artifex_adrift's Reviews

More of a toy than anything

Firstly, I didn't buy the Monotron to integrate into a professional studio or anything. I build a lot of analog synthesizers and picked this up out of curiosity more than anything. It's really neat for the first day or so, but to be honest the size if probably the biggest issue. Since the ribbon track is so small, it's hard to manipulate with a great deal of precision. That and I personally don't really like overly tactile electronic instruments, so that's a downside for me when playing it. You can however patch it into other devices via patch cable and use it as a fun supplement to create some interesting sounds.

Like I say, it's more of a "gee-whiz" toy that loses its novelty fairly quickly, but I don't think any of us would realistically purchase one to record an album with anyway, so maybe give it a try if you're into low-cost gadget experimentation.

Great power supply for mini pedalboards

The fact that this powersupply not only comes with mounting hardware and fittings but a drilling template is worth an honorable mention. This cam in particular handy when I was putting together a mini pedalboard using an On-Stage GPB2000. The clearance was perfect, and the number of power outputs is more than ample, even if you've got a mini board full of smaller form factor pedals like 1590A.

There is a good amount of variety for switchable power ratings using the DIP switches. Not just for 9 volt pedals, but you even have the options for two 12 volt and two 18 volt, which substantially increases the adaptability for use with "hungrier" pedals. The powersupply comes with plenty of cables and accessories, all you need is a small pack of Velcro cable ties and the means to mount this to a board and you're all set.

It's not too noisy, and features isolated power channels, so you don't get that hum and hiss you do with less practical options like daisy chain wall wart power supplies (please don't use those...). The main power cable is long enough to give you a good run off of wall or strip power, but not so long that you have anaconda of a cable to try to hide once setup.

Straight-forward, stripped-down option

This type of pedalboard is as basic as you can get, but it gets the job done. I tapped the mounting holes for a 9 Spot powersupply that fits neatly and perfectly to the undercarriage area of this little board. It allowed me to get a small yet fully-functional mini pedalboard setup to easily move between smaller amps around my home if I want to.

If there was maybe an off-set row of thinner punch-outs for pulling up power cable runs without removing too much Velcro surface area, that would be the only improvement I could suggest. I have no intention of using this pedalboard outside of my home, which is good because the travel bag does not offer a degree of protection for the pedals mounted to the board. Otherwise it comes with the essentials that you need to slap together a mini board without too large of an investment of time or money. It comfortably fits at least five 1590B sized pedals, but even more if you use a smaller form factor like 1590A.

Fun to experiment with, not a staple pedal, though

When I watched a few videos that showcased this pedal, I decided to pick one up since I had the opportunity to take advantage of a good deal. It's not a regrettable purchase by any means, but it's definitely something that I only break out for doing sound effects or passing the signal of a sequencer through to get some funky noises.

It's surprisingly diverse given the range of options in terms of what you can get out of it. It's compact enough to carry with a small kit if you have a small electronic music setup that's meant to be mobile. If you're using it for guitar, it's obviously not very "musical" sounding, especially when it comes to playing chords. It does however produce some interesting drone sounds if you play relatively discordant note combinations, so something like long-tail reverb and delay with the aid of a looper can create some neat soundscapes.

Good EQ, but not a tone Swiss army knife

I purchased the 10 band version so I could have more granular control over the range of frequencies. That and a 'volume' and 'gain' setting make this pedal way more applicable for my purposes. It can get noisy when used with overdrives and distortions, but I found a fairly specific use for this pedal outside of that. The clean channel on my Marshall DSL5CR that has a really anemic, weak sound (especially with single coils) now has a great tonal characteristic to it when I use this EQ. I need a snappier, "pecky" type of sound for clean but pushed-sounding runs (like surf music), and this pedal does just the trick.

I also noticed from person experience, as well as from reviews I've read, that some pedals placed before this can cause the LEDs to freak out when both are engaged. Given that I essentially only use this as a clean boost with EQ shaping and cleanup, I don't really have to worry about that.

It's a great pedal, but not a "Swiss army knife of tone" like some EQ pedals are praised for being. It definitely has its limitations, but it works for my purposes.

Still my favorite fuzz after 26 years

5 stars, no questions asked on this one. It seems too simple to be useful, but the sound is perfect for those syrupy, fuzzy neck pickup solos that I like to play. Not so good for playing chords on the settings I use, but I have noticed I still have the speed and response when playing solos on the higher strings. After I heard George Lynch say something to the effect of "you can still play fast with fuzz if you use it right", I realized this pedal was he only one I had used that made me agree with that. A+, also easily modded, so that's a major win for me.

Preferred Settings + Usage:

Stock, not so great, even for a "classic"

Rather than give a detailed review about what I hate about this pedal, I'll just say over 26 years of playing it never did anything for me, really. This was however an introductory pedal I used when I first started modding pedals. So it gets 3 stars, because any of the Keely Mods make it good enough to drive an amp or push a subsequent pedal in your signal chain. Otherwise it's just a little dead and weak to me.

