Ugly Guitar Truth: EHX Grand Canyon Delay and Looper

It's been a year since the release of the EHX Canyon Delay and now EHX has announced the Grand Canyon Delay and Looper. It is a full-featured delay with expanded capabilities, a longer list of features, and dual switches. For fans of the original Canyon Delay, this is an obvious upgrade. While I loved the Canyon for its overstuffed feature set and compact size, the question of whether or not the Grand Canyon continues this trend is harder to answer. Let's take a look.

Size Isn't Everything

While I personally love dual-sized delays (mostly because of my fondness for my DD-20) the form factor plays a big rule in how this pedal is used. The original Canyon Delay was packed with features such as a "secret sub-menu" that allows you to edit modulations and other features depending on the settings. This would allow you to edit settings on the fly that you normally wouldn't be able to on a normal compact delay. However, there is no interface on the pedal, so the learning curve is a little steep, and on-the-fly edits would require a pretty deep familiarity with how this pedal operates. That's why the size of the Grand Canyon is important. The increased size lets you interact with pedal relatively easily. It also allows the addition of stereo ins and outs.

Quarter-Of-A-Grand Canyon

Price. When you pedal was announced, my biggest question was about price. I loved the original, but what was going to make or break this pedal is the price. It was a given that the price-floor for this pedal was going to be around $200. The Canyon sells for $140. It is a direct competitor to the TC Flashback II. The Canyon undercuts the price of the Flashback by $30 and offers a load of options without needing to be connected to a computer/phone. There is definitely a market for those that want a full featured, single-sized delay pedal that has no intention on updating patches. EHX delivered to those people. The Grand Canyon is yet another calculated play by EHX. This is a full-featured dual-sized delay that slides in under the price of every other modern delay in its category. While I would have loved to see this pedal in the $200-225 range (because I'm cheap), The $250 price tag is more than enough to not cannibalize sells of the original, but any higher it would start getting compared to the big flagship digital delay without the vibranium shield of "for the price".

For The Price

$200 doesn't buy the pedal it used to. I walked into my local guitar shop ready to buy the best delay they had. I had my choice of a Line6 DL4 and a BOSS DD-20. Both were about $200 bucks. Now, delays are just a computer with a special purpose. The BOSS DD-500 Costs $350 and blows the DD-20 out of the water when comparing features. A modern, high-powered, digital delay will cost $300 and up. Since the Grand Canyon is slipping in just under that mark, then you are going to hear a lot of "for the price arguments". "It doesn't do everything the DD-500, but for the price..." Feel free to substitute DD-500 for another big brained delay and mark my words.

Conclusion

The Grand Canyon looks like a feature-rich, intuitive pedal that seems poised to be successful. I think about the guy walking to the guitar shop looking for a delay. He doesn't want to spend the rest of the day reading a user manual. He wants to buy a pedal, head to a gig, and find some cool sounds. Sure, he might buy a DD-7 or a Flashback II, or maybe he'll buy the Grand Canyon.

Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS Waza Craft DC-2W Dimension-C

I don't think I get this one. I understand that it's a vintage pedal that BOSS has released under the Waza label, but other than the vintage appeal, there just isn't anything here that I'm stoked about. I ran a little long in the post about the Waza Metal Zone, so I think this will be shorter.

Ugly Truth in: 3... 2...

1. Presets

I'm a knob tweaker. I love to twist knobs. I like to fine tune all the settings. The biggest reason that I don't own a Strymon pedal is that I would probably be found dead from dehydration next to it because I tried to adjust all the parameters. So the fact that this is a "set it and forget about changing it" type of pedal is a little detracting for me. I get the appeal, but I'd be screaming for a Blend knob right off the bat. I mean, it is a cool pedal with a lot of vintage appeal. Also, you can rig it up in a loop with a blend if you are that into it, but it sounds like a lot of trouble just to run a special pedal with some cool vintage cred. 

