Boss ME-70 or ME-50: DON'T BUY before watching. Explanation, Thoughts, Guitar FX

Amp simulation and/or multi-effects? Enter Boss ME-50 and the newer Boss ME-70. Is the latter really better?
Feature review and discussion - with an unexpected result!
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[@markbattles572]

I have used nothing but the me 50 for years including playing on 2 Grammy nominated and multi-platinum records as well as 100s of majar venues including Letterman and Leno...ALL with my me50 ..I keep three at all times

[@ThusithaThanthirige]

Thank You

[@rolsonray]

Excellent product review!

[@acousticleo4354]

Thanks Mark, would you share some set up?

[@dnews9519]

I'm really glad to find this comment about the me 50. I've been using mine for nearly 20 years and absolutely love it. In fact I have another unit still brand new in the box waiting for my first one to quit working.

[@acousticleo4354]

I gave both, just received me80. I think that me 50 is old school. M50 Its louder and sound close to pedals, great to play with a band and cut trough the mix. M80 is great for bedroom playing and will relay much on the amp you are using with a band situation. M50 rat and lots of botto. Gave me that JCM 900 feeling on a a small fender 20 watt tube amp

[@mirecmusic]

Good video,I am a ME 70 user hands down.I play R&B and Smooth jazz and find that the ME 70 does what is needed live on big stages and in clubs.I only use distortion on a few songs so it's not a deal breaker.I play for different r&b and blues artist so having their settings is a plus on stage.Once i get the settings of different songs I save them to a user bank and they are there.Songs range from Prince to Teddy Pendagrass. If you are looking for that no trouble effects board easy to edit and great sounds buy the Me 70.

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks for that - and appreciate you putting down your experience with the ME-70.

[@josephrichefender764]

Both are Fantastic Systems..Both are professional quality...and both are still very significant today..years after their release..

[@ThusithaThanthirige]

I Brought ME 50 Yesterday....I Think I won the Game...Thank You

[@JulietsMan]

I chose the Me-50 because it has stereo delay imaging. The 70 does not. I play thru 2 separate cabs simultaneously and the stereo modulation and delay settings are SO WIDE and so much more dynamic.

[@massivebeatzz]

JulietsMan oh thanks for that input - good point!

[@luckyhouston1054]

I was at the local music store when someone came in to sell one he found. Store guys didn't get to him before I bought it for $30. I haven't used them together but I plan to use the extra to use compression and boost to give a clear signal for my ehx b9 organ pedal. Love that thing.

[@garystackhouse5787]

"Not high-end"?!?! It may not be over-priced, hand-wired gear, but Boss pedals are most certainly pro-line gear. I wish people would stop being such gear snobs. It's not about the brand name on your gear... it's about how good your ear is. A great player can make either of these sound incredible. As far as not using it to record, I'm betting this will get at LEAST as good a sound direct as any of your plug-ins.

[@massivebeatzz]

Well Boss is not the same as Boss. They have different lines. All in one floor digital units are definitely not designed for the pro market in mind. However, and I agree with you, you can get pro results out of any of them. Individual Boss pedals are not the same thing either. And I am not saying that you need "high end " pedals - I am just saying that they are out there, and some people want them (and often obsess about them). I hope that clarifies a bit from where I am coming from.

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

It's awesome! I used to have the ME-30 but later I got this and started making all my vids! \m/

[@craigwallace1862]

Gary Stackhouse made by Digi-tech, or subsidiary there of,digi-tech and their RP digital guitar effects prossessers are not for someone just looking for a sound toy,I can tell you they are life savers if you have to plug into a P.A. a guest,or a mixing board in the studio. I myself,when playing live,use no effects,same as rehearsal, maybe a wah wah pedal,but the programming of those pedals(RP 6) can take months,even years to perfect,and I strictly will not tie up what I depend on for tone and sound,on anything except guitar and amp and me,period. Great video,👍

[@brianmckenna1111]

You're tearing me apart Lisa!

[@MrRoundwound]

Big Wipeouts oh,hi mark

[@mikkywhalan]

Oh hai doggy

[@1971SuperLead]

Oh man! I've been using my ME-50 everyday for over ten years now, and just last week my sound as gone to a whole new level. Two things happened. 1. My 2001 MIA Strat Standard had vintage Fender Gold Lace Sensor pickups installed in it about a year ago. A month ago I set them as far from the strings as I could, almost flush with the pickguard. Instantly I fell in love with the new vintage tone. I lowered the pickups in all my guitars and got similar results. 2. Just over a week ago I was using to vintage Fender amps in stereo with the ME-50, when I decided to crank up the compression to 3 o'clock (level 10:30) and drop the overdrive gain, tone, bottom and level to 12 o'clock. Instantly it was like a massive revelation. Almost every overdrive sounded fantastic, and the overall tone, clean or dirty, was AMAZING. I played guitar for at least 40 hours this week. I'm so excited. I sound amazing now. Everything I play now sounds like the original recording. The guitar plays soooo much easier. I'm shredding like Yngwie, nailing early Santana, Page, hendrix and even Ted Nugent. Just endless sustain and controllable feedback. Tomorrow I rehearse with my band...and I haven't told them yet. I'm just gonna plug in and hopefully blow their minds. But I've tried cranking the compressor in the past without so much success. The key is to use a guitar with pickups that are adjust at their lowest point. Otherwise all we do is compress all the nasty harshness modern pickups are notorious for, even 1988 Fender Lace Gold Sensors rated at 5.8k ohms.

[@oxnegative]

It is so important information fo me, tks bro.

[@AAAAAA-ex5td]

What if I have the regular pole poeces sincle coil? Still lower the pickups? I should get a compression pedal anyway

[@nerad1994]

1971SuperLead what do you mean by level 10:30?

