• Registered: 2011-08-24
  • Posts: 14

Topic: line 6 m9 or m13

ok so as some of you know i recently just got rid of all my line 6 gear... the new hd500 processor and dt50 2x12 amp. in its place i bought a mesa boogie transatlantic ta30 combo, i also got a xotic ac plus od/booster and picked up a hardwire delay/looper.
all i really need "i think" is a chorus and wah but a few other things might come in handy. I want to stop the tweaking i was doing with the hd500 and play more.. much more. However it has been suggested that I should return the hardwire delay pedal and pick up a m9 or even a m13 and use it for all my delay, chorus, modulation goodies.
It makes financial sense to do so because individual pedals cost a fortune the stuff i have been looking at easily runs 200-250 each minimum. Does anyone have a m9 on your board? i think the delays would be fine but what about chorus, flange, etc. I don't want to spend a a mint on a good amp and then color it up with below par effects. The other thing is I have been staring into line 6 editing screens far to long and I am sick of them, the m class effects have much less of that but its still there.

ok ...........thoughts?

  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: line 6 m9 or m13

I held out on an M13 and when they came out with the M9 i bought one.  It is a very nice unit, professional looking and has plenty to choose from.  To be honest, the chorus sounds on there aren't my favorite.  It only has 2 chorus models..  I much prefer the Boss Super Chorus or the Digitech Hardwire Chorus over the M9's chorus options.  I just don't use a chorus anymore, but thats me.  The delays are pretty good, and reverbs aren't bad either.  It offers a ping pong and also a stereo delay that when used with 2 amps, you have a cool panned delay sound.

The M9 is a great size too, thats a plus.  People get sucked into buying a lot of big multi-effect units cause its fun to play around with weird sounds and such but the truth is: you'll never use any of them!  Sticking with the M9 keeps the size (and cost) down and you can easily run 3 effects simultaneously.

I primarily use it for a few delays and have it on one of my boards.  Since there are 2 effects per bank A,B, or C, you can easily toggle from a short and long delay using only one bank.  And since when you hit the top toggle switch for example, the bottom one shuts off automatically.

It will also sit nicely on a small rack shelf if you want to keep it on permanently.  I've used it in this application too before.  All in all, it is a great effect unit and I'll never part with it.  The OD's on it are Ok too, but seriously not as good as a regular ts808 etc..

  • From: Finland
  • Registered: 2011-09-09
  • Posts: 4

Re: line 6 m9 or m13

Hi JB1973,

One option could be the new Line6 M5. It got a great review from Guitarist magazine a few months ago. It's small and doesn't cost much. The only problem is that you can run just one effect at a time... I have absolutely no idea how it sounds though, but it should have the same effects as the m9 and m13.

One really good option would be the TC electronic Nova System. Its easy to edit, you CAN run multiple effects simultaneously and it is really top noch quality. And I do know that it sounds pretty good since I own one!  big_smile
It's not a small unit. I'd say it takes about the same room on your pedalboard as 6 Boss pedals would. Costs about the same as the Line6 m9.

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster, Epiphone Ace Frehley "Budokan" Les Paul Custom, Epiphone Tommy Thayer Spaceman Les Paul Standard
Takamine EF341SC acoustic
Blackstar HT Studio 20 Combo
  • Registered: 2011-08-24
  • Posts: 14

Re: line 6 m9 or m13

BonLizzy wrote:

TC electronic Nova

looks like they are the price of the m13 new, i'll do some research on it today. I have no experience with tc nova stuff. The main things that bother me about multi effect units is number one programing, updating and tweaking, number two I have heard people say that individually the effects stack up pretty well against the single box counterpart but .... when chaining them together the quality goes down significantly compared to the counterparts chained.
would you agree or not?
J

  • From: Finland
  • Registered: 2011-09-09
  • Posts: 4

Re: line 6 m9 or m13

I think the nova system's effects sound equally good either alone or together. Speaking of using multiple effects simultaneously, the Nova System lets you choose if you want to run the effects in serial, semi parallel or parallel.

You can also use the footswitches to switch between presets or between different effects(this is called "stompbox mode" I think). Personally I dont care about the prestes, I just use different effects...mainly reverb and delay. Only thing I don't like about the Nova System is the chorus, it's pretty bad.

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster, Epiphone Ace Frehley "Budokan" Les Paul Custom, Epiphone Tommy Thayer Spaceman Les Paul Standard
Takamine EF341SC acoustic
Blackstar HT Studio 20 Combo
  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: line 6 m9 or m13

JB1973 wrote:
BonLizzy wrote:

TC electronic Nova

looks like they are the price of the m13 new, i'll do some research on it today. I have no experience with tc nova stuff. The main things that bother me about multi effect units is number one programing, updating and tweaking, number two I have heard people say that individually the effects stack up pretty well against the single box counterpart but .... when chaining them together the quality goes down significantly compared to the counterparts chained.
would you agree or not?
J

The M9 has a "true bypass" mode and a non true bypass mode.  In non true by pass, the delay trails for example, continue on when the effect is shut off.  (just like the hardwire DL8 pedal.)  In non TB mode, there is a significant difference in tone..it loses a lot of clarity.  Seemed to have more of an impact when I was using it this way on a smaller watt amp.

Unfortunately I have no experience with the TC Nova, but it is pretty popular and looks about the same...  At the time, I wasn't aware of the Nova system if it was even out when the M9 was introduced.  Otherwise I'd have looked into it also just for comparison's sake.

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: line 6 m9 or m13

I think the M9 or the M13 both are great.  I've never used them but the sounds I've heard are excellent.  One thing I can say is if your used to a Line 6 amp these effects shoud be pretty close to what your used to.  I love the fact you can assign the buttons to do different effects and change the order to which these efects go in.  The only down side I could think of is that if you didn't like the Line 6 amp tones then will you might find the overdrive or distortion will control the amp a bit.  The main thing I hate is the pedal itself has a master volume which will color and control the amount of input level that the guitar amp receives.  For example if you turn your guitar wide open that will push the amp its front end hard.  If you run a Line 6 it will have a master volume that will eithe be turned down to a lower power signal to your front end or it will be turned up too high causing your pedal effects on or off to push the amp.  Its hard to explain but basically you'll want a clean sound and get a distorted sound when your not trying to.  It might not do that I don't know but my boss pedal ME-50 totally was bad for this.

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