Boss ME-30

It is fairly easy to operate, I learned fow to work it in about 15 minutes without the manual. There are no "trapdoors", and everything is labeled. It tells you the effect on the display, the buttons' functions are all labeled, and it's digital! Of course that means that it is going to be a little more complicated to set up, but it also means that you aren't going to have to worry about bumped knobs while transporting gear from home to gig right?

I play a Dearmond M-70 and a squire strat with Dimarzios that goes into a daddy-o, then the ME-30, and into a Peavey Studio Pro 50. This has been my set up for about seven months.

It is a pretty descent piece of gear. You save money. Instead of buying a compressor, distortion, EQ or phaser, noise suppressor, volume or wah, delay, chorus or pitch shifter or flanger or tremelo, and reverb unit, you could just get this and use it as seperate stompboxes. Just get a distortion pedal in front, and get some good delay, modulation, and reverb tones, and you can activate the Boss's effects via the five footswitches.

The reason that i say get a distortion pedal, is that the distortion on this isn't at all impressive. I've had this pedal for over a year, and i only use one of the 7 or 8 distortion types. Somtimes I turn the gain all the way up, and i still have to crank the compressor before the distortion in order to get the grit i need somtimes.

Another of the few negatives, is the 'wah' feature. Although it doesn't matter much to me, the range of this wah is smaller than that of your average crybaby's. Not saying that it loses it's expressiveness, but if you like long sweeps, bring your favorite wah.

I have used it, dropped it from my previa's trunk onto cement, dropped my 32 pound amp on it, and all that it has to show for it, are a few light scratches on the display, although i think they were there when i first got it. It's a Boss, what else can i say

I play in a church band, and i need everything from acoustic chime, to a rich chorus, to a thick distortion. I could do it all with this Boss, but I prefer to bring along my trusty Daddy-O for lead boosts and some distortion-duties.

My favorite function has to be the stompbox feature. The reason why i don't use stompbox mode is that i have to switch between two radically different sounds in a split second sometimes, and i don't have time to hit three different switches all at once.

I conclude with these words of parting. Look to eBay. I would personally not pay more than 220 for one of these, although they are adequate peices of gear.

If you are smart it's easy to use, however for an amateur could be a bit hard to understand the programming.

If you wanna use the metal distortion don't enable the delay, when I did so it sounded horrible.

been kicked, dropped and still working as new, of course it's a Boss.

I've never had to go to get support..

It's a good effect processor if you're amateur

This effect board is easy to use when editing patches. I'v hardly looked at the user manual - and I find it easy as to edit patches.
However, getting a good sound out of it isn't as easy, but definetely possible. I dunno about the manual - haven't really looked in it.

I use a Jackson DR7 through a Marshall Valvestate 265R through a PA system. I've just purchased my VS 265R and haven't really had time to play around with it, so the sound isn't as good as it could be.
It's a bit noisy, but it doesn't really bother me that much.
The effects generally sound good, with a few exceptions(fx. the octave pedal thingy). I especially like the distortion sounds, which I use a lot in my band:)
I've played a couple of live gigs with it and the sound was surely above average.

It's totally reliable and I don't use a backup.

I play heavy metal exclusively. The ME-30 pretty much meets my requirements. I've been playing for 6 years as mentioned above I own a Jackson DR7 and a Marshall Valvestate 265R. If my ME-30 was stolen I'd probably buy the GT-3.
I like everything about it except the design...c'mon it's F-ing ugly!
I compared my ME-30 to a crappy digitech and a crappy Korg, and I chose the ME-30 because it had the expression pedal superior features and larger storage capacity.
I wish it had a cooler design though. It looks like something out of a toy-store.
To a certain degree I would say that it helps me make music, cuz when you write a song you have a certain idea of what you want that song to sound like, and the ME-30 gives you ample possible to create the sound you're looking for(it can take a_lot of fiddling around though).

Jackson guitars are way better than Ibanez!!!!

Like most Boss products this thing is easy to use, I had to consult the manual once (To find that there really is no way to backlight the display) and that was it.

I bought the ME-30 to replace a Zoom 2020 that I broke, and I have to say I'm really disapointed, the Zoom was great, the distortions were totally usable, the Roland on the other hand doesn`t have a single sound that isn't "buzzy" if you know what I mean, you can`t get any "bite" from this thing, it's all buzzy mush, if like me you play a Gibson through a Marshall and you`re using effects boxes to practise/record at home avoid this box, it doesn't have any guts.

It`s worked all the time I`ve had it.. and I hope that when I`ve returened it to the shop it continues working for its next victim.

Don`t need C/S to tell me I`m returning it.. :)

I play psychedelic pop/indie rock and use a 1969 SG-Pro and a 1999 Custom Telecaster, this unit sounds rubbish with both of `em.

My favorite feature is the "Whammy bar" effect, which is truely hilarious, but obviously utterly useless..

First Boss product to ever let me down.

Quite easy to use, you don't really need a manual. It took me a day to master absolutely everything this unit does.

Maybe not quite the quality of a POD or a J-Station, but still quite good, except for the modulation effects they suck. I have a Squier Strat and a Marshall VS65R.

Been kicked, dropped etc. still works fine.

No need

I play pretty much anything (except teeny bopping crap). This gets a good metal sound, good rook and has decent fuzz. Loses out on vintage stuff, blues, jazz. Good value, but if you have the money look elsewhere

easy versitile programing but needs lit up lcd display

i have a modified sledgehammer gitar with direct wired pickups(cut out volume and tone knobs)and a vintage acustic amp. i can get great sounding wha and pichbend sounds,but had to make some modifications to get some cool effects,I INSALLED A SMALL LAMP NEAR THE WHA LIGHT SENSOR,I USE A OLD VOLUME PEDDLE TO CHANGE THE INTESITY,THIS ALLOWS YOU TO FIND A SWEET SPOT ON THE MAIN PEDDLE AND WHA OR BEND WITH THE OTHER...

ive used this peddle at many a DRUNKEN gig and its still workin fine,even after spilling about a 12 pack on it

when i got it the sampler didn,t work but havn,t tried to get it fixed

i play all original metal,classical and blues and still havn,t programed all 30 paches,the only thing i dont like is the delay when swiching sounds

Not so bad. If you read the manual, it's well explain.

I don't like the distorsions. If you play punk, keep your Metal Zone and plug it in the ME-30 for the other effects.

Good reliability

If you have the cash, buy something better. Else, buy it.

I hate them small buttons... the manual is bot bad but it ain't that good either.

i love the sound (but of course u have to deal with that tiny button pattern)... noise reduction doesn't make that much of a difference. the wah-wah sucks... i can't get it to sound like how i want it (good thing i have a morley wah). i love the chorus, compressor and the reverb. distortion ain't that bad

i can depend on this baby but ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP!!!

i just bought it

this box is excellent when it comes to clean jammin and lead... if u know how to adjust it.

It's sometimes tricky to try building your sounds. The interpretation is partly good but the buttons are small and unorgananized. The LCD back light is not bad but I preffer touching the buttons in the lught so I can see what Im doing.
Besides of that, I like the fact that you have up AND DOWN bank pedal and a large convinient expression pedal.

The sound quality of this machine in mostly good. The 6 dostortion and overdrives soung great with the noise suppressor and the delay, chorus, flanger and reverb are great. What I didnt like is all the modulation effects with the expression pedal. Ring modulation is poor and also whammy bar. The wah-wah is pretty good but I thought Boss could make a better one.
I use is with a poor 35 watts amp but still most of the effects sound good, maybe because of the fact that I use it with my Ibanez RG-470.
In general, the effects arent noisy, but maybe try to not use the Equliser with Distortion OK?
One more thing: this is for people who like to sound different than the main-stream.

I own it for 6 months and it passed for a lot of gigs.
Not a scratch on it.

