Boss ME5

[shawbridge]

Hi Everyone and very nice it is to come aboard the forum as a new member.
I hope you don't mind me asking a question, at the moment i am using a Boss Me5 multieffect unit for my shadows rutine, years ago i used the WEM Copycat which was better.

To get to the question: is there anything that can be done to an ME5 that can improve its performance with the echoe facility?

my intention is to buy a Q2 or Q20 once funds become available and like most shadows fans allways looking for that sound.

I do get a reasonable sound that gets me by as only recently returning to Shadows music after years of caberet and rock music in both session work and bands etc.

Many thanks for your help.

Peter A L.

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Peter,
Welcome to the site.
I don't remember if the ME-5 has the possibility of 2 delays at once. If it can, it should sound better than a single delay. If the timings are in milliseconds, set the first one in the chain to about 280ms with little or no feedback, set the second one in the chain to about 360ms with enough feedback to give about 3 or 4 regenerations. This should give a sort of rippling echo for tunes like Wonderful Land.
Set the relative volumes of the two delays so that the first one is a bit quieter than the second and then fine tune by ear.
Regards,
Charlie

[shawbridge]

Hi Charlie,
Thanks very much for your reply, i had a look at the delay options on the unit and although very good quality i can not have 2 delays at once.
The setting options are Time 0.1-50(x10ms

Delay F.B. (0-7 )

Tone (0-7 ) FLAT =7

Effect level ( 0-70 ).

cheers

Peter

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Peter,
I wasn't sure about there being 2 delay settings. The Boss GX-700 has that so I thought the ME-5 might have as well.
Try just setting the time to 36. Feedback as instructed earlier. Tone to get a warm sound. Effect level to suit the tunes. It won't be fantastic but better than nothing.
Regards,
Charlie

[shawbridge]

Hi Charlie,
I have set it to 36ms and has improved the sound, i had it set on 28 but was never quite right i know it is still a compromise against the likes of the Q2and 20 but a reasonable sound.
I had stuck with the Me5 after all these years because of the excellent compressor, my friend Norman Barratt of Gravy Train and Barratt band fame who toured with Cliff i think in the 80s has always used the Me5 for live gigs instead of the new at the time VG8 just because the compressor was that good,i guess i'm old fahion lol.

many thanks for your help

Peter x Barratt band.

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Peter,
If it is possible to add some reverb to the delay, something like a plate or hall with a decay of around 2.5 to 3 seconds and with a predelay of around 100ms if possible, it should help to fill in some of the empty space.
Regards,
Charlie

[shawbridge]

Hi Charlie,
The mode facility on the ME5 is

1-5Rev

6 Delay,

which sugests i can have either reverb or the delay on setting 6, i can of course set the reverb on the AC30 which i will try to sort out today and let you know my findings, i am currently using a VOX CC2X after parting with a Fender Twin.

cheers

Peter

[spikestevens]

I too am an ME-5 user. Decent little effects boards, I think.

As you say though, you cannot have reverb and delay simultaneously so if you're using the delay on your ME-5 you'll need to use your amp's reverb (if it has it).
It isn't really an issue with me at the moment because Shadows numbers only make up a small percentage of my gig set, and although the ME-5 is not ideal for the Hank Marvin sound, it is sufficient for my meagre needs.

I keep promising myself that I'll get a Quadraverb Plus or something very soon, but you know what it's like, there's always a gas bill or something that takes priority.

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Peter,
Disappointing that you can't have both at once. I never realised that the ME-5 was that restricted with the number of effects.
Regards,
Charlie

[shawbridge]

Hi Spike,
Its amazing how many people still use the ME5, i had the later ME6 but no comparison on the ME5 and what was strage was thatr there was no midi on the later ME6, so went back to the ME5.
Like yourself funds tend to get swallowed up, i thought that once the kids grew up and left home i would have pots of money to throw around twas just a pipedream.

I will of course end up with one of the Elisis verbs of some sort soon, once i set my mind on summut it usually comes off, thats no reference to the wife and what clothes she has got on lol.

Hi Charlie,
Yes, very dissapointing that i can't add reverb seperatley as it is on the same patch pedal as the delay, i can add any other effect barr the reverb, not had chance yet to try the reverb on the Vox, it will be interesting to see how it sounds.

cheers

Peter

[Erik Feveile]

Hi Peter,
I once had a ME-5,and used it gigging for several years.
You're right : What a nice compressor it has!
Regards,
Erik

[spikestevens]

Hya Erik.

Agree with you re the ME-5 for gigging. Compact and robust little things they might be, but as with all Boss stuff they can certainly deliver the goods. From a mellow ballad with just a touch of chorus, to a bone-crunching overdrive or distortion for a full-on heavy metal thrash at the flick of a pedal, it's a magnificent bit of gear - considering its age.

I've only ever really used Boss gear over the years anyway, from way-back to when I just had a selection of about 8 or 9 connected together in a little home-made wooden box to the purchase of my first ME-5 many many years ago, Boss has always served the purpose. I've even had Boss drum machines for when I gigged with just guitar and a beat box and was always impressed by them.