ME-30 Review

16 stereo multi-effects; Built-in assignable Expression Pedal controls Wah, Volume, Whammy Bar and Ring Modulation Effects; Onboard Amp Simulator.

Ease of Use:	9
Sound:	8.6
Reliability:	8.6
Impression:	8.4
Overall rating:	8.7
Users rating:	5
Comments:	2

overall: 9

Featured review by: UG Team, on august 04, 2003

Price paid: $ 250

Ease of Use: I got my Boss ME-30 as a present from my father when he went to the USA for buisness (I live in Canada). It was around 200-250USD. Once you figure out how to get everything working its a very simple pedal to operate considering the amount of effects it has. You can choose from a shredding metal pantera like sound, to a more vintage classic rock sound very easily. There are many weird effects that can be used in I think a 30 programmable bank memory. 30 programmable banks is MORE than enough for an amateur like me. Editing patches is very simple and non-time consuming. I havent needed to return to the manual for any kind of help from it, I could figure out how to do everything on my own instincts once I learned the basics. The unit has not been upgraded or tampered with in any way. // 10

Sound: I used to own a Zoom 505 and the quality of this by far puts it to shame. I remember the feedback and buzzing I got from the 05. I run my ME-30 through a Fender ultimate chorus amp, and I play either an american made Fender strat, or my Ibanez rg-270dx. I only play loud (above 90 decibals most of the time) and if i have it on the metal channel i have programmed for the most solid punch I can not play and I won't hear a sound out of the amp. It's quiet at any setting. The effects always sound clear and sharp, and the built in things like EQ help adjust for those hard to get tones. I'd say you can get a good pantera sound out of it (almost identical with a little tweaking) or you can get the sound of jimi hendrix blues... I like to use the volume pedal a lot, as well as the distortion. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I would definitely use it on a gig without backup, I would be scared of having a cracked cable wire before thinking this thing would die on me. It's been dropped and stepped on and never failed me yet. And I've had it for about 2 years now. // 10

Impression: I think it caters to my style well for now, though I hope to upgrade to a more proffessional unit when I can afford to. But I am thouroughly satisfied with the performance it has given me. I would not buy it again if it were lost, ONLY because I like to try new things. Favourite features are volume pedal, distortion, can plug a discman into it, play the discman through it and slow down the music if you need to figure a rff or lick out, easy to program and change banks, the pedal is adjustable from volume pedal to wah to Whammy pedal... I have been playing for 6 years now and it was the best had better distortion than other pedals ive owned (Boss metal zone, Boss Overdrive, Zoom 505, Ibanez tubescreamer and a few others) thouogh I like to run a crybaby wah through it, its just easier than switching banks then going to the pedal, then going back to switch banks to get it off... It is definately good if you cant afford much better. I would say skip the crappy little stomp boxed and go for this, unless you just want a distortion or one or two effects, then obviously you dont need all the stuff it has to offer. Though it is very clear... less feedback than most stompboxes. Try one out. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 26, 2004

Price paid: $ 316

Purchased from: Canada Music Centre

Ease of Use: Very easy to use. Nice for editing patches and saving them. Big problem though... you cant switch from one patch to another quickly. theres like a 1/8 second gap that can inhibit proper phrasing if theres a switch in the middle of a continuous part. But if you go on the edit mode, you can easiy change smoothy with the stomp of a foot, just one effect at a time. The wah wah occasionally and randomly turns on and off. // 8

Sound: Nice sound, a little fuzzy when you put it through a cab. Very nice metal dist. Like I said, gaps when switching patches. // 8

Reliability & Durability: The adapter is ass. I had to rip it apart and rewire it. Other than that, the pedal itself has taken a beating and lived up to it. // 8

Impression: Decent, but I should have bought something a little more basic. // 6

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: guitarcam123, on july 04, 2008

Price paid: A$ 91

Purchased from: eBay

Ease of Use: Very easy if you have the manual (which you can get off the internet). Although it very straight forward. Plug it in, turn it on and turn it up! I would recommend for anyone buying their first pedal although they don't make them anymore as I got mine, you can get them off eBay. They retail for $400 or so AUD and I got mine for $90 AUD bargain! // 9

