Posted by Jordan Michalski on Tue, Jan 17, 2012 @ 04:00 PM
In 2011 ZOOM released an updated version of the very popular ZOOM H2 Recorder. The product they released, called the H2next (H2n) is a sharp looking unit that produces the superb sound quality that ZOOM is known for. In the following review we will inspect the unit and the features it offers.
First off the ZOOM H2n looks awesome! While the original H2 looked like a run-of-the-mill handheld recorder, the H2n is completely black (with the exception of the LCD display) and looks like an awesome and expensive piece of gear.
It has 4 distinct recording options for the built in microphones.
1. Mid-Side Recording - On this feature the front two microphones as well as the side microphones are active. This feature is fully optimized when you are looking to capture the audio directly in front of the unit but would like to get a little room or ambient noise as well.
2. X & Y Sound - Simply uses the front two microphones. Great for capturing a single target such as a vocalist or a singer/songwriter.
3. 2 Channel Surround Sound - Uses all the microphones within the unit to capture everything that is going on. Records in a 2 channel bit rate. Place the H2n in the middle of a room to capture from every side. This setting is perfect for recording a board meeting or roundtable discussion.
4. 4 Channel Surround Sound - Once again, the H2n uses all the microphones to capture 4 channel surround sound. This audio quality is pristine and perfect if you plan on using the audio for any production purpose.
Other physical features include:
- A 3.5mm line-in option for external mic’s such as a lav etc.
- A 3.5mm line-out for monitoring or playback.
- The H2n also has USB built into it, meaning it can be used as an audio interface, recording directly onto your computer. An awesome feature for anyone who is doing post production and needs to dub in a voice over.
- The microphones are all controlled by a single analog gain wheel on the right side of the unit.
- A very easy to use display interace. I would compare the H2n to the ZOOM Q3HD in regard to the simplicity of use. While the H2n has more audio options than the Q3HD, I was blown away at how simple the lay out was.
Overall, the ZOOM H2n is a great choice for those who are looking for a unit that is easy to use, yet provides superior audio quality. The H2n is a very versatile unit that will meet your audio needs and its features are a steal for its $200 price tag.
- Jordan Michalski
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 04:07 PM
This review is for the KEL Audio HM-1 microphone. This is a large-diaphragm, side address condenser microphone with a wide-angle cardioid polar pattern. This microphone has a boost in the mid frequencies, most noticeable between about 500 – 1000 Hz. The microphone is touted as having a full and smooth sound, even on edgy sources. The HM-1 sells for $180 (CAD) or $299 for a stereo pair. The KEL Audio microphones are designed in Winnipeg, MB and built in China. Final quality control and testing is done by the designers in Winnipeg.
I stumbled across this company about two years ago when I was hunting for a pair of drum overhead microphones. I was on a pretty tight budget, and wanted to find something that would sound good without hurting my wallet too much. After reading some of the favorable reviews on their site, I decided to buy a pair.
I was impressed with the HM-1s even before I had a chance to plug them in. These mics are very solidly built. They have a nice metal housing, so they don’t look or feel cheap. The HM-1s come with shockmounts for mounting to a mic stand. The shockmount is simple, but sturdy, and keeps a good grip on the mic. I’ve never been scared of the HM-1 slipping out during a session like I have been with some other mic clips.
When I got these mics home to my studio, I was very anxious to hear what they sounded like. I set them up, recording with my Digidesign 003 into Pro Tools. At first, I tried recording some acoustic guitar and some vocals. The main thing I noticed is that these mics are not harsh-sounding. They have a very smooth and rounded quality in the mid-frequencies, and enough high-end content to add clarity to the signal without sounding too bright. On the guitar, I got a nice beefy sound when close micing with one HM-1 on the sound hole, and another on the 12th fret.
I’ve tried this mic out with a number of vocalists. For vocal shootouts, I will usually toss up one of these HM-1s, an AKG C414, and another mic or two, and then go with the best sounding one. For my own voice, this mic is the best that I’ve found (even beating out the C414 that was my previous favorite), but this isn’t the case with everyone. For most vocalists, I’ll still end up using something with a brighter sound. The HM-1 will be a great fit though, for singers with a softer, airy-quality to their voice. Also, I’ve had a lot of success recording backup vocals with the HM-1, as it tends to let the harmonies sit better in the mix behind the main vocals.