[@mikes6305]

Since when is boss a low end effect?....lol

[@bitrate6119]

I'm an electronic music maker too -and also bought ME-50. Main selling point to me was quick hands on control to effect parameters. Basically same reason why ppl. prefer old style analog synths instead of menu driven workstations.. . My work flow really suffers if I need to dive in to menus and do all the editing via plus/minus buttons.

[@massivebeatzz]

i know...it gets so tedious!!....let the hands do the thinking, not the brain!...thanks for watching..!

[@zaiten2012]

Totally agree with you. There is one thing you did not mention and it is that the ME50 has boutique pedal simulators and the best FUZZ effects on any multi-effects pedalboard. the ME50 has them, the ME70 does not. Not even the GT100 has these fuzz emulators! BOSS removed them probably because of cease and desist lawsuits by third parties. the ME50 has a Big Muff Pi, an Octavia Fuzz, a Fuzzface and Rat among others. These alone give this pedal an edge over every other effects unit …ever.

[@massivebeatzz]

cool - thanks for bringing that up - much appreciated. I couldn't agree more! It often feels like some real pedals - especially dynamics are unaltered and fresh!

[@vfruz]

GT-100 has those you mention.

[@zaiten2012]

Victor Aguilar wrong. GT100 has a single Fuzz sim named "fuzz". Me50 has brand name emulation, about 6 fuzzes.

[@ghostownaproach]

Just for fun I "A-B"d between the ME50 and an actual Tubescreamer pedal in line with it switching back and forth and tweaking each to match each other's settings and they sounded identical. The only difference was the ME50 had about another 20 minutes worth of knob movement before being all the way up on distortion setting past the Tubescreamer's max amount of distortion. In other words identical except way more choice of how much distortion you want to add with the ME50. Never understood all the negativity around such a well made pedal. My reason for trying one of these way back when was the inherant loss of signal strength that occurs with even just a few stomp boxes together that compared with a direct sound plugged right into your amp was just bugging me. My power supply died on a gig forcing me to finish the night direct and while I missed my effects, the sound of my amp and tone was amazing letting me know what I was missing.

[@kingpunkmetal]

Great vid. I had the ME 50 a few years ago. Was good, but had a few limitations. I skipped the ME 70. But just got an ME 80. Besides it's improved interface and added features, the sound quality is really good. I use it in front of my clean Twin amp, so I use it without the preamp section on. Had to do quite a bit of tweaking, as the included presets suck (as usual). But the sounds are there. And there seem to be some decent sounds on the website for download as well. This seems like a cover band guitarist's greatest ally.

[@lanthaniated1]

Still use my ME-50 thru some old high end computer speakers. Awesome for home practice and the stereo is lush!

[@massivebeatzz]

nice! yes a TANK!

[@voodoodr]

I own a Boss ME-50. I purchased it because it is Boss, and versatile. I also consider it vintage. It is packed with features and I don't have a mess in my small apartment. I am also witness to some pros still admitting to owning it also some use it on tour as the last back up. I found mine at pawn shop. Took a risk and scored. Also own a Boss RC3 looper. That is it!!!

[@kryptomiadeathmetalizer8628]

YES!! great man!! Glad I made a right decision, I got my ME70 last December 2013 until I found your review.. ME70 all the way!!

[@massivebeatzz]

awesome!!!

[@ltbugz]

I used an ME-50 for several years for gigs until it was stolen. The 70 was the closest I could find, as the 50 was discontinued. In my opinion, it is a really good unit and stands up well for live performances.

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks for chiming in Ray !

[@postoffice146]

Did you notice with the ME-70 that inserting a plug into the rec out/phones jack activates the built-in guitar-amp simulator, enabling good guitar sound with headphones and the same effect is applied to the guitar amp output at this time too, so without a dummie headphone plug inserted you don't have that guitar-amp simulator at all from any output.

[@mikedelisle6419]

I bought my ME-50 way back in 2004 I think. Everything on it is solid. Some of the dist/ODs I wish had a little better EQ, but I'd you have a separate band EQ, you're good to go

[@JackingPort]

Thank you for the video ! I used ME-50 in my early live show then i felt that there was too much buzz so i went on pedals and now i am wondering about the Zoom G5. To all musicians here ! Never give up ! Keep it real and keep the pleasure alive !

[@massivebeatzz]

Rock on!

[@Daniel-yc1ff]

I get most of my fat overdrive tones from the ME-70 and the pre-amp. It's great for practice and session. I'm not too big into the ME-50. I think the most versatile effects boards are the: GT-6(also Boss), ME-70, and the ME-80. The important thing to remember is to give the ME-70 good output. I read comments about people complaining about tonal adjust and too much fuzz. The fuzz is easy to control by adjusting the individual pre-amp knobs, your output amp, and getting a medium amount of compression. Aside from Electro-Harmonix...Boss will always be my personal top line preference.

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks Daniel - very helpful feedback!!! & appreciate watching!

[@jimlevi3896]

Wish you would read the Manual & mention IMO...First all ,The ME50 has a Amp Sim(preamp)..I took a Stereo cable solder it into a mono 1/4 plug cable for my P.A that goes out from the phone jack of the me50 for my mono P.A...It's all about dialing in your sound(Tweaking) to get the best out of these units. A lot of guys give up to soon & label them as junk...They are good All in one but you kinda have to know how to use them.

[@massivebeatzz]

The me50 doesn't have amp simulation in the normal self sense.

[@massivebeatzz]

And yes the me50 is great.

[@jimlevi3896]

Page 6 bottom of page of Manual States ...To use Amp Sim use Line/Phones Jack....

