263 Connected   /   Login   /   Register !
Found a bug ? report it here
  • Instruments de Musique
  • AudioFanzine : Home Studio, Computer Based Music, Guitars, Basses, Live Sound & DJ

Parent Category : 'Products'   Musical instruments User-reviews
Add a user-review
Nady TD-1
By soccerplayer25 on 03/26/2008 at 17:31 Music is a hobby.

Characteristics  
The Nady TD-1 is a true tube analog overdrive pedal, with adjustable equalization, gain, level, etc. There are 1/4'' inputs and outputs and it is not a rackable effect.
Utilisation  
No trouble at all setting this up - simply plug your guitar into the input and send your output to an amp. There is plenty of control for tone and it is pretty easy to get that tube overdrive sound that I am looking for. I haven't had a need for the manual as I just tweak the sound by ear.
Sound Quality  
I love the overdrive that this produces - to me it is pretty similar to the overdrive on newer Fender amps, and since my amp is older and has no built in distortion, this is really great to have so I can achieve that specific tube overdrive sound. I use this with guitar only but it can of course be used with anything you can plug into it. There is a switch for low, medium, and high gain and the three different channels can make for some nice overdrive variety.
Overall Opinion  
I've had this pedal for about a year and it does exactly what I need it to do. I use it mostly for rhythm guitar and is great for power/barr chords. It has a great crunch because of the built in tube. I also have a BK Butler overdrive pedal and while I prefer the BK Butler, this is a bit cheaper and can achieve a pretty similar sound. The number of control knobs are really a selling point for me as well, it allows you to have total control over your tone. While it is a bit expensive, I would still make the same choice today and love having it in my set up.
[ More info : Nady ]
DigiTech Whammy
By rarson on 03/26/2008 at 07:46 Serious about music, want to make it your profession.

Characteristics  
The Digitech Whammy is a pitch-shifting pedal that allows a variety of octave shifts and interval harmonizing. For instance, you can set the Whammy to harmonize 5ths and use the pedal to shift to 4ths. It also has a detune function, both shallow and deep, and a divebomb function which is essentially just a 3-octave drop.
Utilisation  
Everything is spelled out on the face of the unit. It's not very hard to figure out, though it can take a little while to get used to. In order to change the pedal's function, you use the rotary knob which can be a bit touchy. I used my foot to change settings, and it's pretty easy to skip a function or two. Obviously, using your hand isn't really a problem, but for fast switching on the fly, using your foot is the easiest way. It's very easy to do, but the problem is that the control is touchy, so to change between settings with precision can be a little difficult. Not really the pedal's fault, I guess.
Sound Quality  
Alright, a lot of people seem to think that the original pedal is some kind of godsend while this newer version is crap. I disagree. Sure, there's probably some sonic differences between the two, but as far as artifacting is concerned (that "digitalness" that the sound has), you can hear the artifacts of the original WH-1 on some Rage Against the Machine songs, and they sound extremely similar to this pedal. The artifacts themselves aren't a bad thing, in my opinion. They create a dimension to the sound that either you can use to effect (like Tom Morello does) or you can't. The nature of the pedal is that it won't sound absolutely realistic, but I realize this and I don't knock the pedal for it.

The problem is that it sucks the sound out. Even when you're not changing the sound, you can hear a difference with the pedal on, and I really didn't like that aspect. It's not a true bypass pedal, none of the Whammy pedals are, but if you want a true bypass Whammy, you're only option is to by an original WH-1 and modify it, because that is the only Whammy that can be modified for true bypass.

The tracking is less than perfect. Artifacting aside, chords sound like crap and there is a perceptible delay between playing notes and hearing them. These qualities, along with the sound degradation, ultimately led me to returning the pedal. It's just not as great as it is often made out to be, and if you don't need to bend the pitch between octaves, you can get a much better octave effect with an EHX POG.

On the plus side, the detune function actually makes a great chorus, so it's not all bad. And the pedal can definitely be used to good effect, but it's got some downsides. Too many for me.
Overall Opinion  
I returned it. There's some good stuff here, but if Digitech could make it true bypass, ditch the AC adapter and make it 9V DC, and rid the delay between playing and hearing notes, it would be much better. Maybe the original WH-1 is better, but from what I can hear of the big name artists that use the WH-1, it sounds almost exactly like the current pedal. I just didn't feel like dealing with the shortcomings at the end of the day, and I feel the POG gives a better alternative for someone who doesn't need the expression pedal function of it.
[ More info : DigiTech ]
Electro-Harmonix micro POG
By rarson on 03/26/2008 at 05:02 Serious about music, want to make it your profession.

