You’re a maverick, right?

A multifaceted, ambitious musician that refuses to be put in a box or typecast.

Someone who effortlessly blends genres, references, and creative impulses. 

Why not get yourself some gear that does the same?

Why settle for a one-trick-pony?

What you need in your creative life is a multi-effects pedal, a radically flexible piece of gear that ticks all the boxes and more.

If you are a serious musician, or one who wants to elevate their career, a multi-effects pedal is basically a prerequisite for lasting success.

Tech is always undergoing evolutions and the new generation of multi-effect pedals are truly top of the line, with stellar cabinet impulse response and top-notch amp simulation.

Get to know them below and remember to thank us later.

What is a Multi-Effects Pedal?

A multi-effect pedal is just what it sounds like.

It is a nifty wonderworker that packs the work of various pedals into one neat little package.

They allow you to fulfill all your basic needs with one investment. 

They were originally designed to replace your pedalboard, allowing you to access drives, reverbs, and delays in one convenient place.

The new range of high-tech, studio-grade pedals are also able to emulate amps and cabinets.

What that means is even more functionality and fine-tuned modeling for you, and better quality sound for your listeners.

Why You Need a Multi-Effects Pedal

We probably don’t need to extol the virtues of the multi-effects pedal when it comes to practicality.

They essentially replace the need to lug around three different pedals and amps everytime you have a gig or a jam session.

They also make for convenient and flexible tonal adjustments while on the go, or during a live performance.  

Multi-effects pedals also open the door to hundreds of effects and configurations, and countless combinations and presets.

They allow your creativity to flourish, while also introducing you to enticing and innovative new ideas and tweaks.

Because they offer so many effects, from the surreal to the lush to the delightfully discordant, you can go wild discovering something new everytime you play.

They do the work of five machines in one, and in so doing they become kind of like a therapist, guru, and muse all rolled into a single piece of gear.

Best Budget Multi-Effects Pedals 2023

1. HeadRush MX5

Specifications

• Price: $349 USD
• Number of effects: 65 effects, 50 amps, 15 cabinets, looper
• Number of assignable footswitches: 3 plus expression pedal

The buzzy, playful design will give you a head rush, that’s for sure.

The gorgeous interface will hook you in, but its the epic features and simple functionality that will keep you coming back for more.

It has stunning recording capacities, a selection of FX, amp models, and an expression pedal for even the most demanding requirements. 

The sound quality is lush and resonant, with nourishing reverbs and delays.

The resulting sound is nuanced, with the original character of the input enhanced and fully fleshed out.

The outcome is a serious leveling-up of your riffs.

You can run multiple chains of pedals intuitively and make adjustments as you go without having to dive into the instruction manual.

The touchscreen makes it simple (and addictive) to edit parameters and tweak to your heart’s content. 

2. Zoom G5N

Specifications

• Price: $349 USD
• Number of effects: 100 effects, 5 amps, 5 cabinets, looper
• Number of assignable footswitches: 4

Alright, alright, put the wallet away.

Do we have a treat for you or what.

The Zoom G5N offers 100 effects and 5 amps without requiring you pay up the fiscal equivalent of your first born child.

It has tons of memory and is regularly updated via firmware, so you can be rest assured you are staying ahead of the technological curve.

It’s also an absolute breeze to use at home or on the go.

You can link it up via USB or connect it with an amp or straight into a PA system. 

In addition to its myriad effects, it offers up multiple amp and cabinet simulations, for maximum productivity and creative dynamism.

The tremolo is pretty outstanding, and the reverbs and delays are studio-grade.

And who can resist emulated amps from some of the greats, like Fender and Marshall?

We certainly can’t.

While it only offers four assignable footswitches, this should not dissuade you when you factor in all its other charms.  

Best Mid-Range Multi-Effects Pedals 2023

3. Boss GX-100

Specifications

• Price: $599 USD
• Number of effects: 154
• Amp models: 23

A wallet-friendly model from one of the most reputable, innovative names in the music tech industry, the GX-100 has a nifty touchscreen and, wait for it,154 unique effects.

Each effect stands on its own two legs, but they also sound unreal when stacked and tweaked.

This is truly limitless stuff. 

The touchscreen makes quick work of setting up your patches and presets, adjusting your configurations, and stacking effects.