[@rgayda]

It depends on your preference, but my preference is BossME-70, because their is Loop phrase & Amp moduler.. :)

[@massivebeatzz]

Rolando Gayda good point!... thanks

[@frederickkramer6417]

Impressive review. I would have liked to see you compare them on video to get a better idea of their strengths & weaknesses. I have the ME-50. I like its simplicity. I have run it straight through a Mesa Simulclass 295 producing some impressive sounds having the full tube stereo on the back side. I also have a Johnson JM-250, which I have run through the Mesa 295, which gives you a multitude of modeled sounds while having Full tube sound on both the front and back side. For those that don't know, the Johnson uses two 12ax7's to produce its unmatched modeling tube sound. Even to this date I believe it is unmatched. Unfortunately it has a solid state power amp, but when you use the XLR direct outs to a unit like the Mesa 295, you get the best amp modeling available with tubes on the preamp & power amp side. The sounds are truly amazing. The drawback is that you need a PHD to program the Johnson for live situations. I am always in awe of the live artist who can just take a tube amp, a RAT, and some 9V pedals to produce some of the greatest live sounds!

[@massivebeatzz]

+Frederick Kramer thnaks for chiming in! This is invaluable feedback for all of us here!

[@beenderedonedat]

I toured 15 countries in 18 professional bands, did it all with the ME-50, good amps and good guitars. Recording was maybe a different thing. I even played it right through the board. It is an amazing unit that stands the test of time easily

[@massivebeatzz]

wow - thanks for sharing this !

[@christopherbrowne977]

Great review of the ME pedals! My simple rig - Epi ES339 Pro -> ME-50 -> GE7 -> RC10 -> Fender Champ 40. Pedals, EQ, Looper, Amp. Light weight. Can get 98.975% of anything... Shop smartly and the rig ex-guitar can be had for $700. Tons of settings to play with.

[@massivebeatzz]

Very nice!

[@superltfic]

I appreciate the detail that you go into. Thanks for the video!

[@massivebeatzz]

oh sure - glad this segment was helpful! thanks for watching!

[@chrisyates8115]

Cool Dude! Well informed with your breakdown! Good job!

[@massivebeatzz]

Thanks man - I am glad it was helpful!

[@larsgroenewegen63]

I am using a Boss me50 since 2004 and still quite like it. Only thing I’ve added is a digitech Polara reverb and then you notice that the reverb on the me50 is ok but not as good as the Polara. Also I more prefer an analog drive/distortion. It’s all plugged into a mixer combined with a digitech trio plus. I was considering to replace it with a me80 or gt100 but have my doubts. Beside the sound the me50 looks great!!

[@dannysmuzic1807]

ME-50 Rat distortion is awesome!!

[@dnews9519]

I think it may be even better than the actual rat pedal.

[@dannysmuzic1807]

@@dnews9519 Ya, I think so too, ha. But remember, the ME50 has built in compressor, gate etc... if you want. And I do want, ha!

[@dannysmuzic1807]

I think even the tube screaner is great. I use it direct into my interface and it's the best.

[@MrDbflex1]

Helps a solid state, sucks on a tube amp compared to pedals, period.

[@gracieannepascual7044]

too much talking. u need to demo demo demo.

[@massivebeatzz]

+Gracie Anne Pascual easy now. this is a discussion. not a demo. we done that already. ;)

[@bubbabigschlong6277]

Just because its not top of the line doesn't mean its not any good. Why spend $549 for the GT-100 and get 200 effects when you're only gonna use maybe 20 of them? Thats stupid. A guy don't need a top of the line box to use in his garage. Who is he gonna play to.....the spiders crawling on the floor?

[@massivebeatzz]

valid point!

[@RJKANEAO]

I've used both units as well as a gt10 and 100.. I preferred the ME series because it's size and for a real guitarist who's used to stomp boxes the ME series gives you that option.. I travel and your and for fast gigs that are in and out fairly quickly you can't beat a smaller unit! The cosm makes things better on the 70 and with the new 80 it's just amazing. For studio work it's work if you know how to tweak it.. I've used the 70 onstage with monster players like Billy Gibbons etc who sound amazing 24/7 and I held my own. Another great little unit that I just got sent to me from digitech is the brand new Rp360 XP.. If you're into and know pedal arranging and what amps are what you'll love it.. And the footprint is even smaller then these ME models. Line 6 as you stated is good but I've found that for a live situation I preferred the ME70.. Now I'm all about the digitech RP360 XP or single pedals on a pedaltrain board.. But for the most part the 70 in my opinion is far better then the 50 simply because the cosm.. There ways around your compressed feeling u get and I think it's probably setting up your out put level versus your amp or mixer level.. Aloha

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks for chiming in RJ! i am going to lookout for that RP360XP!!...as for teh ME - the tweakability is key - just not a fan of 70/80 amp simulation, prefer going into amp or recording system just with effects, and then - if needed, select a proper , super high quality amp model by Guitar Rig, Waves, Apollo... They have so much more processing power - and I would not want to already "Print" a COSM effect to my recordings as final... Now from what I hear, the ME-80 can record a dry feed and a COSM feed. That's perfect, and I would use that all the time, to get that feeling, but later tweak amp models on an Über-system. Do you know if the RP360XP (which has USB I believe) can also send out a dry signal, parallel to an effected signal. The BOSS ME50/70 both do not have that option. What you hear is what you get, and to me I'd need to work with the 50 to preserve those "raw" transients, dynamics and tone, as much as possible without going through sound altering processing such as the ME-70. I clearly heard, and felt it, even with COSM "off". So on the 80, that wouldn't be an issue for recording, that' s great. I like the looks (and price tag) of the Digitech RO360XP!

[@guitareMTL]

Hey man, very good point. I know what you mean by the me-70 coloring and compressing the sound. however, last year I had an idea. I just put a boss pedal with a good buffer ( some are good some aren't) in front of the me-70 and it felt much better playing it. My clean tone, while still colored, became very usable. And it helped also a lot with the drive section ( must be used with the EQ section to get something «not bad»)Try it for yourself, I was about to sell it and I'm now happy with it. I still use some drive pedals in front of it, but not all the time.

[@massivebeatzz]

hey MTL, thanks for chiming in!... very interesting point - a BUFFER...... i hope i'll have a chance to try that out. enjoy!

