]

There's really three main contenders for this sort of application:

TC Electronic: G-Force for guitarists. The D-Two is a sweet delay too.

Eventide: The Eclipse is there most recent product I believe, but any of their Harmonizers will dazzle you.

Lexicon: For a multi fx box I'd say the MPX-1. They have dedicated reverb units that will blow you (and your wallet) away.

I'm sure there are others but I think these three are the highest quality. I'd choose the G-Force as my favorite because of its ease of use, high quality fx (especially reverbs and choruses), and of it's moderate price tag.. i.e. it's no eventide. Of course it lacks in areas compared to the eventide.

Of course you could always just get some stomp boxes for a live sound and get some really high quality plug-ins for recording work.

Good luck!

[mike777]

Personally, I'm not a processor guy either but there are some really cool ones out there. Also, it's very hard to really understand the potential of something in the store. I mean, how much time is a rational person going to spend in a store listening to a product only to realize it'll sound different once you actually implement it in your life?

When I worked in retail, I was around this stuff so much but didn't have enough time with any of them to pass a solid judgement. The main thing that's fortifying my pedal preference (fetish ) over processors is the ability to experiment and make changes more quickly with less hassle. For my foundation sounds, I don't vary my settings much and I don't often run more than a few simultaneous effects so a processor hasn't proven to be the right thing for me. And I just love pedals, man.

If you are not frequently switching effects (and lot's of 'em) and varying the settings regularly within the same song(s), I'd stick with pedals.

the Korg AX-1500G is pretty cool and people seem to take to it pretty well. It seems built well, too. It's not too big or small either. You may appreciate the modeling and the easy access of knobs on the main panel. the. The Boss GT-6 is cool but it's a bit busier.

Between Boss's wide variety between their standard compact pedal line and the Twin Pedal line, you can get enough variations of one effect on an individual pedal, it's like getting the effect flexibility of a rack without that sterile/obviously-processed tone. I'd like to see Korg put out individual stomp boxes-especially modeling ones. I think they'd make a great product that way. But, Eventide stuff is pretty far-out stuff and they seem to do some pretty exclusive stuff.

Mike 777 Haug

[urkoman]

I think Dave said the same i would have said (except the Lexicon, i donīt know it). Eventides are a little better, but i think a G-Force is the best choice too. The D-two is a part of a full multi fx which combines with the m-one. When together itīs a great option too, but not as much as the g-force IMO.

[BenC]

Thanks for the ideas guys. I had a look for them in a store today - all I found was a brand new JS2000. It wasn't complaining of course.
I will keep my eye out for one of these units so I can try it out.
cheers,
Ben
Syd, Aus