It makes editing swift and foolproof and allows you to tweak parameters without trawling internet forums for help.

You can use it as a standalone amp or a high-powered multi-effects unit, and with its approachable price you won’t have to sell an organ to produce compelling, revelatory sonic material.

4. TC Electronic Plethora X5

Specifications

• Price: $579
• Number of effects: Up to 127 boards of five
• Number of assignable footswitches: Five

Beginner-friendly as heck, it is hard to look away from the stunning silver design of the Plethora X5.

Setting up and getting familiar with the effects and interface is a pinch, but don’t underestimate its power. 

It offers up to 127 effects so you can let your originality shine without bounds.

You can chain up to five TonePrint pedals together, in whatever order you choose.

The onboard pedals include the Hall Of Fame 2 Reverb, Flashback 2 Delay, and Vortex Flanger.

 You can stack different reverbs and delays for an impressive range of configurations and sound outputs.

You can store your presets as ‘scenes’ and utilize them at a later date rather than reinventing the wheel everytime you sit down to play.

Technically speaking, the Plethora X5 offers MASH and external pedal expression ability and consistent firmware updates.

And did we mention the stunning aesthetics?

5. Line 6 HX Effect

Specifications

• Price: $650 USD
• Number of effects: 104
• Number of assignable footswitches: 6

This snazzy number features rainbow LED lights, 104 effects, and six assignable footswitches.

A perfect, effortless marriage of style and substance, no?

It feels decidedly analog and charmingly vintage with its lack of touch-screen, and it is a breeze to use and get accustomed to.

The interface is approchable and rational, and gives you autonomy and flexibility without being overwhelming.

This makes it a natural choice for live performances.  

It offers some boutique effects like the particle verb in addition to the usual suspects.

One of the most compelling aspects of this model is that it can perform like a pedalboard in addition to dishing up stellar effects.

It is a dynamic wonder worker that will see you throwing your other gear to the curb.

While it doesn’t offer amp modeling it gets five stars on everything else. 

6. Mooer GE300

Specifications

• Price: $820 USD
• Number of effects: 164
• Number of assignable footswitches: 4-8

With more effects and possibilities than you can shake a stick at, the GE300 is high-voltage, high-powered magic.

It offers 164 effects, including a truly unrivaled synth effect for all you new age hearts and dream-pop souls out there.

Despite its broad range of features, it is fairly self-explanatory.

In other words, you won’t need Youtube tutorials to get accustomed to its user-friendly interface.

Mooer is one of the less established manufacturers on the list but that enables them to be nimble, flexible, and iconoclastic with their products.

They’ve poured a lot of love (and engineering hours) into the GE300, and it offers studio-grade sounds and some bespoke, niche effects for true creatives.

They have not cut corners with this model, and it offers all the goods in a simple, clearly designed package.

Best Premium Multi-Effects Pedals 2023

7. Boss GT-1000

Specifications

• Price: $1,099 USD
• Number of effects: 145
• Number of assignable footswitches: 3-8

This manufacturer always gets a shoutout (or two) on our gear lists.

They are consistent, reasonably priced for the quality, and packed with state-of-the-art features and technical dynamism.

This is an everything but the kitchen sink model, and with 145 effects you could live two lifetimes and still not manage to sample every configuration.

As you can imagine, this is the multi-effect pedal for those who want an untamed, unrestricted creative journey. 

It amounts to a three-in-one combination of its wildly popular studio-grade 500 series of pedals: the DD-500 delay pedal, the RV-500 reverb pedal, and the MD-500 modulation pedal.

It also raises the stakes with a fine-tuned amp and cab simulator and an intuitive impulse response loader.

This model is capital “R” robust, and is a perfect entry point for ambitious musicians, or a mainstay for seasoned professionals.  

8. Neural DSP Quad Cortex

Specifications

• Price: $1,849 USD
• Number of effects: 70
• Number of assignable footswitches: 1

With 70 separate effects, there is no shortage of room to experiment and innovate with the Quad Cortex.

Indeed, you might need to take a few days off of work simply to familiarize yourself with this outrageously capable, powerful pedal.

You could probably go full hermit, passing the forseeable future making tweaks and adjustments to your sound and falling in love with the creative journey all over again.

The makers of Quad Cortex claim that it is the most powerful floor modeler in all of creation, and we’d be apt to agree. 

