monophreak's Reviews

Love it

I picked up the EM-101, reading it was often referred to a preset Juno 106 (or poor man's Juno 106). A 106 is well out of my league price rise so thought I'd give this a go. I wasn't initially that impressed by the EM-101 due to the restricted number of 24 presets. The bass patches were quite cool and some of the other presets may be useful for synthwave but overall, it had limited amount of configurability (as expected with a preset machine). As a positive, it is quiet (though a tiny bit smelly as it warms up) and importantly, it had a lot of potential due to the onboard chips - shared with some really high quality Roland synths of the time. Being dissatisfied, I tried out a mod (by Ryan - Plutoniq) that enabled CC control and this thing blew me away, especially for the price I paid. As a result, I wrote the EMMY1OH1 so that I could tightly configure the sounds (getting surprising levels of subs and highs), save my presets and work with the EM-101 in my DAW. I wrote a 128 preset bank for it and now, I love it. I do not have a Juno 106 and therefore cannot compare the sound but I can say that I do like the sound. From what I gather (I think this is correct), it's shaped by an analogue filter and analogue effects which gives it nice character. I can see it can also take an external input which I'm looking forward to trying out with the fantastic onboard chorus. I think the right EM-101s are possibly sleepers at current low prices. They're so cheap, I picked up a second. At some point, I'll record a video of the EMMY1OH1 to give you a flavour of my editor.

To see a video of the EMMY1OH1 - visit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhFNlMe_4LY

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Underrated. It has some really good effects inside.

I think the Boss VF-1 is a really great multi-effects unit. I do understand the other reviewer comments but I have a different take on this box.

I do not play guitar. Instead, I hook it up into Logic Pro via a RME audio interface and route sounds through it. This is where it shines. The midi implementation is top quality. There are some really excellent, circa 2000 era algorithms in this box and in effect, I use it a bit like an external DSP unit. Inside Logic, I run it in parallel so that I can blend a wet/dry signal and get a very good sound.

I tend to ignore all of the cab simulations and use things like the rotary multi, chorus, slow gear, slicer and RSS (Rolands virtual surround sound, in stereo).

Through midi, I do not have to use the main 'Numeric Value' dial which sadly, is pretty bad on all of my VF-1s. In the end, I wrote a software editor for it so that I do not have to touch that dial again and now, it is a class piece of hardware.

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Really fantastic sounds

The Boss SE-70 is a fantastic multi-effects unit packed with a great range of well executed effects. Among its standout features include the “Slow Gear” effect, which skillfully emulates a string-instrument-style volume swell—ideal for creating expressive, nuanced tones (and not so easy to find in plugin format).

Tonally, the SE-70 boasts undeniable mojo. It delivers character-rich sound shaping, making it a compelling option for producers exploring genres beyond traditional guitar applications, including EDM, where subtle dynamics (or not so subtle!) and layered textures are key.

MIDI implementation is decent, offering enough flexibility to integrate with modern DAW environments. Real-time automation and hands-on control is possible with the right set-up, opening up creative possibilities in both studio and live contexts.

🔊 Verdict A brilliantly designed effects unit that bridges the charm of analog with the convenience of digital MIDI integration. Highly recommended for electronic artists seeking to inject texture, movement, and vibe into their productions.

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