What is the best available effects processor with "old fashioned" effect?

[Gribs]

My P08 should arrive late this week or early next week; I am in the next batch going out from Nova Musik. Now I am thinking about effects for the unit. I think the sounds are going to be extremely thick without effects, but I would still like to be able to add one or more of some reverb, delay, chorus/flange and phase shifting. I am not particularly interested in pitch shifting and harmonizing or complex envelopes and LFOs modulating various program parameters (other than classic chorus/flange and phase shifting) at this time. I *am* interested in superb sound quality; I would like to get something that will be a fine companion to add some basic old fashioned effects to the P08 sounds without degrading the fat analog sound.

 

I have a very nice collection of analog guitar pedals, but all are mono in and only a few are stereo out. Also, I would probably need to mess with the P08 output a lot to avoid overdriving the pedals (I think).

 

So what do you recommend? Do I have to go to the fancy Eventide Eclipse or TC Electronic FireworX to get what I want or is there something less fancy but still having high audio quality?

 

Thanks!

[eminor9]

Sony DPSV77, out of production but excellent sounding unit going on the bay for USD 400-500. Used to cost 2000-2500 new and their abilities are comparable to Lexicon PCM8x. And it has a very intuitve interface.

[Umbra]

Personally I like the fireworx. It's a really inspirational box and if you ever want to create your own more complex effects you can.

 

Price isn't that bad used. You should be able to get one for around $600ish or so.

[Khazul]

+1 on the fireworx, though you may find it rather clean and pristine, however its distortion/overdrive models are pretty good for aging stuff.

 

Other favourite processors:

SPL Vitalizer - particularly the tube versions - I have an Mk2-T - great for adding high end sheen, bottom end punch or body as well, and of course quite amazing when applied to a whole mix.

SPL Charisma - another tube saturation processor - I have a charisma 8 - great for adding a gentle edge to lead sounds and generally subtly warming up just about anything.

dbx Compressors - the 1066 is my favourite current model short of spending a shed load on one of the high end compressors - its kind of hard to describe what that can do when properly set up - great overall gentle mix compressor, can be really brutal as an insert on drums, basslines, synths when you want it to be and it definately seems to round out sounds out a little. Ive used them quite a bit, but only just got one here - gets used for taming a studio electronics analog synth, overall mix compression and its made a hell of a difference to the sound of my machine drum - does alot to take the digital edge off, especially when used with a couple of channels on the charisma and an EQ plumbed into its sidechain - also makes a great post-mix/pre-mastering partner to the vitalizer.

[carbon111]

+1 on the Fireworx...other than my Wedges, its my only hardware FX in the studio. Extremely powerful with great fidelity.

[DTRAS]

I own the DPS-V77. The person I bought it from and others I referenced compared it more to the TC M3000 and Lexicon PCM-91. The way it sounds to me in quality I'm more inclined to agree to that. I do have the M3000 but only impulses of the PCM-91. I use the DPS way more. It has a clean sound ,not alot of character sometimes but give it the right signal and it suddenly shines, kind of like sunlight peaking through on a cloudy day. It can be quite brilliant. Like most high end effects units and unlike like most computer reverb plugins the reverb sounds like it's part of the signal not like a separate layer of sound. As usual reference my gear to reference my perspective on sound. Obviously I can't compare it to stuff I don't own or have used. I have a Ensoniq DP4+, Digitech RP-21D, Powercore version of the M3000, Roland 3030D (At least the algos that are in my FantomX?) and various VST plugins. Each piece usually has something to contribute. I have used older 90's Yamaha reverbs which I never ever cared for and actually like the Alesis effects that are included with the Alesis Fusion (Limited flexibility but nice colored sound). The person who sold me the DPS went to an Eventide Eclipse. $2000 versus the $550 I payed him for the DPS.

[Gribs]

 

+1 on the fireworx, though you may find it rather clean and pristine, however its distortion/overdrive models are pretty good for aging stuff.

 

 

I noticed on your web page that you also have the Mone-XL by TC Electronic. What do you think of that as a more bare bones effects processor compared with the FireworX?

 

Thanks again all for your suggestions.

[drxcm]

 

I noticed on your web page that you also have the Mone-XL by TC Electronic. What do you think of that as a more bare bones effects processor compared with the FireworX? Thanks again all for your suggestions.

 

 

I have both also, the Mone reverbs are better than the fireworx imo, however, the fireworx sounds better for everything else, and allows chains of multi effects.

 

I'd go for the fireworx if I were you.