2. Premium

This pedal isn't for me. The whole Waza line has a particular customer base and 9 times out of 10 I'm not interested. (actually, it's 2 of out 8 so far...) This is the most expensive Waza pedal at 229 USD. No doubt there will be those that buy and love this pedal. Those people probably already know that they will love this pedal before they buy it and they don't mind paying that premium. I'm not cool enough to really "get" this pedal, so my money is better spent on a used MD-500. You get 20 presets with the Dimension-C, but your options are nearly limitless with the MD-500. 

3. There is no 3

Conclusion

No doubt there are some cool sounds in this box. If you were stoked when BOSS announced it, then you are the type of person that BOSS made this pedal for. I, however, didn't. 

The Ugly Truth About BOSS MT-2W WAZA Craft Metal Zone

BOSS decided to break the dang internet, or at least our tiny little corner of it, with the announcement of the BOSS MT-2W. It is regarded by some to be the most despised of all pedals and praised by others for its unique sound and features. Along with the Dimension-C, the Metal Zone has gotten the WAZA treatment. So what does that mean for this divisive pedal? Well, let's take a look at what the BOSS Waza Craft Metal Zone MT-2W has done

First, a little backstory. I think I've shared this before, so I'll keep it brief. I used to play in a metal band. In my search for great metal tone. I, for a time, used a Metal Zone running through a GE-7 into an amp set for the edge of break-up. I still remember that I set the gain all the way down. This pedal had enough gain at zero. The more you turned up the distortion knob, the more noise and hiss came through the pedal. I still think that a Metal Zone running through an EQ is a powerful combination and an easy way to enter metal tone nirvana. So what do I think of BOSS releasing a Waza Metal Zone?

It makes sense. If you really think about it. Waza is the "greatest hits" of BOSS. The first pedals in the line were some of their best sellers. The SD-1 and DS-1 have sold tons of units. Nearly everyone that has gotten into pedals at least knows of these pedals if not owns them. I've owned several of each. (Why? It's hard to say.) But Waza isn't just about BOSS' most popular, current production models. They have rereleased some of the most coveted vintage pedals from the past. The DM-2 has been a vintage favorite for those that crave analog delay tones. The CE-2 is another pedal that saw rerelease in the Waza line. Both of these pedals are often emulated, but it seems like there is still a draw for something backed by BOSS. So why the Metal Zone? It's not as common to see an MT-2 as it is an SD-1, the Metal Zone is still in production, so why then? I think it's the same reason the BD-2 got its custom setting. Modders.

One of the first pedals that I ever modded was a Metal Zone. I liked the pedal, but the noise was always bothersome. So when I stumbled across a mod that was supposed to help with that, I jumped on it. I also killed the first MT-2 I ever tried to mod. eBay loved me. I think this is the reason that BOSS has given the Waza treatment to the MT-2. I hate being too cynical (or maybe I don't. I don't know.), but it makes sense. BOSS doesn't see much money from the modding community. When I modded pedals, I didn't buy a new pedal. I jumped on eBay and bought the cheapest pedal I could in case I screwed up the mod. I'm many others do the same, so BOSS wants to cut out the middleman and sell us the modded pedal up front. It makes all the sense, but is it worth it?

Log story just a little bit longer: yes, it is worth it.

The End

Just Kidding! did you think I wasn't going to talk this point into the ground? Is this your first time here? So, you may have noticed that I haven't talked about what this pedal sounds like. (I mean, if you think about, reading about what a pedal sounds like is a little silly, but hasn't stopped me before) If you like the way the Metal Zone sounds then you'll like the Waza Zone. If you didn't, then you probably won't be blown away by this pedal. If you don't know if you like the Metal Zone or not, then what have you been doing? It's been around for over 20 years... To be honest, this is one of the Waza pedals that I'd be interested in. I don't have very many heavy distortion pedals, and the MT-2 hold a special place in my guitar playing history, so buying a premium/custom version from BOSS for 50% more isn't a stretch.

Ugly Guitar Truth: EHX Hot Wax Overdrive

Somehow, EHX was about to the keep the announcement of their new overdrive pedal a secret from me for the last few weeks. They have produced a new dual overdrive pedal that has taken me by surprise. The Hot Wax is not at all what I expected for Electro Harmonix. As it is explained by EHX, the Hot Wax overdrive is basically the Hot Tubes overdrive mated with the Crayon overdrive. Is this a match made in heaven or some hellish concoction? Let's discuss.

