|
Title of Instrument: Yamaha DTXTREME IIS Electronic Drumkit Price Paid / Price New: $2000/$2600 (thanks RivensBitch!) Year Manufactured: 2004 Specs: N/A Sound: 4.5/5. Unlike the Roland V-Drums which use sound modeling algorithms all of the sounds on this kit are sampled. This produces very realistic sounds, and the the preset kits are quite good. My only gripe is the open hi-hat sound, I just can't find one that I like. If I experiment with layering I can probably create a pretty good one. I've recorded a sample of me playing along to a section of a fan-created remake of Dream Theater's Dance of Eternity. I apologize in advance for the bad mixing and somewhat sloppy playing:  Instrument Quality: 5/5. It's Yamaha. They're known for excellent quality instruments, and this is no exception. The stands and mounts are the same ones you'd find on an acoustic kit, and the rack is light but sturdy. Take a look for yourself: Click here \m/ Playability: 4.25/5. Both the cymbals and pads feel great, despite being rubber. They feel much more real than the mesh, while still maintaining a nice soft feel. Two things that could be better: Even though it is better than most electronic kits, the hi-hat feel isn't that great. The fact that you get a real hi-hat stand is nice, but the pad remains stationary meaning you get the same feel for an open and closed hi-hat. Also the kick-pad is so light it will come off the ground a little if you're trying to do sustained 16th notes via double-bass (there are spurs, but they only prevent sliding forward). I'm going to try using more velcro (there's one strip on the bottom already). Overall Value: 4.75/5. Play this kit, and then go play the Roland V-Tour (which actually costs about $100 more). There is NO comparison. For the money you can't beat the Yamaha. Aside from the minor problems I mentioned, I love everything about this kit. If you're in the market, you owe yourself to give it a try. magnafides fucked around with this message at 03:54 on Dec 12, 2004 |
#
?
Dec 10, 2004 04:24
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 14:33 |
|
|
Can a mod delete this please?
|
|
#
?
Dec 12, 2004 03:53
|
|
|
Peavey Minx 110 Combo Bass Amp Price Paid / Price New: $200/$250 Year Manufactured: 2004 Specs: * 35W (8 ohms) * 50W (4 ohms) with external cab * DDT® speaker protection * 10" Blue Marvel® speaker * Post EQ effects loop * Preamp output * Gain control * Power amp input * Low, mid, and high EQ, "bright" switch * Headphone jack * Cover available Sound: 4/5. For the size and power of this combo, it has very good tone. The EQ works great and gives you a great variety of tone, however the bright switch doesnt seem to do much. At about 3/4 volume the lower notes start to distort significantly. Equipment Quality: 5/5. The Minx is built like a rock. It seems like it could take a lot of punishment. All the controls are very precise. Usefullness: 3/5. This is just a small practice amp but I believe it would work well for a gig in a small room. Playing over a drummer would be a stretch. Its definitely easy to haul around to an impromptu jam session. Overall Value: 4.5/5. For the money, I don't think there is a better practice amp out there. It has all the features you need and nothing you don't. Golden War fucked around with this message at 06:03 on Jan 22, 2007 |
|
#
?
Dec 15, 2004 19:41
|
|
|
Title of Equipment: Evolution UC-33e Price Paid / Price New: €209($272) / €289($377) Year Manufactured: 2004 Specs: The UC-33e is a keyboardless USB MIDI-controller manufactured by a subsidiary of the legendary M-Audio. It has 9 volume sliders, 24 knobs, 16 buttons that work as on/off switches (values 0/127), and 2 buttons that work as half/off switches (values 0/63). All of these controls can be configured to work with any program that accepts MIDI in-signals. Additional in/outputs include MIDI in, MIDI out, and a jack for a 9V DC power supply. The controller comes with presets for Reason, Live and 31 other programs/modules. Included also are 5 cover templates for the unit that clearly mark what each switch does in a certain preset. I don't need them but having them is a plus since I can use them to cut out same-size templates from transparencies and mark them with what each control does in a song of mine. Last but not the least, the controller has a handy little display that shows the value of the switch currently being tweaked. Equipment Quality: 5/5. The controller is surprisingly small and light, yet it doesn't feel like a toy at all. The knobs and sliders provide just the ideal amount of resistance for quick and accurate tweaking. The petite buttons are covered with soft rubber so even sweaty fingers won't slip on them. Pressing and depressing them also yields a nice clicking sound and you can feel the motion in your finger clearly so you'll never have to guess whether you actually pushed the button or not. They also can take a righteous amount of punishment, which was a pleasant surprise to me, since my improvised noise sessions tend to be rough on the gear. As a nice extra touch the volume sliders are equipped with small leds so they can easily be seen in the dark too. Usefullness: 4/5. The UC-33e has just about everything you can ask from this kind of a controller, except for one thing: I would really have liked to have one or two switches that go from 0 to 127 when pressed and back to 0 when depressed. I don't know how well this gem works with other software, but it was ridiculously easy to configure it to work with Jeskola Buzz. I could complain about the sometimes noticeable MIDI latency, but it's Buzz's fault, not the controller's. There's also a nice feature called MIDI mute, which allows the user to set any knob to any value without sending any control signals to the computer while the muting is on. Overall Value: 4/5. Except for the lack of 0-127-0 switches the UC-33e has everything I could ask for in a MIDI controller. Kekkoslovakia fucked around with this message at 19:03 on May 16, 2005 |
|
#
?
Dec 21, 2004 18:23
|
|
|
Title of equipment: Schecter C-7 guitar (seven-string) Price paid: $550 (MSRP $850) Year manufactured: 2004 Specs: (shamelessly copied/pasted from website) CONSTRUCTION: Set Neck w/ Ultra Access BODY: Mahogany NECK: Maple FINGERBOARD: Rosewood FRETS: 24 Jumbo SCALE: 26 1/2" INLAYS: Black Pearl Dots BRIDGE: TonePros w/ Thru Body BINDING: Multi-Ply Creme TUNERS: Grover HARDWARE: Black Chrome PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan JB (SH-4) and '59 (SH-1N) ELECTRONICS: Vol / Tone / Pickup Selector FINISHES: Gloss Black (BLK) CASE: SGR-1C Sound: 5/5 The Seymour Duncan pickups are actual Seymour Duncan, and not "Duncan Designed," which is fairly uncommon for a cheaper instrument. They sound phenomenal, and are suitable for playing metal (what I mostly use it for) and jazz/blues at the same time. The overall sound is very crisp, providing a good crunch when needed without sounding overly gainy like the passive EMG-HZ pickups on my old guitar. Instrument quality: 5/5 The guitar is comfortably light as opposed to similar guitars I've tried and the build is exceptionally solid outside and in. The knobs, pickup switch and tuners are solid and don't feel cheap like many low or mid-end instruments, and the wiring isn't hastily assembled like many Korean-made guitars. The finish is stellar quality, and the instrument looks very badass, and wouldn't look out of place regardless of what style of music you happen to play on it. Playability: 5/5 The action on this guitar is very low and natural, but the strings do not buzz in spite of this. Despite being a seven-string, reaching the seventh string is easier to reach and play than the sixth string on most other guitars I've played. Overall value: 5/5 I've been shopping around for close to a year for something (6-string or 7-string) to replace my ESP F-200. I've looked at all sorts of brands large and small, from ESP, Ibanez, Jackson, Carvin, Dean, PRS, Gibson and a number of other manufacturers. For the price, I have little doubt that this is the absolute best guitar my money could have bought. I couldn't be happier with it, and would've happily paid the full MSRP for it if I didn't get it so cheaply.
|
|
#
?
Dec 31, 2004 04:16
|
|
|
Title of Equipment: ESP LTD EC-300 Price Paid / Price New: $450/??? Year Manufactured: 2002 Specs: Set neck(24.75") Mahogany body Mahogany neck/Rosewood fretboard Flag inlays Tune-o-matic bridge with stop tailpiece 24 xj frets EMG Hz H-1 set(passive) 2 volume, 1 tone, 3-way toggle Sound: 4/5 Some hum when I got the guitar, lowered the bridge pickup a little bit and it went away. Sounds good for metal and fine clean, but sounds a bit too gainy when I play stuff like Led Zeppelin. Quality: 4/5 No real problems with the guitar outisde of the humming. Feels solid. Playability: 5/5 Oh man, if there is one thing I love about this guitar its how great it feels to play. It feels better than almost every other guitar I've ever played(the exception being a Godin SD). I just love everything about the neck. Its not too wide or thick and its extremely easy slide your hand down. The action I lowered a tiny bit and after that it plays like a dream. Overall: 4/5 The hum was slightly annoying and its a bit on the gainy side. All that aside it was a fine purchase and I don't regret it one bit.
|
|
#
?