Characteristics  
The Micro POG is, as its name implies, a polyphonic octave generator. With the three knobs, you can control the mix between the dry signal, sub octave, and octave up. It includes an input, a wet output (effect out), and a dry output, along with a 9V connection, no battery clip. Electro-Harmonix includes a power adapter to get you going right out of the box.

The pedal is housed in a sturdy little enclosure, the same type as the Little Big Muff. It's a smaller version of the regular POG, which has more features and octave capabilities, but for the cheaper price, the Micro POG can do many similar sounds.
Utilisation  
Easy as pie. Plug it in, dial in the amount of dry, sub, and octave up that you want, and hit the button. It doesn't get any easier, because the effect is so straight-forward.
Sound Quality  
Sounds great. I had a Digitech Whammy (the current version, not the original) which didn't track notes anywhere near as good as this does. It tracks really well. It has a sort of character to the sound, and it seems to work better after distortions rather than before, though I suppose it really depends on the sound you like best. If you place the POG after a distortion, the distortion itself is replicated over two octaves, so it gives a more distinct sound of 3 different notes. If you place it before the octaves, the sound kind of runs together. The octaves have sort of a digital sound to them; it doesn't sound bad at all, and I think it sounds pretty neat, but the octave up (for instance) isn't going to sound exactly like the guitar would if you simply played an octave higher. I think this sound quality is interesting and lends another dimension to the palate of sounds you can create with it.

I almost sounds like an organ when you add all three octaves together. And when palm muting, it almost sounds like a brief orchestra hit. I like the sound quite a bit.
Overall Opinion  
It's a very cool pedal, and something that can introduce some variety into your current setup. I know Jack White has a regular POG that he uses on some songs like "Blue Orchid," and despite the octave limitations, you can get basically the same sound with the Micro POG. But I just love playing with this thing. Moving it around in your chain will help you find the sounds you like best. It's a lot of fun to play with, and the quality of the effect is great. I actually liked it so much that I returned the Whammy, because the Whammy doesn't have anything on the Micro POG when it comes to sound quality.
[ More info : Electro-Harmonix ]
Amt Electronics Du Hast
By rarson on 03/26/2008 at 02:56 Serious about music, want to make it your profession.

Characteristics  
The AMT Electronics Du Hast is a "distortion combo emulator." In case you haven't guessed, it's a distortion pedal that seeks to emulate the sound of the popular German band Rammstein. In fact, the pedal used to be called the AMT Rammstein, but I'm not sure why they changed the name.

It's got an input and output, battery clip (which requires a screwdriver to access), 9V jack, and four knobs, Level, Low, High, and Dist. Pretty standard for a stomp box distortion, and it's made in Siberia. Feels nice and sturdy. I like the orange color.
Utilisation  
It's a simple setup with only four knobs. No manual, but none is needed. I like the fact that the stomp button doesn't click when you hit it. This might be a detractor for some who would like the feedback of a solid click, but I find that it makes the pedal much easier to switch. I wish more pedals had this kind of button.

I'm docking one point for making me use a screwdriver (and a fairly small one at that) to get to the battery.
Sound Quality  
Here's the thing I don't like about this pedal: I can't seem to get a good sound that I like from it. Reading other reviews, you would think that this pedal would be a replacement for any general-purpose pedal. In my opinion, that's not the case. It seems to do the Rammstein sound quite well, but I'm finding that this particular sound just isn't my style. And when I switch from another box, like my Little Big Muff, to this pedal, the box sounds flat in comparison. Even with the BBE Sonic Maximizer, no matter how much I tweak this pedal it sounds flat to my ears, compared to just about everything else. Maybe it's just the nature of this kind of distortion, but it doesn't seem to fit in with my other effects.

I also had a weird issue of getting a hum after playing with it and my other pedals for a while. It was only coming from the Du Hast. I decided to unplug it from the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power and try it with a battery, and the hum went away. When I plugged it back into the power supply, it was still gone. It hasn't returned, so I'm not sure what happened there.

This pedal is a bit noisy, too. You won't really want to use this in conjunction with a fuzz pedal, unlike some of my other fuzz pedals which can be stacked without a whole lot of extra noise. Overall, the sound just isn't what I'm looking for.
Overall Opinion  
I have a love-hate relationship with this pedal. I want to like it. AMT is a good company that makes good products. And at times, I like the sound of this pedal. I think most people looking for a basic distortion would be well off taking a look at this pedal. But whenever I switch to another pedal, it just makes me feel like this pedal sounds flat and has no character. I just can't get myself to like it.