[@lanthaniated1]

I'm currently playing thru Boss ME50 with an old Carlsbro amp. Still going strong with an American Strat single coil custom pics. love the reverb Mod setting with the wah engaged. Agreed I rarely use the tone modify but dial it in now and again. Best $$ I ever spent....

[@massivebeatzz]

lanthaniated1 nice to heart!///thnaks -- and do you have pix of that Carlsbro amp? I think that was my first amp!

[@pitchwisepitchkers4612]

Played on both of them!ME-70 has way more possibilities,sounds,effects.Phrase loop is just great..you can improvise,practice..make a bass line,whatever..I don't know about bad input on ME-70,I just turn my Marshall Amp volume for enough power and thats it.

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks for sharing that!

[@TheBerkayBUHLAR]

can you use multiple modulations in these fx units?

[@ajb625]

I nabbed a 50 a few months ago and have been very pleased with it. I use it mainly for the modulations. The chorus is almost as good as my 15 year-old CE-5. The flange and phaser are also quite nice and warm sounding. The mods on the 50 have a smaller sweet zone than the individual stomp boxes, but the sounds are more than good enough for me. The univibe and rotary are also quite nice. The Dist/OD's are ok, nothing overly special. I run a T-Rex Yellow Drive and a Boss Distortion into the 50 for my overdrives. The delays are also quite usable on this device, but I use a Behringer Echo Machine after the 50. The Compressor is good as is the Noise Gate. The Reverbs aren't that great, but I have a nice Reverb in my AC15 amp. The Tone Modify helps out the neck pickup on my Mexican Strat. Overall, I really can't complain about anything from the ME50.

[@massivebeatzz]

+ajb625 thank you. That's some valuable feedback! There are still many folks out there looking at this review of an older device, which I find interesting. Well for once it's a tank - and while not perfect in every department, it's a solid unit to have. No plastic, and it looks good on the floor, next to stomp boxes. I think it's on its way to becoming a classic.

[@1971SuperLead]

+massivebeatzz I agree. I've had mine for 9 or 10 years now and have used it everyday for all those years. I even bought it used and pretty beat up, but still no problems with it. I recently have gotten into the MXR Distortion Plus overdrive setting. Van Halen all the way! I just love it. Probably the most dynamic of all the overdrives. Cleans up nicely when rolling back the volume.

[@peterphoenix6471]

my god man!!!!......get to the point!

[@gradwr]

Get to the Choppa!

[@rozenaxsax5133]

Ahnold Ahnold where are you when we need you?

[@hello_emrah]

ikr. I sped the vid to 1.5 and still didn't get to the point fast enough.

[@katyrinro1846]

I have been using ME-50 over 10 years, AMP is marshall DSL100w half stack. I bought ME-50 because I dont need preamps, I need Chorus, Delay ,Noise Suppressor, digital reverb sometimes... it is enough to me. ME-50 has chorus to play Iron maiden(wasted years-kind super chorus), Queensryche and Roxette, Queen, etz etz... Usually i use little of delay only because we play heavymetal music. TUNER is good and accurate also. I use mastervolume 50% its about same as guitar straight into amp, Through efectloop of course.

[@massivebeatzz]

have you played shows with it? how does it compare at full volume for you?

[@starttofinish42]

Nice videoI I love the Me-70. I use it in all my videos (just direct, no amp) and I think it sounds pretty good. I'v used it a couple of times live too and it sounded great as well.

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks Greg for chiming in, much appreciated - glad you liked your 70.

[@juliomh6003]

Thank You...and compare the chorus...it's also better on ME50

[@massivebeatzz]

right, chorus on ME-50 is worth the price alone. Plus - it is built like a TANK!

[@humanitasmatutino1754]

you are right. its something on boss me-70 that i dont like a friend of mine used to have a boss me-70 and it sounded better than mine,same model same amp, same guitar ,something its wrong with roland these days

[@massivebeatzz]

humanitas matutino oh, wow, no kidding! thanks for that info!

[@joeprogrock]

Great review and love your detailed analysis. I am considering one of these used, however I realize the ME80 is the newer model, any comparisons/recommendations against the ME50 please? I use the Digitech RP1000 however tend not to use it live as I feel it sounds too thin if that makes sense.

[@massivebeatzz]

joe gigliotti hey thanks, much appreciated! - glad it is helpful. Well here are my 50 cents. I think playing with an amp , suing just the effect (and not so much the amp simulation department), I would go with the ME-50. It has a more direct and raw tone! If you need the amp simulation, try the ME-80. I have a half hour review of the thing, and I really like it! Feels direct! Lots of sounds that are not over the top, and solid!

[@brucegordon3816]

I agree completely with this comparison. I bought an ME80 and the people at Guitar Center thought I was nuts when I returned it. I compared my 50 with the 80, the 50 does not color the sound appreciatively, but the 80 sure does. Best for me is the 50 because I often toggle off all effects for a clean guitar to amp sound. Thanks again.@@massivebeatzz

[@coyoteheadcollective]

This is a really solid review, and it 's great for relating one of those ambiguous tonal-shaping qualities inherent in most gear. Some people might be put off by the ME-70's treble-reducing characteristic, but not I - high frequencies can be exceptionally painful or even anxiety-inducing for me, so I appreciate that the pedal mellows my baritone guitar sound out a little. However, I'm in the market for a second ME pedal for vocals, and so the ME-50 looks to be perfect for preserving the clarity of sound when it comes to that. Different strokes and all that. Thanks for sharing!

[@massivebeatzz]

coyoteheadcollective hey Coyote - you're welcome and thanks for watching and most of all chiming in! If you do get a ME-50, please let us know how you feel about them side by side!