Jan 3, 2005 12:58
|
|
|
Title of Equipment: Electro Harmonix Micro Synthesizer Guitar Pedal Price Paid / Price New: $200/$250 Year Manufactured: 2002 Specs: Steel housing Wall-based AC adapter 2 1/4" mono input/output jacks Controllable via 10 on-pedal sliders: Control to set trigger level (level of sound to activate pedal) A mixer to control levels of clean guitar, pitch trackers, and square wave sounds Two pitch-tracking oscillators (tracks a single guitar note below the octave and above the octave) "Square wave" distortion Control to set attack delay Moog-style filter with 4 slider controls to shape resonance/start and stop frequency/rate of filter sweep Sound: 5/5 Many questions have been raised about the sound of this pedal. Its components are analog and it has the warmth of tone you'd expect from analog circuity. The fuzz sounds excellent (especially for leads and power chords) and the pitch-tracking oscillators can significantly beef up leads or single-note riffs. However, the best thing about this pedal, in my opinion, is the filter. It has the tone quality inherent in a Moog-style filter, and by tinkering with the frequency, resonance, and filter sweep sliders, you can add an entirely new dimension to your music. Occasionally you'll hear some cracks and pops, but this is to be expected from an analog device. Equipment Quality: 5/5 The pedal is housed in a strong steel container and other users have reported the electronics to be reliable. Usefulness: 4/5 This pedal can serve as many things, such as: a distortion pedal, an octave divider, a synthesizer, and an auto wah-wah pedal. However, I'd highly recommend using it with a guitar with humbucking pickups, as many elements of the pedal hinge on a concept known as triggering. There is a slider on the unit that sets the signal level that the pedal should receive before triggering the oscillators and filter. With a single-coil pickup, I found it difficult to trigger the pedal, even with the trigger slider set to its minimum. 'Retriggering,' or the pedal activating too many times, can also become a frustrating problem. Otherwise, this pedal is immensely useful for changing your guitar's sound. Overall Value: 5/5 This pedal has served me well, and for the money ($200-$250), I doubt you could find another with its level of versatility.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2005 23:04
|
|
|
Title of Equipment Example: Line 6 HD 147 Price Paid / Price New: $600 / $1,249 Year Manufactured: Example: 2004 Specs: Chrome regular 3-prong power plug 1 input 4 speaker outs (two left, two right) 2 XLR outs 1 headphone out Cat5 footswitch out for proprietary footswitch 300 watts Sound: 5/5 Maybe it's just because I just got it and I'm so utterly stoked with it that my review might be a little colored. It's also my first new head in about 5 years. I used to use only Ampeg VL-series heads, but decided to move onto digital. I am not really a fan of digital stuff, but the HD 147 sounds great. It doesn't have that weird digital top-end that is so irritating. It sounds like a tube amp in the cases of the tube amps that it's modeling. It's a tad bit bright, but the tone controls are very flexible, as is the presence control. Equipment Quality: 4/5 I waited to buy one of these for a whole year after my friend Steve got one. I wanted to make sure that his would stand up to all the touring that his band does, and after a year or so, I asked him if he had any problems. He said he hadn't, so I got one. The black light is a bit cheesy, and I'm not a fan of the cat5 cable you have to use to run to the proprietary (overpriced) foot pedals. The chrome no-doubt scratches easily and definitely leaves smudges if you touch the thing. Usefulness: Example 5/5 It's extremely useful. The hardest time I had with this was choosing ONE tone that I really liked for my main sound. I only have the FBV4 (4 channel footswitch) for now, but having 4 totally different channels at your control is pretty awesome. The first channel is clean with a bit of delay, the second one has a phaser type effect with a little grit, the third is my main distortion channel and the 4th is a distortion channel with some delay and a bit of tremolo on it. All the on-board effects are great. I never really used effects before, but it's nice to have them all so conveniently located. Overall Value: Example 4/5 It was certainly worth the price I paid (I got my on eBay), but I think that $1,249 may be a little excessive. I guess when you stack that up against a Mesa/Boogie, it's not too bad, but it seems a little steep to me. With all the onboard sounds (there's gotta be something like 800 possible combinations of tones) and the effects, it makes for a very useful amp. I can't wait to record with it and use it live with the XLR outs and no cab mic'ing. The only problem with this thing is that it looks so fragile, I want to buy a case for it and the pedalboards are outrageously expensive. Otherwise, I'm completely satisfied. Now I jsut need to get some decent cabs to match it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2005 20:47
|
|
|
Title of Equipment: Vox Valvetronix AD120VTH Head Price Paid / Price New: $549/$599[/i] Year Manufactured: Example: 2004 Specs: 120w stereo modeling guitar amp that has some kind of tube in it. Sound (or applicable): 4.5/5 Really excellent sound out of a modeling amp. It does have a tube in it, some weird kind of 12AX7 that acts like two tubes. It has something called the "valve reactor" which is basically an adjustable wattage setting on the head. Basically you can change it from 60w/channel to 1w/channel and in between for practicing in your bedroom. I never thought I would be able to get an amp that that had a really driven fender twin tone on it at an acceptable volume level, but here we are. Equipment Quality: 4.5/5 Everything looks and feels great. I haven't had it for a long time so we'll see about this, but I dig it. Usefullness: 4/5 It has some stuff on it that I may find myself not using, like some integrated effects on such. It is a stereo head, so cool stuff like the rotary function sounds awesome if you have a stereo cab or two cabs. Like most modeling amps there are obviously going to be some settings that I don't use. There are some pedals for controlling the other stuff, but I may just use my own pedals. Overall Value: 5/5 At only $550 bucks you can't go wrong. There is even a non-stereo version for less money. There is a lot about this amp to be appreciated but you need to play it. I know everybody says it about their latest peice of digital modeling whatever, but this Vox really sounds great. It is really laid out simply, and unlike most digital modeling amps, you can stick your own effects in there and use it like you would on a normal amp. All that I ask is that you give it a try next time you are in a store.
|
|
#
?
Jan 9, 2005 17:46
|
|
|
Aria Pro II TS-600 (Thor Sound) Price Paid / Price New: 250$ / 100$ Year Manufactured: 1981 (series was produced between 79 and 83) Specs: Body: Maple center with ash wings Pickups: Protomatic III HB (stock) Neck: 3 piece maple transmit (thru) Fingerboard: Ebony 24 fret Controls: 1 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-way, phase, 2 coil-cut, booster volume, boost switch, 6-position rotary tone (Varitone) Bridge: String-thru-body Bridge with brass saddles Tuners: Aria Pro II stock tuners Sound: 4/5. Sounds excellent for the price. Instrument Quality: 5/5. Well, it's been through 23 years of use before I got it without any repairs, so I guess it's good. (They don't make high quality stuff like they used to.) Playbility: 4/5. Easy to play, espescially important for me who's not that good at playing. The neck is smooth and it's a pleasure playing it. Overall Value: 5/5. Definitely worth it, if you get the chance to buy one of these then do it. They're pretty rare and you get a helluva lot for your money. Here's a picture: http://home.no.net/gben/git.jpg
|
|
#
?
Jan 15, 2005 11:51
|
|
|
Boss VF-1 Multiple FX unit Price Paid: $300 Interface/Connectivity 6/10 The boss VF-1 is a multiple fx unit designed with guitarists in mind. It is stored in a small 1/2 rack box (but it requires an adapter to actually rack up a pair of them.) The unit has a minimal interface consisting of a big detented knob and a small set of buttons, the only feedback comes from a relatively high resolution LCD. The LCD is not terribly bright, but it will show up in low light just fine. The VF-1 features a stereo analog in and out, as well as a mono high-z input on the front(designed with guitars in mind.) It features a digital output but no digital input. The input sensitivity is adjustable by a knob on the front, it is a little shakey, and it is occasionally difficult to keep the left and right side even. As well, the mono guitar input will only emit a through signal on one channel of the stereo output. Navigating between the various effects is handled in a somewhat inflexible way. FX chains are organized into "Multis" which contain a sieries of individually mutable effects. An example of a multi would be "Guitar Multi 1" Which contains the following effects chain Compressor->EQ->Amp Simulator->Noise Supressor->MOD(chorus/flanger/Phaser and many more)->Delay->Reverb. Some of these FX can be repositioned in the chain so you can put the amp at the end of the chain, or the compressor inbetween the delay and the verb. Each FX module has a sieries of parameters that can be infdividually adjusted with the interface. As well these parameters can be assigned to MIDI controls for real time manipulation. The biggest problem with the system of presets, is that the factory presets cannot be erased. Sound 9/10 The boss sounds very good for its size and price. Especially good are the Amp simulations and the Tape echo emulator. The amp sims run the gamut from emulating small cabinet transistor amps to marshal stacks to various boss distortion pedals. The tape echo is unfortunately confined to its own multi and cannot be used anlong with amp sims or other effects. The other effects tend to be more utilitarian in sound than overwhelming, especially the reverbs, which though not lexicon quality sit well within a mix. I have personally used the VF-1 with guitar, bass, keyboards and Theremin. I find it to work well with all of them. overall 8/10 for its price the VF-1 offers a stellar package of effects. The lack of modularity and the sometimes annoying interface leave a bit to be desired, but for day to day use and experementation they do a hell of a job. Zaxxon fucked around with this message at 11:57 on Jun 15, 2005 |
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2005 22:14
|
|
|
Fender (Mexican) Cyclone Price: $549 Year (Purchased): 2004 Specs:
Due to the pickup configuration (1 slanted single coil in the neck position, one humbucker at the bridge), a wide variety of sounds are possible. The Tex-Mex single coil at the neck is excellent for a jangly clean tone, and the Atomic humbucker is also available for a more smooth, mellow tone. Through distortion, this guitar sounds great for Rock or Blues, but don't think you're going to get a hardcore/metal/whatever sound from it without pickup replacement (I replaced the Atomic HB in mine with a Seymour-Duncan Detonator, and get a much more saturated distortion now). Tone control is available through one Tone Knob and one Volume knob. Both are quite sensitive (especially the tone knob, which actually *controls* the tone, instead of just being an on/off switch like some guitars seem to have). Instrument Quality: 5/5 The neck is smooth, and playable. The guitar is just absolutely gorgeous. Imagine a Jazz Bass converted into a guitar; this is the exact body style of this instrument, even down to the volume/tone/input jack being on an off-shot metal strip. The tuning heads this guitar comes with are adequate, though you may want to consider an upgrade to locking heads, if that's your thing. The tremelo is useable, in that it doesn't wildly knock the guitar out of tune after only the smallest ammount of use. The weight of this guitar is medium. I've heald lighter guitars, and my Fender Deluxe Fat Strat is heavier; regardless, shoulder strain is minimal. This guitar comes in a variety of colors (mine being red), and comes with a pearloid 3-layer pickguard, as opposed to standard white. Playbility:4/5 The neck is smooth, straight, and very playable. My guitar came fully intonated, so that was never a problem. No string buzz, but there is some string "slap" when using the single coil, but then again, I use semi-light guage strings. Higher guaged strings would result in less string slack, and eliminate this problem. I can find no real fault with the playability of this guitar, but I have played guitars that have a better "feel", for lack of a better term. Overall Value: 4/5 I'd buy this guitar as a stepping stone between your Squier Strat/Epiphone Les Paul and a higher priced model. This guitar has better stock pickups than most similarly priced guitars, and the playability, look, and feel are excellent. I highly reccomend it. Occupy Japan fucked around with this message at 07:19 on Feb 5, 2005 |
|
#
?