For the price, it's good if you like the sound, but I wouldn't buy it again, because it just doesn't seem to suit my tastes.
[ More info : Amt Electronics ]
BBE Sonic Stomp
By rarson on 03/26/2008 at 02:12 Serious about music, want to make it your profession.

Characteristics  
The BBE Sonic Stomp is a "sonic maximizer." I would guess that the circuitry inside this is probably similar to other BBE rack mount sonic maximizers. I might add that I used to own a very expensive Alpine car stereo head unit that included a BBE function, and the effect of the pedal sounds very similar to the sonic massaging that the head unit's BBE function performed.

"Sonic massaging" is probably a good, if vague, way to describe the effect of this pedal. It's not quite an EQ or tone control, but works in almost a similar way, as it sounds like it is altering certain frequency responses. It is simple with only two knobs (Lo Contour and Process), and it's pretty darn hard to find a setting that doesn't improve the signal. Simple is always a good thing in my opinion, and the control setup does a fine job of allowing some good tweaking.

The manual talks a bit about phase and amplitude correction, and this pedal apparently corrects timing of different frequencies to restore the original sound lost by limitations in the loudspeaker setup. Thus, following this, there are two things to take from the explanation: that every setup will likely have a slightly different "optimal" setting, and that this effect will likely be hard if impossible to get from an EQ. So perhaps the apparent result of using the pedal might sound similar to using a certain EQ setting, but what is really going on is quite different, and much more complex.

Configuration is standard for a stomp box, with an input, output, 9V jack, and battery clip. BBE gets brownie points in my book for making the battery easily accessible with a simple door on the underside of the pedal, no disassembly or screw driver necessary. It also came with an adapter, but I am using this pedal with a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus, so I didn't need it. But I do appreciate the fact they included one.
Utilisation  
Simple: two knobs. Lo Contour "regulates the amount of phase corrected bass frequencies." To my ears, it provides a function similar to a tone knob in that it provides more emphasis on the bass frequencies at high levels, and more emphasis on high frequencies at low levels. I was looking to make my sound fuller, and coincidentally enough, I have mine set to 5 (right in the middle). Seems to provide a very nice, even sound enhancement.

The Process knob regulates the amount of phase correction. And it sounds to me like a mixture of the dry and wet output. Less process equals less of the effect. I like mine set to about 6 1/2. You have to turn it up a bit to enjoy the enhancement that the pedal provides, but turning it up higher seems a bit much to my ears.

The manual provides a nice overview and attempts to explain some background behind the BBE effect. It's interesting stuff, if you can understand what they're saying, and I admit I'm no sound processing master. It makes sense to me, but I'm not totally sure I fully grasp it. Luckily, all you need to utilize this pedal is a good set of ears. Just play with the settings and you'll be able to hear a good improvement to your sound and figure out how to set it best. And since it's not all that complicated, it probably won't even take ten minutes to find the perfect setting.

The manual suggest you place it last in the effects chain just before the amp. I see no reason why anyone would ever do otherwise, because whatever isn't in the chain isn't being processed, obviously. You can also place the BBE in the effects loop, but I haven't tried that yet.

You will never forget that this pedal is on, because the ultra-bright blue LED won't go by unnoticed.
Sound Quality  
I had read some reviews prior to owning this pedal where people said they couldn't hear what the pedal was doing, or they couldn't notice a difference until they played for a while with the pedal and then turned it off. I just find that hard to believe, because once you start bringing the settings up a bit, to me the effect is very noticeable. It's not overpowering, and the effect is rather subtle, but I'm just surprised people have said they couldn't hear a difference. I felt it was an immediately noticeable improvement in the sound.

Once you turn it on and dial it in, you won't turn it off. There's no reason. BBE processing pretty much makes everything sound better, as it did with my old head unit. Turning it off will make you realize how flat your sound was, and you'll scramble to get that BBE goodness back as quick as possible. It improves the quality of the sound, without really coloring it. In other words, I would say that it's more for "presence" than "tone."

I will be buying one of the rack mount Sonic Maximizers for recording purposes and to process my synths. They sound great to my ears already, but I'm sure that BBE will make them sound even better. If you're looking for a full, "big budget" sound, you can't go wrong with BBE (and their products AREN'T expensive, which is a big plus for the home musician). This stomp box would likely make any input sound even better, but I want the rack in addition for stereo processing.
Overall Opinion  
I review everything as realistically as possible. Realistically, nothing is perfect and I try to avoid giving perfect 10s. But in my opinion, a 10 is deserved for a product in which you can't find fault.