It was particularly exciting to try the HM-1s on a drum kit, since that’s why I bought them in the first place. I brought these mics with me to a session my band was doing in a friend’s studio space. We used a simple four mic set up with an AKG D112 on the kick, an SM57 on the snare, and the HM-1s as overheads. Well, everyone was blown away by how good the HM-1s sounded on the kit. The toms were huge, even though we weren’t using individual tom mics. The cymbals came through with a very smooth and clear sound. My audio engineer friend decided on the spot that he needed to order a pair.
I have owned these mics now for almost two years. They have become my standard mics for drum overheads, or any stereo room sound. The mid-range boost works exceptionally well when using these mics for overheads, but I’ve also had a lot of other success with these mics. They sound great on guitar cabs, especially when blended with another brighter condenser mic. I’ve used them as my main room microphones for a live trombone and piano recording in a concert hall, and they sounded beautiful. I have had occasion to use an HM-1 for main vocals, but usually I will opt to put the HM-1 on backup singers and something different on the lead part. The KEL Audio HM-1 has become my favorite all-around microphone, and I will go to this mic first when experimenting with new tonal colors or sound sources.
The KEL Audio HM1 microphone does add some character to the sound. It tends to accentuate the mid-frequencies a little bit, which makes them an excellent choice for any source that risks sounding harsh with another mic. If you are looking for a very transparent mic, you are probably better off finding something else. If you are looking for a mic that has its own great sound, and will give you a lot of alternative options in the studio, you should get yourself a pair of these awesome mics.
- Colin Kelly
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 03:59 PM
I am a Huge fan of different snare drums. I love getting to try new sizes, woods and a combination of different drum heads. In the next couple months I will be reviewing a few different snares.
The snare I am going to talk about today is a Ludwig USA Classic 13x6 Exotic Snare Drum (LS403TD60WM).
This 13" x 6" LS401 snare is made with 10 ply maple and 1 ply of exotic veneer. They snares in this Exotic line have tube lugs in either chrome or brass, with the option of die-cast hoops or steel. There are also many different sizes and veneers available.
I first tried this snare with the stock Ludwig single ply batter head. (very similar to a Remo Ambassador, or Evans G1) I felt the snare was very sensitive, and responsive. I tried the batter head a little looser than I normally would play with, which gave it a nice feel with brushes. Even with the drum being 6" deep, I could play as light as I wanted and still achieve that sensitive brush work that I wanted.
Next I put a 2 ply skin on the top and a heavier resonant head on the bottom. As soon as I did this, the drum really started to bark. I could play the skin loose or really tight and found that it had amazing tone either way. I played it tight most of the time and just loved it. Very loud and responsive. Because of the 13" diameter I felt it had much more "pop" to it, but still had tons of bottom end. I am currently using this as my secondary snare because of the pop I get out of it.
Bottom Line: This is an amazing all around snare, but is geared more towards R&B or Rock, and less for Jazz. Also, it works well as a secondary snare.
I give this snare a 4 out of 5 Thumbs up...yes thumbs...
- Adam Klassen
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 03:46 PM
This was one of the releases from NAMM 2011 that I was most exited about. The Blackstar HT-1 is a 1 watt all tube amp that comes in 3 different models. A head with reverb (HT-1RH), a 1x8 combo with reverb (HT-1R) and a 1x8 combo without reverb. (HT-1) I will be talking about the head specifically in this review.
The HT1 has 2 channels, a really warm, thick sounding clean channel and a great high gain overdrive channel. The clean is really full sounding. I plugged in both single coils and a guitar with humbuckers as well and I was really impressed with how huge this channel sounds. It has a really nice breakup as you turn it up. The gain applies to both channels, so you can get a real classic sounding overdrive tone as you increase the gain on the clean. Full chords are quite articulate and have great definition while still sounding real crunchy.
Switching over to the overdrive channel and this amp really comes alive. I feel like this is where this amp really shines. As you increase the gain you don’t loose definition and the bottom end starts to become very in your face. The HT1’s high gain tone is really amazing! It is warm and powerful. The tone is very different from any amp I’ve tried, and I was totally impressed with what this little lunch box sized head. It easily pumps out super high gain sounds that compete with amps 6 times it’s size.
The reverb on this amp sounds really good. In a lot of amps I’ve played, the reverb sounds good until about halfway and then it just becomes way to much. On the clean channel you can crank up the reverb and it just sounds warm and spacey. I can see why Blackstar says it has “studio quality reverb”.