An oldie but a goodie

I've owned two of these over the years. The first one I had was in the mid-90s, and I held onto it for a long time until it magically grew legs and walked off. There's nothing too special about this pedal, but when I had the opportunity to snag one on Reverb for like $25 I just had to buy another. This is in the class of pedals that I typically do mods on, and replacing certain caps with stacked metalized film ones is a cheap way to make it sound more solid and rich.

I'll use this one on certain amps for a more "classic" type of overdrive sound, since it's not the most distorted of distortion pedals, and actually gets too warm and muddy depending on the settings.

I wouldn't necessarily tell everyone to go track one down just to do so, but if you're looking for a pretty straightforward distortion pedal that has a less modern sound, I'd get one. Even if you can find one cheap and want to get into modding pedals, this would make a good place to start.

Twelve years, running strong

I'm sure there have been some industry-standard improvements in these types of all-in-one pedalboards over the last 12 years, but my SKB PS-45 hasn't given me a reason to look elsewhere.

Between enough on-board power for 11 pedals, and the fact that it's stereo output with independent external FX loop relays for each channel, this has served my purposes for over a decade. The ability to plug your guitar in and pass the end of your pedal run back to the patch deck, a handful of velcro cable ties means I can keep things neat and in place without it looking like a plate of spaghetti.

The locking latches for the case cover have lasted me over the years, and I can cram this thing anywhere and know my setup will show up at the destination ready to snap off the lid and plug it right in. That's the type of convenience I have come to depend on using this thing. The fact that it has an in-line fuse to protect your setup means you can plug this thing up to a surge protector and know you're hiding your gear behind dual layers of defense should the power situation become unstable.

This is one of the best investments I have made, and while I have other smaller pedalboards that I Frankensteined with external pedal power supplies for other setups, this pedalboard is on my main rig and likely won't be going anywhere any time soon.

Noisy, but (sort of) playable

Sure, it's a tube-based tremolo/vibrato pedal, but it is entirely too noisy to play unless you are running a 100% clean channel. Even then, turning certain settings up too far will cause this really loud humming sound.

The switches for the various "modes" are useful to get different types of sensations out of the "wobble" effect, but the knobs for the variable settings just can't be pushed too far.

At best, this thing is most playable when you're running totally clean, and just need a subtle effect. I have gotten those Leslie-esque sounds out of the pedal, but at the cost of overbearing hum and hiss the second I stop playing.

I'm sure there are applications that are appropriate for this pedal, and the welcomed, warm tube sound certainly is nice, it just isn't for me. I even bought a new one after selling my first years ago just to see if I was missing something, but will likely end up selling this to someone that wants to experiment with it. I even swapped out the stock tubes for some high quality ones and replaced carbon resistors with metalized ones in the power stage, and it wasn't enough to clean it up to my standards.

Great reverb, awesome on-board options

Up until a few years ago, I refused to stray away from analog reverb tank-based units. I've never been a fan of digital pedals, because in the 90s everything I came across sounded really thin, anemic, and lifeless. Now that modern pedal manufacturers are leaning more towards the method of blending dry and wet signals in conjunction with higher quality digital technology, I decided to give them a shot.

I purchased one (and eventually two) MXR Reverb pedals, and was really impressed with them. Running a stereo amp set-up, having a pair of these in both amp's FX loops meant I could dial in different types and amounts of reverb to get really ethereal soundscapes. Then I got curious and wondered what else I could try, and that's when I eventually came across the Crazy Tube Circuits Splash Mark IV.

Full disclosure, I had to give it 4 out of 5 stars because some of the mode settings are a little too "digital" sounding, and when you're talking about reverb nothing bruises the signal like a fizzy, choppy sound. However, based on the various knobs that allow you to taper certain settings, there are modes that actually sound really great. The ability to plug in an external expression pedal to control aspects of the reverb, as well as a built-in switch, places this pedal in a higher class of modern reverb pedals. These are features that I have come to expect, and the versatility of the Splash Mark IV keeps this thing off the shelf and on a pedalboard at all times for me.

The decay setting goes from subtle to drastic, which I like. Some pedals have such a limited range on the settings, which is always a bummer. The mix and volume knobs allow you to get a good line level setting, as well as dry/wet blend so you can make the reverb sound way more organic than some cheaper alternative. The excite setting (complimented by a push button switch to swap between decay) is where you get the versatility here. Being able to press down on the excite switch to give your sound those long tails is a great way to have an otherwise usable, traditional reverb sound without it having that wishy-washy drowning effect where your playing just gets lost.