[@georgezissos8142]

Have been using the ME-50 since they came out. My needs are few, and I didn't want to mess around with a big pedalboard. 90% of what I need comes from my Marshall. But I sold my ME-50 and got the ME-70 when it came out because I thought it would be a step up. I was wrong. Your review is spot on. It's a thinner sound, I didn't use or need the pre-amp, but most of all, the chorus (which Boss is famous for) didn't sound as good as the chorus on the ME-50. Needless to say, I sold the ME-70 and picked up a used ME-50 on eBay, so I'm back in business.

[@massivebeatzz]

Thanks for your feedback. I'm still astonished of f the build quality of the me 50 all metal and not plastic. it feels like a tank.

[@bmarrero]

ME-50 Fan here !! Too bad they don't make them anymore - Had a lot of features that I incorporated at the core of my sound.

[@g.r.yroots8060]

You have patches for it?

[@acousticleo4354]

Can you share some patches?

[@acousticleo4354]

@Jason rai yes you will need to plug into an Amplifier.

[@p.s8950]

Thanks so much for the info, straight explanation and personal opinion. Great video style too. Too many of these review videos simply read off the words and labels written on the unit with no explanation of how to adjust, which anybody can read the devise. lol. Thanks again.

[@massivebeatzz]

I'm glad my thoughts were helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@joelgranby6739]

Me- 25 and me-70 owner. Very pleased

[@jo_ey]

My parents bought the boss me 50 as a Christmas gift. I was so happy as a young guitarist. Having all these effects. Until some other guitar friends started going fancy and telling me my boss me 50 wasn’t analog and the sound sucked. I started to believe it. Now years later. I started playing it again. And I’m having fun. And now I can tweak it better and make it sound good. Its built like a tank. Easy to use. Perfect for a nice jam. I hook it up to an Amp and I’m good to go.

[@massivebeatzz]

Nice. And most importantly - it came from your parents as a gift. It shall always have a special place.

[@wyattdoodat]

It's possible to get a few usable OD sounds from the ME50 but you have to spend some time with it and don't expect the controls to work like an analog box...even the ones that are labeled on the selector knob. Heavier distortion will mask the harshness you hear on light OD settings. You can also turn the Drive down to clean and just use the Bottom & Tone as extra EQ's. The rest of the FX aren't bad, some are pretty good even.

[@mephistosteiner8064]

Thanks so much for the the video bro, was realy helpfull. Especially the sound analysis about the raw signal when plugged in and the tone differences! But please, do the same with the ME 70 and the new ME 80! Would help so much!!!

[@massivebeatzz]

hey thanks for watching, glad it helped!... yes we'll have to have a look at the ME-80. anyone out there working with it yet guys?

[@finess9]

Boss is the best. Very good sound.

[@RusselLivingston]

I know this is a 10 year old video but just have to ask... have you experienced any glitch problems with ME-70? Mine started changing parameters for settings at random a few months ago, its almost like the machine has a mind of it's own. I did a factory reset, am using the proper power supply. Still have issues.

[@massivebeatzz]

sorry to hear. I owned it for only 2 years, during that time it was fine - so my opinion probably isn't of any help. Anyone else?

[@akipachoekie]

Thank you sir for the review. Do you know if its possible to create a Dotted 8th note with the Me 50. Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@ajb625]

Great review of the pedals, very informative! I've been studying up on multi-effect pedals and the ME50 looks like it may be the way to go for me. I was wondering how well the 50 works with pedals running into it. My plan is to use it for only modulations and run OD's/Distortion pedals in front of it. Do you have any advice on using it as such?

[@massivebeatzz]

ajb625 I think that's a GREAT idea. The choruses, mods and delays are excellent - clean but with character, non digital sounding. OD etc should always be analog - you're doing best of both worlds - and that's how many big rigs are set up!

[@ajb625]

massivebeatzz Thank you very much for the reply. I've been looking at pedals for months. It seems I've changed my mind with each new phase of the moon. It looks like I'll be going for the ME50. All I need to do is sell an amp first. Can I interest you in a Gibson GA30RV Super Goldtone?!? I do have one more question. Do you know if a 2-button amp footswitch would enable a user to change banks on the 50? The only drawback that I can see in the 50 is not having footswitches on board to change banks, but it's not enough to knock me off of that pedal.

[@EvmEvm-q3g]

I use an external overdrive pedal when distortion is used, it helps a lot with not much drive Just level and tone all the way

[@martinellett7529]

every time I hit the down load button for the cheat sheet nothing happens or if it does I cannot find it. M

[@williammolina9792]

Boss ME -50 or Zoom G5. ??

[@leprosillohotmail]

Great Job! I have tried a Me50, Me70 and Me80 all great fx. Really love the Me50. I think boss pedals are great ,if you like great emulations better go for line6 products.

[@massivebeatzz]

hi, thanks. How did you feel about the sound quality of the ME-70 vs the ME-80. And did you like the ME-80s ability to record both dry & effected signals separately via USB?

[@leprosillohotmail]

In my opinion. I think that ME 80 is much better than the ME 70. The sound i think is more defined and clear, also you have more options, more sounds, and the USB recording is a great add, that today is really necessary. The posibility of record dry&effected signals is great, you can try differents efects in your computer, and compare to the effected signal. Boss has made a great update with the ME80. Personally i don´t like the pedals of the ME 80, in live, it may be difficult to use. I really loved those bigs pedals of the ME 50, really easy to use in live. Thank you very much.

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks Esteban! very useful feedback for all of us here!.. I really love the ME-50 love thru a tube amp . The wah pedal sounds (and feels) legit, the delays are great - and some of the other effects work very well. Can't wait to get my hands on the ME-80 and take it for a test drive.

[@DannyOMoore]

re: can't see on stage: that's why the ME series has patches & banks so you can pre-set your knobs saving you from desperate fiddling in the dark. With patches (24 I think) you can make each patch a song or specific group of effects & simply scroll from effect to effect in order through a song. Negating or making moot your concerns over reading the painted display during performances.

