Tech 21 BSDR-DLX SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I play in 2 bands and I typically use 2 to 3 Basses on stage depending on the band (and the stage). I have always fought with having to dial in the right tone for each Bass every time I switch Basses. The Tech 21 BSDR-DLX SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe solves that problem. I can preset the 3 main tones I need for 2 Basses and when I switch basses, it just takes a split second to hit the footswitch and I have the exact sound I need. This thing is very easy to setup and has a boatload of other features. Besides the obvious XLR Direct out, it also has a 1/4" Parallel out that is pre-tone controls so you can send your unaltered Bass signal to a Tuner or in my case, another amplifier. It also has an effects loop so you can have your effects setup and just hit one switch and you have the tone you need plus the effects you need. There's a small learning curve and you need some time for trial and error with the tone controls and the drive, level and blend controls if your customizing your own sounds. You can also just use the stock sounds that come pre-programmed and it sounds great. I've had many compliments from band mates as well as fans in the audience about my sound since using the Bass Driver Deluxe. I would definitely recommend the Tech 21 BSDR-DLX SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe for any Bassist. I would also recommend you buy the optional Tech 21 DC2 DC2 Power Supply.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Tech 21 BSDR-DLX SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe

Get 23% OFF

Click here for more information about Tech 21 BSDR-DLX SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe

Read More...

Boss ME-50B Bass Multiple Effects with COSM Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've used this for about 6 years now. the COSM Compressor/Limiter works amazingly well. Also there is a noise supressor, which works very well. All the effects sound great, and you can highly customize and save them. This unit is great for gigs. The base unit is very solid, the expression pedal is very solid also. Nothing about this unit feels cheap, it is heavy! It also has grips on the bottom to keep it from sliding around.
My only con is that "Octave Up" and "Octave Down" effect have a noticable delay, a few milliseconds max, but you can hear it if you are playing. Not sure if a listener would notice.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Boss ME-50B Bass Multiple Effects with COSM

Get 1% OFF

Click here for more information about Boss ME-50B Bass Multiple Effects with COSM

Read More...

Radial Tonebone JX-2 Pro Switchbone ABY Amp Switcher Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Plain and simple...this thing kicks ass in every way that they claim it does. If you're going to hone your bone don't hone alone...get the ToneBone...NOW!!! Worth the dough.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Radial Tonebone JX-2 Pro Switchbone ABY Amp Switcher

Get 26% OFF

Click here for more information about Radial Tonebone JX-2 Pro Switchbone ABY Amp Switcher

Read More...

Fishman AFX Pedal - Reverb Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is definitely a high quality fx pedal! It's built like a tank and you couldn't ask for better quality reverbs - they are rich and lush and very "tweak-able." There are three reasons I give this 4 stars instead of 5:
1. This thing eats 9v batteries pretty quickly, quicker than most pedals I've used;
2. It didn't come with an AC adapter; and,
3. For $250, it should have come with the adapter and the kitchen sink.
That said, it's a very worthy pedal for acoustic reverb.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fishman AFX Pedal - Reverb

With quality sound always at the forefront, Fishman starts with an all-analog, buffered bypass signal path to protect your signal from noise. The Fishman AFX Reverb pedal includes eight effect presets: Studio, Room, Plate, Chamber, Stage, Concert Hall, Cathedral, Canyon. Level, tone and decay time controls function for all effects, allowing you to dial things in just right for your instrument and amplification system. Make the most of your reverb effects with 1/4" stereo ins and outs. An input gain switch adds level boost, and the Fishman reverb pedal is housed in durable all-metal construction.

Get 36% OFF

Click here for more information about Fishman AFX Pedal - Reverb

Read More...

Electro-Harmonix 2880 Super Multi-track Looper Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The 2880 wants to be so much, but misses the mark at times and as such--arguably must take a second chair to the RC-50.
To consider it in a world where no other looper was available, it has some great features (i.e. big switches and loads of time for the four tracks it does offer); but in a world where having the option to select a different bank for a fresh series of loops on the fly exists, the 2880 has no such option. This means you must save the four tracks you just recorded (without any easily visible 'undo' or 'clear' option for each individual track) prior to creating a new set of loops OR lose what you've recorded so far in the process.
The reverse and octave features are nice for mixing layering effects and such you wish to accomplish using only the looper. The addition of a 5th mix-down track is unique, but oddly out of place given the initial limitations on recording. Quantize and Clix features should showcase some of the lofty goals the designers had for this pedal, but instead they highlight the flaws and limitations (no visible BPM, slider to change value, single sound).
If you consider yourself a pedal collector or an organic-loop purist (although this model eschews that analog philosophy for a digital stab at recreating analog action) you might want to add and keep this in your arsenal for its rich history and on-board, on-the-fly mixing and layering options.
If you are looking for a looper with on-board versatility, a deep rhythm section, multiple track recording with multiple storage banks--look elsewhere.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Electro-Harmonix 2880 Super Multi-track Looper

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Electro-Harmonix 2880 Super Multi-track Looper

Read More...