 

Also look for Boss SX700 - great sounding processor, and available very cheaply

[vwizz]

For old fashioned effects I would suggest...old fashioned effects

 

Even though I have several multi effects digital units (Eventide Eclipse, TC M2000 24bits,...) I tend to chain separate analog effects together.

 

For phasing: Mu-tron Bi-phase (stereo and unbeatable ;-) or, with a different texture, less refined somehow: Moog MF-103 (mono in, stereo out)

 

My favorite chorus: TC electronic SCF (stereo in, out): absolutely fantastic

 

Echoes: several tape echoes (all mono: wem ic400, re-301) or Line 6 echo park (stereo in/out: great or the price!! very warm, hard to believe it's digital ;-))

I recently got the TC Nova Delay (stereo in/out) but was a bit disapointed: too clean and cold, not a lot of personnality, although very well designed... An interesting unit is the Echolution from Pigtronix: hybrid delay with great possibilities in terms of creativity.

 

For the reverb, if I need one, I use the TC M2000 24bit or the Eventide.

 

The Eventide is great except for all the distorsion effects that sound cold and crappy compared to many classic guitar units, but I don't use that kind of effects that much on my synths anyway..

 

V

[Khazul]

I noticed on your web page that you also have the Mone-XL by TC Electronic. What do you think of that as a more bare bones effects processor compared with the FireworX? Thanks again all for your suggestions.

 

This may surprise you, but actually I have only ever used its reverbs and very occasionally its EQ - the rest has just been heard in passing

 

Thats really because I tend to use the fireworx for everything else except for wierd delays (the D-Two's job). I bought it really to offload reverb work from the fireworx fx engine, to yield more CPU for other tasks. As a reverb processor, I think its pretty good, especially for the money - I have yet to find a software plugin that I am as happy with the sound of, or that doesnt involve a hell of alot of tweaking to get equally pleasing results from. I also quite like the reverbs in the fireworx as well. The M-One is primarily a reverb box with a bunch of common effects added.

 

The big difference (ignoring sound for a second) between the M-One and the fireworx is in the flexibility fo the fireworx - this of it as a modular fx processor. You basically pick and choose what fx you want in a chain, and it can do parallel as well as serial placement and even feedback loops, breakout to another fx processor via digital connection (or analog if you using the digital connections for main i/o). Also teh fireworx is very controllable via midi and has a whole heap of internal mod options along with a comprehensive mod matrix. Becuase its CCs are fully configurable, its trivial to get very good integration between a synths performance controls and the fireworx effect processor.

 

If I wasnt in the middle of a major racks re-org, I would run some sound through the two of them to give you quick subjective run down of the m-one fx. Very roughly from memory from when I first got the m-one - the sound character between the two is basically the same (no surpise there), you have loads more parameters to tweak on the fireworx, and more variations of each block. I wasnt conscious of an obvious difference in quality of the fx, but then I wasnt really paying attension from that perpective.

 

If the fireworx sound a bit pricey, then the other usual suspect fx box down from the fireworx is the lexicon mpx1. I would suggest its about half way between the m-one and fireworx for flexibility. Its so long since I used one I cant give a meaningful comment on its sound relative to the fireworx.

 

If possible get the fireworx in preference to the m-one - particularly for more vintagey feeling sounds as you can stick the fireworx overdrive and distortion blocks in the path for some subtle saturation etc - the m-one doesnt have that option at all.

 

Of course the distortion may or may not be to your taste - some like it, some dont.

 

A general thing about phaser and chorus effect - whenever I use them alone - I tend to want them slighly grungey - the TC ones aint on their own unless you pair them up with some subtle distortion and EQ. So I generally dont use them on their own, but rather as a way of adding motion and timbre spread to other effects.

[Fuzzlabs]

ElectroHarmonix > all Big Muff, Small Stone, Electric Mistress, Memory Man... they all sound so wonderfully cheesy. If necessary get a line level>low level box. Stereo is sooo overrated

[vwizz]

Great effects indeed ;-)

I've read that the Vangelis piano from Memories of Green was played through an electric Mistress :-)

 

By the way, has anyone tried the EHX stereo polyphase?

 

V

[Gribs]

Thanks again for all the great replies.

 

I do have a good collection of guitar effects pedals to use for experiments. I even have an original MXR analog delay and a very nice SIB Varidrive, which is basically a tube-driven preamp that in theory could be used to add some warm distortion in an effects loop (mono). I also have a TC Electronic G-major for my rack guitar system (I have both a rack system and a boutique analog setup). I am very happy with the G-major so I am confident that I will get something really good from TC Electronic.

 

I think the usual maxim applies here - save for what I really want and buy it later rather than buy something now that I will want try trade up later.