Digitech Whammy Ricochet Pitch Shift Pedal

With the trend of shrinking pedals, Digitech has graced us with the smallest Whammy pedal ever. It raises a few question with its release. Is a whammy a whammy if it doesn't have a rocker? Do we need another pitch shifting pedal with everything else on the market? Does it still have the same mojo as the original? Well, I guess that's what we are here to find out.

Haven't We Seen This Before?

Yes. Yes, we have. The EHX Pitchfork, the BOSS PS-5 (and others), even Digitech had a similar pedal with the Drop, so why come out with this. Well, the size is one reason. The original Whammy pedal is huge. As large or larger than your wah pedal. This pedal makes pitch shifting in a manageable box. Although if that's all you wanted then the Drop would be enough. So what sets this pedal apart. Like the Dirty Robot, what sets this apart is control. The effects other than your basic pitch shifting are what need to be stressed here. The speed of the shift can be adjust independently. This allows for unique and flexible effects. While it looks like something we seen before, it has some new feature under the hood.

It's New And Old

Yes, it has a lot of new features and the pitch bends are smooth and track well. But there are some that are fans of the original. It had tracking issues that made it an effect in and of its self. That voice is still in this box. You can switch between the polyphonic tracking or the original tracking of the old whammys. This is a smart move. This pedal can replace your old clunky whammy rocker for good. Not to mention, it makes recreating the exact pitch-bending speed super easy. No longer do you have to develop those killer ankle muscles.

There Is Still A Little Room From Improvement

Yes, this pedal is a solid offering from Digitech. It is well needed and timely, but it seem to have overlook something. There is a interesting LED arrangement on the left. I don't dislike this. It is a visual reference that might be helpful, but what would be more helpful is an expression out. Yes, there are other Whammy pedals that can help you out, but why not make a pedal with a bit more flexibility. It would be a welcome replacement for the column of lights in my opinion.

Conclusion

Although their is some room for improvement, this is still one of the best pitch-shifter pedals. It sounds great, and you can still get those old sounds out of it. You can emulate a trem-arm and make other cool sounds with it's flexible controls. This is pedal is a welcome addition to the whammy line, and it might be just what you need if you can live without using the rocking motion to control the pitch.

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Vox AV Series: Update

I first reported about these amps when Vox announced them back at NAMM this year. They Stood out because of there styling and features. They are analog, solid powered combos that look rather striking. The looks alone were enough to make me interested. I've been able to see one in action and I have to say that I'm am impressed. I was almost dismissive of the new line. I wasn't the biggest fan of the little modeling amps that came out recently. I was afraid that these guys were still coming from that prospective. This does not seem to be the case. These are something akin to the Super Champs that Fender put out. They replicate the front ends of other various amps, sans digital modeling.

Starting at just over $200 these amps are poised to be an excelent first amp, or a great step into valve-ish amps. If you need or want a variety of amp sounds but don't have the funds to buy half a dozen or more amps to make those sounds, then this amp could be an excellent fit. I liked the Super Champ amps and these seem to be in the same ballpark. In fact, I'd pick up one of these on the looks alone. The fact that these amps can emulate so many others and even the biggest one in the lineup comes in under $500 doesn't hurt either. Vox has put a lot of work into making great little amps. Even the the cabinet design is made to make you forget that (unless you have the 60 watt version) you aren't playing though a 12" speaker.

All in all. these amps are stacking up to be a step above what I was predicting. Kind of a foot-in-mouth moment, but I'm glad it is. The world need more great amps. This quite possibly, could be one. At least, it might be a good choice for many musicians.

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Ugly Truth: Digitech Dirty Robot Synthesizer Emulation Pedal

It is undeniable that in the last few years, electronic music has grown from an odd niche to something that has permeated its way into nearly every genre of music. EDM artist are among the highest paid artist and it has never been easier to join the ranks of DJs and artist creating new and more progressive sounds. So it has been for guitarist. Recently there has been a surge in tools to make your guitar not sound like a guitar. We emulate organs, keyboard, and rainbow... We delay, loop and shimmer to make pads and swells. We've come a long way from 'Cranking It Up To 11'... Recently we got news from Digitech about a new pedal to give us yet another tool to make crazy noises with.