Cant tell. Never used it before.

Generally, if I could turn time back, I think I wouldnt but it. I could get for an extra 500 FF a POD. For my level tough, I think its enough, and I play metal and rock with this thing and its works well.
With my Ibanez RG-470 its sound pretty good but not good enough.
I love mostly about it that its the kind of effects that you kick it or something and it will still worlk, comparing to other fragile effects. The distortions of it are good too. I dont like the modulation here but my favotire effects is the chorus. Great-great chorus and also not-bad-at-all delay. Comparing it to the POD, for instance, it wont stand the competition but it beats most of the other multiple effects of its category(thats why I baught it).
I only wish it had a better compressor and a much better equaliser.
And one last thing:
For metal-hammers like myself - try to combine the Metal dist. with noise suppressor, chorus, delay and set you're bass level at your amp to max to create a good crunch-metal sound used for Metallica or heave Dream Theater songs.

Read the F*****G Manual. And take time to adjust that pedal to your AMP/guitars setup.

Litlle bit noisy. Try to avoid using the compressor and EQ if Possible. It cuts down on the background noise. I use a cheap Yamaha (325$ can. brand new) and a GTX-100 combo amp by CRATE. I Get some great sounds out of this module. I specialy like the fuzz wich i find perfect for my style of playing. If you like blink182 and offspring play a bit with the distortions and you'll find your liking. the delay is awsome. And for you guys who like the classic sound of the 70's with your fenders and gibson with Marshall amps and those heavy metal dorks who love mesa-boogie. GROW-UP. Find your own sound for god's sake's not some imitation of your idols. It doesn't hurt to inovate. Oh yes..remeber why the great guitarists like BB king, he hendrix, SRV became legends...THEY SOUNDED DIFFERENT!!!!. after that little outburst from me. That me-30 sound great..just take the time to experiments with it and you'll find something you like for sure

dropped, stepped, kicked it in rehearsal. Still works

never had to use it

Hey nothing si perfect. The LCD is pretty har to read. the key is to set it up before your do the gig. Also it helps if you remeber wich sound is saved where. I'm planning to buy a Ibanez S-470 quiltes Sapele top. Transparent red. look great sounds great with a gtx-100 that was still in the store. Sounded better than My yamaha anyways. AND YES I WILL TAKE THE TIME TO RE-ARANGE ALL MY SOUND ON MY ME-30 so they will make use of my new guitar potential.

Long live to all those out there not affraid of being different

It is very easy to use except when trying to incorporate the
expression pedal into your live playing

Yamaha Pacifica into a Marshall Valvstate:
If you want to build apon a sound you have already created with you amp then this is the pedal for you, I purchased the pedal hoping to re-create the solo's from songs I am playing but it faled to do that. An exaple is the solo for Killing In the Name of where here uses a pitch shifting effect. I have found that any modulating effect on this device is not very good at all. The other problem is that the noise created from the compression and distortion cannot be totally erased by the noise gate unfortunatly it is still noisy. but everything else is quite good

Have had it for one year.
Yes it seems to be relyable

Not very good att all

I play Rock and similar styles
I have been playing for 9 years
If i had to buy again I would definately get a better effect like a gt3 or gt5 if I could afford those rediculous amounts of money
as compared to the Ax1000 by korg the korg is much better but a little more expensive I would get the korg.
It certainly develops your creative side of playing

Very easy to use with the LCD display. I love the "virtual knobs" it has. Makes it very easy to set patch parameters compared to just looking at a flashing light and a number ala DOD GS30 and Digitech RP3. Manual is fairly good, not very detailed but gives enough to get you going. The only problem with editing patches is it can be kind of confusing at first remember which button cycles through what type of settings.

I've only just finished testing all 30 factory presets and some of them will be quite usable. Of course a few of them are just.....well.....interesting. I was using a BOSS Metalzone and just couldn't get a very close sound to Metallica and it always sounded really tinny when plugged into my computer though my Fender Princeton Chorus amp for recording. The ME-30 should work very well though. I use a Jackson JSX-94 Concept Series with it. The wah isn't the greatest, but that seems to follow with the reviews I've seen of other units in this price range. I'm not worried about it because I'll still use my Dunlop, I wanted the onboard pedal more for volume control purposes.

Yes I think I could definitely depend on it. I would also be comfortable using it at a gig without a backup. However the "glow in the dark" LCD didn't seem to really do that, so I don't know that it would be good in low light situations except for seeing the red LED's.

not dealt with them, BOSS seems to make great stuff though, my metalzone is 4 years old and still kicking like brand new.

While I actually only bought this today I just had to comment on it. I spent about an hour playing with it at Guitar Center and was very impressed with it over the DOD GS30. This actually lets me get the sounds I've been looking for for a long time like Metallica, both distorted and some nice clean stuff too. I play metal, blues, my own strange stuff and have been playing for about 5 years. If it was stolen/lost I would replace it if it was all I could afford. Don't get me wrong, I love it so far, but if I can afford something better I'd get it. If you are looking for a multi-effects in this $$ range though....it's well worth it. It would be nice if you could adjust the distortion parameters like the attack/decay. Also would be nice if it was made of metal, but the plastic seems durable. If anyone knows some really good settings for old and new Metallica (new=black album sound) and newer (countdown to extinction) Megadeth and also some good Ozzy sounds (like Crazy Train) please email me with the info.

Seems pretty easy to use, shows all the parameters as both numbers and knob positions, makes it easier. Buttons used to scroll could be labled more clearly.

Ok, my main reson for submitting this review is to explain what a ring modulator is for.
It is NOT for use as in your main sound. Used sparingly it can make things far more interesting. See Melt Banana's cover of Surfin' USA. listed during the solo, I think he uses a different type of ring modulation with a different type of wave shape (I think this one's is square) but there's more going on there than just pitch shift.

I want it.

The bank and patch setup is really good

Not gonna affect me

I'd depend on it any day

The best pedal i've come across.
go get it
only pedal u'll ever need

If I can figure it out, anyone can. Editing patches is quite simple and easy. The manual is very explanative and precise.

I use a Fender Roland ready strat through an ART attack amp (tube). However I bought this in the states and now use it overseas with a knock up transformer which create terrible hum. The sound quality of the ME-30 is absolutely pitiful. The noise it creates annoys me so badly that I get headaches. (I plugged it into a local amp, even took it to the local Boss/Roland dealer who are not really qualified for this, they just own the rights to sell Roland/ boss products).

I use it twice a week playing live and sometimes the noise is worse then others. Very unreliable.

Pitiful. I have attempted to contact them thru fax and e-mail and they do not reply.

I play pop, rock, jazz, soul, and funk. The sounds are good, but the hum is terrible. The noise gate helps a bit but not enough to prevent the headaches.

This piece of equipment is so easy to use that my grandma can make great sounds too!!!

ME-30 has a realy great and warm sound.It's not like boss pedals style(thing that i was afraid when i went to try it).It has most of the effects,an normal guitar player will ever need and they sound realy good(have the sweetest Chorus i have ever heared!)Generaly this pedal it's good for the beginers and pro's as well.Waw sound sucks somehow in my opinion as most of multiple effects proccesors(God bless Dunlop!!)

I think i could trust this thing to a live and studio too.

Never had to deal with Boss people...i've heared that they're not that friendly,especialy here in Greece.

I mostly play heavy but i like to experiment in other styles such as blues,jazz and rock and i think this piece suits a lot in every style.If you have a good and powerful amp,it can show that it realy rocks!!I can compare it with Zoom first models and 4040 as well.I am not realy a fan of zoom sound and in my opinion this thing can compare all the above.Lastly,not the best one,but it remains a good piece of equipment.

