One of the best advancements in audio and effects over the past several years has been how much processing power you can get in relatively small enclosures. Ten years ago you may have been frustrated with trying to copy your favorite tones and effects in a compact package but not so today.
Several innovative companies have units readily available right now and none of them will break the bank. All of them are also highly credible for home recording as well as gigging. Here are our favorites.
1. Line 6 Pod Go
I’ve chosen the Pod Go over the smaller and more powerful HX Stomp for its price and for its all-in-one package thanks to the built-in volume/expression pedal. The Pod Go can do everything the HX Stomp can, however, there are some limitations: it won’t have the software updated as often (or as deeply) as the HX Stomp and Helix but at around $499 retail that may be a small quibble.
It can still get possibly all the amps and cabs you could ever need, it has all the legendary Line 6 effects, it has an effect loop for inserting your own favorite effects, a headphone output for silent home practice, and a USB port for updating and direct computer recording.
You can have up to 10 simultaneous effects, but 6 are fixed (another limitation) meaning those six are in specific slots and you can add another 4 wherever you wish. Still, it’s super solid and reliable and it’s very easy to dial in.
2. NUX MG-30
NUX continues to impress me with each passing year and new gear development. I owned the MG-300 which was their real budget offering and was completely blown away by the sound of the amps, cabs, and particularly the effects.
These were not simply thrown together to make something to get out into the marketplace. Kudos to the NUX software engineers. Not only were their amps and cabs as good as any I’ve heard but their overdrives, distortions, delays, and reverbs were excellent.
The much-improved volume/expression foot treadle from the MG-3000 is a huge leap and they also have included an effects loop. It’s solidly built, easy to edit via their app, and at $299 retail it’s really one to seriously consider, especially if it’s your first modeler and you’re not beholden to another platform.
3. Zoom G5n
I’m a Zoom fanboy. I find their protocol easy to use and the effects are excellent. The Zoom models are pretty much based on many classic effects and they don’t try to hide their genesis. With a little tweaking, I’ve gotten as good or even better results as many other multi-effect platforms.
The amps seem to be the thing that gives some users trouble but again, I’ve been able to dial in whatever I wanted without great effort. I think the thing to remember with Zoom products like this is to not think of every effect or amp literally from the memory of the real device. If you treat it as if it’s something entirely new you can get wonderful results.
Nine effects or amps can be used simultaneously and there’s no effects loop, but it does have USB capability for computer recording and tweaking the patches via their app. The G5n will only set you back $349 so you get a lot for your dollar.
4. Headrush MX5
I’ve really enjoyed using the MX5 and it’s fairly simple to get great sounds via the nice touch screen. All of the amps and effects are really excellent, though I had a bear of a time getting a suitable clean sound at first. However, employing an IR from my own collection and a bit of tweaking solved it ultimately, so it can be done. However, the built-in rock and metal tones are amazing.
I was particularly enamored of the reverb choices. It has an effects loop which is a nice touch and though the volume/expression foot treadle is a bit smaller than usual, I found it worked fine and was virtually unnoticeable after a while. I think I ran 11 effects/amp/cab at once so CPU wasn’t an issue and I never felt like any type of effect or amp was missing. Totally solid and dependable, it’s a great deal at $499 retail and they update the software regularly. You can find a lot more info in my full HeadRush MX5 review.
5. Flamma FX200
Flamma has really come a long way in a few years but this product really surprised me. I loved their effects, especially at the price point at which they offer them. They didn’t skimp anywhere with the FX200 and yet it’s still affordable at $359 street price. It has a touch screen not unlike the MX5 (though maybe not quite as large) and it works perfectly.
The amps and cab simulation far surpass what I expected since that’s a new category for them and the other effects were super solid. You could easily use this in place of your regular rig and I bet no one would know. It doesn’t take very long to dial in an entire pedal board set up and there are four footswitches to assign effects, presets, or a combination of both.
Like most of the others on our list, it has an effects loop plus XLR and MIDI outputs. Wow! The volume/expression treadle feels solid and it’s built very well. Kudos to Flamma for their first multi-effect unit. They didn’t cut corners.
6. Mooer GE300 Lite
I owned the Mooer GE300 and loved it, especially for the AC30 amp and cab simulation. It has an effects loop plus XLR and ¼” outputs. The only thing it lacks from the GE300 is the foot treadle (which you can add using your own expression pedal via the control input on the back) and a few other advanced features, but for all intents and purposes, it’s virtually the same, at least in topography and software protocol.
The Mooer multi-effects have a few features built in such as the synth patches and specific pad patches that aren’t standard in many other multis, so if that’s important to you it’s something to look at. I thought they were quite interesting and cool personally, if not essential. The amp and cab sounds were solid overall though I was disappointed in the Fender amp tones. I greatly prefer Line 6 and others for that. However, as I said earlier, their Vox sounds were far superior to any other unit I’ve tried.
At $549 it belongs in this category but you may consider the GE300 full version at $745 to get the treadle and extended features.
So there you have it: all units I can strongly recommend and have used extensively myself. I’ve been able to get solid sounds out of all of them and they all work perfectly for home computer recording. They are all pretty close in size and price so please compare them carefully and listen to as many demos as you can stand to figure out which fits your style and budget. Happy hunting!
**All products are independently chosen by American Songwriter editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