Feb 5, 2005 05:18
|
|
|
Access Virus B Desktop/Keyboard Price Paid: £405 (including delivery) for the desktop model on ebay. the virus B engine series of synths has been discontinued and now exists as the Access Virus Classic Desktop (which retails for £667.99). As such i would always recommend searching for a 2nd hand Virus B in good condition over a Virus Classic. Year Manufactured: 2002 Year Purchased: 2004 (Early December) Specs: quoted from http://www.accessmusic.de/specifications.php4?product=virusb: 32 knobs 62 LEDs Wooden side panels External power supply Dimensions: 470 x 185 x 75 mm weight net. = 2.85, weight incl. packaging = 4.6 kg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24 Voices/ 16 way multi mode 1024 programs [256 User / 768 ROM / 128 Multi] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 oscillators per voice. 3 main plus one sub [when all oscillators are in use, polyphony may decrease, but not by more than 6 voices.] Sawtooth, variable pulse, sine, triangle + 62 additional spectral waves FM [Frequency modulation] for the Oscillators with external Input signals -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 fully independent filters each user selectable as lowpass, highpass, bandpass or bandreject 4 filter routings in serial/parallel configurations up to 6 poles [36 dB] per voice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 LFOs [68 LFO shapes] Envelope operating mode and LFO- tempo-sync to midi clock 2 ADSTR envelopes [T=Time] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 independent arpeggiators with numerous arpeggiator patterns and real time parameter access/modulation including swing & note length. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 82 simultaneous DSP effects like: Reverb [w. pre-delay sync to MIDI-clock] Retro Phaser [6-stage stereo phaser with 24 filter-poles Multiple independent distortion/saturation/Lo-fi FX per voice, including multiple distortion/shaper characteristics and variable gain. Chorus/Flanger with rate sync to midi tempo Simple or "Groove" Delay [preset polyrhythmic patterns] 32-band advanced vocoder Ring Modulator Analog Boost for true vintage tonal characteristics -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Complex modulation matrix with 3 source & 6 destination slots Complete parameter control via MIDI with "Adaptive Control Smoothing" for ultra soft parameter changes and no zipper noise Full 24-bit processing; 24 bit D/A, 18 bit A/D 6 individual high quality outputs 2 audio inputs to process your signals through synth filters, envelopes, FX, vocoder, FM, ring modulator, and more Flexible "auxiliary" model of internal audio routing for processing/reprocessing internal/external signals through the synth engine and and effects of other voices True Surround sound capabilities Free SoundDiver Virus editor/librarian for Windows™ and MacOS™ Easy operating system updates via MIDI Sound: 5/5. arguably the defining characteristic of the instrument, i find it difficult to give a perfect score for this because the characteristic sound of the virus isnt necessarily to everyone's tastes. it does however sound fantastic and the filter alone will blow you away. first off though, its not as bright as most virtual analogue synthesizers such as the Clavia Nord Lead 2. the Virus is darker and alot bassier (partly due to the sub oscillator in action). it can do most analogue type pads, leads, anything really. it can make beautiful sounds as well as aggressive sounds. but there is always a kind of darkness to it, or it can be made to turn dark and aggressive very easily owing to the FM capabilities of the synth (more of which later). i think this is due to the sheer weight of bass behind each note. the virus comes into its own with the sub oscillator on. it makes everything so god drat fat. for example, you can have this delicate plucked lead. on its own it may even sound a bit cheesy. a bit weak and feeble. with the sub osc on it would have this massive weight of bass behind it and it would sound much more...hmmm...ominous. its very subtle and very hard to explain. nonetheless if you like that kind of dark, restrained aggression - you will really like the virus sound. if not. maybe another synth is for you. Instrument Quality: 4/5. overall its built like a tank and it lasts. the rotaries are solid and have a rubber coating. they have just the right amount of resistance so that they feel very satisfying in operation. the chasis is metal and it can take alot of hammering. the chipboard side panels are a bit hollow though and they dent fairly easily so watch out when you are carrying it around not to bump it into things. the buttons are not quite so well built. they are plastic and they feel...well...plasticky but not in a good way. they feel very light to the touch and on mine of them has a tendancy to become very sticky at times. the OS is very stable too and ive never had it crash or glitch on me. overall though ive seen these things take a *battering* and they do last. as long as you have no aversion to cosmetically loving it up, you can gig with it and you can reasonably expect it not to bug out on you. Playbility: 4/5. ive used both the keyboard and desktop versions but i own the desktop. the keyboard version has 61 semi weighted keys that are velocity sensitive with aftertouch. as most virtual analogue keyboards go its very good. i would say better than the Novation Supernova II keyboard. it is far and away better than the Clavia Nord Lead 2 keyboard which feels flimsy in comparison and considering it is also semi weighted. note: the Virus Indigo keyboard is not the same the Virus kB keyboard. although i havent used an Indigo, the general consensus on the unofficial virus forum is that it is not as good in terms of action. as for the synth itself in operation, it differs from certain conventional instruments in the sense that it doesnt immediately flatter the player as some guitars are liable to do with a guitarist. do not expect it to be this godlike instrument that you can replace all your old synths with. doesnt work like that. it is also quite difficult to program. it is certainly more difficult to program than any virtual analogue softsynth ive used and its harder to program than a Nord Lead 2X. by quite a bit. that said, the Virus does have ALOT of modulation options so this is to be expected really. you will have to deal with saturation curves on the filter. the LFO can be routed any way you want. you can set it to modulate pretty much any other variable on the Virus. you can set the order in which each filter works, the dB slope of each filter and the way in which it is routed (in series or parallel). when you first get it you may be a bit overwhelmed. i definitely was. read the manual and it will seriously help alot although the manual is huge and is a bit abstract in places. another thing about the Virus that you must be aware of is that the way in which you program it. alot of the variables on the virus control another variable and affect its action which may also control another variable. this makes the action of one part of the synth affect the way in which another part functions. it is very easy to lose your bearing and if you build 1 sound, forget to store it and try to rebuild it from memory, it will very likely sound quite different. sometimes radically so. for example, the virus has 2 filters. the second filter determines the action and range of the first filter cutoff. it can be modulated by the filter envelope whose amount is controllable via the env amount rotary on the first filter. additionally, the entire filter 1 or filter 2 or the filter resonance can be modulated by the second LFO. similarly if you enable the synth's FM capabilities, the second oscillator controls the frequency of the first. and the whole oscillator section (pitch, pulse width etc) can be modulated by the LFO. what does this mean then? when i first got my Virus and i started programming, nearly every patch i made eventually turned into a bassy, sludgy distorted mess. at every point you have to be aware that what you are doing may effect something else or the action of something else on the control surface. you cant just dive in and not think about what you are doing or you will end up with a poo poo patch. this is difficult at first but it gets easier with time, patience and practice. i would not consider it particularly user friendly, even for those who are versed in the subtle art of subtractive synthesis and you wont get the good stuff out of it right away. that said, it is immense fun to play because of its expressiveness. the filter is the god drat best filter ive ever used. you will rinse this filter like you have never rinsed anything in your life. its so expressive and so smooth. i dont need to add anything more than that really - no other VA synth has a filter like this that ive used. nobody has yet been able to replicate the design of it either (hence why all software and hardware virus emulations have failed). it truly is access's dirty little secret  i love it.the synth's FM capabilities. the virus is fairly dark but it can get really aggressive with FM or it can become harmonic, bell like and serene (always with that weight of bassy warmth to it ready to explode). if you sync both oscillators with FM on, you get typical FM bell like strata. if you turn the sync off and tune the first oscillator out the virus will literally scream. this is another expressive side of it that i like. with the filter cutoff i have made a variety of...what i can only describe as dying machine noises. electronic screams. whipping noise. ill see if i can upload some samples to show you what i mean. when the virus goes full on. its gigantic. and very aggressive. the rotary encoders are very responsive and they *never* step. i gave this a 4 because of the inherant difficulty in coming to terms with this peice of kit. once you 'get it' its one of the most fun, expressive synths ive ever used. Overall Value: 4/5. why did i buy a Virus B instead of any other Virus model? i bought one because Virus Cs cost alot more. i got my desktop model from ebay about 4 months ago for £405 including delivery. now i still see C models on ebay going over £650 not including delivery for the desktop model. the difference between the C model and B model is minimal and in my humble opinion didnt justify the extra cost. owing to the characteristic sound i would probably have bought this anyway regardless of its feature set which is larger than most VAs (there are problems with this which i will explain below). Additional Notes: Regarding the Virus C model and how it compares with the Virus B model despite the extra £250. the Virus C has 32 note polyphony. B has 24 note poly. the C has a 3 band EQ which the B does not. it also has a new filter type (moog emulation filter) which the B model does not. the C layout is also redesigned slightly so more controls are actually on the control surface as opposed to being in submenus which you have to flick through on the B model. amongst these layout changes, the entire effects section on the C is now on the control surface (not in a menu). the 3rd oscillator is given a rotary (whereas the 3rd osc on the B is in a submenu). the virus classic is exactly the same as a B model except it has some different presets and its a different colour and yet it costs around the same brand new as an excellent