Multi-effect devices offer several effects in one package and usually blend effects into presets or patches. There are a lot of cool multi-effects pedals out there that give you more bang for your buck...if you're looking at a dollar-per-effect ratio. After all, some sacrifices have to be made to squeeze all those multi-effects into a small box and keep the price low.

Individual, dedicated effect pedals often deliver superior effects with a wider rage of adjustability, but they cost more on a per-effect basis. In other words, you can typically get more sonic quality and more variations on a single-effect pedal. Some little multi-effects pedals deliver some very nifty, high-quality sounds and some editing ability. It really comes down to personal taste and which types of effects sound best with your music.

Here's the bottom line: If your music requires multi-effects, then a multi-effects pedal is recommended. But if you're only going to use a few effects, you may be better served by dedicated stomp boxes. In the end, the music will tell you exactly what it needs.