It is a veritable know-all, see-all robot that will elevate your sounds into the next dimension.

While we’re on the topic of robots, the Neural Capture feature is actually AI-powered, leading to rapid-fire accuracy.

The tone control and sonic purity are eye-popping, and the number of customizations and pairings you can create know no bounds.

9. Line 6 Helix LT

Specifications

• Price: $1,199 USD
• Number of effects: 104
• Number of assignable footswitches: 10

If you want interface, the Helix has interface.

Sleek, user friendly, and hyper-customizable, the Helix LT is an absolute treat with a less pronounced learning curve than some of its peers.

You get over 100 effects and eight assignable patches, along with bank change, tuner and tap switches, and high-powered, top shelf sound.

The amps, effects, and mic simulations might blow you away if you’re not careful.

Sure, you might not be able to afford to renew your apartment lease after getting your hands on it, but you’ll make that money back with all the new gig bookings.

Sometimes in life you’ve got to pay up and shut up.  

10. Kemper Profiler Stage

Specifications

• Price: $1,599 USD
• Effects: Infinite clean/drive voice capability and 125 banks of 5 patches
• Number of assignable footswitches: 14

A groovy multi-effects rig and amp modeler rolled into one compact, sturdy number, the Profiler Stage is a veritable power ranger.

It can model pretty much any amplifier, giving you a level of freedom and flexibility that was once reserved for in-the-know professionals.

The Profiler is a logical, intuitive mash-up of two of Kemper’s popular models and features: the Profiler Head and the remote foot controller.

It features all the tech under the sun rolled up and concentrated into a practical package and it offers a truly astonishing range of tones and configurations.

Though small, it is mighty, and its functionality is such that you can tote it around from gig to gig and leave the heavy stuff at home.

It can be intimidating for newbies to the pedal game, but it’s worth taking the day off to learn about all of the knob and toggles.

Your future musical career will thank you. 

How to Choose a Multi-Effect Pedal

Price

When it comes to pedals, the prices sure run the gamut!

Multi-effects pedals, by their very nature, are pricer than other pedals, and are indeed one of the biggest investments that some guitarists will ever make.

Because they will be the heart of your operation, you should budget as much as you can for a model that you can rely on.

There are some places where it makes sense to cut corners financially, but this isn’t one of them.

Amp modelling

Do you absolutely need amp modeling?

Do you love it, but feel like you can take it or leave it?

Have no idea what it is and don’t want to learn?

You know yourself best.

Amp modeling is a fantastic feature for elevating your sound, but it can often come with a higher price tag.

Design and durability

Aesthetics matter.

Or they don’t – your call.

But when it comes to a multi-effect pedal, you do want something sturdy and functional that you can tote from gig to gig.

You want something made of robust, fool-proof metal, but you also want something that doesn’t weigh you down.

You’re looking for something compact and practical, rather than bulky and unwieldy.

Connectivity

What connection options are most convenient for you?

You want integration to be a breeze, not a headache, after all.

If you record at home you’ll definitely want a pedal with USB and Direct Outs.

You also want somewhere to link up your headphones.

For more complex set ups you want to be able to integrate your pedal with an FX Loop or studio gear.

This might come down to whether you are a hobbyist who mainly performs at home or at jam sessions, or if you are a working guitarist, playing shows and booking frequent gigs.

How We Chose the Best Multi-Effects Pedal

We focused on value for money, commercial and popular reviews, and brand reputation.

But beyond that, we zeroed in on durability and sturdiness.

With a investment like this you want to be sure that it will last, so design and hardiness are of the utmost importance.

We also wanted to highlight models that have sleek, intuitive interfaces and a shallow learning curve.

We also focused on the ergonomics and design of the footswitches and expression pedal.

You want something reliable and seamless, but you also want a pedal that makes sense physically during long shows and practice rounds.

If a pedal is badly laid out, the features and gimmicks won’t be quite so charming in the long run.

We also focused on the sheer number of effects.

The sky ain’t the limit with some of our selections – there is no limit!

Multi-Effects? Multi-Excellent

Hopefully we didn’t fry your mind with all of the creative possibilities available to you with a multi-effect pedal.

There are no excuses anymore for flat, monotonous, uninspired tones.

Breeze past the competition and go claim your own star on the Walk of Fame.

You know who to thank when you do.