Sound: Sound is very good. I use an Onyx Custom Craft strat, Boss ME-30, Gorilla 30 watt amp. All of the effects are great although the wah could be better. It does have a great sound for a wah no screech or static but it's no Crybaby. It's great though as there is almost any effects as it comes with 30 pre set effects and 30 user effects which you can make and customize. There is also manual (which I use the most) which is like 5 stomp boxes and a wah/ volume pedal all in one! No extra pedals and wires to carry around! // 10

Reliability & Durability: I would definetly use it in a gig without a backup, except I would take a Crybaby along with me for my type of music. It is only made of plastic but it's quite strong, I've put all my weight on it the wah pedal (I'm not fat) so the wah holds 40kg. Well UG won't let me post this review because I have to write more stuff in here so I'm just writing his very long sentence lol it's not actuall that long but I have to write this so UG will let me post it. Well have fun and read on (there is no more of these stupid extra sentences if you read on). // 10

Impression: For the style of music I play it's great (I'm not sure what style of music is that Rage Against The Machine plays, effect rap music). But yeah it's good although the wah as I've said before is not a Crybaby. I've been playing for 3 years and this was my first effect pedal and it was perfect for me when I first got it and still I have no problems with it. I wasn't to much into RATM before I bought this but I do wish that I spent a bit extra to buy tom morellos pedal setup lol but this is great! // 10

overall: 8.3

Reviewed by: ishred, on december 17, 2007

Purchased from: my dad

Ease of Use: This thing is very straight forward to use, it comes with 30 built-in effects from clean, to grunge, to metal, to crazy effects. You can also Make 30 Custom patches in addition to the 30 that you already have. Wah, volume, whammy bar and ring modulation effects; onboard amp simulator, distortion, EQ, delay, reverb, chorus, phasing, flanger, tremolo, compressor, pitch shifter, in which you can edit to your so choosing. // 9

Sound: Its very easy to get many sounds out of it, very bright and vibrant cleans, to heavy scooped lows, it all works out very good, the only thing I don't like about it is the phaser, it's weak, my peavy classic vt amp has a much better built-in phaser. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Its not to reliable. The pedal bends, if you step on it to hard it might snap. It also drains battery terribly fast, it's definitely worth it to buy a alternate source of power. The pedal also turns off sometimes if you stomp the pedal switches to hard causing the on/off switch to slide over. // 6

Impression: I play everything from thrash metal, to grunge to celtic/folk music and it works great for everything. I have been playing for about 4 years and this is the most amazing all in one pedal, easy use pedal I've used yet. You should probably by an ac adaptor for this, it does drain batterys like a fill in the blank. // 9

overall: 8.8

Reviewed by: magoostrat, on may 28, 2008

Price paid: $ 118.95

Purchased from: ebay

Ease of Use: Well I have to say that as this was a second hand unit I bought from ebay that came with no instructions I found it very easy to use, within about an hour I had all my favourite preset sounds figured out and after a couple of days I was switchin effects mid song like I had owned it forever. Editing the patches was more complicated tho however I imagine with an instruction manual it's pretty simple. // 9

Sound: Well I run this through my Peavey Bandit 65 and use mainly a Kramer Baretta or an 80's contemporary strat. I think that the flanger is absolutely awesome and you can really get an EVH tone from it. Not so sure about the reverb it seemed a bit weak at times although I don't use a lot of reverb anyway. // 8

Reliability & Durability: Well it was second hand when I got it and I must say I have had absolutely no problems with it, really seems to be able to do pretty much everything I ask of it, I would not hesitate to use it at a gig, and have done so a couple of times. // 9

Impression: I love Rock music and am a big Randy Rhoads/EVH fan which effects exactly what settings I tend to use on this. I really think that this is worth getting and can't say that I think the newer multi effects from Boss are any better. It did irritate me that it was battery operated so being in the UK I had to hunt down an adapter and get a voltage converter for it. I also don't like the fact that Boss don't seem to acknowledge that they ever made this product so resources are hard to come by. Overall though the unit is absolutely excellent and does everything I want and more and I would not hesitate to buy another if I were to lose it. // 9

Comments

[tedhellcaster]

the thing i hate about this pedal is that i can't use it on a dark stage. the LCD is glow in the dark, yet not enough to be visible on a dark stage

[armouredspunge]

Decent, but I should have bought something a little more basic //6

you gave it 6 because you bought the wrong pedal? or gave it 6 because it isn't great?