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  • more money, more tone?

    Hey Guys,

    I posted this review earlier on a different forum, but I wouldn't want to keep it from all you guys!!

    Cheers,

    Leon..


    I just got home from an evening of testing. I've been looking for a multi fx unit for my small rack to be used at rehearsal.
    Well I went over to a friends place tonight to check out a unit he had for sale, at this point let me just not say what it is. But if I wanted it I could have it for 200 euro. Since it was just for practice and quality is not that important I already said yes.
    When I went there I saw he was working on someone's rack which had a lex pcm70 (v2), 2290, triaxis, ada mp2 and a kitty hawk power amp. He also had a pcm80 laying around, so ofcourse I wanted to test all of this stuff.
    The fact that this rack also contained a 2290 was lucky, since I also own the unit (but ofcourse didn't have it with me) it would be an excellent frame of reference for the lex's.
    I never worked with a pcm70 before so I was real curious about this unit, especially since it's still in Lukather's rack. Well, I started with the circular delays at I must admit it sounded real nice. Now I can definately understand why Lukather uses them. Playing around with the other presets, well, I must say I was not impressed. The circular delays were real nice, but the rest.... Nope, not for my ears.
    Then the pcm80. Yeah definately an ok unit, the delays sounded nice so did the reverbs (offcourse, it's a lex!!) but the other presets were a bit too freaky for me. But some tweaking actually got me some cool sounds.
    Ok, time to see how the 2290 sounded over this setup.
    One word: DAMN....
    Instantaneously I lost all interest in ever using a lex for delay. Maybe it's taste, but compared to the 2290 the lex's delays sounded real cheap, the only delay that had value was the circular delay on the 70, but that one still does not come close to the 2290.
    Then, my mystery device. To be honest I was a bit worried about testing it against the lexs and 2290, especially because of my earlier experiences that night. But well, gotta try what I bought right?
    I started with some patches with cho/dly/pit on the cleans. I was going like whoa, what the **** is this?? It sounded awesome!!! then some weird pitch patches, and I must admit, I nearly dropped to the floor. It was like hearing the 'crystal' preset on my H3000. My friend told me they used to call this unit the poor man's eventide, and yeah, now I understand why.
    If ever you guys run into an old DIGITECH TSR24, DHP33 or IPS33B,
    don't hesitate, BUY THEM!!!!
    I got me a full option TSR24, and man, I wouldn't trade it for the pcm70 or pcm80 together. Sure, the 24 has no intelligent pitch shifting, but I don't care, this thing rocks!!! Stereo inputs and 4(!!!!) outputs!!
    I'm real happy with this thing, and I'm even thinking about including it in my main rack (if it ever gets finished (just kidding McP!!)).

    A small note about the triaxis compared to the mp2; forget about the triaxis.
    It maybe the poweramp that doesn't fit the triaxis style, but I couldn't get a decent sound from it. The mp2 on the other hand sounded pretty ok.

    My conclusion was that although you can buy 8 digitechs for the price of the pcm70 and 80, I strongly advice going for the digitech. More money, more tone? Not in this case!!

    Cheers,

    Leon..

  • #2
    Re: more money, more tone?

    cool story , but you forgot about one thing - FINGERS aka tone from your hands , there can be a player with very basic setup sounding 10x better than a guy with a rack which is big like a fridge and costs 10xmore.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: more money, more tone?

      [ QUOTE ]
      cool story , but you forgot about one thing - FINGERS aka tone from your hands , there can be a player with very basic setup sounding 10x better than a guy with a rack which is big like a fridge and costs 10xmore.

      [/ QUOTE ]

      Very true!!
      But since i was the only one playing the gear, the bone-tone factor was not an issue in the test.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: more money, more tone?

        I have used the "bone Tone " factor ....it works OK ....but if not properly lubed the Bone will get a little chafe... [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]
        "Bill, Smoke a Bowl and Crank Van Halen I, Life is better when I do that"
        Donnie Swanstrom 01/25/06..miss ya!