It's Probably Not What You'd Expect

Unlike previous match ups, the two drive circuits share some functions. This means the two drives are not independent from one another. Unlike the Turnip Greens and Soul POG, this pedal shares tone controls and does not feature an effects loop. Were these cost cutting measures or lazy design? Maybe neither. Electro Harmonix is, if nothing else, a company that doesn't suppress creation. Does this mean that everything they make is a winner? Hardly. I imagine when something at EHX make Mike Matthews say, "That's cool." it gets produced. At least they aren't telling us that this is the latest and great, brand new, totally original design from EHX. They're honest. They told us that if these two pedal had a baby, then this is the result. It's not two pedals in the same box, it's a product of commingling,

It's Nothing New

I know we discussed how it was the product of two other pedals, but there is a problem whenever you have these situation. These two pedals, respectively, have been on the market a while. I checked out the Hot Tubes when I first noticed it a few years ago. I passed then. I was rather excited about the Crayon during its release, and it continues to be a go to pedal for me. It could be that these pedals sound great together, but that would only prompt me to buy a Hot Tube pedal to test that theory.

Rebranding

What EHX may be doing is branch out into larger, more complected drive pedals. Looking back at the catalog of EHX drive pedals, you'll notice their wasn't much that didn't have MUFF in the name. The popularity of their (for the lack of a better word) clone pedals is allowing them to move in a different direction. Let the Muff return to its fuzz roots and develop overdrive circuits that stand on their own. While most drive options have been compact, three-knob-jobs, the line needs more complete and capable gain stage options. Instead of reinventing the wheel, Eletro Harmonix married two existing circuits. Instead of blowing (cigar) smoke up our collective butts, they gave us the truth. Respect. But this could all just be EHX trying to flesh out there Drive pedals with a more diverse offering.

Conclusion

For me, I already own a Crayon, so it doesn't make a lot of sense to pick up this pedal. I would like to give a run through. For someone looking for a overdrive/boost or dual overdrive pedal, then this might be your thing. The Hot Tubes in my opinion does a fine job at being a mid/light gain, mid-humped overdrive. The Crayon is a good sounding, flexible overdrive. Put them together and what do you get? Magic? Gold? ... Hot Wax...

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Ugly Guitar Truth: Boss MD-500 Modulation Effect Pedal

Along with the RV-500 Reverb and Katana Mini, Boss announced the MD-500 modulation pedal. It sport the same frame of the RV and DD 500 pedals, but it specializes in modulation effect such as Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Classic Vibe, Vibrato, Tremolo, Dimension, Ring Mod, Rotary, Filter, Slicer and Overtone. If that seems like a huge list of various effects, it is. So is this unit a shiny new 10/10. Let's take a look at what we know and what we can gather.

Inspiration

I think that most of us know realise that the BOSS 500 series is heavily influenced by the Strymon line of effects. The Timeline, Big Sky, and Mobius are legendary in their own right and few choose to compete with them in the compact, powerful, dedicated, floor-based effect market. By no means do I mean that BOSS cloned the Mobius, but the format and function of the 500 series sync up with flagship Strymon pedals pretty well. BOSS has put their unique touch on all the pedals in this line. They've also put great thought into the features and effect that went into this pedal. Although it share some characteristics with the more established pedals, the MD-500 is a stand-out in its own right.

Something New, Something Old

This brand new pedal has a list of feature that stretches long. Included in those are some that are familiar with  those who know their BOSS pedals. The Slicer and Dimension effects hearken back to pedals of BOSS' past. Long loved effects that have found a home with those that desire eclectic, vintage tones and those that want unique, creative effects. Also available in this unit is an effects loop. Place it before or after the main effect, the loop can be set to be triggered by the Control/Tap foot switch. Don't let the simple layout of the pedal fool you, this pedal fully editable.