condition 2nd hand C model. the extra features you get i do not consider worth the extra £250 extra you have to spend on average. ill explain. the virus is 16 parts multitimbral. that is, you can play 16 parts from the virus simultaneously. this sounds great in theory but when you do get a virus you will find that its multitimbrality is next to useless. with unison enabled you will only be able to get about 3 parts playing simultaneously before you hit the polyphony limit on both B or C models. currently im striking single patches (normally pads with unison on) that use up all 24 notes of poly on just 1 single part. another 8 voices is useful but if i had it, id burn it up so quickly its not even funny. secondly, there are not enough audio outputs on the virus to send more than 3 stereo parts to your host! you can send multiple parts on a single audio out but it sounds truly hosed up - each part doesnt sync correctly and some notes dont trigger correctly. note that the virus TI has only 2 audio outs - im not sure why they opted to do this. the 3 band EQ you get on the C is nothing you cannot do with post processing in your host. for example, ill wire my B through fruity's internal mixer and run a 7 band fruity EQ on it, or a parametric EQ. the moog filter doesnt actually sound like a moog filter. it does however sound good but again, i can find a better use for £250! the part i like most about the C that isnt on the B is the revised control surface. it makes effecting things on the Virus easier and more natural. the modulation slots are on the work surface too. i hate flicking through submenus. the B model forces you to flick through the submenus if you use its effects. i think most of the virus effects suck anyway so i dont use them much. the delay is ok but the delay time is far too short! only 0.5 seconds. the reverb is a bit muddy though. the phaser is very limited in its application and it has limited programmability owing to the fact its hidden in a submenu. the distortion curves are very good though. overall, i tend to use more VST effects on my virus parts as opposed to using the internal effects except for distortion. also, in multimode you cannot have delay/reverb per part. you can only apply delay/reverb to all parts playing. its called a global effect and is a limitation of both the B and C but not the TI. this just makes multi mode even more pointless than it already is. also, in fl studio you may get MIDI sync issues like i do. therefore, you may need to change your work habits somewhat to accommodate this peice of kit. ok. right about now you are thinking - this sounds really negative. and you are right. theres alot of stuff about the virus that i just think 'why?!' but...theres something about it. i cant explain it. its subtle too. but it makes everything worthwhile. when i first got it i expected it to be this supersynth that it wasnt. it failed to live up to my expectations on first impressions but i now acknowledge my expections were too high. however, the more you dive in and program it the more you get a feel for its expressiveness and character. you can never really get away from the brooding, dark kind of quality that it gives to all its sounds. at times you can bring all the aggression out with FM, hard distortion and a hard saturation curve on the filter whilst tuning the oscillators out. when its full on, its an evil little monster. but for most applications its dark quality is always there but is hidden or restrained. its a very subtle and interesting and unique quality which i havent heard anywhere else. despite its flaws this synth has character and thats why i keep it. i do want a Nord Lead. i want one BAAAAD. but im skint. and no way am i gonna sell my Virus B to get one - i would instantly regret it. its the most expressive synth ive ever used. dont expect to make supersaws on it. Virus supersaw type sounds dont sound like supersaws (although it sounds beautiful anyway, the virus can make trance type sounds very well but its not like Roland jp80X0 trance - its different. a little bit darker. a little bit more forlorn. and more 'pluck' oriented with a fuzzier top end. it doesnt sound as solid as the JP for that specific purpose.) that said there are certain things the Virus is capable of that no other synth can do exactly, a good example of which is lab4's evilution cd which makes extensive use of the virus in full on mode. overall the Virus B represented to me the best value for money whilst netting me the most virus sound for my cash. ive played on a Virus kC and it sounded almost identical to my Virus B. which is why i chose to go with the B and spend the extra money elsewhere. compared to the B i still think the C is overpriced for what you get. if you have the cash and dont have anywhere else to spend the extra £250 by all means go for the C - it is a Virus B exactly with bells and whistles on top. also, there are more Bs selling on ebay in top condition than there are Cs so they are more competitively priced. lastly - try it out before you buy it. theres alot of stuff about it which is loving annoying! i can understand why people sell them on, having started to program it and become disillusioned with the inherant problems of hardware and the little niggles that are just part of the virus as well as the difficulty in getting the *really* good stuff out of it. i only realised how convenient software was until i bought this synth put it that way. i now cherish convenience. i hope this review helps any prospective buyers. P.S. access tech support rules. the virus forum rules. all the problems i had - they didnt give a poo poo that it was second hand and they replied to most of my tech support emails the same day. everyone was friendly and helpful and overall alot of people made me feel like i made the right purchase. and i feel i did too. WanderingKid fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Mar 3, 2005 |
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2005 18:44
|
|
|
Carvin Cobalt C850 Acoustic/Electric Price: $569 + $59 for a case, and shipping Year: 2005 Specs:
When I got the guitar, I instantly started playing it. I noticed the wonderful acoustic sound that it has, as well as the nice lack of fret buzz, like my previous Fender Acoustic. Although I was not in total shock of how amazing the guitar sounded, I was quite happy. Upon plugging it in, I realized why this guitar is a gem. The Fishman sounds loving amazing. I fell in love with the guitar after plugging it in. Instrument Quality: 4/5 This is a rock solid guitar. It doesn't feel weak at all. It feels like I could beat someone over the head with it then stop to play some some chilled acoustic tune and the guitar couldn't sound better. The tuning pegs are high quality and have a high ratio when changing pitch. This makes for the most accurate tune possible. There isn't anything about this instrument that is not of superb quality. Playbility:4/5 The guitar feels great, it plays well. Reaching the upper frets is simple with the cut away, playing chords with out buzzing is very easy. The list could go on and on; the guitar plays great. Overall Value: 4/5 Great guitar. I'd suggest it to anyone. Sounds great, feels great, looks ugly as sin ( ) but I don't care about the looks. I highly suggest and think it's worth every penny.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2005 14:40
|
|
|
Title of Equipment: Ibanez TS7 Tubescreamer Price Paid / Price New: $30 / $40-$60 Year Manufactured: Mine is from 1999-2000ish Specs: Provides an excellent, warm, tube-amp overdrive 3-knob configuration: Drive, Tone, Level Knobs push down and lock to avoid accidentally kicking and changing of levels. "Hot" switch adds extra gain. Operates on 9V Battery or AC Adaptor (Adaptor recommended) Sound: 4.5/5 Great range and versatility of overdrive effects. With a flip of the "hot" switch it can go from warm blues tube amp to crushing overdrive. One complaint is that some death/heavy metal players might find the heaviest drive settings a bit lacking in the tight, focused body they want from a distortion pedal. Overall though, this pedal does the best job I have ever heard of mimicking a great tube sound. Quality: 5/5 I have had this pedal for about 6 years and it still works as great as the day I bought it. Its metal case has been extremely durable and has taken loads of abuse. Usefulness: 5/5 The great range and durability of this pedal has made it the most versatile stompbox I own. I have been able to get every type of overdrive I have ever needed out of this tiny box and it always sounds far better than the overdrive effects on any effects processor I use. Overall: 4.5/5 I have two complaints about this pedal: One is that it drains batteries. However, if you purchase the adaptor (or a cheap universal one like I did) this complaint is moot. Two is that if you need a lot of focused drive, this pedal is not for you. Any Deathmetal pedal will be better. But I don't play Deathmetal and for all of my other overdrive needs this pedal has always been magnificent. This is the first place I turn when I need great overdrive in a live setting. Its sound is as close to a tube amp as I have ever heard from a pedal and it is far more portable and durable than one.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2005 03:42
|
|
|
Carvin C780 Acoustic-Electric Price: $499 + $58 for hardshell case. Year: 2005 Specs:
I wish I had a Martin or Taylor handy to see what people are constantly comparing this guitar to in reviews, but as one of the only guitars I have ever bought new, I am pleased. A deep resonant tone is indicative of the jumbo-style bass soundboard and comperably sized tenor. A deep sustain could be alot of the stock Elixer strings speaking, but I am pretty sure it has to do with the guitar's quality. Plugged in the Fishman is what I have come to expect from Fishman; playing through a Fishman setup for over two years now on my Ibanez, I can see reproduced presence in every note. Instrument Quality: 5/5 It has been three days since I have gotten this guitar in the mail, and am constantly testing the intonation. Not a flaw has been found and everything else is in accordance - a straight neck, low action, tuned out of the box (slightly down given the temperature difference in California and Michigan). Came with a cable, pick, pickguard (self adhesive so the owner may place it on the guitar at will), alan key, among other paperwork. The satin finish really accents the tonal and visual quailty this guitar already exhibits - A+. Playability:4/5 Only rated a 4 on my initial use, will (definately) probably go up after a few months use. The abalone inlay makes the fingerboard markings hard to notice, and as a result yields a bit of confusion on first picking up the guitar. Couple this with the lower than average action on the guitar, and it may throw many people who pick up a Carvin for the first time. Talk to me in a month and I am certain the 4/5 rating will seem ludicrous. Overall Value: 5/5 I have never spent more than $200 on any guitar. Take my review with a grain of salt, as I have yet to debut this bad boy at tomorrows jam at the local bar. I am absolutely happy with the guitar and look forward to playing it seriously for years to come. A solid six string, with great pickups and tone out of the box. Add in the action, look, and overall quality that Carvin has exuded over the years and there is much to look forward to from a similar purchase.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2005 05:33