[@massivebeatzz]

Danny O'Moore true dat. That said, the ME50 can be seen Better than teh ME-70,which is bright LEDs on shiny Black background. The eye just can't calculate the dynamic range properly with super brights / super darks. The ME50 done better in that regards, I can still make out the parameters. And when I say dark, I mean also working at 10pm..(or 2am) recording at home when the lights are low, so it matters more than often.

[@DannyOMoore]

massivebeatzz sure man I was merely pointing out that as per your statement "on stage" it might prove difficult. What is actually difficult is dealing with artists regard for preparedness LOL. I get your notion re 'in the studio' IDEA: use a bit of white/yellow/coloured masking tape stick it on the lights which will dull them :)

[@massivebeatzz]

Danny O'Moore got it, and the tape idea is great!!! I know they meant well when putting in these LED's ;)

[@luciferhades9805]

I think Boss should leave things alone and let us, the public decide which ME we like. 50, 70 or 80

[@mirecmusic]

When you get a chance check out the ME-80,got one for a stand alone unit.My ME-70 is on my rig and it's a bit much when I'm not touring with an artist.The ME-80 is a good second unit for clubs and small venues.'I'll let you know how works out.

[@massivebeatzz]

cool will do !

[@Friedenf]

Definitely ME-50! I have been using it for 4 years, the only time the Drive is broken while using the Wah pedal. I bought GT-10 3 times, GT-8 2 times and canceled it. My gear includes the ME-50 and a few analog pedals, it's really great! \m/

[@massivebeatzz]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Friedenf]

@@massivebeatzz My modification to Me 50, please check it out! kzbin.infogyciQCxHVdY?si=kipJibHuVVctOtjF

[@raulnene98]

I have the ME-50, Lately I use it very few because what I'm doing now can be done with a good amp, a wha and a OD, but I still like the unit because it is easy to use and quick to get the sounds from it. I agree all that you say, It's great to be used as a effects unit with an amp, but the worst for me is how it sounds by the line out. In a gig I had to connect it directly to a PA and was terrible.

[@massivebeatzz]

+Sergi Boltaina right, the ME-50 + PA would not work so well ;)

[@luckyhouston1054]

Carry a smaller amp, and Mic it. amps sound better cranked so, in a small room where you wouldn't be able to do much more than lugging, But mic'ing your little amp will let your sound guy provide the volume while your smaller amp guns along. A friend's amp shut down at a gig, so I plugged in a Roland microcube and mic'd it. He couldn't believe the tone and it sounded great because using your amp in place of a real pa is a recipe for sucking. Amps are super directional and create sonic hotspots and dead spots when used in place of pa speakers which disperse sound better.

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

It's awesome! I used to have the ME-30 but later I got this and started making all my vids! \m/

[@luckyhouston1054]

For whatever reason, boss chose to make the expression pedal control resonance rather than speed/rate. Boss refers to this as a "feature" rather than the limitation of ignoring the speed or rate control of rotaries and vibe pedals to make the swells of speed found in Lesiles and it's better emulators. Sounds like a factory mistake to me. Not sure whether they fixed it for the later models. But I'm a but for the Leslie sound and this gutted that for an option that may be unique but way outside what a person would want in a pedal that promises to combine existing fx.

[@luckyhouston1054]

And, if anyone has a line on a boss rt 20 for less than $150, let me know.

[@michaelmcfarland5272]

2000's I bought ME-50. Then ME-70. Could not take that tone. Built 2-3 boards, retail maybe $2K each. I have 2 boards today. One analogue. Other some digital. Plugged ME-50 in this week. I have 7-8 boutique Amp heads, mostly low Watt. 4 quality Cabs. ME-50 is MY tone!! I read that the ME-50 is 16 bit technology and with ME-70 at 24 bit it became sterile.

[@massivebeatzz]

Very nice! The ME-50 might have a better jack and preamp stage than the cheaper built ME-70. Better components. That is my guess. The ME-80 on the other hand , sounds better again. The ME-50 also doesn't try to do amp simulation - it is a pure effects board. The build quality (metal) is great, it is really like a few effect pedals stacked together.

[@1dot1dash]

My ME70 doesn't have any of those issues compared to the 50. Sounds like you got a dud with yours.

[@Fluxwithit]

Great video. Thanks for ur thoughts

[@massivebeatzz]

you're welcome - thanks for watching mate !

[@MacassarMusic]

Thaknks for the video. I wanna buy the ME 70. I watched lots of videos, and I think it's a good choice. Everything is aranged well, and instean of buying moare pedals you have them in one thing.

[@massivebeatzz]

awesome ! rockgirl. Let us know if you did and what your impressions are after playing it.- love to hear!

[@MacassarMusic]

I purcased the ME 70 about 2 weeks ago. Sounds pretty good even with my amp and is easy to use. I could choose the ME 80 or 25, but I choosed this one.

[@RICAPERRO1]

So People... What is the Best multiefects? I dont understand this video because my english is bad but leave me your tips please

[@janrybuccat4236]

thank tou for that research sir!! it help me soo much on choosing which is better,.soo ill get boss me 50 :)

[@hexvyn9515]

Janry Gil Buccat bullocks

[@joeclarke9782]

I enjoyed this video, including the talking. I might be looking for ME 50 (hard to find).

[@straightshooter8662]

Of course this is all your opinion. Most people love the 70

[@massivebeatzz]

indeed! Pure opinion rant there at that moment.

[@PriestUnleashed2012]

I use the ME-70 as an amp sim for gigs and rehearsal. I just returned a POD Go. ME-70 sounds way better. More punch and presence.

[@massivebeatzz]

Thanks for sharing!

[@massivebeatzz]

Just finished using the ME-50 on a recording. Wah and Funk sounds - recorded directly: Telecaster + Stratocaster -into Fender Princeton kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKXVk3mvjZ6NptEm14s

[@philipcooper8297]

Boss can't make Wah pedals.

