Multi Effects Systems

Welcome to guitarnoise! Unfortunately Your question really cannot be answered before we know what you play, how you'd use your effects and know the limits of your budget. A few general remarks:

-The cheaper multi-effects are of lesser quality then individual good quality stompboxes, but they cost much less in total.
-If you use a multi-effect you can change your sound drastically without having to do some stompbox-tapdancing.
-Multi-effects are as cheap as $50 (Digitech, Zoom, Behringer) and as expensive as $5000> (Eventide for example)
-Most multi-effects also contain distortion/amp modeling, samples of them are usually on the site of the manufacturer.
-Multi-effects come in a few shapes: 19" rack, floorboard, tabletop unit. The tabletop (Tonelab, POD, V-amp) and rack units (G-force, GT-pro) require some kind of floorboard to make them practical in a live situation. The price depends on the multi-effect you have, and ranges from $150 for a Behringer MIDI board to $300> for the Vox/Line6/etc boards.

For example, I have a Behringer V-amp2, which is mostly an amp/cabinet modeler with some effects, and a 19" Boss GX700, which is mostly a multi-FX with some modeling. Both are excellent units for their price, but I really can't recommend either one to you since I don't really know what you're after.

I'll say Hi and welcome.

Arjen, has covered the answer very well.

Perhaps read through the amps & efx section along other parts of the forum to see what multi-effects units others are using. You may want to consider that some units that allow you more control over the individual effects also takes more time to learn and dail-in. The equipment your using will even determine how well the a unit sounds. In the end it comes down to what you want, think about even trying different ones out. Then you'll have a better understanding of which one will work best for you.

joe

Arjen,
Thanks for the advice,I play alot of Rush. Basically I'm trying to emulate Alex's sound,and I also want a wah.I have a Carvin AE185 semi-hollow body with a peizo pickup for acoustic capabilities.Does this help?

rdwsr64 I was in your boat at one time and I really wanted a multi-effects unit with an expression pedal. Well after I got it I noticed my buddy's wah sounded way better than mine. So I ditched it and now have a V-amp 2 and plan on getting a Vox wah. So be sure to listen to the pedal before you buy it (can save you money!!!). Don't just go on features alone. Because sometimes the features are there but they are not that good.

Shibby

gotta agree with Shibby about hearin' em. Even if you don't take your guitar and amp to your local shoppe, you can find something very similar and then tell the shoppe owner you would like to try out different pedals. If they don't want to let you play them, then they don't really want your money. Remind them of this if they hassle you about trying the gear. They should be pretty cool though. get to know the people at your shoppe and maybe you can work a deal. If not, find what you like in person and buy it online at a deal price. Good Luck!