Line 6 Floorboard - Guitar Pedal Board Foot Contr Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I use the Floorboard with the Pod Pro, though it is also designed to work with Line 6's Flextone series of amplifiers too. It's really easy to use, although you can either have it in "select the patches" mode, or "manual mode" though you need to be en garde at all times, as the same buttons do different things in the different modes. It has some great - amazing, really - flexibility in the manual edit mode, and brilliantly clever little touches like "boost" functions for EQ, overdrive and distortion. You want to hit that solo? Step on it, and it goes a little louder, a little brighter, or a little nastier depending on what you step on.
However, unless you trained as an organist, in a live session you don't want to be jumping around like Michael Flatley jabbing your toes at various buttons in the manual edit mode, clicking delays in or out, and then switching modes (another button) when you want to change patches - realistically you will just have a patch *with* delay set up next to an identical patch *without* delay. But if you're in patch mode, you don't have access to the boosters - which really would be useful. But it's such a great thing I think, dammit, I'll just get comfortable training to be an organist.
Its construction is as hard as nails, but - and it's a big but - the patch switches kick in a split second after you stamp on them, not immediately, as you'd expect with a stomp box. This is a major weakness. Since I use it with the Pod, and only really in the home studio environment, I can live with this. But I don't think it would fly in a live envinronment. When you want to switch from Fender Tweed to loud JCM for that face melting solo, you want to do it *now* and not some time between now and the next beat. I don't know if this can be fixed in future models, but it needs to be.
Olly Buxton

Click Here to see more reviews about: Line 6 Floorboard - Guitar Pedal Board Foot Contr

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Line 6 Floorboard - Guitar Pedal Board Foot Contr

Read More...

Rocktron Gainiac 2 Tube Guitar/Bass Preamp Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)For the money, this a very decent preamp. I really have to review it with 4 stars, although I feel for the the average musician it would be a 3. First lets get to the pros:
Its rugged, small, and compact. I bought 2, one was a backup I never used. They stood up to the wear and tear of touring. The Gainiac II has a VERY awesome clean tone, the classic warm tube sound. I actually know a lot of bands that have used this preamp to record clean tones. Its wonderful and really can't be beat IMO. The distortion channel is also very good. A nice clear sound, not the static fuzz that extreme distortion causes. Great for hard rock/80s (I used to cover some Van Halen songs that it was perfect for). I wouldn't say its going to give you a death metal tone without pedal assitance, but if you want a clear responsive distortion, this is it. I saw a lot of complaints on Musician Friend's website that the Gainiac lacks a thickness and tone, but I honestly cannot hear it. I used DiMarzio Evolution pickups and the Apex Aural Exciter in front and powered it with an ART Sla-1 power amp so perhaps that is why I never heard this lack of tone.
Ok the cons:
The tube is very hard to get out. Don't get me wrong, its an awesome tube but there is always room for improvement. The Gainiac II is noisy on the overdrive channel. This can be solved fairly easily with the power amp and a good noise gate. I used the noise gate on my processor and it fixed everything right up, but some may not be as fortunate to have a good gate. There is only one output on this unit, which I got by fine with. There are no effects, just a clean and overdrive channel, which was ok for what I was doing. Also, there is no on/off switch and the AC adapter is fairly large. Recording directly into a computer gave kind of a rough tone but I'm not a recording expert.
My verdict is if you're looking for a preamp/power amp guitar rig, give this little unit a try. Its hard to fine the good Line 6 preamp that used to sell for $500, and the only other preamp I would ever consider is the Prophecy (which will break bank). You will have to do some tweaking, but for the money I think the Gainiac deserves a little attention and some surprising tones can be achieved. Also, for the price, you can afford to decide if the pre/power setup will be right for you. If this isn't something that you want to keep on a live rig, it will always be there for tracking down cleans in studio.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Rocktron Gainiac 2 Tube Guitar/Bass Preamp

Get 17% OFF

Click here for more information about Rocktron Gainiac 2 Tube Guitar/Bass Preamp

Read More...

Line 6 JM4 Looper Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This thing has some cool features, but a lot of junky ones. I was hoping they would keep a continuance of downloadable tracks, but they don't. I dig jazz, but there are only two jazz tracks and a large assortment of rock or metal tracks, all very bland and unexciting. The biggest problem, is that if you get your presets just right, and then switch tracks, it alters your guitar tone to fit the song, so you have to redial your guitar in, might not be a problem if you just want to fit in with them, but if you have a hollowbody hooked up and it switches to Insane Metal your amp is trashed! I suppose you could save your presets, but you should be able to set it and forget it without turning features off.
The record sound is attrocious too. I have saved several tracks to the sd card and transfered them as waves to my ipod, they sound horrible: muffled, undynamic. I know its not a four track, but it acts like one so should function like one too. Could probably do better with a tape recorder.
The pitch and tempo changes don't work either. They say it doesn't alter the tone, but they are lying. The drums take a digital stretched sound if you alter the tempo.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Line 6 JM4 Looper

The Line 6 JM4 Looper combines sound-on-sound looping with thrilling jam tracks and a full arsenal of legendary Line 6 tones. JM4 Looper features over 100 Endless Jam tracks and drum grooves in more than 10 styles performed by top LA and Nashville session players. These tracks are not rigid and robotic; these are actual recordings laid down by A-list drummers, bass players and guitarists. The real-world chemistry from these dynamic rhythm sections is here for you to explore your creativity in writing songs, trying out solo ideas or just honing your chops between gigs. With up to 24 minutes of recording time, and storage for up to 100 recorded jams, JM4 Looper lets you capture all your riffs and musical ideas. Plus, store more jams, export your jams to your computer's recording software and post jams online all through the SD card slot. The looper has dedicated footswitches for Record/Overdub, Play/Stop, Half Speed and Undo for super-easy practicing, songwriting and creation of an entire backing band on the fly. Layer guitar tracks, bass tracks, keyboards-even vocals with the balanced XLR microphone input. Complete with a comprehensive collection of brilliant modern and historic guitar tones, JM4 Looper gives you access to 200+ artist-created presets, 150+ song-based presets, 12 Line 6 amp models and a stunning array of effects for guitar and vocals. There's even room for 36 presets of your own creation.

Click here for more information about Line 6 JM4 Looper

Read More...