Digital vs. Analog stomp-boxes

I’ve always been a gear-pig. Guitar gadgets fascinate me, and I’ve gone through more guitar pedals than socks over my 10 or so years of guitar-playing. I’ve also gone through my fair share of guitar amps and guitars over time. Maybe Someday I’ll try and make a list of everything I’ve ever owned. Who knows…
Anywho… last Saturday, I was jamming with a bud and he pulled out his gigantic pedalboard. It was, amazingly, about 7 or 8 inches longer than mine. He popped it open and I saw some familiar drive and delay pedals as well as a POD XT Live (which also was used as a midi controller for the other pedals). While his tone crytal clear as expected through his 410 Bassman reissue, I was impressed by the ease of use and clarity of the POD XT. While I’ve never been much of a digital-efx guy (analog pedals and a big board make you look cooler… right?), but was interested in some of the synth and pad-like sounds he was getting. It really added a lot of flavor to the tunes we were rehearsing. It made me think of a midi controller/digital controller I had my eye on before: the TC Electronics G-System is a slick lookin’ controller that not only has access to plenty of delay, mods, pitch shifting, amp switching, and expression efx, but also has bypass loops for other favorite single stomp boxes. Basically, I’d be selling my pedalboard with all of its pedals and buying this one unit (with the addition of a few choice drive/distortion pedals (like my Fulltone FDII and AC Booster). Where’s the debate? Well, I’ve, easily, collected and arranged my current pedalboard setup from over 6 or 7 years of prodding and finding boxes that I’ve loved over the years.

Unfortunately, there aren’t too many G-System units around here to try out. Making the leap from analog to semi-digital would be a big change in tone, feel, and versatility. Not to mention, I’d had to custom-order a board from Tom Peck @ pedalboards.com which would take months to complete. But, if I can could fetch a hefty price from my complete p-board on fleeBay, I may have enough to buy the G-System, a few choices dirt-boxes, and a Tom Peck board. On the bright side, I’m in absolutely no rush to ditch the rig I have now; in fact, I’m quite happy with it. But, a more simple, slick-looking, multi-dimensional rig with the G-System would be pretty rad. Time will tell, I s’pose. Off to TGP to read the reviews on it…