The unit was delivered yesterday. The manual is well laid out and with a little messing around, I was able to edit the presets. I agree that the screen is difficult to see, even in a well lit room and I can bet it is even more difficult to set during a gig but wouldn't one have completed all the settings BEFORE the gig? The sound is very good. The preset master volume on some of the patches was a bit surprising. Feedback two feet from the amp is not a lot of fun for me...or my neighbors.

I'm using a Crate GX-65 with an EPI Sheraton II and a ESP M-250. The preset wahs are okay but I need to make some adjustments. This is a learning experience for someone new to multieffects processors. Before, I've used my amp with a DOD distortion pedal and the internal Crate Chorus, Compressor and overdrive channel. I recognize the almos limitless versatility. I also purchased the AC power supply with the ME-30.

Too soon to say whether I'd rely on it, exclusively, during a performance or jamming with friends. At home, I would rely on it. I wouldn't rely on only having batteries, get the power supply.

I haven't contacted the company but BOSS has been around for awhile and I would think, unless they are completely stupid, that their service is very good.

My musical style moves from blues, rock, and crap I can't define. I have been playing for about 15 years and started out on Rush, the Police, U2, Yes, and the Eagles. I like have the versatility of the multi effects processor and the ability to use the device in a recording process. Being able to alternate between sounds during a piece, or layering on a recording, this unit will help. If it were stolen, I might go to something more advanced but this is a pretty good and portable starter system.

Its tricky in the begining but after u get it a little bit it becomes sooooooo easyyyy!!!!!!!!!! it comes standard with 30 sounds built....I dont like the heavy sound so i customized to sound Metallica heavy.

this thing has great sound quality, i love the heavy dist sound.....im cool with the wah wahs....i like Bank 4,#2 wah wah the best cos i uuse tha in For WHom the Bells tolls from Metallica....and its got a pretty wild sound.....Chorus is good nothin compared to the chorus on my amp but its all u really need....For Nirvana wise....its good with chorus....Delay is aweeeeesome!!!!!! Put it on 4ms with a lil feedback and a whole lot of effect level and u'll get 2x the sound u woulda got without the delay......or throw it up to about 250ms and got an awesome like 2nd guitar feel or echo....The reverb is good...FLanger is really good. Tremlo is cool i dont use it tho.....EQ and phaser is cool Pitchshifter is alrite...EXpression pedal is really good..wah wah is good...Comppresor is excellent if u want tha extra sustain..The distortion - overdrive is really really awesome.....
Vintage, warm, crunch, blue hard. metal than fuzz

its the best

This thing is so hard to program being that you cant see the the screen at all, and once you try to turn up your amp it all sounds terrible.

i use a epiphone les paul with a roc pro 1000 combo, and this pedal just hisses so loud i have to turn the amp down after every song at the set. the noise suppressor in this thing is a joke. the only thing i like about this pedal is the wah.

i can't use this at a gig because i cant see the "lcd" screen in the dark to know what i am doing.

N/A

bottom line, do not buy this pedal.

easiest machine i have ever used. i have never read the instruction book.

personally, i think it has a great sound. i play alot of hard rock, alternative, and classical, and this is great for all three.

needs nothing said.

i love it. it is great for the money, i would buy it again if anything ever happened to it.

It is very easy to use once you learn how to do it. Read the manual, and it is very clear how to edit the patches, exchange dif. sounds to dif. banks.

i play a gibson les paul, and i plug the pedal right into a PA system. at times it can get a little noisy, but when youre playing fairly loud, you dont notice the noise one bit. The effects are great. several different distortions, and if you know how, you can edit the effects, make it sound the way you want it. its got the Wah-Wah, chorus, etc... anything you would expect from a Multi effects unit

I can Definately, no question really on it. Solid built peice of equipment that i can trust. i have a Gig comming up, and i feel Completely safe playing with NO backup!

Never dealt with customer support, but i hear that they are nice people. I hape i never have to call em up, but if i do, i trust that they would help me.

I play Alternative/Rock music. i have been playing for 4 years, and this is the best investment in my playing that i hvae ever made. i trust that i will have this pedal for years to come. If this was stolen, i would be really pissed, cause i cant really afford to buy another one. if i was getting payed to play guitar, and i had the money i would deffinately by this pedal again. The ME-30 is better that all the other Multi effects units out there. check customer reviews for the other units from $100-$250. this is pretty much the best of em all. My music Sounds alot better with the addition of the pedal. Thats about all i have to say besides, BUY THIS PEDAL if you are looking for a Mulit effects Unit

This was my first processor and I find it was very easy to use, after a day of fiddling around with it I started to program my patches.

The overall sound quality is amazing for the price. The reverb, chorus, flanger, phaser, delay, distortion are great but the compressor, pitch shifter, noise gate, wah-wah, ring modulator suck big time. The noise gate doesn't do the job, I find once set it doesn't muff your sound. I still get feedback with it set all the way. I play metal so a good noise gate is crucial. the commpressor is noisy at times but fair, as you would see in most processors, "intellegent pitchshifter", well this is the stupidest one. The thing can't even give you a real sound, it sounds fake. Now for the distortion, I found that the distortion on this effect was amazing but not enough settings for it, you only get tone, drive, volume or level.
I was able to imatate a lot of sounds with the ME-30 and I suggest to anyone that doesn't have a lot of money to spend to get this if they need more effects.

I've had this thing for 2 years now let me say it has never failed on me yet, I've done around 10 shows without a backup and I wasn't even thinking if this thing letting me go or not. I was mostly thinking of not breaking a string so the ME-30 was not an issue doing live preformances. I have also dropped it by accident and not a scratch on it.

Don't know, never need to call.

I've been playing metal, death metal, rock for 11 years now and this is a good buy for people with a small budget but need all those effects. Overall, if you're a professional, you'll get tired of it quickly as you'll want more options on it as we all do with the years of experience gained on the road and jam sessions. I would buy it again if I were still broke but I got something better now so it all depends on your budget. Also, I find that they could of added an a.c. adapter with but they do give you batteries.

This pedal is kinda hard to get used to. If you normally play anolog, then you won't like it, but if you like processor, then this is a great pedal. The ease of use will be kinda hard to get used to but once you have it down it's totally awesome. I love it. It has a very wide variety of effects from phasers to tremelo to distortion. (7 different types of distortion I might add!)

The sound quality is pretty good, but could use some improvment. It's a processor like I said, so you can't get that perfect sound that only anolog can provide. Overall you can get pretty good sound out of it if you know how to use it right.

Probably the back bone of this processor is its reliability. As long as you use the specific power source provided, you should have no problem shorting it out or anything like that. You never have to worry about a backup when you are doing a show, because the ME-30 never fails. It has never let me down yet!

I haven't had any problems with it yet, and i'm the third owner. I knew both of the previous owners and they never had any trouble with it either so... But they did give me an awesome deal. $100!!! Vs. 299 store bought!

I have played with it a lot and decided that i don't really like the presents that much. I made my own effects and I love them. My style ranges from old school punk to rap to 90s to more punk and then my all time favorite: THE 80s!!! the compressor does a nuber for me in that sense.

It is very easy to use once you learn how. The user interface is as though you have a chain of Boss pedals in front of you. The manual is very staight forward with pictures and diagrams. Explainations are given for everything.

You can have a set up with just this. It's not noisy, in fact I find that it naturally cleans up the extra noise that your guitar makes. I found that the EQ just adds extra noise and does little. The distortions are good. You can set them really low and just use them for gain to give extra punch. I personally have never seen a need for really heavy distortion so I can't really say I find the quality good at those levels. The modulation effects sound excellent. However I find the compression to add extra noise and take away natural tone from the guitar. I play mainly blues and classic rock like Zeppelin and Hendrix but I can't neccessarily say that this pedal can immitate the sounds of them, but it does come close.

I never used it at a gig. Mostly just jamming with friends and it seemed to work fine. If there's one thing I would recommend it would be to buy the adaptor. I probably wouldn't use a back up at a gig b/c it is sturrdy and reliable, also it's a Boss.