        "Well, your friend would have Bell's Palsy, which is a facial paralysis, not "Balls Pelsy" like we're joking about here." Toejam's attempt at sensitivity.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: more money, more tone?

          [ QUOTE ]
          But since i was the only one playing the gear, the bone-tone factor was not an issue in the test.

          [/ QUOTE ]

          yeah , ok , but it's connected with the topic's title ;-)

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: more money, more tone?

            Yep, I am not a Triaxis fan either...

            I'll keep that TSR24 in mind.. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: more money, more tone?

              and keep that bone tone in mind ya bastage...

              Hell I've heard of the "Brown Sound" ....this "bone tone " has to really hump!

              But try not to get any Brown sound on Your bone ....or somethin' like that....

              I'm hi [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
              "Bill, Smoke a Bowl and Crank Van Halen I, Life is better when I do that"
              Donnie Swanstrom 01/25/06..miss ya!

              "Well, your friend would have Bell's Palsy, which is a facial paralysis, not "Balls Pelsy" like we're joking about here." Toejam's attempt at sensitivity.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: more money, more tone?

                [ QUOTE ]
                Yep, I am not a Triaxis fan either...

                I'll keep that TSR24 in mind.. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

                [/ QUOTE ]

                Don't forget about the IPS33B, DHP33 and DHP55, they DO have intelligent pitch shifting at the same quality!!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: more money, more tone?

                  [ QUOTE ]
                  and keep that bone tone in mind ya bastage...

                  Hell I've heard of the "Brown Sound" ....this "bone tone " has to really hump!

                  But try not to get any Brown sound on Your bone ....or somethin' like that....

                  I'm hi [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

                  [/ QUOTE ]

                  Hahaha, good for you man. Would you believe I live in the Netherlands and never get high?

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: more money, more tone?

                    I heard a guy playing in a guitar shop the other day, he was playing stuff like Unchained, Stranglehold, etc...it sounded great..I mean GREAT. Came around the corner to see what he was playing with....Gibson SG into a mini Marshall stack, Valvestate. I couldn't sound as clean and just spot on as he did with my , DSL, Rectoverb, 5150 II , Ecstasy, or Ultra Lead....so more money better tone?......Nope!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: more money, more tone?

                      As a follow up let me just offer this. The Ecstasy is truly a wonderful sounding amp but it itself can sound like ass in the bedroom. Even when it sounds ass....I can't explain it except to say that there is always a certain, "quality", to the sound. I have also noticed that all of my amps have been sounding a little better lately...why?....because my fingers are learning to coax what mood I'm after for the particular peice, so to sum up my opinion...I'd say the tone quest falls in the middle between technique and amp personality.....NO MATTER WHAT THE COST....my two favorites are the 5150 II that I paid $725.00 for and the Ecstasy I paid $2200.00 for and I like them equally for different tones.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: more money, more tone?

                        [ QUOTE ]
                        Gibson SG into a mini Marshall stack, Valvestate

                        [/ QUOTE ]

                        Wow, what was I thinking after 25 years of playing?? I better my CAE and VHT stuff and get beck my Valvestate 8100!!

                        Who'd have thunk it? [img]/images/graemlins/sleep.gif[/img]

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: more money, more tone?

                          Yeah I must get rid of my uber and all my UsA charvels and Jacksons while I 'm at it and buy a 2 12 crate and a dan electro...
                          "Bill, Smoke a Bowl and Crank Van Halen I, Life is better when I do that"
                          Donnie Swanstrom 01/25/06..miss ya!

                          "Well, your friend would have Bell's Palsy, which is a facial paralysis, not "Balls Pelsy" like we're joking about here." Toejam's attempt at sensitivity.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: more money, more tone?

                            tone is in the fingers!
                            shawnlutz.com

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: more money, more tone?

                              not only in your fingers, but what counts as well, is how well you know your equipment and the way it responds to your way of playing. I know my guitar from head to toe and that goes as well for my amp. I know how to get the tone with the hardware I have.

                              Harrald

                              Comment

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