|
|
|
Title of Instrument Access Virus C Synth(tabletop version) Price Paid / Price New: $1600/$1600 Year Manufactured: 2003-2004 Specs: Extensive. check them out here: http://www.access-music.de/specifications.php4?product=virusc Of note: 3 osc w/ massive modulation matrix and surround capabilities. Sound: 5/5 This thing sounds incredible, really awesome. The filters in it are parallel to any standalone unit. Of particular note is the ultra-high quality phaser, which is really world-class. Instrument Quality: 4/5. In general, the build quality is great on this synth, far more solid than the Nords. My only complaint is the external power supply pet peeve! and the fact the push-buttons are kinda shoddy feeling. Playbility: 4/5 While this synth does not have the most intuitive programming, it is really easy to put together great sounds quickly once you figure out the modulation matrix, and the signal flow. This synth really excells at two things: making big swishy pads, and making huge fatty electro zaps. You can coax some decent-sounding strings and piano sounds out of this synth, but it takes some doing. Also makes a decent snare hit, but forget about any other percussion sounds. Oh, and this synth can replicate the sound from Van Halen's 'JUMP' perfectly... not that I play that song.... especially not all the drat time.  Overall Value: 5/5 This synth was definately worth the money. As an effects and filter-box alone, this is worth the cash, but I've used pads and leads from this synth on almost every song I've made. This synth is a big black badass, and will never be leaving my studio.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2005 06:31
|
|
|
Matamp 1224 (Mk II) Price paid/Price New: £650 ($1200) / £820 ($1570) Year Manufactured: 2005 Specs: Output Power: 28W (boostable to 50W with EL34 valves) Input: High/Low Output: 4, 8, 16 Ohm Sockets Valves Supplied: 4x 6V6, 4x ECC83 Preamp and 1x 6V6 Reverb Valve Controls: Voice*, Gain, Overdrive*, Reverb*, Bass, Mid, Treble, Presence, Master, 2x12/4x12, Mid-Up, Valve Output Control, FX Socket, Mute, Power (* on/off button on footswitch) Sound: 4.8/5 Since first playing this amp, I have been very impressed by the sound it gives out. Don't be put off by the 'low' output power of 28W, this amp is as loud as any 100W you will hear (power does little to increase the 'loudness'). Both the clean and overdriven tones are excellent, though it is not an ideal amp for playing music which requires a clean tone and nothing else. The controls are a little unconventional, and hard to use at first, with the tone (bass, mid, treb) dials acting differently to others - by turning one up, it automatically lowers the other two without the need to turn them down. For those looking for the perfect tone, you can simply take the box off and fit different valves in (such as replace the 6V6s with EL34s to give a much cleaner tone), the 4 valves needn't even be the same, it is fine to use 2 of one kind, and 2 of another (though it is important they are positioned in the right order), this amp can also operate running on 4, 2 and even 1 valve! The 'mid-up' switch boosts the mid tones, and the 2x12/4x12 switch adjusts the sound for a 2x12 or 4x12 speaker cabinet - only a subtle difference, but it does make it sound better. Closer to scoring 5 than any other amp I have played, but not quite 5 just in case something else comes along Equipment Quality: 5/5 The build quality is astounding, both internally and externally, having been put together by perfectionists. With everything being hand-assembled, it is possible to choose any colour or design for the casing, creating your own 'individual' amp. It is very rare that these amps have problems, the circuitry is very well designed (with no 'corners cut', unlike some amp manufacturers) Usefulness: 5/5 This is a very useful amp, giving a wide range of tones available and being very versatile. I have yet to try it with any effects pedals (no money at the minute), but it certainly suits all my needs. Overall Value: 5/5 Having got it direct from the factory, the price I paid was extremely good. This is an amp designed to be played loud, with no gimmicks. The next music purchase I will make will be a matching speaker cab for it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2005 12:16
|
|
|
T.C. Electronic M-One XL Dual FX processor List Price/Price Paid: $495/$380 Year:N/A Specs:
Sound: 4.5/5 Sound and effect quality of this unit is excellent. T.C. Electronic is known for their reverbs and this unit lives up to their reputation. The reverbs on this unit are wonderfully lush and dense, and give everything from crisp reflection and tight ambience to large, airy soft echoes. The other effects on the unit are also of excellent quality, but reverb is the main focus of this unit and it doesn't disappoint. Quality: 5/5 Unit is very well built, metal casing seems durable and should survive live use as long as it's not abused. Interface is very intuitive and easy to learn, and for editing the settings, most functions have their own button to call up that function, Display is large and well lit, with large easy to read numbers and characters for the preset name and number, so it should be easy to read on a dark stage. the XLR connectors on the back are high quality, and provide a good positive lock on the cable. Usefulness: 4/5 With a full palette of effects included in this unit, it should be very useful to anyone desiring a good quality rackmount multieffects unit, especially if you need good reverbs. It should be easily at home on stage or a project studio, and the quality is good enough for use in a professional studio as well. Just as useful for Guitars as it is for vocals or synths. You can even use it as a pair of FX sends on your mixer if you want, making it useful for adding a touch of 'verb to your whole mix. I give it minus one point on the rating because the inputs are XLR-only, which might cause some minor headaches amongst guitarists using it in their FX chain, as 1/4"->XLR adaptors/cables will be needed to fit this in your chain. The use of those nifty Neutrik XLR/TRS combo jacks on the back instead of XLR-only jacks would have been a welcome addition. Overall Value: 5/5 In the M-One XL's price range, you won't find a better reverb, and the other effects just complete the package. Compared to other rackmount FX like Lexicon's MPX-550, this offers a better reverb, and matches the quality of the other effects, for roughly the same price.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2005 05:17
|
|
|
M-Audio Keystation 88 List Price: $249 Price Paid: $215 Year: 2004 Specs:
Sound: N/A This is a MIDI controller only, and does not produce a sound. Quality: 5/5 The unit is very sturdy, yet lightweight for it's size. The weighted keys have a great feel, are well contructed and stand up to constant aggressive playing. Velocity sensitivity is done perfectly, duplicating the feel of an acoustic piano nicely. Plug and play is easy, using simple drivers that are auto-detected in Windows 2000 and XP if used with a USB 2.0 connection. I can see no difference in performance between using USB 2.0 or MIDI cable connection. Usefulness: 3/5 Compared to it's older brother, the Keystation 88 Pro, the stock Keystation has limited capability. However, as a MIDI controller, it does it's job well. What this unit lacks in controls, it makes up for in design and size. Even for an 88 key full size keyboard, it's thin and narrow, making any space-conscious composer happy. Overall Value: 5/5 There are many MIDI controllers available on the market that do not compare to the recent M-Audio offerings. For a full size, weighted keyboard, this is a very economical addition to the studio. For added versatiliy, upgrade to the Keystation 88 Pro (retail: $450.00), which includes a small mixing console and LCD screen. Total Score: 4.3/5
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2005 21:40
|
|
|
Alesis Micron Price Paid / Price New: Example: $350/$400 Year Manufactured: 2004 Specs: - 37 velocity, release velocity sensitive keys - 500+ presets (room for an additonal 400), 200+ patterns, and 250 rhythms - Compatible with Ion programs And so much more Sound: 4/5 Sounds very good for the price range. There is a large range of sounds you can get out of it. Instrument Quality: 3/5 Sort of dangerous to bring on stage with you. Often produces strange clicks and buzzes. Playbility: 3/5 Really fun until you get tired of the presets. It's almost painful to make your own sounds. Overall Value: 3/5 Alot of fun for people who don't play synth. Sometimes feels more like a toy than an actual instrument (it's just so dang hard to make your own presets). Knowledge Expert fucked around with this message at 10:35 on May 6, 2005 |
|
#
?
May 5, 2005 09:30
|
|
|
Edirol HQ-Orchestral List Price: $299 Price Paid: $225 Year: 2004 Specs:
Sound: 4.5/5 As far as electronic music goes, you will not find more realistic sounding synthesis than you will find in HQ-OR. Each instrument comes alive with fully customizable EQ, pitch bend, and playing styles. The patches with vibrato blow away even the best attempts at manual modulation. Plus, additional controls allow the user to modify the instrument's character, turning that concert piano into an old, tired, and tinny sounding clunker, or a brand-new instrument. In addition to solo instruments, the software comes stock with complete sections of instruments: violins, violas, cellos, trumpets, trombones, and french horns. The sections are wonderfully done, with the exception of the trumpets. When blended with a full orchestra it sounds fine, but alone sounds a bit forced. The percussion is well done, and gives options for a full orchestral set with or without timpani, and a classic marching band sound. You can also create timpani on a seperate track. What is most notable is the great selection of snares with two controls tied to each patch, and rolls assigned to one control, so you play "live" on your controller and still pull off some great snare licks. Quality: 5/5 The interface is very easy to use. Everything is straight forward and easy to find, and assigning controls is a breeze. Even patch customization, usually the worst quality on synths of any kind, is simple. Usefulness: 4.5/5 Right out of the box, without any customization, I was able to lay out about 24 measures of Cannon in D with full instrumentation in about 20 minutes with Cubase. Presets can also auto set the pan, eq, and reverb qualities of each intrument selectable in different orchestra seating styles, adding to its realism. However, one problem that could get in the way is it's 128 voice polyphony. While this is great for standard synths, 128 voices over 16 channels may not be enough for some orchestral arrangements (especially with reverb and character additions). Though you are able to load the plugin into your DAW more than once to cover additional instruments, without bouncing to audio tracks, you could end up with 32+ midi tracks which can get pretty unruly. Overall Value: 5/5 For the price, you can't get better orchetra synthesis. Throw in a $200 MIDI controller (see above), and you have a good foundation for composing and arranging orchestral music. Total Score: 4.75/5 FalseParadigm fucked around with this message at 19:18 on May 5, 2005 |
|
#
?