I have never dealt with boss customer service and I hope I don't have to b/c by most accounts of Boss customer service it seems to suck.

I play mostly blues and it provides light gain for punch. I've been playing about 5 years and I now own about 2 fender strats, 1 tele and a Aria Pro II Les Paul style. The ME-30 works well with all. I am now moving on to buying individual pedals to gain a more natural sound. If I lost it I would probably buy it again b/c it seems to do it all. I would use it at gigs for ease but not in the studio. I love the ease and light distortion. I can't really say that I hate it. It is very practical and sounds excellent. Naturally if the effects on this are compared to single pedals, the ME-30 effects come very close but the singles are ultimately better. Overall I have to say Boss (the master in guitar effects) did a very good job on this: easy to use, all their best effect, in a user-friendly compact unit. Of course this is how I see the ME-30. Please don't take my word on any of this unless there are consistent ideas with other reviews.

I organized all of my own patches 0-9 and it was a piece of cake, the only thing that took time was getting them all to be approx the same volume, at first I would hit a loud channel and blare the speakers. It took a lot of playing around to figure it out completely, Don't use the preset channels, they suck, make up your own.

I have a fat strat and a princeton 65 amp, i only use the me-30 for now and its really all i need, ive got a delay w/ feedback set to 100% which makes loops that dont stop!!! the ring mod is worthless(except time-(floyd) intro) and ill get a new dist pedal, but delay, wah, flanger, chorus, compressor, and reverb make this worth it. The stereo headphones when the master vol is cranked is absolutely amazing, sounds like a CD!!!

Its all I use at gigs, and I'm comfortable w/ that.

I play Phish, Dave Matthews, Grateful Dead, Sublime, Chili Peppers, and I can get the ME-30 almost to be a perfect match. After writing all new patches and organizing them, I decided that this pedal is amazing.

very easy to use, it's just like pedals you get almost all the boss pedals and it's easy

sorry!!!!! I think it sucks, I also have the GT-3 and from my expirences with both I am just going to go for pedals.

it is very strong so it's good

this unit is relatively easy to use once you get past the first 10 minutes or so.. perhaps reading the manual would help a bit.

most of the effects on here are very good (the phaser rocks, the chorus is good, and the delay is nice) but the distortion settings suck. i've seen people say that the distortions are good - but they're not. i play everything from stevie ray to oasis to the talking heads.. and i can't find a setting that works well for any type of music. i mean, the distortions aren't horrible, but i would never play a live gig with the distortions available on the me-30.

i've played gigs with it without a backup, it's pretty reliable. the batteries last longer than expected.

never had any problems..

as i said before, i play a fairly wide variety of music, and besides the distortions, this is a great unit. so - buy this if you're looking for a good multi-effects pedal board and already have a guv'nor plus or ts-9.

Okay, I've sent back 3 different multi-effects processors this month. This thing is the easiest I've used yet. Patch editing was painless as can be. Totally cool how they show you little peddle icons, and the knobs on them. Pretty good manual, I kinda wish they would've shown some cool examples, but I found tons of those on the net, (www.voicenet.com).

I'm using a 40 year anniversary Strat, and a Les Paul studio going through a Fender Super 60 tube amp. The distortions on this are the best I've found yet. Seems as though the people that don't like them are into this grunge punk shit. We play mostly Blues, Classic rock etc. Great Chorus, I've always been a Wah user, and this one sounds pretty good, though maybe not good enough to get rid of my Vox.

So far, so good.

Haven't had to deal with them yet.

Been playing for 20 years, and always seem to go back to seperate pedals. This thing seem like it might change that, but I have to play it live at a few gigs first. I tried an expensive Digitech, (RP-2000), and it sucked compared to this Boss unit. Everyone's right about them making a mistake not lighting the LCD panel, and not including an AC adapter. Other than that, give this sucker a try!

It is very easy to set up different patches.

There is a problem with this unit... it is prone to feedback at live performance volume levels.. it is noisy at times

I've used it at two live performances, and it appears to be very reliable... always have a backup... although I don't ever feel like the unit will fail.

You can get a good thick distortion sound out of the unit, but I tink the classic rock and vintage distortion patches are weak. The chorus is strong, and the delay is deep, but the eq, and the flange suck.

Wow, so many reviews on all this gear.. guess I better review my ME-30. hehe- todays the first time ive used this review section.. and I've found it pretty useful.. I'm actually (next week) upgrading to a GT-5 pedal and the other guitarist in my band is grabbing my ME-30-
hmm- about ease of use- I've actually found it pretty hard to get a good sound out of it, not really because of the effects unit- but because I haven't figured out my whole setup yet.. ie.. my amp etc.. I found (I'm using a Marshall VS265R by the way) that using the presets on the ME-30 is a nightmare as far as feedback goes with amps.. and you have to really watch levels.. especially with different guitars (different tone settings etc).. its all pretty confusing... the manuals sufficient I suppose - (really could contain more information-contains enough to get started though).
Editing patches is pretty easy.. kinda scrolling left and right with the arrows.. its not too complicated.. having a LCD display that actually lit up (without holding the thing up in the light) would be a neat addition.. - with amps and effects.. I've found things change with different volume levels, so you really need to try things the way things would be when you're performing (to avoid problems).

Anyhow.. ramble ramble.. haven't really had enough time to fully use it (and I'm moving onto a GT-5 :D - everyones goin for the latest gadget thingymebob.. ahh well.. - just saw a GT-5 going for $550 (australian so umm like $250US or something.. which is mighty cheap)
anyhows.

Hmm (not sure if I've structured this all that well.. but the sound quality.. I've found.. through headphones (in stereo-wahoo) was brilliant.. umm but when I got my new amp.. I found I had a few probs getting levels etc... but I doubt its to do with the effects unit.. --anyhow.

I really like the phase effect.. i know this sounds crazy.. but if you put the rate up to 95 or something and the depth up pretty high.. you can get the sound of a bird tweeting.. hehe

also, I've used the Me-30 a lot on vocals with good results.. reverbs etc are really cool.

Hehehe.. I worry about it gettin scratched etc (the lcd panel) but other than that its pretty strong.. umm one thing though.. sometimes when you stand on the expression pedal (I don't really like other people using it).. -- if you bend it forward and lean back at the same time.. you can kinda feel the plastic bend.. so umm I wouldn't be suprised if some people have broken this.. anyhow.. maybe thats just me.. umm I don't think a backup is necessary.. but definately a spare power supply.. they stuff up a LOT for me.. I think having a spare one of those is a MUST.. umm I remember once lending my power supply to a friend... I got it back and didn't notice that the voltage had been switched, and plugged it into my ME-30.. i turned it on.. it lit up.. came up with an error message.. no dramas (was a bit worried I'd stuffed it bigtime..)

anyhow.

hmm I think we're all agreed that the roland site is one of, if not the worst site around (at least the boss section).. sure its cool for those who want a quick look at it.. but for people looking for detail or user support.. I've found harmony central is your best bet.. theres also a ME-30 page somewhere that has a few hundred patches.. pretty neat.. sorry I can't remember the address.. anyhow.. customer support really needs a LOT of work. (one of the reasons I've chosen to go for a Protools system rather than a VS unit) anyhow.

I haven't really had enough time to use it at all.. I know a lot of local bands that are using the ME-30 and the guitarists sound is pretty good.. I think that effects are only a minor part of this though.. I think more work needs to go into customer support-- especially helping people figure out levels for there guitar-me-30-amplifier.. its a tad confusing.. whether to use the me-30 distortion, or your amps, or both.. your amps reverb, or chorus or both.. you know??

anyhows.. for those who I've seen figure it out- levels that is.. a mighty fine pedal. - especially if bought second hand the way I did, $150 Australian (retailed for nearly 800 when I bought it)... hehe

Anyhows.. any info re levels etc would be most appreciated - musicfest@hotmail.com

Tweaking's not hard at all, but it takes alot to get the sound you're looking for(just like a pedal, though). Definitely easy to get into and start messing around and it's easy to set up your patches. Tweaking the individual effects is exactly like a stomp box, so if you have a favorite setting on a certain pedal, it'll work here the same.

