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| $170.00 USD |
What kills guitar pedal synths is poor tracking and
sounds that are too gimmicky or so outrageous
as to be only usable in a single tune as they do
not support a song but become it's focal point.
Most Synths are primarily based off of envelope filter followers also called auto-wahs. Add compression, an octave pedal cuircut then some kind of modulation and a Fuzz.
Things like ring modulation are thrown in. They
either sound gimmicky or need to unfold over at
least a whole note at a medium or slow tempo
or become just a shot of pure noise.
The Dirty Robot tracking is excellent even on a full 6 note chord. The biggest problem with their competitors is solved.
It is not unusual to play successive 8th or quarter notes in a tune then find an average synth pedal will either not track them or make them sound like an unpleasant squelch or the note will fade in with so little level that the bands playing will drown it out.
This pedal is focused on the analog keyboard synths of the 60's and 70's and does a impressive job of emulating them. Yes it has the familiar wah sound but it can be tamed into a decent synth version. Better still it gives you both a wah up ...or down.
The real treat is it will let you choose a square wave sound instead of the wah thing. Technically it moves the signal thru a filter in the same fashion as the wah but the sound does not have an equivalent in a wah or any other pedal. It sounds as 'synth' as it gets!
It is a very useful pedal for a band without a keyboard player. Nothing but a guitar sound is tiresome for an audience for a whole evening of music.
Digitech have a great track record for build quality and reliability.
They have over the years improved their designs but have suffered from the players mind set that they are a 'budget' brand. They have not made budget product for years and years but have been forced to sell with low margins to exist. Hence the $170.00 USD. Synths half this good command $225.00 USD to 400.00USD !
My bass player had her 17 year old Digitech Bass Synth Wah die on her last week and ask me for advice on a new one. Whoops!!! I have ignored much of what is out there because Synths and guitars seldom work. Much has to do with technology but definitely price. Even now the better the better ones are 3 or $400.00 plus U.S. dollars.
So I checked out as many as I could find and was actually so disappointed that I tried to find an old used Digitech Bass Synth Wah. In short I stumbled onto the Dirty Robot.
So with one on order I will wait to try it myself. I expect I will then soon order my own.
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