Hi Everyone,
Well, here is my review of the tourbox in which Donner was so kind as to include me. All demo?s were performed utilizing my David Thomas McNaught Vintage Singlecut with Rio Grande Texas BBQ Humbuckers. This guitar has many of the qualities of a Les Paul, but more articulate. Not quite as ?ballsy? in some ways as a Paul, but clearer-sounding?which is more important to me. The guitar was run right into the pedal being demoed, with exception to the delay (which was used both in the front end of the amp as well as in its FX loop). The amplifier used was a Guytron GT100, in Channel A, set to have some break-up?meaning that it was pretty clean with some shimmer to it, but then would distort on its own if using the bridge pickup, for example, digging into the strings. This was run into a THD 2x12 cabinet. I used this set-up in particular, not only because it?s the way I actually run it for myself, but also because I believe that many who use one-channel or older, more ?traditional? amps probably tend to run their amps with similar amounts of break-up. I don?t know too many who run squeaky-clean set-ups.
MP Deep Blue Delay ? I really loved this pedal, to the point where I have decided to buy one. While I have every confidence in BJ?s design abilities, it is nice to be able to try it first and make certain it?s right for me. The MP Delay really excelled at doing all the things I think most guitarists would want or need. Yes, it will do some oscillation and space-ship sounds, but I don?t get the impression that those applications are what it was designed for. What was so striking about this pedal was its ability to have the best of all worlds?meaning that it had the clarity of a nice, studio-type rack / digital delay but without the sterility I would typically associate with a digital delay. It had the warmth of some of the nicest analog delays and tape echoes I?ve ever heard, but without the muddiness and cloudiness in the repeats and decays that I would typically associate with those types of effects. In the past, I?ve never been totally satisfied. I have always hated digital for its lack of warmth and for its tendency to make my tone sound ?metallic.? So I switched to analog (which was an improvement), but still not 100% satisfying. I never could get past the murkiness that would be generated in the repeats, especially in a live band setting. I think I finally resigned myself to the notion that the best delay sounds were only going to happen in the studio on my recordings.
Not anymore. Not only was I captivated by the stunning warmth and clarity of the delay at home, but it amazed me even in a band setting when I took it to rehearsal this past Thursday. Even our bass player commented on how much more clear and defined my delay tones were, as compared to what I?d been using before. And he?s right. Even under the biggest, high-gain, over-the-top, guitar hero solo conditions, the MP Delay added a thickness and a presence to the tone that was just fantastic. In a fashion true to the very design ideals of The Mad Professor, clarity and definition were preserved, no matter how much distortion I was using. The clean stuff also sounded wonderful, like the soft echoes you?d hear playing by yourself in a big auditorium. Never before had I experienced a live delay sound that had the same type of ambient
quality that I?d only come to expect in a recording studio. AMAZING.
I could go on and on about this pedal. I feel like it has everything I?m looking for in a delay sound. Not only is the quality of the tone there, but it is also great feature-wise. It has the right range of delay times for my purposes. It?s only three knobs (volume / mix, repeats, delay time). It's easy-to-use. I'm not a knob-turner, I'd much rather spend my time playing than fooling around with knobs (especially onstage). I love that I don't have to mess with this pedal. And yes, there is a sweet spot. I found a particular setting that really served more as an overall tone thickener than an actual delay or echo effect. It was one of those phenomena where you almost don?t even notice it?s on, regardless of whether you?re playing clean or dirty?but you notice that something is missing as soon as you turn it off. I?ve never used a delay before where I felt like I could almost just leave it on all night. WOW. BJ hits another one out of the park, as far as I?m concerned. Soundclips to come?.
I have another review to write, for LGW. I'll try and get that up in the next day or two. Thanks again, Donner!!! (Thanks also to BJ for solving yet another one of my problems.)
DocRock
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:40 pm