I'm using an Epiphone Korina Explorer, a Digitech XP-100 Whammy-Wah and I just picked up a used SansAmp GT2. This unit is amazing for the price, no joke. All the effects range from good to great. The delay, reverb, phaser, flange, chorus, tremolo, EQ and noise suppressor are things I use constantly. I was using the distortion up until I got the SansAmp and they're honestly really good, unlike some people would lead you to believe. If you're into Boss pedal distortions, you should dig these, especially with the EQ. The Vintage setting was amazing, I played an open A chord when I first tried it and it sounded just like the opening to "Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who, which is pretty damn cool.

I'm into alot of stuff, but mostly heavy stuff like the Deftones, Staind, Sevendust, etc. and so I like to mess around with effects. This unit is definitely worth the price, every negative review I've seen so far(except the people with Gretch's, etc.) was wrong to my ears. If you're in the market to get a bunch of effects to play with or whatever, definitely look into this.

It's tougher than I thought, but I don't stomp on it...... I'd gig without a backup(I haven't tried it out live yet) because I haven't got on. Definitely don't stomp on it but it should stand up to a good bit.

Overall, this is a great little unit. The effects were all great and really superior to every other multi-effects in the price range. Of course, buying each pedal would be superior, but when you factor in the price it's not worth it. Overall, considering the price and quality, this is easily a 10, pick it up if you're thinking about it!!

The factory presets are pretty weak and useless, but editing
is easy. And if you know what sound you're after, it's easy
to get that sound. This unit is very simple to operate.

I use an Ibanez studio 300 guitar, a rackmount tube preamp
with parametric EQ, and powered speaker cabinets. This unit
is very quiet, except when combining heavy distortion with
delay, chorus and reverb (combining these effects will give
you moderate feedback but a killer tone.). I can get any tone
from Eric johnson, to Steve Vai, to Chuck Schuldiner. But I'm
more concerned with creating my own sounds than copying others'.
The only effect that lacks flexibility is the wah wah. And the
phrase trainer's samples lose too much sound quality when
reducing the speed.

I don't have a backup and don't feel the need to get one.
I've been using mine for over a year and haven't had
problems with it.

Never dealt with the company.

This unit can get you great tone for about any style of music.
My style is heavy metal with Jazz, Classical, and even flaminco
influences. I've been playing about eight years, have acquired
a very demanding style and am EXTREMELY picky about tone. I've
tried dozens of other processors and effects and I'm very pleased
with this unit. The GT-5 and GT-3 and other processors like them
have many more features (more than I could possibly need)
but this covers the basics very well. If it were lost or stolen,
I'd buy another.

Well, I thought this is a great pedal with pretty crap presets...have to do some knob turning when trying to get a really good sound. Thought it was awesome with flanger, chorus, etc...

Well, I am mainly using a 65 Watt Marshall with this pedal but haven't tried my Boss Metal Zone yet...Great sound!

Got a kool replica for Limp Bizkit on the Family Values 99' video.

I've mainly just tried to Get MetallicA patches and made heepz of kool ones for S&M, MOP etc...

I think the amp helps a lot!!!!!

Yeah...Plastic, dropped it once...never broke.

YEAH! definitely gig with it!

Never dealt with em'...Hope I never have too!

I mainly play heavy stuff...any kool. MetallicA, Limp Bizkit, KoRn, Green Day, Deftones, SlipKnoT, ...

I use an Ibanez with this pedal.

U need to get it! the point of it is to buy this pedal so when u gig u don't have a huge rack of pedals!!!!

AWESOME PEDAL! would buy it again if stolen!!!!!!!

Pretty easy. After screwing around a bit you'll be fine.

I'm pretty impressed by this unit. After hearing a DOD GX-7 thingy(DOD is the worst shit on the planet - go Boss or Digitech), I was turned off to multi-effects. Until my friend bought this box. It sounds beautiful. My setup is - Ibanez RG to Vox Wah to MT-2 to Princeton 112. When I plugged in the ME-30 I took out the Vox. I was impressed by the effects. The distortions are damn good for a multi-effects unit. The "Grunge" screams Korn - the muddiness is perfect. The modulation effects are pretty good, except for the flanger - it seems painted on. The effect I love most is the chorus, it is very thick and rich, almost as good as a Dano Cool Cat. The wahs are cool, and the delays allow an insane amount of delay time. Overall, a very cool unit.

Made of plastic, but it is a Boss. Do yourself a favor and buy an adaptor.

Customer support in big companies is shit.

Excellent! A definite good buy for 250 bucks (I think).

Compared to a stomp box it's a little tricky, but compared to other multi-FX's...piece of cake. Manual helps you if you're lost.

My Washburn P.O.S. into the pedalboard into a Peavey Bandit 112.

Compressor and OD/Dist/Fuzz can get a little noisy, but that's expected. There IS a noise suppressor, but it cuts sustain.

I graded every effect: 1-Great 5-Terrible
Compressor - 2
Distortions - 2
EQ - 3 (only 3 bands? I get that on my amp!)
Noise S. - 4
Phaser - 1 (I don't need it, but it's good quality)
Delay - 1 (2000ms!)
Chorus - 1
Pitch shifter - 3
Tremelo - 1
Flanger - 2
Reverb - 1
Phrase Trainer - 1
Amp Simulator - 3

Plastic...don't drop it. Should've been metal.

Boss kicks @$$.

GT-3 is my next one. This is more beginner stuff.

Just like the knobs on your stomp boxes!!!!!!!!!!!!

I use a crappy Les Paul fake this ME-30 and a Frunt multifunctional amp with a 4 x 12" box with 4 different speakers. I play Death/black metal and well it sounds just like a metal zone (which is good) you'll need to set your amp as neutral as possible and set the EQ to taste, I also get a cool Jazz/blues sound out of it, you just need to find the strong points in the unit and use them. The dual bending of my strings sounds a little shitty when using Hi gain settings combined with hi chorus volumes, but since I hate chorus on my distortion this doesn't matter. All in all a good product.

Although this thing is plastic it's MUCH tougher than for instance ZOOM and Korg products, I used it on several gigs, they did a pogo over it in rehearsal and it's still alive and kicking, which I can not say of the ZOOM 3030 of some of my colleagues

Haven't met 'em.

Well it doesn't sound bad at all, it doesn't go with the hype of emulating amps or so. ONE TIP: experiment with the G. Amp sim on or off even with using an amp!

I only used this unit for 3 days (but extensively during that time).

Editing Patches: Somewhat tedious with the effect icons flashing, especially the pedal icon jumping all over the place. Adjusting digital parameters on fake icon analog knobs seems annoying too. Decent sounds came out without too much effort, but it seemed difficult to really dial them in.

Manual: Very poor. No explanation of the effect parameters or their impact on the sounds produced.

While Playing: Footswitches are too close together. Switching the tuner on by footswitch is difficult. Having names for the patches is a nice feature so you can remember which patch is where without writing them down. The expression pedal seems limited without being able to control modulation parameters or distortion.

It sounded OK. I play a Strat with bridge humbucking pickup and Marshall 30-watt combo. Very noisy with low level inputs, but sounded pretty good playing loud. I couldn't figure out how to put it into bypass mode with footswitches, but this would have helped a lot of the time with cleaner sounds. The modulation effects sounded much like the corresponding BOSS stomp boxes (which I think sound very good).

Didn't have it long enough to know.

Have not used BOSS customer support.