The ISF control is something that is exclusive to a lot of Blackstar’s amps. In a lot of their amps with Bass, Middle and Treble controls the ISF knob will work in conjunction with the EQ for “Infinite tone shaping possibilities”. This is a great feature on their amps that really help you dial in whatever tone your looking for. The HT1 does not have Bass, Middle and Treble knobs, but just the ISF knob. As you turn the knob from left to right you can really hear a tone change quite a bit. It seems to effect the mids quite a bit. Blackstar claims the left being more “american” sounding and the right sounding more “UK”. The feature works on both the clean and dirty channels and makes a huge difference in the tone of the amp.
The HT1 also features both an MP3 / Line input, so you can plug your iPod into the amp and play along with some tunes as well as a speaker emulated / recording output. This is such a great feature in a low wattage amp like this. Perfect for recording, as you can plug it directly into your interface and use the tube driven HT1 tones for your guitar tracks.
Overall the Blackstar HT1 is a perfect amp for practice or recording. You can even plug it into a 4x12 and use it for a jam. (provided that your jam isn’t too loud!) I totally recommend picking one of these amps up. They are great value for the price!
- Scott Campbell
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 03:41 PM
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The Amp 11 is one of three newly released pedals from Lovepedal, a company with a history of excellence in boutique effect pedals. Designer Sean Michael’s goal in designing the Amp 11 was to recreate “the fat, organic tone of an overdriven tube amp,” a goal he has definitely achieved.
This pedal features a landscape orientation, die-cast aluminum construction, and separate effect and boost true bypass switches.
The overdrive section of the pedal features a simple control setup, consisting of a drive and level control, with separate bass and tone controls located below. The Amp 11 is capable of a surprisingly large volume boost in the overdrive section, easily boasting enough of a volume boost on its own to cut through for leads, and giving your amp’s preamp tubes a serious workout.
Using the drive knob, the Amp 11 can achieve a myriad of tones, ranging from the slightest crunch only under extremely hard playing, to a thick and saturated full-on overdrive. No matter what the position of the drive knob, one thing remains true; the Amp 11 never gets fizzy. Even maxed out the pedal remains articulate, with each and every note in the most complex chords ringing though clearly. What you get is simply sustain, saturation, and articulation.
The Amp 11 also responds quite dynamically to various playing styles, and guitars. Put it in the hands of a humbucker player with a heavy picking hand and it will produce the fattest sustaining leads you’ve ever heard from an overdrive pedal, even when simply running into the amp’s clean channel. In contrast, give the same pedal with the same settings to a single coil player using their fingers and the pedal will add a new level of expression to the guitarist playing, responding very well to volume knob changes, as well as changes in picking dynamics. In many ways the Amp 11 accurately captures the thick and expressive tones produced by many highly sought after boutique amps when paired with a well manufactured tube amplifier.
The independent bass and tone controls offer increased flexibility when compared to the more traditional and encompassing tone control seen on many other overdrive pedals. The bass control reacts as one would expect, turning it counter-clockwise will reduce the amount of bass in the signal, while clockwise increases it. The tone control however, is a bit more unique as it functions as guitar’s tone control does. Turning the control fully clockwise sets the tone to “10,” leaving the tone control fully “open,” and having no effect on the high end content of the guitar’s signal. As the control is turned counter-clockwise, the tone control will begin to roll off the high end of the guitar’s signal, just as a tone pot found on a guitar would.
This control is very effective at taming a somewhat bright guitar, such as a Tele on the bridge pickup, or controlling the amount of desired attack on leads. Leave the tone cranked up all the way to get a little bit more pick attack for definition on high-gain, quicker solos, or dial it back to smooth the pick attack out for something a little bit more laid back.
The second section of the pedal houses the boost circuit. This section features a single knob labeled “boost,” which adds the desired amount of gain to the guitar signal and only functions when the overdrive section of the pedal is also engaged. This can be used as a volume boost for solos, or to increase the amount of saturation present in a distorted signal for increased sustain. The boost section is very transparent, but players will need to watch their drive settings, as cranking both the drive and boost controls will result in a lot of hum and noise.
Overall, the Lovepedal Amp 11 is a solid addition to the already star studded Lovepedal lineup, which includes other well received overdrives such as the Lovepedal Eternity Fuse. A solidly built unit, the Amp 11 has something to offer players of all types, in all genres offering a wide range of tonal options. Combine the overdrive section with the boost circuit and you have a fantastic pedal for the gigging musician, who may need an overdrive and a lead boost pedal, but for whom space is often a premium on stage.
