DELAY/REVERB- SONICAKE LEVITATE __NEW ___ entry level price, Pro sound!

SONICAKE LEVITATE 

$60.00 USD
3/23/2023 another
15% off

This company have been around for 5 years and wisely now have their
own very pro well written and laid out site. 

Like many Chinese companies they have primarily been based on selling re-branded products. Their mini pedals are literally Mooer pedals with different paint colors and of course graphics. Many but not all are are discontinued under the Mooer name. Mooer makes re-brands for at last count 32 companies. The good news is with the Sonicake name on them you get the same pedal that has the Outlaw name on it for up to one third cheaper. About 20% of Mooer pedals are as sonically Pro as 90% 

of many, many $200 pedals. BUT ...some of their thinks were dumbed down to fit a price point.

Their first killer product was their volume pedal that they still make. Keyboard guys grabbed them up as they are compact, robust, sound good and have a nice feel to them.

___________

The DELAY 

The best sounding Boss Digital Delay the DD2 was made in 1984. Good design used within the limits of any tech can often create a great sound.

The original Strymon pedals of which a few are still made and still sell well use 12 year old chips. Current available chips are now 4 generations better.  

 Cheap but good? 

It is a matter of "keep it simple stupid". If you go for one great sound from a good older chip you can get it as you are only asking its algorithm to do one thing. Put in 2 sounds with 2 different algorithms and expect the mediocre. That said second generation chips might give you 2. Like a simple verb and a delay :-) 

 Just a quick diversion. 

We are up to gen 4. and gen.3 exceeds the frequency range of guitar so...the good stuff is pricey and uses 3. 

Only UA and Eventide do better. The new Eventide H90 is $900 USD, WTF!!!

THE REVERB

The reverb in the Sonicake is a Plate algorithm. A Plate only has 4 reflections. Other verb sounds have hundreds. You want Pro cheap? Go for the perfect Plate. In Dave Gilmour's case go for the perfect Plate... but it has to be a Plate:-)

CONCLUSION

There are many very bad and a few very good Reverbs and Delays under $120.00. All the good ones are valid. Think of them like ice cream. if the Sonicake is vanilla and you hate vanilla but love chocolate then perhaps the JHS chocolate sound is valid.

I have 5 delays and 3 verbs from $23 to several hundred. They all score an 'A' for the thing each one does. If I was in a position of not having any I would not for a second not scoop up this one. 

You can force it into ambience things but I wouldn't. It is like running a family car with your foot to the floor and not expecting the handling and ride to be frighteningly unsafe. This pedal is aimed at anyone that needs a basic verb and delay to enhance tunes. Used for that I have zero lint to pick. 

NOTE:  a pic of their famous $40, compact volume/expression pedal