Guitar effects...what's my best option?

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RFTGRIDLOCK

The Fly
Joined
Jan 21, 2001
Messages
52
Location
Huntington Beach, CA
Ok, so I have:

-Epiphone Les Paul Standard
-Boss TU-2
-Boss DD-6

and with this basic set-up, I get the goose-bumps, tingling sensations, and tears streaming down my face when I'm playing my favorite U2 songs. Lately, I've been blaring away with The Electric Co., Zoo Station, Bad, and Promenade.

Now, I've searched high and low for the Korg A3, but I guess they are no longer in production and the only option left is a used unit, fleabay.

So, do I go with a new:

Boss GT-8
or
Line 6 POD XT Pro
or
Line 6 POD XT Live

These are all within my price range, and I'm going to pull the trigger and buy one.

All your experience and advice is greatly appreciated.
 
Last edited:
READYFORTHEGRIDLOCK said:
Ok, so I have:

-Epiphone Les Paul Standard
-Boss TU-2
-Boss DD-6

and with this basic set-up, I get the goose-bumps, tingling sensations, and tears streaming down my face when I'm playing my favorite U2 songs. Lately, I've been blaring away with The Electric Co., Zoo Station, Bad, and Promenade.

Now, I've searched high and low for the Korg A3, but I guess they are no longer in production and the only option left is a used unit, fleabay.


What's wrong with a used unit off Ebay? They're not expensive - around $150-225 or so, last time I checked - and they're pretty tough.

Compared to the price of a new Pod Pro or Live, or GT-8, I don't see what the big deal is.
 
Well, Line 6 has a new generation of the Pod out, the X3, with also a floorboard version. And from a first glance in a catalogue the floorboard version costs just a little more then the Pod XT Live used to be.

So I'd say the race is between the Pod XT Live, the X3 Live and the GT-8. The Korg A3 does has a dedicated following, its good but its a rack unit, and a very old one to boot. It might have issues (mine resets its midi settings every time I turn it on) plus you need the addional memory cards with sound settings to get that Edge sound. Plus as a rack unit, well, you need a midi controler and a 19" rack of course. Same goes for the Pod XT Pro.
 
Just to let you know, if you have a MIDI > USB cable you can download the card chains directly to your A3 from korgaseries.org, and you don't really need a rack either, I just have mine sitting on a table near my guitar amps...

From the sound of things, though, the XT/X3 can get the Korg sounds with more flexibility - never used one, but I do find one big limitation of the A3 is that you're limited to fixed effect orders, you can't just mix and match the effects you want - and if the grouping you're after isn't availible on one of the cards, you're just out of luck. I don't think the XT has that issue. Also, bear in mind that the A3 CANT be controlled with a MIDI foot controller, only by its own specialized FC6 floorboard. That being said, it's an absolutely unbelievable processor, I've never regretted buying it (€150), for the sound of "Mysterious Ways", for example, you just can't get it as close with anything else I've used...
 
The A3 CAN be controlled by any midi controller. Only glitch is upon powerup you have to turn midi to on as it turns itself off after every powerdown. If you have any closeup pics of Edges rack you can actually read a small note on Edges A3 saying "turn midi on" somthing like that.

M
 
AFAIK, all you can do with a midi FCB is select your program, from 1-100. Turning the individual effects on and off, controlling expression pedal values, etc can only be done with the FC6 though, apparently
 
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