The pedal operates at either 9 or 18 volts using an internal 9 volt battery, or external power supply, with the DC input conveniently located on top of the pedal for easy access. Running the pedal at 18 volts seemed to open up the pedal a bit giving it a little more presence and clarity, but overall during testing it seemed to make little difference.
The only issue some players may have with the pedal is its landscape orientation. If you use a slotted pedal board, placement will be somewhat limited as it isn’t wide enough to span the gaps found on many boards. This of course can be solved by placing the pedal sideways, though the connections become much more inconvenient at this point. Alternately, using a small piece of plastic or wood to cover the gap negates this issue, it simply calls for a little bit more work on the player’s part.
For my review, I paired a Schecter C1 Custom with an Egnater Rebel 30 2x12 combo, and a Framus Renegade Pro with both a Mesa-Boogie Dual Rectifier into a Marshall 1960A loaded with Vintage 30s and a Vox VT30. Additionally, I had a colleague run his Fender American Strat through the Rebel 30 to try the pedal out using single coils. He bought the pedal five minutes later.
-Kyle Bain
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 03:32 PM
Even though the T5 Classic is the cheapest of the T5 family, it certainly doesn’t sound or feel cheap. The T5 is the Swiss-army knife of guitars and is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. The only thing not unique about the T5 Classic is it’s low action and lightweight body that is comparable to all Taylor guitars; otherwise the T5 is one of a kind.
If it’s not the ovangkol top that is attractive then it’s the fact that you can go from rich acoustic tones to heavy rock tones in a matter of seconds using an ABY box to split the signal and send it to both an acoustic and electric amp.
Through an acoustic amp in the first pickup position (the body sensor and neck humbucker), the T5 does not have the same wood-acoustic sounds as the Taylor acoustics but it comes pretty close. Position 2 to 5 is ideal for a variety of electric sounds from a mellow jazz tone to a fairly thick high gain sound.
It’s impossible to describe in words all the tones the T5 makes available because you can use a combination of amps, the pickup positions, and onboard bass and treble controls to virtually get any tone you want. Even when I recorded the T5 through a DI into my mixer I was blown away— the guitar had a high output and sounded similar to Taylor’s acoustics.
The only complaints I have are that for around $1350, the guitar only comes with a Taylor gig bag, the two humbuckers and body sensor on the guitar can’t easily be changed, and since it’s a semi-hollowbody it feedsback though that can be fixed by turning down the bass and the gain. Other than that, this guitar is perfect
for someone who wants a unique, versatile guitar but doesn’t want to spend close to $2000 for the other T5 models. Like all Taylor guitars, the T5 is constructed with high-quality components like an ebony fretboard, a Tusq nut and saddle, an ovangkol top and a sapele body.
-Danelle Cloutier
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 03:25 PM
When you are talking about gear and you mention "China" most people go running. Modtone seems to be trying to get rid of that stereotype by making affordable Chinese pedals that are well built, sound great and are backed by a five year warranty.
I will probably review a few of their pedals over the next while, because I really think that most of them deserve a good look, so we will start off by looking at their tremolo pedal.
My absolute favourite thing about this pedal is there is no volume drop when you kick it on. If you don't know what I am talking about, it's a problem that happens when you use a Boss TR-2, which is considered by many to be the benchmark trem pedal. As soon as you turn on the pedal you are met with a drop in volume. It's solved with a popular and easy mod, but for some reason Boss has never corrected the issue. With most higher end tremolos they fix this problem, but I was surprised to see it on such an inexpensive pedal.
While I'm on the comparison between this one and the TR-2, I should say that to my ear the Modtone sounds much clearer, but that could be due to the volume difference.
When the wave knob is all the way to the left (triangle) there really wasn't really a sound I disliked. I would have liked if it got a bit slower when the speed was all the way down, but it's very smooth. It also sounds great when it's sped up really fast.
As I moved the shape knob to the right (square) I found that I liked it up until it was at about three o'clock. After that it starts to get a bit... strange.
It's most noticable with the speed up and the shape knob all the way to square. The pedal adds a bit of a bass thump that you can hear through your amp as it turns on and off. You can hear it very clearly when you are not playing, but it's also audible when you play notes.
This isn't nescessarily a good or bad thing, because it is kind of cool and makes for some unique tones but I wish that it could be activated by a mini toggle switch. I find it kind of strange that it would be assumed that the user would want the added in thump, and it may be offputting for some people.
