Need effects recommendations..... Mark V

I'm considering picking up the Mark V head with a 2x12 mesa cab. I need some ideas for a floor board multi-effects unit. Anyone have ideas? Boss GT-100? Pod M13? HD-500??

I do not normally plan on using the amp emulators or the cab sim but handy to have in a pinch if the amp goes down for whatever reason.... Had a nice Marshall half stack but lost it in a flood years ago. Now within the past few years after getting back into things and starting to gig steadily again, I'm really getting sick of the Spider IV 120 I have here. Only thing nice about it is that I can assign channels with the effects I want with to with a step to a pedal, but as you know, that amp cannot hold a candle to ANY mesa series amps.

So to keep it simple, a nice floor board to hold all effects and programmable effects per channel would be nice but no biggie if not. Also would like something that has minimal to no effect on my amp tone from the Mesa. I just want to dial in my tone and have the effects be the icing on the cake.

I'm using a boss gt 10 with my rectoverb and loving it.

But the V is a three channel amp so I would suggest the tc g system. Then you can have access to all channels via the floorboard. But if you only plan on using two channels of the mark V then either a gt 10 or gt 100.

Personally I think the 10 is better suited since it has a delay spillover which the 100 does not have. Plus they are dirt cheap now. Hope this helps

Geiri

Did see the tg system.. Nice but expensive!

I tried several pedals and multi-effects until I settled on TC Electronics Effects. ANY of them work best with the Mark V for me. I have a G-Major rack with a FCB1010 Midi foot controller. Cool thing about it, is that you can also switch channels with the FCB1010 controller with the G-Major's relays. So with setting up CH3 effects patch, you can set it up on the pedal board to switch to that channel AND switch your effects patch at the same time. It's easy to setup too. And some say you have to isolate the switching relays and not use a Y cable on the back of Mark V but I have been doing it for 2 years with no problems and many many others have too. I did the same setup on my Recto head for 5 years with no problems. Sounds amazing and there's no tap dancing, just one push and channels switch and all effects settings. But anything TC Electronics sounds great with Mesa amps. It's like they were made for each other.

I'm running the G System with a Nova Drive with mine, and I absolutely love it.

I had a M13 because I thought it would do everything, but, for whatever reason, I just didn't dig it. So now I replaced it with a few really nice pedals like Strymon's El Capistan http://www.strymon.net/products/elcapistan/, a good tuner like TC's Polytune http://www.tcelectronic.com/polytune.asp, and Boss RC-3 looper http://www.bossus.com/gear/productdetails.php?ProductId=1159.
I have a couple dirt pedals but I never use them with any of my boogies so they'll go up for sale sometime soon. That said, I know lots of people dig multi-effects so take what I say as just my opinion.

Maybe something like the TC Electronic G-Major 2 would be more to my taste.... Dunno.. But then I'd also have to get a midi pedal as well to switch between effects and, would this also be able to change thru my 3 channels on the mark V?

I am using a TC G-Major 2 with the Ground Control Pro. It works great. The GM2 has relays via 1/4" jacks on the back, that will enable you to cycle the 3 channels of the Mark V. However, to my knowledge, you won't be able to switch all of the other functions of the amp in this configuration. So for switching I am using an RJM Mini Amp Gizmo. This allows you to switch channels as well as all other functions of the the amp like boost, EQ, Reverb and mute. If your just looking to straight up switch channels and no other functions, the GM2 and a midi foot controller of some kind will work fine

justplay said:

Maybe something like the TC Electronic G-Major 2 would be more to my taste.... Dunno.. But then I'd also have to get a midi pedal as well to switch between effects and, would this also be able to change thru my 3 channels on the mark V?

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Yes you would be able to switch channels. But only the channels not the EX on off, solo button, or reverb, unless you got a more advanced switch. I'm just using a FCB 1010 Midi Switcher for mine.

I have an m13 and really like it so far. I've not dug deep into it yet, just a little delay, trem and some reverb mostly. I do like being able to do presets and stomp style.

SteveO said:

I'm running the G System with a Nova Drive with mine, and I absolutely love it.

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Me too! a bit of warning though the G System equated to (in my case) running the 4 cable method:

a rack case
a variax cat 5 cable
balanced cables
2 hum eliminators
RJB mini Amp gizmo
RJB Mark V cable
and (for me)
Nova Drive
2 Boss expression pedals.

So there is an investment, but man does this combination rock!

Adambomb said:

justplay said:

Maybe something like the TC Electronic G-Major 2 would be more to my taste.... Dunno.. But then I'd also have to get a midi pedal as well to switch between effects and, would this also be able to change thru my 3 channels on the mark V?

Click to expand...

Yes you would be able to switch channels. But only the channels not the EX on off, solo button, or reverb, unless you got a more advanced switch. I'm just using a FCB 1010 Midi Switcher for mine.

