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:???: waaaannt....
(thx)
Most sax players use
DigiTech vocal effects pedals of some stripe or another, but the sound guy I trust the most, suggested the Boss. It was brand new on the market at the time, and he went through all the various settings with me when I went to try it out. It truly did everything I needed, and way more to boot. Also, Boss really builds among the best pedals in the world. The customizations I can do on the settings are remarkable. Now I haven't experimented that much with a DigiTech, so I don't know what they can or can't do. I just know for me, the Boss does what I need. I don't know of any other sax players though, who use it.
Do keyboard amps have effects built in like many electric guitar amps have (reverb, delay...)?
Some do. Some don't. Shop around, and see what they sound like. Some that I found had reverb, and a mini equalizer, but sounded like crap compared to the Roland. In the end, it really comes down to you get what you pay for. That being said, it also comes down to what you're using it for. If all you're doing is playing at home in your studio, then do you really need an expensive amp with all the bells and whistles, with mega watts, and a killer sound? Probably not, unless you've got lots of money to spend, and nothing else more pressing to spend it on.
Do I need a combo-like amp or is there a more compact solution available for monitoring with headphones only?
I'm not the best one to ask. Talk to the guys at your local brick and mortar store. They're a great source of info. They know their products, and which work best for what applications.
I found a youtube video with a sax wah-effect which sounded really cool. Do you make that sound with a vocal effects pedal or is it in any way possible to connect a guitar wah-pedal?
The Boss pedal doesn't have a wah effect--mainly because it has a typical click on/off switch in its 2 pedals. I don't know what DigiTech has on its various vocal effects pedals. Yes, it is quite possible to connect a guitar wah pedal (I've done it). But remember, the more "things" (wireless unit, pedals, etc.) you have between the source of the sound (your horn) and the end product (amplified sound), the greater the risk of feedback, and other subtle sound changes like "thinning" of the sound. Again, not a big deal if you're playing in your studio, but if you're in a recording session, it can be very problematic.
Effects pedals and amplification is a huge subject among rock and some blues saxophone players. Some guys have nearly as many pedals as guitar players. There are quite a few players that use special effects units as well. I've never gotten that crazy about it.
I do use a ton of effects, but I'm an "old school" player--jeez I feel like a dinosaur when I write this :geezer1:--I learned all these effects either from my instructors, or by myself. My effects are created mostly in my throat--in my vocal chords & my larynx--and through various tongue positions, also with a variety of fingering techniques. (I think that covers most of them.)
The Boss vocal effects is a way for me to control the amount of reverb and delay that goes to the board. In this way I can directly control the sax sound the audience hears, since the sax comes through the mains in the PA, and I have no control over the board's settings. (That's the sound guy's area.) I just ask that the sax has 0 reverb and 0 delay on the board, and I'm good to go. As far as effects with the Boss goes, I use it mainly for the chorus , and sometimes the -8va settings. I have played around with the looping, but have never used it in a solo during a performance.