All in all, for the price, I think the ZOOM 3030 is a much better value. I took the ME-30 back after 3 days of trying to get it to do what I wanted and bought the ZOOM instead (and saved $70).

The ME-30 made playing a variety of music (slow vs. fast, clean vs. distorted, modern rock/classic rock/country) more difficult instead of easier and better sounding. I was disappointed in BOSS for this unit.

This pedal is great. Its easy to get setup and get the sound you want. for me, i just got it, put in the batteries and just started playing away. i hardly had to look at the manual and when i did, it was only for a couple seconds when i wanted to find out how to rename a patch. and making/editing patches is so simple, its like having all the stomp boxes right in front of you (it takes a bit longer to change the settings rather than having the knobs). but thats not bad!

My setup is a Crappy Jackson-->ME-30-->Boss Flanger Pedal-->Distortion pedal-->Kustom AMP. Other than my pedals, my setup isnt the best but it still produces a wonderful sound. I usually play Korn, Limp Bizkit, RHCP, RAGE, and Deftones (theyre AWESOME). now, i can get almost all the sounds of these guys with my pedal, its so wonderul. the sound quality of the pedal is great, i dont konw that much about pedals but when i sit back and listen to my brother hammer away at the pedal, its just sounds awesome!

i think this thing is pretty dependable, im not too crazy about the plastic but still i can put my full body weight on it. i mean its a reasonable quality pedal according to the price! i would definatley buy another one if this one got stolen or broke. but i dont think id buy another one for back up, cause my parents wouldnt buy it...

Never had to deal with them.

The style i play is basically Heavy... and this pedal helps me play that kind of music... ive been playing for 1 1/2 years and that might not sound much, but i must say im pretty good. and if anyone wants PATCHES, go to altavista and search for "The Unofficial Boss ME-30 Home Page" its an awesome sight with patches for allll types of sounds!

I haven't spent a lot of time using effects before this and I have been creating my own effects quite simply since I got it. No complaints here. It would be nice if the screen was indiglo or something. It is a tad hard to read. I hate bending down and squinting.

My set-up is quite simple. I have an Epiphone Les Paul Junior going through the Me-30 and out a DOD ice-it amp. Pretty basic. My biggest complaint is with the distortions. Sadly, My amp distortion is so much better than all of these. Way too digitized sounding and I can't get an organic howl out of it. My amp can normally give me sweet natural feedback and tremolo. Most of them sound the same anyway. I normally use a little bit of my amp drive with the extra ooomph coming from the pedal. I really like the 'amp' setting for listening through headphones. It takes that digitized edge off of keeping the roommates happy.
The Delay is nice. There needs to be a phase pedal option. There also needs to be a way of using tremolo AND chorus And Flange. Overall I like most of the effects if they are tweaked well. Get rid of 80% of the presets though. Most of them aren't even cool effects, they just sound like crap. Also it is a bit noisy. (that could be my setup though) *GET YOUR OWN DISTORTIONS

I would totally gig with it. It sucks that it's plastic. Set up right its pretty damn cool. I have noticed that on a lot of my own constructions there is a microsecond of silence when switching between effects so work this out in your music.

I play a lot of R.E.M. and U2. I like to make noise. Soft or violent. Unlike most on this sit, I don't play Metal. (In all honesty, I'm not that skilled) It is nice for some U2 stuff. I've been playing a lot of Zooropa stuff and it's pretty good. I'd need an entirely different set-up to get Pete Buck tones. I can't find anything to get that southern chime. I bought this in Toronto. This was an amazing purchase for me. Considering a good Delay, Phaser and a tuner would come to about the same price, I scored big time.

If you like to move, tweak things, computers, amplifieres, guitars, electronics, this unit will be very easy to use, at least it was for me, because I'm into that things of settings and that. Editing patches is like moving knobs in stompbox, and the manual specifies all you can need.

Well, at last I'm writing my review about this unit, I'd wait a year because I want it to test it relly good, so when you read this, you'll get a good review, not a poor review that someone wrote after a day he bought it.
I use a Lyon(by washburn) ->ME-30->and my Marshall, thats' all, I play only Metallica, that's why I've get all the souns I wanted. That pretty heavy, nasty Mesa/Boogie distortion of Metallica you can get it out of the ME-30, TRUE! Also patches for One, Nothing else matters, welcome home, Kirk's wah, Unforgiven live, Call of ktulu, Master of puppets, etc... Amazing sounds, everuthing I'll need. By now you'll probably say, "This man is an @sshole, how can he get those patches with this unit" Well, very simple, for the acoustic patches there's no secrets, only chorus, reverb, EQ, etc... But for Distortions you have to turn on Compressor, EQ and that's it, of course, beside distortion, I Know why the other people in this review didn't get the distortions they wanted( Metallica, Nirvana, Offspring, Megadeath, etc), it's because they thouhgt it'll be enough only turning on the distortions and that's all, well, WROOONG. And if you want any patch of Metallica, I GARANTIZE perfection, but only with Metallica, I haven't tested with other bands, just tell me and I'll send you my patches. Well, I have to recognize that distortions aren't the best if they work alone, but put some compression and EQ. Well, one thing it was a little anoying is the fact that EQ and Phaser use the same place, so, or you use EQ or Phaser, you can't use them both at the same time, also with modulation effects, I wanted to try chorus and pitch shifting, well, not in this machine. The expression pedal has helped me a lot. that's because I don't like to play with my guitar knobs. Take this advice, If you buy a different adaptor than Boss PSA, you'll get a terrible noise, I have that problem, I can't find that adaptor, well in Latin America. I rated with a 9 beacuse it's everything that I'll need in my whole life, well, if I have money for a Mesa/Boogie triaxis I'll buy, but still using my ME-30.

Well, it's a boss, come on, but the only thing is that is made of plastic, that could be a litlle problem if you don't take good care of your things. I'll use it in a gig without back, well, besides this I don't have any other effect or unit.

I never had to deal with Boss, that could be because there's no Boss in Ecuador, but I think they will be friendly and very helpful.

I play Metallica and fits for me.
If my unit were stolen or lost I'll go buy it in an instant. I love almost everything of this unit, but I wanted to have harder distortions and don't use it with EQ and compressor.
I compare my unit with Zoom, taht really sucks, also DOD, it didn't reached Boss, and with Digitech RP-7 wich I think is the equal to Boss ME-30. It helps me a lot in my songwritting and in my music. If you have money for a Mesa/Boogie Triaxis, buy it, but if you don't go buy this unit.

Very easy to use, and pretty simple to create/edit patches. The manual is pretty thin, but covers everything I needed to know.

I used this for direct recording (rock), and was not very impressed with the sounds. It may be better for gigging, but I didn't try it. The distortion sounded kind of wussy, and when the amp simulator was on it took all the bite off of the sound.

I didn't have it for a long time, maybe a year before I switched to a VF-1 (which is much better for what I needed). It has a plastic case, so I doubt if it could stand a lot of road abuse. But I never had any problems with it while I owned it.

Never had to call.

For a rock player there are much better sounding units out there, but for it's price you can't expect nirvana. If I had to recommend something to someone, I'd probably tell them to skip this one and spend a little more money on something they'd be happier with.

Its real easy to use, you can edit the patches fast.

I mostly play metallica,offspring,smashing pumpkin. I can get a fairly good sound with it, i do not know why the #$?$ they thew in a ring modulator.....

Some people have said that the reliability is good IT ISNT.
Its in plastice and one of my knobs is abit broken so that i have to litterely jump on it to switch. same thing happend for the other guitarist in my band who also have got the me-30.

havent spoken with 'em

I wouldnt use it for gigs and im sorry that i didnt just buy some single effects that sounds better.
but again that would be more expensive ...

It's pretty easy unit to use, you learn to use it quickly.