It's A Filter

Yes, another filter. BOSS just gave us a Vocorder and EHX released the Cocked Wah. Auto-wah pedals have been around a long time. Talk Boxes are nearly a relic of the past now. So now we have a vocal filter that seems a little late to the game. What makes this relevant now? Most notably, the controls are expressive and functional. Turn any of the 7 knobs and change to sound dramatically. Mix, Mod, Start, Stop, Sens, Time, and Drift (not to mention the toggle to change the voice) help you wrangle your desired sound out of this box. Yes, it is another filter, but one of the best I've seen shoved into a compact pedal. This pedal easily fits in with the Polara, and Obscrua. In that it is pretty and shiny, but compared to its sister pedals, this one seems to be the first one on the scene.

It's Late

This pedal seems to be in a series of pedal that Digitech have been developing. It seemed that they are rebooting some of their core effects (delay, reverb), but this pedal is something that would fit it with more edgy builders. The sounds are unique and controllable. The pedal seems we developed. This almost excuses the wide gap in time that it took for Digitech to come to market with this pedal. The Polara and Obscrua both seem like they had to keep up with other pedal manufactures putting out similar pedals, but the Dirty Robot is a offering that doesn't seem 'directly influenced' by another pedal. This is a good thing.

It's Familiar

Guess what!? I've heard this effect before. It was in a very unlikely place. An RP series pedal. The Robot Voice effect has been around for a while. While this effect seems to be refined and very usable, this pedal has history in the pedal series that occupy the bargain bin of nearly every music store. It might have been wrong timing, or maybe the fact that they stuck it a pedal that next to useless, but it's not Digitech first attempt to make some weird robot noises.

Conclusion

This pedal is a breath of freash air. I actually like it a lot, despite the fact that I think it would basically useless for me personally. It expected more form the Delay and Reverb in this series, but they have average features, decent sound quality, but nothing groundbreaking. This pedal however exceeds expectations. So it took three tries, but Digitech did it...

Ugly Truth: MXR Reverb

Can you believe that MXR has been making pedal for a million years and they've never put out a reverb? Ok, So maybe not a million years, but for a company that has been around as long as I've been buy pedals, its a wonder that they haven't made some type of Reverb just so that they have an option for the MXR loyal. Now they have, what do we think about it?

It's Limited

With features like 6 different types of reverb (with 2 shimmers!) you might not call it limited right off the bat, but look a little closer and you realize that when you compare it to the BOSS RV-6. It comes up wanting. This pedal is not stereo (unless it has a stereo input... which it does! So disregard) and there is no expression input(Edit: there is one! JK everybody.). Yep, looks like the RV-6 mops the floor with this pedal. Looking online and the only price I can find is $199. Seems like a bit much for a pedal that comes up lacking compared to the $150 RV-6 (or, you know, covers its bases compare it it...)

Other Things

Look, I like MXR. They have provided us with some great pedals, but sometimes you feel like some things are left overlooked. The power jack typically found on the top of most pedals are found of the side of most of MXR's (and not always the same side) The selection of the reverb type is done by pressing a button. This isn't a major make-it-or-break-it thing, but it is out of the ordinary. It's not like you can't fit six modes on a rotary switch (BOSS has 8!). So, what gives? Don't want to stray away from the three-knob motif established by the Carbon Copy? I mean, I dig motifs as much as the next guy, but this just doesn't make sense to me.

Conclusion.

I dig it. I want to hear these shimmer settings. They might be the only thing that saves this pedal from being too little too late. Reverb pedals are always exciting to try out. A subtle setting is important, but just as important is the limits of these pedals. Most any reverb will give a little verb, but they distinguish these pedals. The EHX Holy Grail adds a bizarre metallic sound when full tilt. The RV-6 by BOSS will drone and swell. Let's wait and see what this pedal will do when pushed.

Edit: I did here these two shimmers (pad and epic) They sound amazing... is it worth an extra $50... pretty darn close...

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Ugly Truth About Mooer Mooergan Organ Simulator

Mooer is know as the leading innovato of tiny pedals. If they weren't the first to make tiny pedals, then they were the first to get recognized for making faithful replications of tested circuits in 1590A enclosures. They have done it again with non-other than EHX's B-9 in their sights. The Mooer Mooergan (pronounced /more-gan/) is an organ simulator. The few videos that have made it online suggest that it does its job. Is it a compact replacement for your B-9?