[@philipcooper8297]

peter griffin I see, so playing a instrument, basically from the middle ages, is alright, but having 60's technology is not?

[@philipcooper8297]

peter griffin I don't know really, why people do things, hmm? Well, I guess it's got something to do with money, but I'm no sales person.

[@DannyOMoore]

Philip Cooper it's desire... some one desires something they either make it themselves or encourage some one else (through enterprise & profit) to make it for them. It's not always a bad thing to manufacture & pedals... the more varied the better, what you might hate another might love so spitting at stuff that holds no interest for you is pointless in the least.

[@sakimano]

peter griffin because they sound awesome? Almost every heavy solo benefits from a bit of wah. It's not all for funk

[@Za7a7aZ]

Boss should make these multieffectboards with a battery compartment in which you can put the battery of your phone.

[@winwin997]

the blues driver setting and the exciter eq setting togethersound good with a strat on 2 and 4 pup positions!

[@massivebeatzz]

yuppp!!!

[@Workingplayer53]

I used to have a ME-50 back in 2007. It was the first pedal I ever used and I agree with you that the expression pedal is pretty good. I didn't hear much difference with the OD/DS sounds neither. I liked the Lead and Square sound but the rest were mediocre to me. I really hope that the compact Boss pedals don't sound the same as on this ME-board. The tone knob on the far left was very soft and hard to hear and when you used the OD/DS part, you couldn't hear any difference anymore. It's not terrible - I think it's a good thing for beginners or those who can't afford a lot of pedals - but I would not recommend it. I sold it years ago and I'm using Xvive pedals now (they are based on Mooer compact pedal, which are clones of some popular pedals). You don't have a lot of controls but I honestly don't think that's necessary. You don't need a lot of effects for playing the guitar. I have around 5 different pedals and I think that should be enough unless you want to make some really strange guitar sounds.

[@massivebeatzz]

Workingplayer53 thanks for chiming in with your feedback man...good to read!

[@telecaster-freechannel9405]

Kings of Leon guitarist toured around the world with a Boss Me-50, so I wouldn't say it is a pedalboard for beginners

[@CameronSpencer]

Can you use more than one effect at the same time with this pedal, e.g. apply a distortion effect while compressing the signal?

[@AdityaKhuller]

+Cameron Spencer Yes, at least on the ME-70.

[@RiffMusic1970]

On the ME 50 yes. Distortion and compressor are two separate effects. The ones you can’t combine are chorus, phaser, flanger, tremolo, pan, vibrato, univibe and rotary. All of these effects are on one knob and one footswitch.

[@hendrixsantana81]

hi guys, i want to know what is the best option to play in a live performance me 50, me 70 or me 80????

[@massivebeatzz]

Jose luis magaña ramos I would say ME50>ME80>ME70

[@BadireElajah-pg5sv]

I want to buy one

[@massivebeatzz]

Batteries: it's all electronically regulated. not analog, but digital. I have had my high quality rechargeable batteries in there for 4 months, and the ME50 is till working. I don't use it often, but it shows you just how good these batteries are. And alkaline are 1.5v when you open the box, then they go down to 1/3V quickly. Here is the link to the super batteries with a whopping 2000maH (it's the amps that you need to look at). Panasonic Eneloop 4th generation eneloop "Tropical Limited Edition" 8 Pack AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QQWTEL2?ie=UTF8&tag=techr040-20&camp=1789&linkCode=xm2&creativeASIN=B00QQWTEL2

[@jeff4r533]

Hi, i'm planning to buy either one of these, is me-50 really better? I am mainly playing heavy stuff. Your response is much appreciated.

[@massivebeatzz]

For heavily driven sounds - I would actually suggest the ME-80.

[@jeff4r533]

It would actually nice to have an me-80, but I have constraints in my budget 😅 and I prefer to have smaller size multieffects

[@raymondpaul123]

Nice.... hey, just saw that you are running through a tube amp..... sounds really good...

[@zebdoz333]

i have a me50 boss and i am very happy with mine , tho i know some people do consider them a low end board, i have found mine to be versatile and durable, so i love it! i use it on my YT channel all of the time

[@zebdoz333]

p.s. loved your video! and you got a new subscriber

[@CVillas]

I have both and I find 70 is better. I miss some of ME50's overdrives and its system (with a bass button). But Me70 has a much usable eq to compensate it (first position at the preamp!). This eq with the drive of your choice will do any gig, I mean, if you're not using any of preamps, the eq should be on instead 0 position. Wha of ME50 is better indeed! ME70 sounds great at DI (using its simulated speaker). No so "realistic" as Line6, but more alive, natural. I must say that I did a direct comparison of various pedals with ME50 simulations and sold some pedals after... they sounded equal, with equal settings, but the bass/treble of ME was a great plus! Real Rat was better though. In the end, they're really a amazing easy-solution for gigs and rehearsals. My Big complain is that both had a lot of malfunction at the digital buttons. The simply started flickering and show misplaced readings. It turn both down to me... I had a GT-100 too, and it was too boring to use (as other Gts that I had) comparing toi MEs. There are good dynamic preamp/amp simulations and a lot of versatility (though limited output setups at the same time). But I gave up of it, because the sound was just not as natural as MEs, no matter the settings on it. Just no alive and crunchier as the MEs... Dark... At the DI applies, it was much worst than MEs, a real shame to Boss... So I sold it...

[@massivebeatzz]

hey Carlos - thanks for watching and chiming in here! much appreciated information from your experience.

[@exia00z57]

Hi ! are these better quality then just getting pedals?

[@massivebeatzz]

It depends...less noise,,,yes...storing presets..yes...less cables...yes...better price...yes...BUT ...if you choose good pedals , you can get better sounds , have more character and flexibility! so it depends what your preference is.