More Than Meets The Eye

On the surface you get a powerful modulation pedal, but that's just scratching the surface. Each effect is deeply editable through an LCD screen or by linking to a computer and using BOSS' effects editor. All of these features are packaged into an unassuming, attractive frame. What make this particular pedal special, is the fact that it does so many different effects. Where the DD-500 does delay and the RV-500 does reverb (and a little delay) this pedal does so much. It's hard to say that a ring mod and rotary effect are related, but there they are sharing space on the same pedal. That's where this pedal shines. Where you may not use tremolo on every song, you very well may find one of the many effects available in this unit that you do need. So where as the DD-500 might replace your delay and the RV-500 could replace you reverb, the MD-500 might well well take several pedals off you board.

Conclusion

The MD-500 is something that the market has been looking for. Does it complete kill the Mobius? It's hard to tell since the pedal is currently only in pre-sell. Personally I think that the Mobius is a little more exhaustive. However, the MD-500 is offering a lot and the price seems like a bargain compared to similar units from Strymon and Eventide. It will be very interesting to see how this pedal stacks up with established top dogs in this section of the market.

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Ugly Guitar Truth: BOSS RV-500 Reverb

What many have considered a long awaited debut, BOSS has announced their first additions to the 500 series pedals. The RV-500 Reverb has been anticipated since the release of the original 500 pedal, the DD-500 Delay. While the DD-500 was a welcome update to the DD-20, the RV-500 (along with the MD-500) has now established a line of pedals that are poised to compete with Strymon and Eventide. With 32-bit processing, and 96 kHz sampling rate, the hardware under the hood is virtually matchless. 12 modes and 21 reverb types that are all highly customizable leaves little to be desired. The feature stack on this is impressive, so whats the ugly truth...

It's actually Not That Ugly

Visiting local music stores is a little bit of a hobby of mine.When I see a well stocked effects pedal display case, it is akin to visiting an art gallery. There are hints of style and theme (or lack there of) and you can tell the difference between pedal manufactures like artists' motifs. BOSS, for the most part, stopped stylistically somewhere in the 80's when they introduced their compact pedal line and the familiar shape of most BOSS pedal that we know today. The 500 series however complete redesigns the look of their pedals. The inspiration of the redesign clearly comes from some of their competition. The three button layout, knob layout, and even the stamped aluminum enclosure all seem rather similar to other high-end, powerful effect units. Did BOSS copy other effects? Well, that word does have a lot of stigma attached to it in the effects market, but yes they totally did.

It's Not A Big Sky Clone

Obviously, some of the exterior element of the pedal have been "borrowed", but this pedal is not trying to be a Strymon Big Sky or a Eventide Space. What it is trying to do is complete crush those exact pedals and any others that may stand to rival it. When Line 6 released the DL4 delay in 1999. BOSS took their time and came out with the DD-20. Like the 500 series. the DD-20 was on the front end of a whole line of pedals that would follow the same twin pedal format. I actually debated those two delay pedals back when they were two of the most powerful delays on the market. My decision then was the DD-20. The BOSS pedal beat the Line 6 in features and performance. It also cost less. It did take nearly four years after the DL4 to come to market, but when it did, it came to win. 

Too Soon?

If you remember when the DD-500 came out, it debuted at the same time as the RV-6. Needing a reverb pedal, I bought a RV-6. It has been my primary reverb ever since. While there was a sizable chunk of time between RV-5 and RV-6, it has barely two years between the RV-6 and RV-500. While two years is the standard dwell time between modern consumers and smartphones, many guitarists don't typically replace their pedals every other year. (I've been using my DD-20 for nearly 10 years.) However, there is probably little cross over is those that would buy the RV-6 and the RV-500 despite their apparent similarities. Instead of a update to their compact pedal, The RV-500 serves to entice the players considering other high-end, powerful units. 

Conclusion

I won't lie, I was very excited about the announcement of this pedal. This is probably the most exciting pedal announcement in the last 18 months. It seems that BOSS has been on a roll. The DD-500 was a huge step forward for them, the Katana amps are being praised over higher price competition, and now we get a powerful Reverb at a fraction of the cost of comparable units. It is hard to imagine that the RV-500 reverb will be anything other than great success.