May 5, 2005 19:15
|
|
|
ESP LTD B-255 Price: $1500 AUD Price Paid: $1200 AUD Year: 2004 Specs: Neck-thru construction Body: Agathis with a flamed maple top Neck: Maple/walnut Inlays: Dots with model name at 12th Fret Pickups: EMG 40-HZ set Electronics: Volume, balance, EMG B64 active EQ Hardware: Greyish silvery colour Bridge: ESP BB-105 string-thru-body Frets: 24 Extra Jumbo Sound: 4/5: This bass sounds great, it has a load of sustain and a great tone which is entirely customisable on the fly due to the 3-band active EQ built into the bass. However, it's a slightly flatter sounding bass, which I find is great for metal and punk, but it lacks for blues and jazz. Quality: 5/5: This instrument has had alot of thought put into it, it's well balanced, the quilted top looks absolutely divine under any light. The frets are large, and the markers on the top of the board are easily seen if you're learning a song. Action is a little low on this model though, the B string can and will buzz if you are playing too hard on it. Playability: 4/5: I purchased this bass off the rack so it came pre balanced and tuned for me, the neck is perfectly straight. The neck is a little sticky due to the finish, but it really trains you not to use your thumb as a clamp on the back of the neck. The packed in strings were awful though, I reccomend replacing your strings as soon as possible. Action is very low for a 5 string bass, and very easily playable with minimum effort. Neck is no thicker than similar models from ESP, but may be thick for those used to Fender or Samick instruments. Overall Value: 5/5 This was my second bass, replacing a Samick 4 string I had been using for a couple years that had a huge action. I would pay the same price over again for this bass, it is most versatile if you stay out of blues. Final notes: Do not under any circumstances play this instrument with your fingers, it sounds very flat and horrible. Good slapping and picking guitar, fingerpicking will lead to the death of any tone you had.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2005 14:40
|
|
|
Ibanez JEM7DBK (Steve Vai signature) Price: £849 Specs: * 2 DiMarzio Breed humbuckers, 1 single coil * Ibanez JEM neck * Chrome Hardware, Edge Pro tremolo * Ibanez JEM body Sound: 5/5 Guitar sounds great - the pickups are very hot, with punch and great harmonics to them. Can do anything from a bluesy sound from the single coil to great lead/rhythm tones for rock and metal. With the right amp, this thing will go right from SRV to Meshuggah. Instrument Quality: 5/5 Very good build quality, very low action. The finish may not be for everyone, but was unblemished, and all hardware/electronics were dead on. Playability: 5/5 Very low action, high quality trem, large frets and a fast neck combine to make the best guitar for shred/general lead that I've ever played. Near-perfect in this regard. Overall Value: 4/5 Great guitar, but it comes at a cost. Very versatile, and practically unmatched playability (I've played Jacksons, PRS, other Ibanez, Gibson, ESP...nothing beats this.)
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2005 13:34
|
|
|
Robert Keeley Modded ProCo Rat II w/Boss-style DC jack Price Paid:$165 US Year:2005 Specs: Stock ProCo Rat II distortion pedal modified by Robert Keeley's shop. Blue LED and 3-way toggle switch added, plus many components changed to improve sound quality. Stock input/output jacks changed to Boss-style jacks. (this is optional) Sound:4.5/5 Three separate modes controlled by the added toggle switch. Mode one is like an "unmodified" Rat. It's a bit lower in volume than the other two modes and sounds a bit more vintage. Mode two is the Phat Rat, and it does exactly what the name implies: increases the volume, adds some bass response and fattens the whole sound up. Mode three is called Mighty Mouse, and functions as a clean boost. This pedal is extremely versatile. It can go from slightly dirty blues to crunchy AC/DC riffs and everything in between. It's definitely best suited to classic rock and metal sounds. Quality:5/5 The new jacks are better quality than the standard ones, and with it's metal casing you could probably use the Rat as a hammer without damaging it. Usefulness:4.5/5 As I stated earlier, great for classic balls-to-the-wall rock riffs and dirty blues soloes. Could concievably do really heavy stuff if tweaked properly. Overall:4.5/5 Extremely versatile, fits in with nearly every genre of music you can throw at it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 6, 2005 04:45
|
|
|
Yamaha P-60 digital piano Price Paid: $750 US Year:2005 Specs: 88-key keyboard with graded weighted action, 32 note polyphony, 10 voices, dual voice mode, adjustable reverb Sound:4/5 The internal speakers aren't spectacular, but that's typical for a digital piano like this. It sounds significantly better with headphones, especially the stereo panning. It's eerie how much it sounds like you are sitting behind an actual piano. I gave it a 4.5 because the sound is a little odd on very high and very low notes, particularly at the end of a second or two of sustain. It's possible that every digital piano is like this and I just haven't listened to any others through headphones closely enough to tell. This definitely isn't a show-stopper. I haven't run it through an amplifier so I can't comment on the sound amplified. Action:5/5 I added a category for this because I was so impressed. I played a few different Roland and Korg keyboards while shopping for this one and it feels as good as, if not better, than it's $1200-$1300 (or more) competitors. The graded action means that the left-hand end of the keyboard feels "heavier" than the right hand end. Overall:4.9/5 This isn't a synthesizer; if you want to compose your own techno music on it then you are going to be disappointed. What it is is a great alternative for someone who doesn't have room for / can't afford a real piano. It feels as good as or better than its far more expensive competition and the sound is more than adequate for most people. Yamaha hit a home run with these, you certainly aren't going to find anything anything better for less than $1000. withak fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Jun 15, 2005 |
|
#
?
Jun 15, 2005 06:11
|
|
|
Variax 500 Price Paid / Price New: $700/$900 (it had a ding on the back). Year: 2004 Specs: The digital modelling electric guitar, or whatever they call it. It can sound like 50 different guitars, from Les Paul, Strat, to Banjo or Sitar. Sound: 4/5. It sounds like those guitars, but not just like them. Instrument Quality: 3/5. Being realistic here. The quality is great for a $700 guitar that sounds like 50 different guitars, but it's no Les Paul Special or PRS. For the money, it's decent. Playbility: 4/5. I've read negative things about the guitar, but it plays just as well as my USA Tele, USA Strat, etc. I like it. It's light but the neck is decent. Overall Value: 5/5 Hell yeah it was worth it. This guitar has had an uphill battle with guitarists everywhere. It has no street cred, and people laugh when you break it out at a gig. And then you play it, and they hear it, and they shut up. Honestly, it sounds good enough in a live situation, and all I'm after is some more options tonally. I'm not looking to sound just like Jimmy Page or Stevie Ray Vaughan. This guitar provides a wide range of tonal options, the guitars do sound like the ones they're supposed to. But it does take some getting used to... for instance, they've matched the output volume of each type of guitar, so the Les Paul is much louder than the Telecaster. Why? So when you're setting up your amp, the tone will end up similar to if you were really playing a les paul. I think it's best summed up like this - the sounds are more like a decent Mexi Fender or Epiphone, the playability is great... so instead of buying 10 Mexi Fenders and Ephiphones, just buy this one guitar and you'll be happy. BUT, if you want to play a real Les Paul, then, no, this is not the guitar for you. Reviewing a Piece of Equipment This guitar has no regular pickups. It has a piezo that then translates the tone into whatever selection you make. What does that mean? NO HUM. Period, no matter which guitar you select. It behaves pretty much just like a regular guitar - feedback, volume knob and tone knobs, etc. Honestly, it's a great guitar to have. I haven't touched a 300 (the budget version) but honestly, don't cheap out THAT much on something like this, unless you're planning to just put the guts inside of another guitar. It can be done. I haven't tried, but some folks are doing it.
|
|
#
?