Other then that one point, I think this is a fine pedal that could be a new benchmark for trem pedals. If you just need a basic tremolo and don't mind the bit of thump when it's on square, this may be for you. If that does bother you, the TR-2 is still a great option, and there are lots of more high end options out there to be played with.
- Micah Bell
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 03:14 PM
Vox is a company that has such a rich history. The Vox AC4 was first released in December, 1961. At that time the AC4 had an EF86 and an EL84 tube and was used by artists like Paul McCartney for practice and tuning up his Hofners backstage. At that time Volume and Tone were the only knobs on the amp.
The current AC4TV has a very similar looking TV style front (which was first used on the Vox AC15 in 1958) but internally is a little different. It now features Volume, Tone and an Output Level Control to change the output from 4 Watts, 1 Watt or 1/4 Watt. It still has an EL84 Power tube, but now has a 12AX7 in the pre amp stage.
With the ability to change the output on this amp, the AC4TV can achieve classic “Vox style” distortion at a lower volume. Great for both practice and for recording. I used a Shure SM7B and had the Vox on 1/4 Watt with the volume pinned and this amp sounded amazing! Great class A style distortion that had such character to it. British sounding drive with good note definition.
The AC4TV has a Celestion VX10 custom 10” speaker in it with a 16 ohm external speaker jack on the back. Plugged into a 1x12, 2x12 and even a 4x12, this amp really starts to fill up nicely. It has that classic “chime” that Vox players are so familiar with.
Even though the AC4TV doesn’t seem to have too many options for tone shaping, you can actually get a pretty good variety out of this amp as you change the wattage as well as dialing back your guitar’s volume knob to clean up the tone. The AC4 also handles pedals really well and by throwing, for example, a Love Pedal Eternity Fuse or Fulltone OCD, you can really get this amp to sing.
The AC4TV family now comes in a few versions. Vox has a smaller 8” speaker version that you can dial down to 1/10th Watt and Head with matching cab.
Overall the AC4TV is a really good option for a practice / recording amp, especially for someone looking for a great classic clean or vintage sounding drive to it. For the player who is looking for lots of features, this amp might not be for you, but I would definitely recommend heading down to the store to check this amp out.
- Scott Campbell
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 03:06 PM
Besson's Performance trumpet is a step away from most of the history of Besson for trumpets. At first glance you note the professional features: deluxe gig bag, reverse leadpipe, Rose brass bell. This trumpet is built to specs of a pro horn. Take a look at the price tag, you'll see the MSRP is $835.
Materials are top notch, the bell, leadpipe, and main tuning slide crook are rose rose brass. This will be more corrosion resistant than yellow brass but they also allow for the horn to be pushed a bit harder before it gets blatty and over bright. The blow is very open thanks to the reverse leadpipe. This horn holds a mellow tone very well and would fit into an orchestral sound easily. I like this horn with a bigger mouthpiece myself, but students starting on the supplied 7c will notice a vast improvement moving up to a bigger piece.
Bracing: The Bracing is straight between the leadpipe and bell which has also made this horn very durable. It doesn't flex and over the years it has been out, I've yet to have to resolder a brace. I admit, I sceptical about the bracing, but it has held up fantastically on the instruments I've seen.
Tuning slides:
The tuning slides are brass inner, nickel outers which not only adds a good look to the horn but also is resistant to seizing together. The 1st and 3rd slides have rubber rings to dampen clicking while adjusting tuing on the fly. The 1st has a saddle and the 3rd has a fixed ring, which many pro players tend to prefer, as well as a screw based slide stop. The main tuning slide is set up with a reverse leadpipe but is also cross braced for more durability.
Valves:
The valves are monel with brass ports. They've held up fantastically and are very smooth. The only bad point, the pearls on the fingerbuttons are a bit prone to fall out.
Case:
The case is spectacular in design. It is styled like a BAM case in blue and black cordura with stowable backpack straps, 2 rubber padded handles, zippers and double plastic clasps to close. The section that the backpack strap stow into will also fit a cardboard music folder or book. There are 2 large zippered pouches on the front. There is plenty of room on the inside for a couple of mutes, valve oils, plunger, etc... Though I'm not a fan of zippers, the plastic clasps help score points back in case the tabs break or the zipper gets damaged. The clips for the backpack straps are plastic and can break.