For the money, I say this is a great pedal. While all the modes won't necessarily be your favorite, there are still plenty of settings you'll be able to get some interesting reverb effects out of.

Great for guitar, killer fuzz blending

DISCLAIMER: I use this pedal with guitar, not bass, so your experience may differ.

I actually came into this pedal by happenstance. I had originally ordered the MXR Sub-Machine to fool around with when I was going through a fuzz cycling phase, and was sent the MXR Sub Octave Bass Fuzz by mistake. Just before I initiated the return process for the item, I decided to give it a test drive. I'm glad I did, because I think this is much more what I had in mind when I was shopping around for fuzz pedals that have more boom-and-doom.

Since I used this thing for guitar and not bass, I know the circuit architecture doesn't accommodate some of the frequencies I'm passing through it. With that being said, I don't really get a lot of range from the 'Mid-Level' knob, and the 'Bass' knob eventually stops giving at a certain point. These aren't really "downsides", per se, but it's functionality I can't fully utilize with a guitar.

The rest of the features are outstanding and give me a lot of options when dialing in fuzz from all angles. There is a "Fuzz" and "Gain" knob, which is actually switchable to a "Distortion" mode from a push button. This can help you either go for that tinny, fizzy original fuzz sound, or dive bomb way down on some Sabbath sounding riffs. I prefer to keep things at the lower end and use this pedal as a really deep fuzz. The Octave setting helps generate a cool double octave vibe, and is footswitchable. So if you are using this as an always-on type of pedal, you can toss a dash of that in with a single stomp.

All in all I keep this thing around, and swap it between my smaller pedalboards for giving practice rigs around my house a heavy fuzz option, especially when I'm experimenting with different tube combos in the amps. There are plenty of sweet spots to be found, and while I'll never ditch my Big Muff Pi, I can say this pedal is certainly high up on my list.

The punch I expected with true strat qualities

I like to experiment with single-coil size pickups that are built around humbucker architecture. The Hot Stack seemed like a unique combination of Seymour Duncan's previous iterations of things like Hot and Cool Rails, but with a different approach. I like the single bar magnet for the same reason I like the stacked blade designs in my Hot and Cool Rails: less drop-outs when going for those big bends that I'm a fan of.

The way the coils are stacked in this model give it a really hard punch for higher output, but one thing I noticed is there is still a very traditional single-coil sound laying across the signal, but much thicker. Between coil tapping (I used the variable pot versus binary switch this time) and using a lower value filter capacitor on the tone knob, I was able to get some Greg Howe tones out of this pickup.

For the much heavier stuff I still defer to my Seymour Duncan TB-15 pickup, but the Hot Stack is still way up there in terms of shredability, and has that nice snappy sound that raises your tone above an overly lower-mid range pickup that plays a little muddy on certain amps.

My new favorite, plays SO smooth

DISCLAIMER: As with all my strats, everything under the hood electronics-wise has been modded.

However as far as the guitar itself, this is by far my favorite stratocaster. I was on the fence in terms of going for another soft V-shape neck strat since I really enjoy playing my Fender Vintera 50s model. After reading up on all of the improvements of the American Professional II, I had to see what the fuss was about. The attention to detail and the additional features puts this thing way out in the forefront of Fender's modern implementation of this classic guitar. The staggered tuning posts, beveled neck and fret edges, 22nd fret (thanks to the over-hang fretboard), adjustable neck shim post, carved-out neck cavity and shaped bolt plate, and the surprisingly (for me) modern C-shape neck blow me away.

Sure, you can get a more affordable model, something that is a GREAT guitar like a Custom Shop series, but after 5 minutes of playing this thing I knew immediately where the extra money went. Stock, it has a pickup-coupling push-push switch on one tone knob, and a treble bleed in the volume knob. It sounds great with the V-Mod single coils, but I had other plans and dug in with some serious mods I have wanted to do for a while. I'm glad I picked this model, because now I can't put this guitar down.

Delivers the sound I need

I started out chasing a few deals on the 120w and 60w versions of the Laney Ironheart, and backed out because I realized I mostly gravitate towards amps in the15w range. It's not the 90s anymore, and I don't need a gigantic wall of sound behind me, because:

A) Competing with the entire band at those volumes from the backline makes you sound like gravel in a blender.

B) Most venues have modern house systems that allow you to mic a great lower-watt setup that has amazing tone that translates to the entire room.

The features of the larger class Ironhearts were really enticing, but when I had the opportunity to jump on a mint 15w version for nearly half the price, I couldn't say no. Especially since this amp is discontinued, I figured it would be a good idea to grab one before it was too late. It complements my existing pool of amps in this power class, but has an unmatched tonal range.