I have Jackson PS-4 and old Yamaha JX 35. I've managed to get pretty good sounds with it, except that my amp sounds like shit when you turn bass level higher. I have NO idea, what the ring modulator is used for. I haven't had any use for that.
I used to have a Boss Metal Zone and in my opinion you get that sound from this unit.
But the factory settings are "#?%#&/(#.

Boss is very good manufacturer, so... But it's plastic.

Never needed any support

My friend had Zoom, don't remember what, but that sucked. No Zooms for me... I'm glad I bought this. I'm sure this is the best in this price category.

This unit is fairly simple to use. I mostly use it in manual mode (which defeats the purpose of a multieffects unit). Tweaking the sound takes too long to get what you want.

Like some of the other reviews I've read, I agree that this unit is not set up for playing Metallica or AC/DC. The distortion is ok for older rock, but just doesn't cut it for an awesome distinct distortion that you may be looking for. I like the chorus, flanger, and delay they still don't sound like the single effects units though. The ring modulator?...what's that useful for? That should never have been included in the ME-30. The wah is mediocre. The expression pedal is too touchy. Overall it has good sound.

I've never had a problem with it. It's a boss, but I don't slam it in car doors or anything. Expression pedal is kind of flimsy, and it doesn't weigh very much. I'd like it to weigh more because it has a tendency to rock or slide when you use the expression pedal. I only weigh 150 lbs so I'm not a beast either.

never tried tech support. Hope I don't have to. Their website is ok, but could use a little doctoring. They need to have more details about their units than just selling points.

It's compact, easy to use in manual mode, sounds pretty good too. I still like it after 1 1/2 years. I'm thinking about moving onto something else though. I'm looking for a more distinct original sound. Maybe you can get it with the ME-30, but I don't know. I'm not going to spend hours tweeking effects, I'd rather use my limited time to play!!!

Probably the easiest effects unit to use ever bar none. The stompbox icons show exactly what is switched on and you can tell your settings at a glance. It wipes the floor with the competion with the boxes replacing thoser wimpy little lights that are so irritating on other pedals (i.e. ZOOM). My only problem with the unit is that the L.E.D screen is only visible from certain angels and on stage in complete darkness the illuminous screen dosn't really help see your settings until you get close. However, finding your way around is no problem even in the dark. The manual mode is good althougth their is no switch for the phaser and EQ (which is instantly available anyway). The manual is good and comprehensive (it even tells you the settings for the preset patches) but the unit is that easy you don't really need it anyway.

I'm using this unit with a Tangelwood guitar (model unknown) and a Laney TF200 and it suits both items well, and it gives the impression that it could adapt to any equipment you possesed. The unit is noise free until you crank up the gain with the compressor switched on and then it starts to fuzz and crack if the strings are uncovered or you approach a power source. However, most of this is my guitar anyway so I'm assuming that on better models it will become less apparent.
The effects overall are good but none really stand out. The delay, compressor and tremolo are highlights, all of which react well and are a pleasure to listen to. The ring modulator is useless (although I did write it into a song just so I could scare the audience) and the flanger is wild, but if you tame it it is worth the effort because it gives some great sounds. The pitch shifter is good and gives a good delay on the signal which is perfect for down-tuned distorted riffs. But, it does tend to get muddy when played with chords. The expression pedal gives a good response but needs a better range of movement. The wah sounds fine but is difficult to set half cocked because of the smal movement range of the expression pedal. However whith this unit it is almost impossible to tell the difference between itself and an analoge model. The noise supressor works but it cuts the signal to early when its needed to cut down on fuzz and gives a short unnatural stab of sound on the bass strings. The treble end of the guitar is fine though and it rings on for ever without causing a major problem.
The only real dissapointment is the distortion which is to thin and needs some serious boss beef added to it. Ther only passable one here is the 'metal' sound which has a nice tone when combined with the compressor, 'fuzz' is appaling and is only really usable with the wah pedal and 'warm', 'blues' and 'crunch' just sound like the same distortion with a slightly different EQ. 'Vintage' is enjoyable when combined with the superb reverb which can gave a Fender a run for its money. Having said this though, for the price, the ME-30 is better for sound quality then all the recent oppposition on almost all areas and gives good value for all its sounds.

This is a boss pedal, we are talking serious build quality here. It has a plastic case which is hardy enougth and gives a firm enougth feel under foot. The pedals are firm and can be stamped on as hard as you like and the expression pedal is perfect and needs to be switched just like a real pedal by stamping on it as hard as you can. It dosn't slide even on a slippery stage and has a well protected base with some serious looking metal. You could use this thing on mars and it would last.

Never had to use them

I play everything from vintage Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix to Korn and Superfine and it plays well although you are much better off with amp distortion from a good valve or tube amp. The distortions are just too thin, but when combined with another stand alone unit or amp overdrive the sound is faultless. This is my second efects unit after a ZOOM 505 which cost #99 at the time and 1 year later I bought this for #50 more with a huge improvement in quality. If someone nicks it I would definatly replace it seeing that the price has dropped from the very good flying pig place. It has superb sounds but is let down by the distortion and the compressor just gives the sound pure beef. I wipes the floor with price equivalents from DoD, Digitech among others. It does need a few more effects in chain such qas the ability to use phaser and EQ or flanger and pitch shifter. It is a great help when trying to compose write or do anything else.

This is my first multi effects system, but ive played many others and ive not found a more easier thing to use than this. The little stompboxes tell you exactly witch effect is being used and where. The virtual knobs are great too because its like you're operating an actual boss pedal. It took me no time to learn this thing, but the manual can be useful. It shows EVERYTHING!

I use a Yamaha Pacifica 112->ME-30->Crate GFX 15. When i turn these on, the sound is very clear. I havent really experienced any strange noises. Most of the effects are great. The distortions and overdrives great, kinda loud though even if on a low volume. The wah works fine, you can get a R.A.T.M sound pretty well. The ring modulator scared the hell out of me, and its pretty useless. The rest of the effect are nice though. One thing that would have made me a lot happier is if they would have put a phaser pedal on. The only way to get it in manual mode is to press a cycle through the effects. The tremolo is nice and smooth.

So far this thing has lasted well. Its plastic, but its a BOSS. Indestructable. Metal would have been nice though.

Never delt with them.

I play mostly hard rock and metal such as Korn and Creed. I can get all my Korn effects and good distortion for creed. Im an intermediate guitarist and i also play an ovation. If my ME-30 were lost i would definitly buy another. Compared to a DOD and Digitech around ME-30s price range, ME-30 is the way to go. This can also help you make music because you can mess around with the different effects and get cool sounds. You gotta get this!

I got this as a gift and It kicks ass, I start just messing around with it as soon as I got it, but I skimmed through the manual and it makes it alot easier to set the sounds. But if you think about it only the pieces of sh*t processors are completely easy to use.

I am using this with a strat mostly and, I am using a DD-3 delay, MT-2 distortion, and a crybaby, besides the processor, the distortion on the ME-30 isn't great but its not necessaraly horrible, everything else is great though, and the ring modulator kicks ass. Especially with distortion

Its a boss, its not going to f*ck up

I have never had to deal with boss on any product I own from them.

I play just about every kind of music, this thing covers it all, if you dont have millions of money to piss away I would get this one.

Just like having a bunch of stomp-boxes. It stores 30 user patches; more than enough. The manual is pretty good, though unnecessary. This is MUCH easier than other multi-effect units. Easier than the Boss Gt-3, Gt-5, and the DOD Tec4, which were the competition for this little unit.