So why is it so cheap?Besson has been building trumpets overseas for years. These trumpets are made in India in their factory that has been running for over a decade. Yes, India. In this factory however, they've improved quality from the USA made models (by Kanstul and EK Blessing) that weren't nearly as reliable. As most companies have moved production recently over to Asia and are working out the kinks, Besson worked these kinks out long ago.
Pros:
- Excellent materials
- Experienced builders
- Built in pro features at student price
- The coolest stock case in the catgory
- built to last
Cons:
- Case could be more protective and more durable
- Stock Mouthpiece isn't very good
All in all, this horn plays fantastically well and should be on anybody's list for a student horn. It is simply the best student trumpet on the market bar none. It does help when your student horn is built like a pro though ;)
4.5/5
-Michael R. Dennis
Posted by Jordan Michalski on Fri, Jan 13, 2012 @ 02:55 PM
The Pickle Vibe from LovePedal is a really cool, tiny pedal. The website says that it is "not a copy of the Uni-Vibe circuit, but rather a unique approach to generating those same lush swirling tones," and I think that is a fairly good introduction. The Pickle Vibe is exactly that – a lush Univibe-ish pedal.
I am a big fan of the Uni-Vibe pedal and its clones, and the Pickle Vibe is an interesting one. It’s a shockingly tiny pedal with one knob, one internal trim pot, one switch, and a lot of soul.
If you’ve played with a vibe pedal before, you know the general tone. The original Uni-Vibe was made to mimic a Leslie speaker. It didn’t do that great of a job, but it did create a new and very cool phaser/chorus/trem type combo of a sound that doesn’t really exist in any other pedal.
Since it was released, there have been many attempts to mimic and recreate it. Some are great, some are bad, and some are interesting and unique.
The Pickle Vibe falls into that last category. It does have a Uni-Vibe taste to it, but it leans more towards the phaser side of things. It sounds great, but if you’re looking for a straight up clone, look elsewhere.
This pedal has some good points and some down points, so lets check it out.
First off, it just sounds great. If you like vibes or phasers, you’ll probably like this pedal. Fast or slow, it sounds great. The slower settings make your chords swirl around and get funky, and the faster speeds make for some cool leads. I have a hard time talking about the tone that comes from it, because it's an odd thing to desribe, but I love it. I have been using it lots with my bass, actually. Any time my band wants to have a spacey breakdown, I throw on some thick delay, hit the Pickle Vibes switch and we're good to go.
Second, this thing has some bottom end to it. A couple vibes I have played don't really rob you on the low end, but they don't have the oomph that the original did. The Pickle Vibe has a lot of oomph. As mentioned above, I use it a lot with my bass and it has never left me desiring more in the bottom end.
Third, I love is the chicken head knob. A vibe pedal is something you will probably manipulate lots, and you may want to change the spead as you are playing. Chicken head knobs are my favourite for this, as they are so easy to move with your feet and you can change it up while still using both hands to play. This is a big plus in my book for a pedal of this type.
Finally, the price is great. With pedals you usually get what you pay for. To get price down companies will cut back on sound quality, quality of build, or features. The Pickle Vibe falls into the last catagory. It sounds great and is built fantastic, it just doesn't offer the features of a full fledged clone. For a player like myself, I am happy with just a speed knob and would take this over a more expensive copy. It just comes down to what you are going after.
Now for the downsides.
I have very few issues with this pedal, but this is a big one: the internal trim pot. I like pedals with a small footprint, but I will take a slightly larger pedal with two knobs over a tiny pedal with a trim pot any day. Also, the website describes it as having “very sensitive adjustment,” which is very true. The tiniest adjustment makes a massive difference, except when you turn it too far in any direction the effect seems to disappear all together. Fortunately, with the trim pot set just right the pedal really sings, and I for my taste I can’t imagine wanting to change it. But being the tweaker I am, I would rather have no control then have a control that is frustrating to use. Your mileage may vary.
My only other problem kind of goes with the other one, and that's the size. This thing is tiny and weighs next to nothing, which I do like, but it’s almost a bit too much. It is really easy to knock around, and I often find that my small right angle cables pull it out of place on my board. This is easily fixed by putting some Velcro on the bottom, but if you don’t use a board it could be troublesome for you.
So, other then those two minor I think this pedal is just great. If you're looking for an interesting phaser/vibe sound on the cheap, then this could be the one for you.
If you are looking for a more true clone loaded with features and you don't mind paying for it, then you should check out the options from Dunlop or Fulltone.
- Micah Bell