It's a single channel amp, which works for me because I'm not into the clean/distortion/clean/distortion foot-rocking grunge stuff. I like to shred, so this beast being dialed in just where I like it gives me such a dynamic, responsive feel to my playing. The 'Tone' and 'Dynamics' settings help clean up your preferred EQ settings for treble-mid-bass. It's not as flat and gerneric sounding that way, you really get a truly unique sound characteristic just from balancing these two knobs to find your perfect response zone.

The pre-boost setting is actually really great, the fact that it is footswitchable gives you that option if you just need to bump the push on the gain for leads or just a little extra crunch. I can say the onboard reverb isn't bad, in fact it can get really deep and washy, but given that I already have my favorite reverb effects I like to run through the FX loops of my amps, I keep it dialed down to a modest "room" setting just for some depth to the sound so it's not so flat sounding. It's a personal preference, but if that's what you like it's there.

So overall, I'm definitely impressed with this amp. Laney makes killer equipment, and the Laney Ironheart IRT15H2 (also 1w input so you can really crank it in the bedroom) not only met but exceeds my expectations.

Tone Sucker, Volume Dropper

This pedal has a few YouTube reviews out there that make it seem like some "secret weapon" for killing noise in your signal. These guys must either have depressingly cheap, sub-par rigs that are already devoid of tone, because I slapped this thing in my FX loop (where the noise is at its peak and this type of pedal can actually do its job) and it not only reduces the volume, but there is some tone loss.

I'm not new to the world of noise suppressors, I used to own an MXR Smart Gate and didn't have any of the issues I'm having with this pedal. It seemed promising based on what I was hearing from reviewers, and the "hard/soft" switch for the gate clip was a really attractive feature. That particular feature seems like it works well enough, (hence 2 star review instead of 1), although not great. The actual noise gate also just falls too short to be usable.

Cranking the knob all the way to the right completely kills the signal, which I've never seen in a noise gate before. I've had those signal squashing, erratic gates before that make it sound like an 8-bit arcade game, but this design flaw is out of place in a noise gate since no signal passes through at all. This noise gate is also really short on range of effectiveness, you essentially have an 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock spread where you're getting any difference from the top or bottom of the knob without it not either being totally on or off.

So basically this pedal was a real bust for me, but if you just have a loud, noisy economy rig and need some form of a noise gate, for around $30 this probably gets it done for you. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

At the Price and Ability, A+

A way cheap way too get some sequenced tracks out for some pre-pro work. If that's not your thing, this is an excellent means of setting up an advanced metronome for those really tricky practice runs. The stutter feature is neat because it helps spread patterns out with that skipping delay effect. The sound is huge on headphones and translates VERY nicely to a mixer for recordings. The quality is crazy. There are tons of videos out there that go into depth on each little feature, and to be honest I basically get use out of them all here and there. Syncing with other units on a time-clock level is incredibly useful, these are worth a shot.

Sounds killer, nice pickup.

After playing Seymour Duncan Hot Rails for many years, I decided to give this pickup a shot in a new Fender Vintera 50s Stratocaster I just bought. I have to say, with the option to coil split, this is definitely the right pickup for more bold sounding surf music. The output is not as high as a Hot Rails pickup, and it's a little more crisp in some respects. I actually used a 7.8k neck pickup in the bridge position, and it provided me with the surf tone I was looking for. Just to test the limits, I ran this thing on a couple Orange and Marshall amps with the gain fully cranked, and while it sounds a little skimpy for a modern metal sound, it still had a great tone. If you're just playing harder rock, the proper bridge pickup in the bridge position will suit your needs, especially if you play through a speaker like an Eminence Wizard that has really great breakup for rock.

Amazing vintage twist, classic.

This pickup has an incredible tone. I have a modded 10k neck version of this pickup, and it has a really great tone in the stratocaster I have it in. With mine being a bit hotter than average, rolling back the tone knob just a couple ticks really dials in the sweet spot. As this is a slightly demagnetized pickup (done to mimic an aged pickup), it has a mellow, smooth tone, but still has that spanking bite to it with more aggressive picking. On several Orange and Marshall amps I've played this pickup on, finding just the right amount of gain to draw out the tone but keep the muddiness down makes this a versatile option to drop in your favorite guitar.

My First Pedal, Still A Favorite

This was actually the first pedal I ever owned maybe 25 years ago. I had seen it pop up not so much awash in a sea of pedals on the stage, but as a single pedal running through the front of the amp. I too was like many that viewed it as a severely limited pedal with two knobs, but years later I finally realized what this pedal was. It's not meant to be dropped in-line into an economy amp so you can sound like Eddie, it's definitely an augment for an already great amp. You can get those sizzling hot leads, and even those fuzzy, fat chords out of your amp with one kick of the switch. If you can tame certain aspects with noise reducers or sculpt it out a but with an EQ pedal, you can take your sound some place it's never been before while staying in your comfort zone. Or you can just slam it through the front of that favorite high-end amp you've played for years and give it a second life with this classic pedal.