Jun 16, 2005 14:51
|
|
|
Yamaha MOTIF8 digital workstation  Price Paid / Price New: ~$2,100 USD / ~$2,999 USD (has since been replaced with MOTIF ES8) Year: 2003 Specs: 88-key weighted digital piano, integrated sequencer, USB MIDI connection, optical out. Sound: 4.5/5 Obviously this depends highly on the amplifier and/or monitors used (I'm running a Roland KC-550), but I've never played anything that felt quite so much like a real grand piano. The keys are heavy and feel crisp and resistant, like a real piano should. The voices included are good, but I bought the PLG-150PF add-in board because I use this keyboard mainly as a piano replacement. This board added 64 new piano sounds, and this thing can duplicate anything from a Wurlitzer to a Rhodes without breaking a sweat. However, it should be noted that nothing really sounds nearly as good as a good grand piano. I was a little disappointed by the MOTIF in this regard, but after comparing it to the Roland Fantom and the Korg Triton/Trinity, the Yamaha had by far the best sound reproduction. Quality: 5/5 This thing is built like a tank. Granted, I've babied it over the past years I've owned it, but it's given me no troubles whatsoever. Usefulness: 4.5/5 The only hinderance of this thing is its size and weight. But I think that kinda comes with the territory when you're in the market for a full weighted 88-key piano. Other than that, it's been put through its paces in the studio, live, at rehearsals - pretty much anywhere. As long as you can fit it in the room, it's perfect. Overall: 5/5 In short, the best thing short of a real grand piano. Cmdr Will Riker fucked around with this message at 04:31 on Jun 17, 2005 |
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2005 04:18
|
|
|
Moog Voyager Electric Blue From the website:  Looks best when dark.  New best friends:  Price Paid / Price New: ~$2,200 USD / ~$3,500 USD Year: 2005 Specs: The most bad-rear end analog synth on the planet. 3 oscillators, LFO, 2 modulation buses (busses? What were they thinking with the spelling?), octave controls for all 3 oscillators, built-in mixer, envelope filter, built in dual-lowpass and highpass/lowpass filters, touch-sensitive screen of death. Sound: 5/5 This thing has to be heard to be believed. It produces the most insane sounds I've ever heard from any instrument ever (sans Theremin). It's a dream come true. Crazy bass riffs, special effects, leads - it does 'em all. Quality: 5/5 I'm afraid to touch the drat thing (just got it yesterday), but it certainly seems like it's a well-built piece of machinery. The knobs are huge and heavy, and they feel like they've been welded on. It's also heavy as hell (shipping weight was just about 50 lbs. for a 48-key piano). Usefulness: ?/5 I haven't used it for any recording yet, but this will not be an instrument that is used all the time (well, it'll be used all the time, but it's just not for every song). However, like I mentioned earlier, this can record bass lines, high leads and the occasional crazy effect, so I'm sure it will be very useful. Overall: 5/5 Jesus, once I get some stuff made with the Moog, I'll share it with you guys. It's that loving good.
|
|
#
?
Jun 17, 2005 04:46
|
|
|
Peavey Ultra 60 Head Price Paid / Price New: $199/NA Year Manufactured: N/A Specs: - All tube 60w head (4 12AX7s in the pre, 2 6L6 in the power) - Three channel operation (Clean, rhythm, ultra) - Active EQ for rhythm and ultra channels, passive for clean channel - Spring reverb - Footswitchable between three channels and reverb - Weighs a metric fuckton - Brightness control to make clean channel twang (Get a tele sound out of humbuckers) Sound: 4/5 This amp is the precursor to the Triple XXX (which is still in the Ultra series of amps). The distortion on it absolutely crushes. The rhythm section is very heavy and thick while the ultra lead sounds like pure sex. Very warm, sustaining, and smooth. The clean channel leaves a little to be desired however. Without the bright switch on it sounds a little too dark, with it on its too twangy. I never have found a happy medium in over a year, so deduct a point for that. Equipment Quality: 5/5 It's solid as a tank. If I dropped this thing on the sidewalk I'd fear more for breaking the sidewalk than the head itself. I've had to change tubes in it about twice (once when I got it and once since) and its held up well thus far with no issues. I think this originated around the mid 90s. Usefulness: 5/5 60w of tube power is fine for playing out live and it doesn't make your ears bleed to get a good sound while practicing. If something ever happens to this one I'd hunt down another one the best I could because I love the thing especially with how cheap they are. Overall Value: 5/5 Perfect amp for someone who wants the sound of a rectifier/triple XXX and cannot afford one like myself. Sounds wonderful. If you ever find a used Ultra 60, Ultra 120, or Ultra Plus, do yourself a favor and pick it up. They're dirt cheap most places.
|
|
#
?
Jun 29, 2005 03:26
|
|
|
Gibson SG 61 Reissue Price Paid - $1400 (negotiated) at Guitar Center Year - 2005 Specs: * Mahogany body and bound neck * Rosewood fretboard * Gibson Classic '57 humbuckers at the neck and bridge * Tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece * Nickel hardware * Gibson hardshell case Sound: I can't say enough about how much I love the sound of this guitar! Clean it almost sounds like chimes to me, that's the only way I can describe it. So much tone..depth of tone.... Overdriven, it's the real Cream tone. This is my fav. electric to play because of its sound. Playability: The neck is great, and actually a little thin for me as I grew up playing acoustics and I'm not a fast player. The set-up out of the box may not be 100% spot on; I'm still playing with the tuning and I *think* it's ok. The SG is nice and light and well balanced. And to think that I almost bought a 9+ pound Les Paul! Overall Value: I was thinking about Les Paul Standards, and even Custom Shop Les Pauls, and I'm sooo glad I played this SG before buying one of them. I'm really happy with it, and it's quite a bit less expensive than the quality Les Pauls. For me at this time, it was a great value.
|
|
#
?
Jul 4, 2005 19:46
|
|
|
Vintage Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Price payed: $40, blue book for around $40-$80 Year manufactured: The CTS pot dates to the 3rd week of 1976 Specs: -One color switch, only works in down position at the moment. -One rate knob. Sound:4/5 I'm not a big fan of phasers but I needed something to add depth to my E-H POG, and my coworker just happened to have an old Small Stone that he was tired of looking at. I was very suprised to find out how much better it sounded than the reissues. Very smooth and warm sounding, not too overpowering. It helped give my POG that organ sound so it pretty much did all that I wanted it to do. Quality:3/5 I wouldn't run it over with a truck but for an almost 30 year old pedal it has held up quite well. Even though the color switch only works in one position it is most likely a minor repair. Usefullness:4/5 When I use it I don't want to vomit, so in that respect it pretty much beats out any Boss phasers. Overall Value:4/5 A great addition to my effects chain. Wouldn't hesitate to use it live.
|
|
#
?
Jul 7, 2005 15:34
|
|
|
Alesis Ion Price paid: 839 euros, they've dropped to 699 recently and in the US they're cheaper anyway. Seems that lot of people were expecting a Virus for less and put it on eBay after not getting any Tiesto-like sounds. Year manufactured:2004 Specs: 3 oscillators, 17 filter models with various emulations, 3 envelopes (hardwired and assignable), 2 LFO's + S&H, whiskey-tango-foxtrot modulation matrix, basic effects (no reverb, no delay, but a compressor). Sound:5/5 I've got a Waldorf Q, a Nord Micromodular and an Access Virus C too so I'm pretty much in a position to compare . The Ion is clean and musical - it doesn't rely so much on various distortion/clipping algos in the path like the Virus does so - while still being organic (the ringmod sounds very analog).The various filtertypes are a joy. You can avoid the all-out-of-one-box sound with ease. Too bad that every preset seems to be done with the standard 24db Moog filter, because the ARP2600 and TB-303 filter emulations (they're not listed in full glory in the manual, probably because of copyrights) can really turn it into a different, rougher synthesizer. Also, on a lot of presets (then again, why use them) the compressor's on. Probably done for folks playing live so they don't have to up the volume every time, avoiding being drowned out by the rest. In some experiments the compressor actually gives a very subtle coloring to the perceived sound - it sounds more direct, more snappy. Of course you can switch the distortion on to color more. Quality:4/5 Fat knobs feel solid, tiny buttons should've been replaced with something that can withstand serious vandalism. Just because it would've been cooler. I had to return my first one because of an output defect which turned out to be impossible to repair, so I got a brand new one. Keys are jumpy and not like regular synth action. The LEDS beneath the transparent bend and modwheels are gorgeous eye candy. Usefullness:5/5 I still have to make it play nicely with the rest of the gear. It replaced a Yamaha AN200 which is a cute little machine with much more of a 'plastic' character. Maybe I'll get one of those back here too. The Ion is better though but you've got to carefully coax it into plastic territory - it sounds too organic  .There's definately a different character in this box than the rest of the stuff, which makes me happy because I don't like overlap. But because it's more aimed towards proper vintage emulation and the Virus and Q are machines who broke those conventions it has to find its place. Overall Value:5/5 Awesome synthesizer and it took over the "good first buy" the Nord Lead 2 used to carry. Less in your face in terms of user interface (endless knobs don't work for everyone) but so much possibilities inside (aforementioned modulation matrix kicks even my Q's behind) and sonic characters (the filters alone already) to explore that this one will definately make it into a hall of fame somewhere.
|
|
#
?
Jul 15, 2005 13:39
|
|
|
Fulltone OCD overdrive pedal Price: $125, retail for $179 Year (Purchased): 2005 Specs:
Sound: 4/5 This just might be the holy grail of overdrive pedals. My first test was a 1993 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop RI through a mid 70s' Marshall JMP Plexi with matching 4x12. I had the Plexi on the edge of overdrive and when I kicked in the OCD it was instant classic crunch. Messing with the knobs, I could get everything from a bright boost to dark distortion. In a way, is very much like the Z. Vex Fuzz Factory as you can taylor it to be your own sound. The 2-way toggle allows you to have a Marshall/Vox tint in the HP setting and in LP it retains more of the characteristics of your amp and guitar. The second test was the same Les Paul into a Marshall DSL100 full stack. While sounding different it still retained the delicious harmonics. After more fiddling with the knobs I was still getting great sounding settings. Customers were stopping by to see what the hell was sounding so good. Finally, the last test was my home rig. A mid 70s Gibson S-1 with a Bill Lawrence XL-500 in the bridge into a early production Musicman 65 with a Sonic 4x10 cab. A little bit tighter sounding but missing some of the low end crunch that I get when I spill the pre-amp into the master. Still, chords were well defined and leads were warm. Quality: 5/5 A plain white box with 4 controls, simple and effective. the knobs are very smooth and it doesn't make any horrible sounds when turning it on or off. built like a tank you would never send to war. Usefullness:5/5 I don't think I'll ever need another overdrive pedal unless Fulltone makes a bigger brother. Overall Value: 4/5 For the money, it beats out all the other offerings from Boss, Frantone, Electro-Harmonix, and all the other hole in the wall boutique companies. I compared it to a Menatone Howie (a $225 boutique overdrive) and while the Howie did sound good, it's tonal landscape was limited and it lacked the harmonics of the OCD. Now if Mike Fuller was less of a jerk, then we'd have something.
|
|
#
?
