This article sets out to find the best multi effects pedal on the market today. We take a look at a number of contenders and select which one we’d go for.
Best Multi Effects Pedals: Top Choices
Zoom G1Xon Guitar Effects Pedal with Expression Pedal
Zoom’s budget multi effects offering is a great choice for guitarists wishing to find out what multi effects pedals are all about. We’d choose this over the slightly more expensive VOX STOMPLAB2G.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Boss ME25 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal
A versatile and solidly-made multi effects pedal. Lacks some of the bells and whistles of Boss’s more expensive models, but a professional bit of kit nonetheless.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Zoom G3X - Guitar Effects and Amplifier Simulator with Expression Pedal
A well-made unit with a long feature list. Our pick for a mid-range unit for the recording guitarist.
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See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Boss ME-80 Multi-Effects Pedal
Boss’s mid-range multi effects pedal is packed full of features and useable sounds.
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See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Line 6 POD HD500X Guitar Floor Multi-Effects Pedal
A professional-quality multi effects pedal made by one of the biggest names in the market.
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Boss GT-100 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal
Boss’s flagship multi effects unit doesn’t disappoint. COSM (Composite Object Sound Modelling), looping, and a huge range of effects make it one of best multi effects pedal choices in the market.
If it was a choice between the Line 6 POD HD500X vs Boss GT-100, we’d probably choose the Boss.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
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Best Multi Effects Pedal: Introduction
Some of my worst on-stage moments have been caused by effects pedals. Even with a modest number of effects pedals between guitar and amplifier, things can quickly get confusing, especially on a dimly-lit stage.
It only takes one patch lead, battery or power connection to fail and you’ve got a whole lot of fault-finding ahead of you.
There were several times when I had to bypass the lot and plug straight into the amp. To be honest, the guitar probably sounded better then anyway.
Memories of frantically unplugging and plugging patch leads on a dark stage mid-performance still haunt me now.
It’s one of the main reasons that I was an early devotee of multi effects pedals.
Whereas the old units had a small number of effects, very little tweaking options and often produced an audible pause after patch changes, today’s pedals are jam-packed with all of the options you could possibly hope for.
Today’s multi effects pedals today seem to have more processing power than the computers that put man on the moon. User-friendliness has also been improved.
Any of the multi effects pedals we look at in this review would do the job.
Today’s guitarist has a number of options when deciding how to configure his effects.
Purists will go for a selection of single effects pedals, daisy-chained together in a long, noisy and confusing pile.
Best Multi Effects Pedal: 5 To Check Out
Let's have a closer look at all 5 multi effects pedals.
Zoom G1Xon Guitar Effects Pedal with Expression Pedal
The little Zoom isn’t the best looking, or best made multi effects pedal out there. It doesn’t have the range and versatility of effects that some of the more expensive units provide. It’s probably not that suitable for live use.
But you knew that.
What the Zoom G1Xon does provide is a great introduction to multi effects units. It’s got all of the most common effects, plus a tuner and a 30s loop function. If you’re new to guitar, or if you’ve been playing a while and want to see what multi effects are all about, give it a try.
At this price, look at it as buying a tuner and getting a multi effects system thrown in for free!
You’ll need to buy a power adapter if you don’t want to use batteries. It can be powered via its micro-usb port, too.
Our choice of the budget processors out there.
- 75 effects
- 14 Amp models
- Up to 5 effects can be used simultaneously
- 100 memory locations
- Built in Expression pedal
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Boss ME25 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal
The Boss ME25 is a well-made, sturdy unit which looks like it will stand up to the rigours of constant gigging. Like many multi effects units, ‘on the fly’ editing of sounds can be problematic. Best to program your sounds and testing they work with the band before playing the gig.
The unit can run off batteries, but you’ll have to fork out for a power adapter if you want to run it off the mains.
A useful bit of kit that will take you pretty much as far as you want to go.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Zoom G3X - Guitar Effects and Amplifier Simulator with Expression Pedal
A comprehensive package that ticks all the boxes: on top of the effects and modelling capability, it has a tuner, looper and rhythms.
The unit is clearly laid out, and although all of the features of a multi effects machine such as this are always going to be hard to access via three pedals, it’s about as good as it could be.
There have been some questions raised as to its build quality. This is something you’d have to investigate for yourself, but it may make the Boss ME25 a better bet for gigging.
However, we’d be tempted to get the Zoom if we were mainly based in the studio, and were not constantly gigging.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Boss ME-80 Multi-Effects Pedal
The Boss ME-80 offers more sounds, and more functionality over the ME-25. With its 8 pedals plus expression pedal, the ME-80 is that much more useable live. This is an ideal unit for the semi-pro guitarist, or someone who wants their gear to be able to perform when taking a step up.
If we were in the market for a multi effects pedal, and we couldn’t quite stretch to (or didn’t need the extra features of) an HD500X or GT-100, the Boss ME-80 is what we’d go for.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Line 6 POD HD500X Guitar Floor Multi-Effects Pedal
We like the non-cluttered, minimalist look of the Line 6 POD HD500X. We also like the ‘old-school’ metal foot switches, which, being back lit actually end up looking rather futuristic. The machine has the appearance of a decent, professional bit of kit.
Line 6 are obviously one of the first companies to bring acoustic modelling to the masses. As you would expect, this unit offers (in their words) a ‘world-class collection of amps and effects’.
There are plenty of effects on offer, too. Over 100, in fact.
If you’ve got your own pedals that you can’t bear to leave behind, the Line 6 POD HD500X caters for these with its assignable aux sends. Plug your beloved pedal into one of the sends, and you can add it to a patch or assign it to a pedal. Neat.
The Line 6 POD HD500X is a versatile and professional multi effects pedal. Worth a look.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Boss GT-100 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedal
The Boss GT-100 offers a multitude of tone options in a rugged, roadworthy box. With all of the overdrive, distortion, modulation, reverb and echo effects that you could ever ask for, this unit certainly lacking in features.
As you might expect, all of the usual COSM options are there, with a variety of vintage and modern sounds to choose from. The layout of the pedals is good, too.
At this price point, the Boss GT-100 is the unit we’d go for.
See prices and reviews at Amazon.com
See priced and reviews at Amazon.co.uk
Best Multi Effects Pedal Conclusion
We hope that you have enjoyed reading out best multi effects pedal round-up. Each of the five units we’ve looked at could be considered to be the best multi effects pedal on the market at each of the price points. We’ve offered our opinions, but as usual, we really do recommend that you get down to your local music shop and give each of the units a try.
With all multi effects pedals, you really do have to spend time learning your way around the various functions and options. Time invested in learning your way around your unit’s controls at the start will reap dividends further down the line.
Whether any of these units sound as good as a row of dedicated pedals going through a decent vintage amp ... well, that’s another story. They’re certainly far easier to use (once you’ve learned how to program them), better value and much more versatile.