[@6Litz_]

BOSS ME-50 4 life!!!! 🤘🏼

[@jepongitarista]

I will buy Me50 this week thanks for the info.. I dont need preamp because of the coloration of tone.. i sold my gt8 for this one.

[@massivebeatzz]

gotcha Jeffrey - enjoy it! let us know how it turns out after you get it:)

[@jepongitarista]

I got mine..... They say the od/dist of this pedal is suck. i don't think so... maybe you need to tweak it to get ur sweet spot.. for me the od/dist is good, i compare it to my other od/dist pedals this me50 od/dist get close enough and very organic tone... Rat is awesome....

[@massivebeatzz]

jeffrey piadozo hey great!...yup I agreee RAT on the ME50 works well, so do OD, as long as the highs are rolled off a little bit, so it' snot too harsh...

[@giannoncene]

well i have found a used me70 for about 110$, but there is also me-25 for the same price, which one would you recommend?

[@1Ma9iN8tive]

Great analysis thank you

[@massivebeatzz]

thanks for the feedback, much appreciated Isaac:)!

[@zacharysummers6327]

great video, but what do you guys think about these for headphone use. ive been using a line 6 pod 2.0 for a while now and im looking for a better sound quality for playing with headphones.

[@massivebeatzz]

I would not assume that they have the best headphone quality, but they are OK . Slightly better than L6 Pod 2, from what I can remember.

[@zacharysummers6327]

What would you recommend for a decent quality headphone set up on a budget?

[@rickpilcher6576]

I agree the ME70 sounds are slightly less good than ME50 - BUT- patch change on the ME70 is almost instant you can use multiple patches in the same song - no can do on ME50 - also I tried Digitech RP1000 - sounds too artificial - ME70 more organic

[@massivebeatzz]

Rick Pilcher by now I would recommend the ME-80!

[@jamesdiorio4788]

I own them both. Personally, I prefer the 70. Just my opinion.

[@massivebeatzz]

thxs for weighing in :)!

[@aaroncolunga2761]

Very thankful for this. I just got a question, I have never understood all that stuff about the relation of the pedals and the amp. I've always thought that an amp is much better depending in how many watts and effects they have. Why is the amp so important in this? I have a line 6 spider III anyways...

[@massivebeatzz]

aaron colunga well when you talk about a normal guitar amp, there is a preamp that takes the signal from the guitar and amplifies it a bit. Some amps add some effects, and also some EQ if needed. Most people add floor effects before they plug into that amp!. So that signal then, after the preamp, is amplified to a real loud signal that i strong enough to move a speaker, so you can hear it! That's the last stage, or power amp. That's where the watts come in. Everything affects tone of course, the preamp, the power amp, the cabinet, the speaker material , size etc. Some pedals like the BOSS ME-50 give you many floor pedals in a smaller space, and from there you go into the amp. Others like the Line 6, Boss ME-70, 80, GT1-- etc, also try to simulate (or emulate as they call it) the real guitar amps preamp, even the cabinet and then the speaker. That allows you to sound like a guitar amp via headphones or small speakers. The Watts of an amp does not make it better -it's just able to produce more energy. But if you have an 80Watt amp that you turn up to 5% in your bedroom, and a good 10 watt amp you turn on to 40%, the smaller amp will sound better. The equation is just an example, and by no means exact - but just think that more watts don't mean "better" sound quality. I hope this helps.

[@cat-in-shoebox]

That’s helpful. Thanks

[@jeffparis51]

Hey Massive! this is really a great clip. i’m currently A/Bing the ME 80 against an old unit that I love but I don’t want to take to live gigs called the ME8. The thing is I immediately heard the problem in the low end of the ME 80 which is essentially the same as the ME 70. also I noticed something that feels like latency in the more modern ME 80. if you get this message could you message me on Facebook messenger because I’d like to talk to you about this. again very methodical evaluation.

[@massivebeatzz]

thank you ever so much for watching my friend. Those are some interesting finds - always open to chat about it.

[@bokas5]

Anyone plays me50 without amp? I mean does anyone plug it directly in mixer?

[@massivebeatzz]

+bokas5 I would not recommend that with the ME-50 on an ongoing basis! it has no amp modeling! the ME70 does! the ME-80 does it even better! Also check out the GT001!

[@deathbykitty1954]

I plug the headphone jack straight into my vintage home stereo, and it sounds absolutely amazing. TOOL all day long. Nirvana too. Anything really. It's glorious.

[@fenderstrat3084]

yes I've tried, ME50 direct to mixer. sounds acceptable.

[@ghostownaproach]

The headphone out jack does modify the sound to make direct to mixer sound good. I use that now instead of micing the amp and my amp on stage is more like a personal monitor receiving the signal from the normal output while the headphone out goes to the PA.

[@dibyajyotimukherjee4919]

Hello, Thanks a lot for this video...I liked your research and just wonder (apart from Me-50) is there any multi effects processor that DO NOT colors the guitar tone,YES i m very sensitive about that..can you plz get me your views?

[@massivebeatzz]

Dibyajyoti Mukherjee I think the ME-50 is your best chance - anything colors the sound really - unless it has a "true bypass circuitry", as some analog pedals do. So any modeling system will color your tone. It takes it into calculations, breaks it apart, and then puts it back together , mathematically ;) does that sound scary or what????

[@dibyajyotimukherjee4919]

Nope...rather thanksful to you as I was just making my mind to buy ME 70 ..and then I came to watch your well explained video,this is a topic that is not very widely discussed...so your explanation really helped me a lot..Thanks again..!! :-)

[@tyman918273645]

Can you save presets into memory banks so I can kind of assign them per song? When I play live I hate having to adjust each time. having custom presets would be great

[@massivebeatzz]

yes , on both!

[@ElisandroDeLeon]

His voice kinda reminds me of a mix between Christopher walken and John malcovich.

[@massivebeatzz]

Elisandro De Leon lol! well my parents are actors!