Multi-Effects Pedals - Are They One Complete Unit or Built into a Board?

A single multi-effects pedal can create a variety of sounds.
Today, they range from those that cost less than 10,000 yen, despite the low yen, to professional-use ones that approach 500,000 yen, offering quality that is indistinguishable from that of the actual device.
Because of their wide range, they are presented as an option to a variety of people, and are chosen and used by everyone from beginners to professionals who fill the arena at the end of the day.

Multi-effects devices are profound in every way. I am sure that many of you have used them at least once or have them playing an active role in the front line.
I myself started with VOX - Stomp Lab IIG, followed by BOSS - GT-1, and now I am using HOTONE - AMPERO II STOMP.

I love such multi-effects pedals, and that is what I would like to share with you in this article. That is, “Multi-effects pedals. One complete unit or integrated into a board?
There are a wide variety of multi-effectors, including switcher-type ones such as the BOSS-MS-3 and ones that focus on the types of effects that can be used, such as the Eventide-H9 MAX. Among these, I would like to focus on “floor type” and “stomp type.
There is no clear distinction between the two, but I have tried to classify them in the sense that they are commonly referred to.

Floor type

Typical models are Line 6 - Helix Floor and BOSS - GT-1000.

Line 6 / Helix Floor multi-effects pedal

BOSS / GT-1000 Multi-Effects Pedal with Playtech Effects Bag

It is a single complete multi-effects pedal that dons both size and price.
Basically, it has many footswitches and an expression pedal that can be assigned to wah and volume. It also features a large number of effects that can be used simultaneously.
If you make a mistake, it will be difficult to use it in a way that you can integrate it into your board.
However, there are also moderately priced Line 6 - POD GO and BOSS - GX-100. Of course, the BOSS-GT-1, which is suitable for beginners, can also be said to be a floor type.
The larger ones are bigger, but some of the lower-priced ones can fit in the pocket of a guitar case, so you can easily carry them around and set them up quickly on the go.
I recommend that you use a solidly built board for live performances and use the low-priced version for regular studio practice, as it is much easier to move around.
I am at my financial limit for a single board, so I always move with a whimper. If you are like me and have a solid board set up, you may find it easier to have one of the smaller, lightweight floor models.

Stomp type

Typical models are Line 6 - HX Stomp and BOSS - GT-1000 Core.

Line 6 / HX Stomp Multi-Effects Processor

BOSS / GT-1000 CORE Guitar Effects Processor

The GT-1000 Core is a compact effects processor that is not much different from a compact effects processor, or as compact as several compact effects processors.
Most of them are smaller and lighter versions of floor models, making them easy to integrate into a board.
As a result, the number of I/Os is limited, footswitches are usually reduced to three, and the number of effects that can be used simultaneously is lower than that of floor models.
This may sound like just a degraded version of a higher-end model.
How then, do manufacturers market models with these specifications, assuming that this is how they are used?
It is, perhaps, to be the “core” of the board or system.
As mentioned earlier, a floor-type multi is a single complete unit. Conversely, it is a single unit that completes itself. In other words, it can be said that it has to be complete.
However, if you have to connect external effectors to a floor type that is originally large, it will be difficult to transport, and if you don't take the form of a board, you will have to reconnect them every time.
However, the stomp type is compact. It can be placed on a board and still function as a multi-effects pedal.
Even when using FX LOOP, it is easy to integrate into the board, making it ideal for those who want to use external effects pedals.
It is also often used as a main compact effector to fill in the missing pieces.

Utilization of stomp type

Please take a look at this board.

This is a board I am aiming to build someday, and I simulated it with a service provided by Pedaltrain.
（ This is the service. There is also an app version.）
Do you see how many multi-effectors are on this board?
Actually, there are two. The top left one is HOTONE - AMPERO II STOMP and the bottom middle one is Eventide - H9 MAX.
I plan to connect the AMPERO II STOMP from the Out of the BOSS - ES-5 and use it as an amp simulator, IR loader, and some jumping around, and put the H9 MAX in a loop to play the role of a spatial and pitch system.

And these multi-effects units can be controlled via MIDI: by assigning a MIDI signal to the footswitch on the ES-5, you can control a loop and two multi-effects units at the same time.
This is a bit off topic, but the beauty of the stomp type is that it can be used in this way. In this case, the actual device is used for distortion and whammy, and everything else is supplemented by the multi.

Also, since the ES-5 allows the connection order to be changed inside the loop, the H9 MAX can be used before distortion when used for pitch, and after distortion when used for space.
The good thing about this approach is that by dividing up the roles, you can save DSP capacity (processing power of multi-effects pedals), which is inevitably limited in a stomp type pedal. In this way, it can be handled like a multifunctional compact effects pedal.

It doesn't have to be this large, but it can be quite freeing to simply use a stomp-type FX LOOP with just one distortion effector connected to it, like the board I'm using now (shown at the beginning of my first article), and then just add an external switch or EXP pedal.

Conclusion.

So, which is better in the end? I think many of you may be wondering, so I have summarized them in the table below.

	Floor Type (Image is the BOSS-GT-1000)	Stomp Type (Image is Line6-HX Stomp)
Price	Higher Price	Relatively Inexpensive
Size	Big	Small
I/O	It’s fairly packed with features, but it makes the size inconvenient	Doesn’t have as many features
Operability	There’s a lot of FS, a lot have PDL included	Not a lot of FS, functions are limited to what it’s programmed to do
Handling	One Complete Set	As the Core of the System
DSP Capacity	A lot, It’s easy to make sounds	Very few, it doesn’t fit every situation

This is a rough summary. To be honest, I conclude that at the end of the day, it depends on the preferences and needs of the user.
If you want to take full advantage of the multifunctionality that only a multi-effects pedal can offer, I recommend the floor type! I recommend the stomp type if you want to use it in a specific role.
It is up to you how you feel and how you use it, and there is no superiority or inferiority between the two.
There must be many more ways to use the stomp type than the ones I introduced here. It is fun to look at different people's boards and try to find many more ways to use them.

I have rambled on for a long time, but in recent years I have seen a remarkable evolution in multi-effects pedals, and you can do a lot more just by owning one. You can challenge yourself to create sounds that you had no intention of trying, or you can use them to create sounds for a variety of copy bands. This is a good thing.
By all means, every guitarist should have at least one multi-effects pedal!

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