Wheeh! I had a complicated setup until today, when I revamped and auctioned a lot of needless gear. I have 7 guitars. My main axes are a Danelectro 12 string, an Ibanez RG550, a Fender Am. Std. Tele, and a Gibson LP Custom. My other three are backups; a Dano DC-3, a Fernandes Decade from the Fernandes custom shop, and a Fender Roland Synth Strat. I run those guitars into a BOSS DS-1, an EH Big Muff Pi, a DOD Death Metal, a Dunlop Crybaby, a DOD Envelope Filter, a BOSS ME-30, into a Roland synth set, into a Roland Jazz Chorus JC-120, which I keep dry. I color the sound with the pedals, adding only light reverb from the JC-120. I play punk (NOFX, Ramones), ska(RBF, Scofflaws), classic metal (Sabbath), shred (Ozzy Osbourne), and new metal (Limp Bizkit). This pedal handles all of them with the greatest of ease. I will rate each effect individually.

Compression: Don't use too much! Very nice, fat, cheesecake sustain. Great booster. Rating: 8

Distortion: Rather weak. I prefer to use a DOD Death Metal for heavy distortion, and an EH Big Muff for lighter distortion. A DS-1 is good for light overdrive. I do not use distortion from this box; I use other pedals to get it. If this would be your only box, and distortion is what you want, then look elsewhere. Metal distortion is the only reason this gets a rating above 0. It is fairly good. But Fuzz, and the rest are very very fake sounding. Rating: 2

EQ: Very simple. I don't like it. I plan on getting a BOSS GE-7, because this EQ is only 3 bands. Not versatile enough, but it gets the job done for guitarists on a budget. Rating: 6

Phaser: I never use this. Kind of worthless. Only good for Van Halen style chords, but it's kind of cool. I just don't know when to use a phaser. Rating: 6

Noise Suppressor: Clips if set too high, Experiment to find out the best setting. It does work though! Rating: 9

Delay: Excellent. Sheer brilliance. Rating: 10

Chorus: Really nice. Covers every possible necessary chorus sound. Incredible! Rating: 10

Flanger: A little extreme for me, but amazing if used right, and sparingly. Makes noise if used with too much distortion. Rating: 8

Tremolo: Really funky. Talk about trippy! No problems with it. Rating: 9

Pitch Shifter: It's much more of a toy than an effect. I have never found a use for it, ever. If you set it to go one octave below, and drop the direct volume and raise the effect volume, you get a cool synth bass sound. If you raise it an octave, and keep both direct and effect levels high, it sounds like a synth 12 string. Never used it in a song, though. A little slow on tracking, but that adds to the craziness of it. Rating: 8

Reverb: Really nice. I always use the reverb on this unit. It is very live feeling, and organic. Rating: 10

Wah: I never use it. I prefer a Crybaby. This wah has no range to it. Rating: 3

Ring Modulator: Sheer fun. Amazing, tones. I use this a lot to add background effects to a song, like over the chorus. It is freaky, and sounds deliciously warped and hideous. Rating:10

Arm: Lots of fun, but not as good as a Whammy pedal. It is, though nowhere near as expensive, so it's good for what you get. Fun to get eerie effects in the bridges of songs.

I usually multi-track guitar parts on my bands songs. We have two guitarists. There is a distorted electric on each side of the mix, and then clean electrics with this unit's chorus in the middle.

Brilliantly reliable. NO problems, gigged with it 8 times. No backup. I do use an AC power source though. Always have back-up batteries!!

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This unit helps me do anything I want with my sound. I use other stomp boxes to augment it, but you can't beat the shimmering clean tones of this unit. It fits all styles of music. I wish the distortion was better. I compared it to plenty of other Multi-Effects units, but BOSS reliability, and the ease of use of this one won me over. The clean sound is AMAZING with tinkering. The ring modulator is delicious.

To hear the ME-30 in action, check out my punk band on mp3.com, Porn Flakes. Just search for us after January 8th, and feel free to give us, and the ME-30 a listen!

This is my first multi-effects unit, I've ben playing for about 3 years, and when I first turned this thing on I got really LOUD screeching sound. I had no idea what I was doing. everything looked too complicated, but after about an hour of tweaking and messing around with the buttons, I knew how to get a basic sound of what i was searching for. This was a christmas gift, I got it yesterday, and I'm still trying to figure it all out, but if I can figure it out in about an hour without even taking a glimpse of the instructions, well then it cant be all that complicated can it? I'll take a point off just because it looked like it would be to hard to deal with at first glance! ;)

I'm using an Epiphone Les Paul Special II with a Fender Princeton 65 amp. It's a very clean sounding amp, and it compliments the unit well. The only thing that seems noisy and annoying is those damn jetplane and ring mod effects! What was the point of those anyway? The WAH WAH sounds great! I could sit for hours messing around with that. I have a nice clean reverb on my amp, but the reverb on the effects unit isn't all that bad, sometimes I just turn down the amp reverb and use the effects reverb just for the hell of it. I like to play classic rock, alternative rock, and Metallica(old school style). I use a chorus when playing Metallica's "fade to black" and if you tinker with it, you can get it to sound identical. The chorus sings, and the distortion rocks! I also tried this unit out with my sisters Squire Strat, and it sounds better than my Epi. :( She's learning to play some southern rock on it (Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man, Free Bird" and it sounds great. I wish Somebody had some effects patches they could send for artists like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Pink Floyd for "Time". E-mail us if you do please!

I don't do gigs, but I'm still young so that could be in the future, but I'm too paranoid to gig without insurance, so I'd take along a couple of effect boxes to be on the safe side. It has a nice hard plastic casing, I've only had it a day though, so I'll let you know if its dead in a year.

haven't dealt with them.

I play a wide range of music styles, and this effects unit fits the bill. It has any sound you could think of or just invent yourself. I've been playing for just about 3 years, I own a Epiphone Les Paul Special II, Fender Princeton 65 Amp, and a Rogue AE300 Acoustic/Electric (It sounds great with this guitar if not better than my Epi!) I also have a couple effect boxes, a Boss DS-1 distortion, and a DOD FX-50B Overdrive Plus. I don't know about anybody else but I can get a nice crisp clean sound, or a great distortion that doesn't sound all muddled. If It were stolen I'd be pissed. I would go right down to guitar center and buy another as soon as possible. The thing I love about it so far is the beautiful chorus, and the built in wah wah pedal! What do I hate about it? Well that damn ear bleeding screeching sound that erupts from my Amp when I but the Unit next to it! Imagine being in a small room, having your head right next to the amp speaker, and then having that sucker go off screeching! I've seriously still got a headache from that. I was a gift. I was hinting I wanted a Zoom 505, but they were nice enough to shell out the extra cash and get this! =) Overall I love this multi-effect unit. Its my first one. The first time I've played around with chorus, delay, wah wah, and all those cool effects, even though I've been playing for 3 years, and what better way to introduce me to a wide range of sounds than this! I think.....I KNOW it will greatly enhance my playing abilities within a year just having something like this to make you sound even better than you are gives you confidence to keep playing and practicing!

Editing patches was very easy. It didnt come with a manual, but i could pretty figure out most of it on my own. There was of course a few things i didnt know about it before i got the manual, but reguardless it was very easy.

I use a Epiphone Les Paul Special 2 -->ME-30-->Gibson 120W/Fender Sidekick. I find the distortions great, just what i need, but its hard to get a good clean sound. It can get very noisy at times but over all i can get some pretty good sounds out of it.

Yes, i can depend on it. I would use it at a gig without a backup, just keep it away from the amp, its very noisy, and the sound man might tell u to unplug it(just a recent experience)!

I actually had to deal with them to get a manual. IT took forever, and didnt want to send one directly from there. They sent away to British Columbia to get one for me. And 4 weeks later i didnt recieve it, they finally decided to send me one. I have 2 now though :-). Ill give em a 3 just for getting it to the right address.

With the exception of the customer support, its a great pedal. Its got everything i need. There is a great site on the net that posts patches. I wish boss would have that somewhere. If it was stolen or lost, id definately consider on buying another one, depending on the amount of money i had. I play heavy music, and the distortions/overdrives are perfect.