It's So Punny

I guess they just couldn't resist making the joke. I think they could have just stuck with naming it the Morgan and left let those who appreciate a good pun to draw the lines. Having said that, it is a tiny pedal doing the job of a pedal that four times its size. I love the fact that it can do this, however it limits the functionality of the pedal greatly. You can change the Wet and Dry signal and adjust the Modulation, but you are limited to the one organ sound. The Click knob isn't present either. That may not be a deal breaker, as you still have a very usable pedal when it is all said and done. Also, the size of this pedal reflects amount of time that it will actually be used.

Small Pedal, Small Blog

That pretty much it. I'm not going to rush out and sell my B-9. But those looking for an organ sound with a cramped Pedal board and tighter budget might be in luck. The sounds of an organ might be available to you yet. Does it sound as good? No. Is it as flexible? No. Does it make you think of an organ when you play through it? Yes. There is a gap in the 'sound like an organ' market. Mooer has done a good job of providing a tiny pedal that we could actually use.

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Ugly Truth About The New Keeley Compressor

Keeley has been impressing us since they first started modding BOSS pedals. They were on the cutting edge of the big 'mod' boom. Then they developed a line of original offerings that continues to innovate and expand. Keeley have been able to offer effects that compete with any other pedal for top spot. Their new compressor is likely to be no less impressive. It already has a few things going for it. So let take a closer look.

It's Tiny

Yes, it is another tiny pedal in a 1590A enclosure. Although I do not like skinny, tiny pedal like these, the Keeley compressors have been high regarded as some of the best. Little is known about the particulars of this pedal (it's not even on the Keeley website yet) it resembles the C2 Signature compressor. That particular model is out of production and resembles the ROSS/|Dyna, two-knob style Compressors. So this pedal seems to take a little inspiration from the C2 and adds a Mix knob, which I Find to my liking.

Too Many Compressors

Keeley is no stranger to the compression game. Their four knob compressor was probably the most sought after compressor for a period of time. It's features and fidelity filled a gap in the market that took some of the largest effects manufactures by surprise and introduced guitar players to compressor that made little or no compromises with their tone. This pedal does have some parallels with another pedal in the Keeley line-up, or rather a part of a pedal. The Steak and Eggs pedal by both Keeley and JHS has been praise three ways to Sunday. Notably, the tiny compressor and the compression side of the Steak and Eggs share the same features: Level, Sustain, and Blend. Is this Keeley capitalizing on the success of their joint venture with JHS?

These Pedals Are Too Familar

Take this pedal and put an unfamiliar logo on it. Does it still seem desirable? These tiny pedals have been flooding in from China. My local music store has adopted a line of these tiny guys. They sell for about $40. Put this pedal next to a Chinese pedal and tell me if it's worth two and a half time the price. Maybe it is, but maybe it's not. You could argue that Keeley holds it's value and is a better investment and that dealing with an American company will offer you better customer service. You would be right on all accounts. But when looking at the direct utility of the pedals themselves, it might become difficult to justify the price. (even though the first time I saw the asking price of one of these I thought it was a steal for a Keeley Compressor)

Conclusion

I'm not going to pretend that I don't like this pedal. It's probably the most excited I've been about a compressor, perhaps ever. It's not often that compressor get a lot of hype. They are used as tools, like EQs and boosts. There just isn't the colorful language given to these pedal as there is to overdrive and distortions. But, this pedal has all the makings of a great option if you are looking for a Compressor. It is small, so if you run your Comp 'always on' then you don't have to worry about turning it off and on and how uncomfortable that can feel. The price makes it no more expensive than many others that offer similar (or even fewer) controls. It maybe different or flashy, but it may just be the best option for compression to come out in the last few years.

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Guitar World Magazine Will Stop Publishing Photos Of Half Naked Women

It's True. According to an interview with Reverb.com, Guitar Magazine with stop publishing their annual "swimsuit edition" buyers guides. Is this good news? Is this an Ugly Truth? Well, it's true and that's enough.

What This Means For Me

Being that I haven't bought a guitar magazine in years (even longer for a buyers guide) This doesn't really effect me all that much. I do remember back when I was a young guitar player growing up in a conservative home and being pretty straight laced. I felt a little embarrassed buying and reading a magazine with ladies in their fishnet stocking prominently displayed. At the time, the ladies where only a mild distraction. The major sin I committed holding that magazine was gear lust. I read and reread those pages. I memorized spec and descriptions. I imagined what it would be like to own those guitars. I wondered about the tonal varieties that the different materials could offer. Every adjective painted a word picture that was almost tangible. And then I discovered the internet and anything that these magazine could offer was just a few clicks away.