Jul 17, 2005 21:53
|
|
|
Grundorf AT-5422 Table Price: around $150 Year Manufactured: 2004 I bought this table to put my turntables on. Asthetically it looks good, and the reenforced corners are nice too. However, as a scratch/hiphop DJ I found a huge problem with this table, which is that the bracing/stability completely blows. If I do any sort of heavy scratching the entire table starts shaking and wobbling like a parkinson's patient and my needles start skipping. This is pretty much a dealbreaker for me because I could NEVER use it for gigging. This review isn't meant to be extensive, but more of a warning for turntablists looking for a cheap DJ table, stay away from this one. Overall Rating: 1/5 for turntablists, 4/5 for non scratch DJs or non turntable purposes
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2005 23:55
|
|
|
ESP Ltd. Kirk Hammett KH-203 Price Paid / Price New: $450/$450 Year Manufactured: 2003 Specs:
Sound: 5/5 Being a Metallica fan, obviously, this Kirk Hammett signature model produces exactly the sound I would like for a hard and heavy show. Whether I'm playing Master of Puppets or something original, I feel this guitar can really put out a wall of sound. It is limited to mostly Metal and Rock, however, as the EMG pickups aren't versatile enough for Blues and such. But, then again, why would you buy a Kirk Hammett signature if you intend to play Blues? Also, the pickups aren't active, so it may not have that extra "oomph" you want to take your show to the next level. Still, put this through a Mesa Double Rectifier, and you have a tone that's not to be messed with. Instrument Quality: 4/5 This is a very solid, well-manufactured guitar. It's not as heavy as, say, a Les Paul, but it's built well enough to handle a lot of work. So, you don't have to worry about breaking your back every time you pick it up. The custom Spider 'N Skull inlays are also a very nice touch that are guaranteed to attract attention. My main complain, of course, is the Floyd Rose bridge. If you intend to play mostly in one tuning, have at it. However, I like changing tunings a lot because I enjoy different styles of music. It's very frustrating to take the time to change the tuning for one whole song. If you have another guitar you can use for tunings other than standard, I'd suggest using it. Playbility: 4/5 As I said, this guitar is surprisingly light for its build. The action is great for those lead guitar solos, and popping some Boomer 9's on it can yeild some very nice results. Both beginners and experts could play it without problems. If there's any problem, it's the deep neck. If you have shorter fingers, you may have problems using your reach to a full potential here. It's definitely a slower neck than, say, a Stratocaster. I have large hands, though, so it has never bothered me excessively. Overall Value: 5/5 For $450, this is an amazing Metal guitar. It's powerful enough to last you well into a professional career, but not so expensive that you couldn't afford it to be your first guitar. If you want a solid guitar to rock out on, you'll be hard-pressed to find a guitar this well-built for the same price. You can also take out the current pickups and put in an active set to make this guitar truly shine above others in its price-range.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2005 08:55
|
|
|
Line 6 Pod XT Price Paid / New : £259 + $99 for all three model packs Year Manufactured: 2005 Specs: From (http://www.music123.com/Line-6-POD-XT-Amp-Modeler-with-Effects-i85016.music?t=1) The incredible sonic flexibility and quality of the original POD is now super-charged. The PODXT features Line 6's newest generation amp and cab models. Combine that with more than 45 classic stompbox and effect models, including hand-picked selections from Line 6's award-winning stompbox modeler series. AC adaptor included. Sound: 4.5 / 5 When I bought the Pod XT, I was seriously impressed with the sounds - but reading on the Line 6 site about the addon packs being 3 for 2 I decided I had to have them. The Metal pack adds some seriously heavy distortions and the FX Junkie pack adds some nice odd sounds and weird fx - so getting the Classic pack as a bonus was sweet. It adds some nice twangy type amps. Although they're listed as "Classic" amps, they also can deliver some thick distortions with some of the stomp boxes. In fact, one of the new stomp models with the packs is a simulation of a Chandler Tube Driver. Its not exact, but add this model to some of the classic amps and turn up the drive and you can get some stunningly thick rhythm tones. I've played for around 20 years now (feeling old!) and I've had a Spider II HD+Cab for a few years - I went for this as the portability was important. Years of humping round rack gear and amps means I know want portability. I (half) jokingly tell people I'll be after a Gallien-Krueger and a Steinberger next.....! However I felt that although the Spider had some nice sounds it was limited. I already had the Shortboard and so it was cool to add this to the Pod. I think its essential to get with the Pod to get the most out of it. The Wah's for example aren't Crybaby's but they add some great tone. The .5 I've knocked off is because I feel to get the most out of the Pod you have to write your patches at a reasonable volume. As its digital its sometimes a little too easily to get naff sounds, but tweaking the tones does yield some excellent results if you're willing to put in the time. However just relying on the headphone socket means that you will be disappointed by the sounds, which end up fizzy at high volume. Take the time, dial down some of the fx and crank it - your ears will love you. I didn't buy it for modelling "name" amps, I bought it for the wide range of sounds. Plus its excellent headphone output makes it a spectacular headphone amp as well! I'm currently using it with an iMic and my iBook to do some rough demo's with Garageband of idea's for songs my band will develop. Quality: 4/5 The Pod is a lot more resilient then it looks, but the odd shape means its a little precarious on top of an amp. I'm constantly worrying whether the vibrations from the amp will shake it off! However I know use and AKG wireless so I don't have to worry about pulling it off the amp in mid solo! Its a good weight for its size, and the AC adapter has a useful amount of lead with it. It feels solid and I hope I don't get to drop test it too much yet! Usefulness: 5/5 I always used to swear by my old Fender Pro Reverbs, and yet this Pod gets a great sound out of almost any amp I've stuck it into. Part of me would love to get another Pro Reverb to use with this tho, as I've found the Pro's distort in such a sweet manner. Adding the model packs to it took this from 4 to 5 for usefulness. Although some of the FX Junkie addon's are a little ... weird, they are useful sometimes to add synth like textures to recordings providing they're used sparingly. Some of the new amp models in the Metal Pack have a nice tone to it, and with some tweaking its easy to get away from the scooped nu-metal sound and get some good brutal tones. I'm using it with a Schecter 7 string and two Washburn 6 strings, and its fair to say it adds a ot of its tone to the sound, but the guitar's tone still shines through. Adding all the packs apparently gives you all the sounds from the Vetta II and the HD147 - and although I lust after the Vetta I can't afford it yet - so this is the next best thing. Overall Value: 5/5 Ok the packs are an extra expense - but the Pod alone is still sweet value. Using customtone.com to get extra tones is a great way to get some base tones to fine tune and strive towards your own sound. It packs a usable range of sounds and effects into a small portable package, and allows you to get some cool tones. The headphone output allows for neat late night sessions without risking a visit from the police as well.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2005 22:10
|
|
|
Ibanez Acoustic-Electric AEF18ENT Price Paid/NEW - $450/600 Year - 2003 early 04? Specs: PEARL DOT Inlay GLOSS Finish SPRUCE Top MAHOGANY Back/Sides DIE-CAST (CH) Tuners B-BAND / IBANEZ SQR PICKUP SRT PREAMP W/ ONBOARD TUNER Sound: 4/5 - The sound on this guitar is great. It's got a very deep tone for a cutaway, very tight bass and warm highs. Sometimes I can hear a rattle, but that's probably more attributed to my horrible technique, because I hear it on almost every acoustic I play. It sounds just as good plugged. Playability: 5/5 - Neck = heaven. It's like playing a stratocaster, thin and fast. The action is very low for an acoustic, and the only time I ever have to tune it is changing strings. Besides, the look of the spruce top MAKES me want to play it. I wish I had brought it to Iraq and not that lovely FirstAct that I bought just for here. Overall Value: 5/5 - For the price, it sounds awesome. I've even dropped it once or twice. It's been on deployments with me to Georgia, Mississippi, and Texas so it's a very well built guitar. I was never a big fan of Ibanez until I got this at Guitar Center at the beginning '04, but I'd definately buy another ibanez instrument after having this one, maybe even an electric. COMING SOON: Digitech DF-7 Distortion Factory Digitech RP-50 Dunlop Original Cry Baby Wah Fender Jaguar HH
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2005 12:50
|
|
|
Edit: Removed review, no longer applicable. Reposting new review.
Agreed fucked around with this message at 07:17 on Oct 18, 2006 |
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2005 04:59
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 24, 2024 14:33 |
|
|
Marshall VS 100 Head Price paid: 150 Year Manufactured: 1994 Specs: -clean channel and two overdrive channels -1 12AX7 preamp tube -100 watt solid state Sound: 3/5 My main gripe with this amp would be the thin distortion. There's just not enough chunk in overdrive 1 or overdrive 2. If you play metal or hardcore, even with od 2 eq it is difficult to get the note definition with the gain cranked. Regardless, for the deal I got on it, you just cant beat the features. Distortion aside, the clean channel is great sounding, similar to a solidstate fender. Equipment quality: 4/5 In the span of time I've had this unit, the only damage it's taken is one of the plastic feet has broken off. The power cord is removable and theres room in the back for storing gear, so it would be difficult to damage. Usefulness: 4/5 Surprisingly versitile clean, but od channels best suited for classic rock, blues tone. This is the main reason I upgraded my primary amp recently. Overall value: 4/5 A very good beginning amp if you need something to compete with the band members sound on a buget. Perfectly suited for classic rock bands.
|
|
#
?
Sep 28, 2005 04:12
|
|