That's just it, I can't find anything wrong with this pedal. The manual is good, the design is cool and feels very sturdy, they include both a power adapter and a battery, and the signal processing is great. Okay, so I paid $100 for it from Musician's Friend, and I probably could've gotten a different brand of sound exciter for less money. And yes, I didn't A/B any other brands for comparison to this. But I can compare it to other BBE processing products, and it's as good as they get. Someone less concerned with the quality of their sound (not the sound itself) might not care about the effect it gives, or might not even notice it, and might think of it as a waste of $100. But I'm striving to get the best sound quality possible, and I think it's worth every penny. It makes the sound a lot fuller and seem more professional.

So sure, maybe it's not for everyone, and because of that, perfect 10's might not fit someone else's taste. But to me, this pedal was everything I was hoping and expecting, plus more. So in my opinion, it actually deserves the 10s. BBE processing in a stomp box, how great is that!

And yeah, if I had to buy it again, I definitely would.
[ More info : BBE ]
Dunlop GCB-95 Cry Baby
By soccerplayer25 on 03/26/2008 at 00:22 Music is a hobby.

Characteristics  
The Dunlop GCB-95 Cry Baby is standard wah-wah pedal made by the masters of the wah - Dunlop. There are 1/4'' inputs and outputs and it is not a rackable effect.
Utilisation  
Like most pedals, this was really easy to get going. I simply plugged my guitar into the input and sent the output to an amp. The effect is a standard wah/filter sound and while this model could have a greater sweep range, it definitely gets the job done. I have never seen the model because I bought it used.
Sound Quality  
The effect with this Dunlop is very realistic and usable as a wah sound. I used it with guitar mostly, but it would certainly work with bass, keys, or any other instrument you could plug this into. While it isn't a versatile pedal, it does exactly what it advertises - gives you a good sounding wah-wah at a reasonable price.
Overall Opinion  
I've had mine for about 6 years now and although I don't use it all the time, it is my only wah-wah pedal and use it whenever I want the effect. It is real basic to use and has an on/off switch to toggle with when you press down the front of the pedal with your toes. I've used some other Dunlop models and Vox models and while I like some of the other wah-wah pedals better, for the price I really can't complain. It gives you a nice sounding wah for a fraction of the price of some of the more expensive models.
[ More info : Dunlop ]
DigiTech Whammy II
By soccerplayer25 on 03/25/2008 at 23:41 Music is a hobby.

Characteristics  
The Digitech Whammy II is a unique pedal that is a pitch shifter and has a detune option (which is like a chorus) and numerous harmony options. It is an analog effect and has a 1/4'' input and both 1/4'' wet and dry outputs. It has a bypass switch and is not a rackable effect.
Utilisation  
This was really easy to set up - simply plug your guitar or other instrument into the input and send the wet output to an amp. The manual is very helpful for getting some sounds you might not have thought about on your own.
Sound Quality  
The pitch shifting effects on this pedal are truly great sounding on guitar. I love shifting up or down an octave and can make for some crazy effects. While I have not used it myself on keyboards, I did lend this pedal to a friend who used it a lot with his Yamaha Motif and said he loved using it with that. The detune option is also a great sounding chorus-like effect.
Overall Opinion  
I've had this pedal for about two years. My least favorite thing about it is that it isn't true bypassed and does color the sound a bit when bypassed. However, unlike the newer models of the Whammy, this has a button that you can bypass the sound, something that comes in handy when you want to bypass the sound but have no free hands. I've used both the original Whammy and the reissue and while I wish the Whammy II had a bigger foot pedal like the others, the sound quality is quite comparable and the bypass switch really puts it over the top for me.
[ More info : DigiTech ]
Boss BF-2
By soccerplayer25 on 03/25/2008 at 23:22 Music is a hobby.

Characteristics  
The Boss BF-2 is a simple analog flanger pedal with adjustable manual, depth, rate and res. It has a 1/4'' input and output and is not a rackable effect.
Utilisation  
I had no problems getting this pedal working in my set up - simply plug your guitar into the input and send the output to your amp. I have not used the manual, I just use my ear and experiment with the four knobs.
Sound Quality  
The effects that can be gotten with this are wide and very useful. I use it a lot when I just looking for that extra fullness for a lead tone or if I am looking for that clean flange sound. I use it with electric guitar and keyboards.
Overall Opinion  
I've had this pedal for about 2 years. While the Boss BF-3 has many more options in terms of what can be manipulated, I like the BF-2 because it is very simple to use and give me a simple flanging sound when I need it. I haven't tried out any other flanger pedals except for the Boss BF-3, which was a bit out of my price range. For the price, you can get a wide array of flange type sounds mixed with great craftsmanship that Boss offers.
[ More info : Boss ]