Recommended Spatial Multi-Effects

Is everyone making good progress with their tone-building!!??
One of the great dilemmas troubling guitarists everywhere is whether to fill the pedalboard with individual compact pedals or with a multi-effects unit. You may already have a favorite compact overdrive. Or, maybe you want to use your amp’s drive. Or perhaps you bought a distortion pedal on impulse but have no idea what else you need to get next… These worries never seem to end.
To offer a new angle on that dilemma, this time I would like to introduce spatial-type multi-effects units that can be incorporated into a pedalboard built around compact pedals. If you’re particular about your distortion but just want decent delay or reverb, this will be perfect for you. Let’s take a look at pedals packed with spatial effects!

If you’re wondering, “What exactly is a multi-effects unit?” check out the article below!
⇒ 【2025 Edition】7 Recommended Guitar Multi-Effects Units for Beginners (Under ¥30,000)

If you’re thinking, “I want everything under my feet to be handled by a single multi-effects unit!” check out the article below!
⇒ 【2025 Edition】7 Recommended Multi-Effects Units Perfect for Live Performances!! (Mid-range ¥30,000–¥80,000)

ZOOM / MS-70CDR+

When it comes to multi-effects units packed with spatial effects, many people will immediately think of this one! In a compact-pedal-sized body, it contains 43 types of chorus/modulation, 29 types of delay, 33 types of reverb, and 44 types of dynamics/filter/SFX effects. Thanks to its great value and ease of use, it’s extremely popular among beginners and veterans alike. You can use up to four effects simultaneously, and in addition to its already excellent usability, you can connect it to a smartphone via a USB cable for easy control through an app.

BEHRINGER / FX600 Digital Multi-FX

For those who want something as simple as possible with an operation feel close to analog, I highly recommend this one! The FX600 is a spatial multi-effects pedal created by Behringer, a company known for releasing many high quality audio products for a low price. At first glance it looks like just an ordinary analog compact pedal, but it actually allows you to choose one effect from flanger, chorus, phaser, delay, tremolo, and pitch shifter—a multifunctional pedal in disguise. The two parameter knobs change their roles depending on the selected effect, allowing for effective and intuitive control. The price is comparable to that of a compact pedal, so if you’re looking to have at least one spatial effect on hand, so it’s definitely worth trying.

ROWIN / DAP-3

It may look unfamiliar, but this is also a multi-effects pedal. This is the analog multi-effects unit “DAP-3” released by ROWIN, a company known for ultra-compact pedals at shockingly low prices. It combines three pedals that are also sold separately—“DELAY”, “OCEAN VERB (reverb)”, and “ROTO ENGINE (chorus)”—into one unit, achieving even greater space-saving. Because the switches are lined up horizontally, you can switch effects with the same feel as a typical compact pedal, and the freedom to combine effects and the responsiveness are both excellent. The DAP-1 and DAP-2 in the same series even include distortion, making them reliable allies for anyone looking to build a mini pedalboard.

TC ELECTRONIC / PLETHORA X1

Up to this point we’ve introduced relatively cost-effective entry-level units, but this one stands apart: the ambitious “PLETHORA X1” from TC ELECTRONIC. In a standard compact-pedal-sized enclosure, it houses 14 types of spatial effects developed by TC ELECTRONIC. By connecting to an app via Bluetooth, you can load your favorite presets from the TonePrint library created by world-class musicians. This allows you to instantly get a great sound without tweaking the settings—one of its biggest attractions. In addition to spatial effects, it also lets you fully use convenient effects such as compressor, noise gate, and pitch shifter. It’s extremely useful for players who want their main distortion plus just one good spatial effect. By the way, if you want to run multiple effects at once, that’s possible with the X3 or X5, which come with more footswitches!

EVENTIDE / H90

Among spatial multi-effects units, EVENTIDE has established an unshakable position. The H90, sometimes referred to as a “Harmonizer”, excels in pitch-based effects such as octaver and pitch shifter, while also comprehensively including 62 types of spatial effects. It even contains intriguing effects such as “an effect that produces a power chord when you play a single note” and “an effect that drops your tuning by a half-step,” and it includes several types of distortion as well. With four input and four output jacks, it allows flexible mono or stereo operation and adaptable integration into your pedalboard. Using the editing software “H90 Control” on a PC, even routing can be easily configured. Its multifunctionality is truly in a league of its own.

Bonus: Compact Multi-effects Units

Up to now I’ve introduced multi-effects pedals specialized in spatial processing, but of course you can use only their spatial effects from standard multi-effects units as well. Here are some particularly compact models I introduced briefly.

Line 6 / HX One

A multi-effects unit that lets you choose and use one effect from the HX family—the flagship lineup of Line 6.

HOTONE / AMPERO MINI

A multi-effects unit that condenses the sound of the Ampero series while offering convenient touchscreen operation.

VALETON / GP-5

A multi-effects unit that packs more than 100 effects, an IR loader, and a USB audio interface into an astonishingly compact enclosure.

Conclusion

How was it?
As multi-effects units continue to become more compact and more high-tech, the range of options for how to position a multi-effects unit within your pedalboard has expanded. Why not consider adding a multi-effects unit as one pedal to supplement what your setup may be missing? With that, I wish all of you a wonderful guitar life!