Guitar pedals

[Billsnemesis]

After lugging my Pod rack unit around for a few years I am beginning to wonder if there isn't an easier option for rehearsal. I don't necessarily need all of the effects I am using in the Pod just for bringing songs up to performance level so I have been looking at some of the cheaper Chinese made ranges. All I really need most of the time is an overdrive, a compressor and an echo or reverb.

Has anyone used Tomsline, Landlord or Tone City pedals? A selection of four or five of those would weigh about a tenth of what the Pod and floorboard do which would save a lot of hassle getting through London at rush hour

And as Mrs Bills put it, they are birthday present level prices.

Hmmmm...

[smn159]

Billsnemesis said:

After lugging my Pod rack unit around for a few years I am beginning to wonder if there isn't an easier option for rehearsal. I don't necessarily need all of the effects I am using in the Pod just for bringing songs up to performance level so I have been looking at some of the cheaper Chinese made ranges. All I really need most of the time is an overdrive, a compressor and an echo or reverb.

Has anyone used Tomsline, Landlord or Tone City pedals? A selection of four or five of those would weigh about a tenth of what the Pod and floorboard do which would save a lot of hassle getting through London at rush hour

And as Mrs Bills put it, they are birthday present level prices.

Hmmmm...

Helix Stomp and straight into the PA if you want to really travel light...

[OldSkoolRS]

I did a small outdoor gig last Saturday using my Mooer Pre-amp live into the PA. Used a Marshall setting, with a 4x12 cab IR and it sounded great, had a spare setting for clean (same amp, just dialled back the gain) for some songs. No FX as such though (I'm usually a guitar>lead>amp player) but has an FX loop if you must.

[Billsnemesis]

smn159 said:

Helix Stomp and straight into the PA if you want to really travel light...

But that's over £400.

And I can get four really effective Tomsline pedals for £100. That is as much a part of the appeal as the lack of mass. I have heard some comments that they don't sound as good as more expensive versions but they seem a cheap workable alternative.

[Walter Sobchak]

Sorry to be slightly off topic here, but does anyone know what effect he’s using at 3:28 onwards here?.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DDANM9xg8II

[davidd]

Billsnemesis said:

But that's over £400.

And I can get four really effective Tomsline pedals for £100. That is as much a part of the appeal as the lack of mass. I have heard some comments that they don't sound as good as more expensive versions but they seem a cheap workable alternative.

But a helix stomp will give you the amp models/cabs etc.

[davidd]

Interesting seeing this thread back. Looking back at my board from 2016. It evolved onto a huge pedaltrain thing with a flight case and more pedals.

Then we started playing something that needed a chorus, so I started looking at pedals again, then I thought about a little multi fx to handle chorus, phase etc

Then I found helix and that's all I use now.

Does it sound as good as my huge board, handmade pedals and victory amp? no, not quite, but it's pretty close and no one in the audience would know.

It's also massively flexible, lets us rehearse with in-ears (our other guitarist and bass player also went helix) and it fits in the back of my ftype

I never thought I'd end up with a modeller but for me it was a complete game changer.

I still have all of my old gear though so not quite ready to let go..

D

[smn159]

davidd said:

Interesting seeing this thread back. Looking back at my board from 2016. It evolved onto a huge pedaltrain thing with a flight case and more pedals.

Then we started playing something that needed a chorus, so I started looking at pedals again, then I thought about a little multi fx to handle chorus, phase etc

Then I found helix and that's all I use now.

Does it sound as good as my huge board, handmade pedals and victory amp? no, not quite, but it's pretty close and no one in the audience would know.

It's also massively flexible, lets us rehearse with in-ears (our other guitarist and bass player also went helix) and it fits in the back of my ftype

I never thought I'd end up with a modeller but for me it was a complete game changer.

I still have all of my old gear though so not quite ready to let go..

D

I've done the same. I just turn up to rehearsals with a guitar and the Helix, which runs through the PA - or I can stick a small power amp in and use one of the 4x12's in the room. I'm really impressed with the sounds that the thing can create - only small gripe that I have are that it doesn't have polyphonic pitch shifting, so I need to bring the drop pedal or another guitar for the stuff that we would otherwise be tuned down a half / full step.

pitch correction / harmony generation would be nice too, given that it can also process vocals - either that or I could learn to sing in tune!

[Billsnemesis]

davidd said:

Billsnemesis said:

But that's over £400.

And I can get four really effective Tomsline pedals for £100. That is as much a part of the appeal as the lack of mass. I have heard some comments that they don't sound as good as more expensive versions but they seem a cheap workable alternative.

But a helix stomp will give you the amp models/cabs etc.

But I have the Pod for that. So a helix would duplicate a lot of what I have without really adding anything and still taking a lump out of the wallet. This is just about getting something cheap light and simple to use for the rehearsals when we are still working out who is playing what and how hence consideration for makes such as Tomsline, Landlord and Tone City.

My main concern is how the cheaper pedals sound. They seem to get good reviews as they essentially mirror some older well tried circuits but you never really know until you try them. Anyone using them?

[Chicken Chaser]

Still an average home player but couldn't resist going for a helix. I bought the LT and it's pretty much sorted my GAS. Just need to sort out some good monitors to play through, at the minute a lot is through headphones

[smn159]

Chicken Chaser said:

Still an average home player but couldn't resist going for a helix. I bought the LT and it's pretty much sorted my GAS. Just need to sort out some good monitors to play through, at the minute a lot is through headphones

I've had a Helix Floor for a while now. There is a learning curve, but it's well worth it. If you haven't already, you should update to the latest 2.80 firmware as they've made some significant changes which make it easier to dial in a good sound quickly and have added some great new amps and distortions. If you're a Facebook user, then the Line 6 Helix Family User Group is really helpful and worth joining.