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Ugly Truth About EHX Wailer Wah

So, I'll admit that I haven't been keeping my ear to the ground lately. That's probably why i was taken off guard by the announcement of EHX's new Wah pedal. I always get excited when I see a new product from Electro Harmonix because they reteenly crank out outstanding products and they keep consumer price low. These two thing are huge in my book. So, recently they told us that they are going to put out a pretty standard Wah. Huh... Let's see what we know.

It's Not Exactly New...

Yeah, this isn't ground breaking stuff. Big black wedge shaped rocker pedal with a mid-filter circuit inside. It's been done before... like a lot. So why is EHX putting out a standard wah? Not only is this well trodden ground for Dunlop and Vox, but it's rather familiar to EHX as well. Not as flexible as their Cock Fight pedal, this brick put the guts of the well-intentioned Crying Tone wah in a more conventional box. The Crying Tone had a lot going for it. The tones were talked about. The sweep and action were second to none, but there was one complaint that would torpedo this pedal. You couldn't hardly mount it to a pedalboard. So EHX have shoved a great wah in a conventional box. All good right?

It's Affordable, Lightweight and... Plastic?

That's right. EHX when old school with this pedal, but decided to make that familiar rocker out of plastic. They make a point to describe it as "heavy duty", but all that does for me is bring to mind those batteries that last about half as long as name brand ones. So we have our great sounding wah in a package that doesn't scare us and there isn't anything too crazy (like a LED when the pedal is on). So, if you can get past the fact that it is made out of plastic, then you can have yourself a Crying Tone wah for less money. Whats more is that the battery is probably behind a door. I don't know that, but I'm assuming they aren't going to include a solid plate bottom like its metal brethren. It does look like the 9v jack will go on the left like normal.

Conclusion

This looks to be a traditional spin on an original EHX wah. Those of us that fear change rejoice, we now don't have to get something "new" when we get a new pedal. Thank goodness. EHX pushes forward into the weird and wacky, but know that some of us need a little safety blanket too. Did I mention that it's only 62.50 USD? There's that too!

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Ugly Truth: Digitech Nautila Chorus/Flanger

Digitech has announced a new pedal in the expanding line of compact effects. The Nautila is a chorus and flanger. One at a time that is. Their are You add 8 chorus voices or 4 flange voice and blend the waveforms to your hearts content. Stereo I/O and foot-controllable speed feature are packed into this slim package. Not only that, but this pedal leaves nothing to be desired as far as looks either. Like most of the pedals in this like, it has a 'boutique' vibe and solid feel.

This pedal has impressive features for such a compact pedal. Boasting "never before heard Tidal Swirls", this pedal seems to pretty proud of its self. With controls for Mix, Drift, Voice, Emphasis, Speed and Depth, it is anything buy simple. There is a clear nautical theme with this pedal. This leads me to believe that they had wet, oceanic sounds in mind when designing it. If that sounds exiting to you, then you might want to give this pedal a try. However, with all the combination capable of this pedal, you might want to give it some considerable time.

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Ugly Truth: TC Electronic Wiretap Riff Recorder

Have you ever wrote a riff that you were really excited about, then got distracted (by a shiny object or whatever) and then go back to your guitar to only realize that you can remember exactly what you play? TC Electronic has got your back. Building a recorder that fits on a pedal board is legit. I was pretty excited about the iRig, but quickly realized that its not exactly conducive for everyday use.


This pedal is smart. With the Wiretap app on your phone, you can connect via Bluetooth to trim, transfer, or share riffs. Your phone can also act as a remote if you don't feel like actually messing with the pedals controls.


The Ugly Part


For the most part this pedal is pretty solid. It has a street price of $99, but its not giving you much more than a go between for your guitar and your phone. Not exactly sure how much internal storage the pedal actually has, but it does record in 24-bit audio. The similarities with the Dito pedal are there. I'm not sure if this couldn't have been rolled into a 'Dito with extra features' type pedal, thus giving it more functionality and practicality. The hardware alone might be a little underwhelming, but the success of the pedal is going to come from the quality of the app and if it can transition into a live-tool rather than home-only type deal.