What This Means For You

Honestly the entire paragraph will be conjecture. So here goes: If you are a well adjusted human being, then you understand that the day are ogling women as they pose with whatever it is someone is selling have begun to wain. Even Playboy, the grandfather of the smutty magazine, has gone to non-naked ladies in their magazine. If you depended on a guitar magazine to realize your over-sexualized guitar imagery, then I'm sorry, you have one less option. Also, you might what to talk to someone about your feelings. Like a professional, you need to talk to a professional... a doctor... not the other kind of professional. You know what, if you take advice from a blog about guitar, then I honestly have no idea what you need. Anywho, There is another group of people that this decision can effect. Ladies. If you are a lady that is so inclined to pick up and read such a publication, then you no longer have to do so with examples of you own anatomy on every other page.

What This Means For Guitar World

In the interview linked above, the reasons sited where economical. I'm sure paying ladies to take most of their clothe off and taking pictures of them does not come cheap. Now they have just copy and paste from any music supply website and call it a day. So, it looks like a win-win. GW doesn't have to waste time and money on, what many see as, sexist content and we get a magazine that serves as a hard copy of what we already look at online. Well done. It only took decades to make that seemingly obvious decision. Good Job.

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Ugly Truth: Jet City JCA2212C Combo

I've been preoccupied, lately, on the idea of adding to be amp collection. But what to add to it. I was browsing recently, and noticed this combo on a decent sale. Which raised the question, is it worth it? I wanted to try it out. So, at my earliest convince, I gave a fair amount of time to the combo in question. I've been please with the Jet City Buffered Line Driver. It, in my opinion, is a match made in heaven for a Vox AC15. But what about the amps? They are designed by Soldano. I've never played a Soldano. But they sure are proud of their amps. So, Jet City makes amps at a fifth of the cost. And now someone has marked them down even more. Time to investigate. And investigate. I did...

They're Small

They are a 1X12. It is the same as a Fender Blues Jr. are Vox AC15, But it is smaller than either one of them. A compact cab is nothing to complain about, but with a closed back and straight forward cab, at any other angle than directly in front, it sounds small too. Not to say that it isn't loud. It's plenty loud. But it does come off as small. There is plenty of flexibility in the EQ section. The Low, Mid, and High controls give you more than enough room to play. The Mids are expressive and useful. The Highs pinpoint just the right frequencies to offset any muddiness. and the Lows are powerful without being too muddy. But all this relies on you point of reference. Off to the side and this cab losses a lot of it's appeal.

They're Light

Moving the combo around was a breeze. In fact, I moved it about without even trying. Most other units take a little heft to get it to move from here to there, but not this combo. Quite a contrast to my Vox. Lighter than a Peavey Classic 15, this amp would be a ideal small gig/working man's rig. That is if it wasn't for the features. It is light on feature as well. I love the break up and gain on the amp. The Saturated tunes make this combo a delight. But as I fiddled, I couldn't find a clean tone. Hot pickups will send this unit into break up even at the lightest of settings. Single coils will clean it up to a degree, but you need to back off of either to get something close to 'clean'. You could try a different type of tube, but you'd be backing off the overall volume still, and this is a low wattage amp to begin with.

They are a little confusing

If you take a look at the selection of amps from Jet City, you are bound to be confused. There is a JCA Combo, Head and another option that has different features all together. I don't really know what to make of this expect that they are a little confused. I like they include effects loops, but the fact that there is not a master volume, or something that controls the gain enough to clean up the signal. But they seem like a one trick pony. I like the trick. But it is like a dirt pedal. It have a sound, it can be a good sound, but it only has the one. You could defend it by saying that you don't need a dirt box to send it into overdrive, although I'd like to option to engage when I like as opposed to 'on all the time' as it is now. Oh well. maybe if the price drops to a certain point it will be worth having a fun little amp like this.

Conclusion.

This amp is very fun to play, It has a few limitation... ok, I lot of limitations. This is not your 'Jack of all trades' kind of amp. But I don't think that it wants to be. It knows what it wants to do, and it does it. It gets nasty. It gets loud. You can have a lot of fun with this amp. But when it is all said and done, you'll still want your clean amp and your pedal board. I like Jet City, and I like the sounds this amp makes, but it doesn't make sense to add this amp to your collection unless you already have your fill on clean little combos. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary or different than your bandmates, then this amp might fill the bill. If you are looking for something of a more 'all around' nature then you should look elsewhere.

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