processors or pedals..??

Discussion in 'Guitar Gear Talk Forum' started by ankit55, Dec 17, 2008.

  1. ankit55

    ankit55 New Member

    hey guz i dn't knw da diff btwn a processor & a pedal..help..confusd..
     
  2. vicks_virgo

    vicks_virgo New Member

    Processors Vs Pedals

    A processor is a complete sort of device that can produce a wide range of amp effects and other effects such as phaser, flanger, delay, reverb, flanger, chorus etc. and that too in different forms. A pedal, on the other hand, is a foot operated device that can produce either only one effect or a limited number of effects. One needs to buy separate pedals to get different effects. Selection of a processor over a pedal or a pedal over a processor is a personal decision. Some purists go for pedals as they find processors quite mechanical and monotonous sounding. If one wants to experiment with different types of guitar sounds and effects with a limited budget, the processor should be the obvious choice. But, as I have already mentioned, to get a particular effect or amp sound, purists always go for pedals.
     
  3. alpha1

    alpha1 I BLUES!

    Processor is an evil digital creature that sucks all the tone out of your fingers and guitar, and renders it devoid of any charachter.

    Pedal is a good analog angel that helps you find the right tone. Ofcourse the arch-angel : Tube amplifier is the best bet. Sometimes little angel works in conjuction with arch-angel to provide the god given tone.
     
  4. ankit55

    ankit55 New Member

    wat is a tube amplifier???
     
  5. wylder

    wylder Member

    Hi.. New here..
    My qn.. I have an option of getting a Laney LC-15R or a Boss GT-8/GT-10.. What shud i go for?
    I too was caught up in the craze for stompboxes.. I hav a Boss DS-2, OD-3, CE-5, PH-2, Vol Pedal. They sound decent on a Fernandes Solid State 15W amp that I have..
    If I go for the analog setup, I'll hav to get a delay pedal too.. lotta money.. Plus a 15W tube amp at home would be tough to crank up.. So I'll need an Attenuator.. Is a tube amp worth it?
     
  6. thepacifist2013

    thepacifist2013 V.I.P Member

    @wylder,
    A good tube amp is where most of your analog pedals would shine. But yes, a 15W tube would be too much for home. You might buy an attenuator, but at very high attenuation, every attenuator starts to affect tone. It's your call. If you gig more than play at home, buy a tubie. And get a tube juice attenuator which have a headphone jack, and rave reviews.

    @Ankit555
    A processor is a digital circuit, composed of onr or more DSP chips, which are are programmed to closely copy the behaviour of an analog pedal. However, the very first thing that a digital processor would do is an A/D conversion, meaning to convert your analog input to a series of digital inputs. Now this process affects the higher frequencies more than the lowers, and affects (almost kills) higher order harmonics from your pickups. Which is why tone-purists do not like it.

    Having said that, analog pedals would not sound good in front of a solid state amp. BY opinion of many, analog pedals feeding a tube-amp are the holy grail of tone.

    A tube-amplifier is an amplifier where the amplification is done not through solid state transistors, but through old-era tubes (valves whatever you call them). Due the the physical nature of those devices, the distortion is more smooth, and has a much higher harmonic content, which translates to good tone. Also, the operating characteristics of a tube are affected more by temperature, as compared to solid states. Tube amplifiers, the longer you play them, the sweeter they sound. Tube-amps are still the favored amps of almost all of the players (barring a few in the metal genre).
     
  7. unet

    unet New Member

    Laney LC 15 for ****'s sake, GET IT!!!!!

    You don't want an attenuator, you want a nice OD.
    Not Boss, when i say nice, i mean Catalinbread/Fulltone nice.

    If you can afford to pay Rs.30000 (or what ever the LC15 is going for these days...) for an amp, you should be able to pick up a nice $140 pedal.

    I want a tube amp :(
    All i have is one single 12AX7 in my Vox.
     
  8. thepacifist2013

    thepacifist2013 V.I.P Member

    :)
    Nothing more to put in there except there's a difference when you get your overdrive from 2 clipped diodes, as compared to when you push 3 preamp and 4 power amp tubes for that glassy tone-bliss!! I could also use a boost to push the front end much stronger to cause early saturation. But yeah, fulltone OCD/catalinas/lovepedals/barbers.....you're spoilt for choice if you have a good amp.
    DIY one. Or buy one from ceriatone in Malaysia. He's got pretty rave reviews and he will ship you a complete head package minus the cabinet (which makes up most of the weight). I guess $600 for a Marshall 87 Plexi lead is a good buy, to say the least.
     
  9. Strings Lord

    Strings Lord New Member

    if ur nt a professional guitarist den buy a processor! pedals require skill 2 produce gud sound. in 5k--Digitech rp 50 or 70. for 10k--zoom g2. for 15k Line 6 pod floor. for above 20 k Boss gt8 or 10 or digitech gnx3 or 4. ofcourse any processor of above 12k requires equal brain which is required 2 make a gud combination of pedals!
     
  10. distorted

    distorted satan

    Fr 5k- digitech 80
    Fr 10k- digitech 250(zoom G2 isnt dat gud)
    Fr 15k- floor POD or korg3000
    Fr 25k- boss GT-10 or POD XT(or3) live
    I wud hv taken POD.
    N anyday i wud've preferred a processor than a pedalboard... They r almost as gud as analogues, hassle free n comparitively low on investment.
     
  11. alpha1

    alpha1 I BLUES!

    ^ Only till their computers on board run fine.

    Otherwise you get flipping/skipping patches, or buzzing saw tooth tone generation instead of that Marshall plexi ...

    Not much of these hassles on pedals.
     
  12. nebuchadnezzar

    nebuchadnezzar G34r G33k

    DIYing a tube amp is not for everybody. It is very difficult to find any parts in India and the amp has lethal voltages too.(Side note: I am making a Marshall 18W, but it took a lot of effort to get the parts together).Go to www.be3amplifiers.com and talk with Mohammed Ansar. He will make you a custom tube amp at a very fair price.
     
  13. wylder

    wylder Member

    I personally feel the choice depends on the genre you play.

    I prefer a decent amp's in-built drive to a processor. I play through a Marshall MG100DFX combo (ya, u can curse MG series all u want..) and I feel plugging my guitar directly in gives me a much better tone than when I use my Zoom 606 (through the effects return) with the amp. I have also jammed with my friends who were using Korg 1500g, Digitech RP50/RP80, Zoom 707II/GFX5 through a Stranger powered monitor (which is quite transparent/ full ranged). The processors sound great on headphones but on PA, they sound a lot thinner and less dynamic.

    I feel for anything from blues to rock, MG series is good start. Try getting MG30DFX or above cos a larger speaker(10") sounds a lot more fuller than a MG15.

    But if you are into metal or alternative using a lot of effects n high gain sounds, maybe a processor might be the way to go. But in any case, get a good amp before getting a processor or stompboxes..
     

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