Click to expand...

I suppose I could use the mark v pedal to accomplish those, and use the midi pedals to switch effects... ??

Thanks all for the suggestions so far!!!

justplay...great suggestions so far. I'm gonna throw in my recent experiment.

Although I've been struggling with accomplishing a single tone I'm looking for within the MKV, I do have a POD HD500 connected via 4CM with an RJM Mini Amp Gizmo and RJM MKV cable and it is working fantastically, so far.

Here are some "cool" things about this setup
not that others can't accomplish this and keeping in mind the MKV's FX loop prefers/works best with line level signal
1-RJM MAG eliminates the MKV's footswitch
2-Built in tuner
3-Built in (multiple choices) wah, volume, expression pedal and can add another
4-All of the FX within the HD500 can be moved in front of the amp or into the loop
5-HD500's preamps can be used with the MKV's poweramp - which opens up a huge door of "amps"
6-If you dare and have a "nice" soundman, you can really put the HD500 to use in extreme ways by DI'ing it to the mains, in conjunction with your stage setup.
7-You also end up with a very functional modeler, recording and FX unit within one box
8-Decent GUI and off-loadability of patches/presets, not including MAG settings

Here's the somewhat "un-cool" things about it:
1-Too **** much crap to screw around with instead of just playing.
2-See number 1
3-The POD HD500 does not have a power switch and the power plug cable is fairly short, IMO.
4-The RJM MAG does not have a power switch, either.
3a & 4a - I simply like having a power switch, even when I'm plugged into a power strip. I know, I know...just turn the strip off, but... I digress
5-I'm probably going to have to invest (again) in a pedal board to clean things up.

Total investment *FX-wise* is currently $800 new and I'm not a paid endorser of any of this stuff - unless anyone with the power to change that is reading this and wants to contact me. :lol:

Along the same lines as the HD500, running an Eleven Rack in 4CM provides similar FX features, without the built-in footswitch and pedal(s). I do love my Eleven Rack.

For what it's worth; the TC stuff is incredible and the G-System was at the top of my list, however, at triple the cost for the FX unit and still having to get the RJM MAG - see several other posts here and elsewhere about this and the relay switches within some FX boards, Mesa recommends the RJM for the MKV, I chose to give the HD500 a whirl. If money wasn't - or for you isn't - a factor, I definitely would've went with a G-System in 4CM.

Hope my rambling helps.

Not being a smart ***, just go piece by piece and pick up some quality effect pieces. Analog, digital, whatever. It seems like you get more quality when you don't 'bundle' effects in a processor. Maybe that's the old man in me talking.

I agree. I found I only use a few effects anyway so I ditched the multieffects and bought a few pedals. Much better for my use.

SteveO said:

I'm running the G System with a Nova Drive with mine, and I absolutely love it.

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Which G-System are you running? I've read there's a new input buffer on the new ones. Was wondering if it was crucial or if I should swing for an older used one.

I personally like just a few pedals too. Quality over quantity! But the multieffects are fun for at home and live stuff too. For the most part, 90% of people at a live show do not know the difference between a great single pedal over a multieffects unit. The big plus with theses units, the midi capabilities and the switchers is that changes happen so seamlessly. That's the big winner in my opinion. You can go from a nice clean sound to in all in your face with whatever topping you want, with one click of a button. Awesome! As well, for home recording and practicing, they are hard to beat.

Has anyone here used the Line 6 HD Pro with their Mark V's? I was thinking about picking one up for home recording and maybe integrating it into my rack for effects and maybe a little bit of amp simulation using the Mark V's power amp. Currently I am using a G-Major 2 for effects with some front end stomp boxes in a GCX.

nomad100hd said:

I have an m13 and really like it so far. I've not dug deep into it yet, just a little delay, trem and some reverb mostly. I do like being able to do presets and stomp style.

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I priced several individual pedals and was at about $2,100. So I got a M13 on sale for $400.00 and Line 6 replaced it under warranty a year later. Using the 4 cable method works great for me, but I don't own the Mark V which can do midi. I found that I don't use the compressor or overdrives anyway since my Mesas all have great native response based upon the channel and/or lead-rhythm switching. The board wide Noise Gate was a big plus since I don't lose a FX placement that way and the loop, while not extremely lengthy overall with respect to time length, was cool to learn.

My point - it all depends on how many and what effects you are going to use. If you end up needing FXs that individually cost $4,000 to $5,000 then the midi controller AND the TC would be the best investment. If you can live with the Mark V pedal and an M13 or something similar then great. But if you are only looking for delay, phase, wah - well ...

Good luck

Dennis

Besides individual fx pedals have all those buffers and cables between each that can equal tone loss.