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Fabio
Published on 09/12/07 at 14:42
- 4 types of amp simulation (channel): Clean / Texas / British / Mega
- The effects of "basic": Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, Wha, Whammy, Delay Reverb. Here of 40 dozens of useless and unusable effects.
The effects are not cumulative (except reverb + delay that can be applied to each patch)
- The Hush: noise-gate house at Rocktron
- A compressor ... that compresses
No lamp in Utopia ... and not need it!
No MIDI or PC editor ... and no need either!
The connection is too basic: Guitar In, Stereo Out, Aux a (for an mp3 player for example), a headphone output.
64 factory presets and 64 user EXPLOITABLE.
UTILIZATION
The config is very simple, especially since the manual is very well done).
The setting is still accurate, efficient and sometimes requires subtlety, the parameters are still quite numerous.
Everything happens with only 3 knobs editing (section / parameter / value), it is far from the headlock of some competitors: the grip is really intuitive!
You can assign one or two parameters to the expression pedal, or else to a pedal and a knob to change preset (helpful during hacking sound)
Be careful to change system patch: there is no concept of bank / preset, just 3 buttons Up, Down, and Recall. Think playing "prepare" the next preset in advance and press to change its recall.
But in practice, it does not prove more difficult than juggling buttons to change bank and preset selection (IMHO).
At construction: the Utopia is built like a tank, all metal.
Pedal like a rock-solid. The 3 footswitches for switching patches are kind of rubber, small and flat, it is surprising but it is ultimately comfortable and less fragile than a basic inter plastoc.
The display is quite small, but very readable white on blue.
The editing knobs seem fragile, but are protected from inadvertent kick by a recess in the body of the beast.
SOUND QUALITY
So there ... I was on the ass! (But I think Raphhh has already said that lol)
This little trick there, with three buttons and the pedal I was completely amazed!
Live on the sound system (and stereo), the sound is monstrous: o)))
The effects are small but excellent and really does not "puff" no sound, and the whammy wha are also excellent (the whammy is 4 in 1: pitch shifter, detune, and Octaver harmonizer).
The Hush is devilishly effective: the channel Mega, a 10 gain can drop the guitar: no noise.
The clean sounds (clean channel) are beautiful, transparent, the texture of the Air Norton I particularly like is respected.
The British Channel is very good too, good hard-rock distortion of the heavy-metal.
The distortion channel is just monstrous Mega, especially by using the Scoop which as its name suggests widening the mediums.
I have not tested the channel from Texas to the factory presets, so no reviews yet ...
The simulation of HP seems very good too (I have little experience, but given the results ...), with a lot of settings to change the sound reproduction (HP type, position the microphone , reactance ,...)
Big plus for the factory presets are for every exploitable and often very good (long live the Recto-Fried!): Just a little down sometimes the effects and / or gain and that's it.
OVERALL OPINION
I was looking for a small multiFX / simulator that I can stroll around without a trainer and a rack 4 * 12 50 kg. I bought a little blind, have found little info and was not able to try it.
I use it for two months, connected to anything and everything (PC, HiFi, PA) ... it sounds, it makes you want to play, it's a real treat!
I play mostly prog-metal, I use an Ibanez RG7620 with DiMarzio Blaze rise and Air Norton and with my Swiss Cheese, I am extremely satisfied! (Actually, I do most of the rack is used almost lol)
What I like in Utopia: "only" 4 channels and effects "basic" but all of excellent quality, rather than simulations approximate 50 amp that does not interest me and 312 cumulative packet of twelve that useless ...
And a sytème editing simple and intuitive, rather than a gas plant.
Weakness: The changing system type patch up / down will not suit everyone. I did some point before ordering and I realized finally that I do that six or seven different sounds, which is very manageable with this type of interface.
Price / quality ratio, I think all the buried Utopia multi / simulators down to the edge of € 400/500. I would buy without hesitation (unless in the meantime a lot Rocktron "improved" version with a few more footswitch)
In two words: it's solid, it is easy to use and it sounds that you ask for: o)
- The effects of "basic": Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Tremolo, Wha, Whammy, Delay Reverb. Here of 40 dozens of useless and unusable effects.
The effects are not cumulative (except reverb + delay that can be applied to each patch)
- The Hush: noise-gate house at Rocktron
- A compressor ... that compresses
No lamp in Utopia ... and not need it!
No MIDI or PC editor ... and no need either!
The connection is too basic: Guitar In, Stereo Out, Aux a (for an mp3 player for example), a headphone output.
64 factory presets and 64 user EXPLOITABLE.
UTILIZATION
The config is very simple, especially since the manual is very well done).
The setting is still accurate, efficient and sometimes requires subtlety, the parameters are still quite numerous.
Everything happens with only 3 knobs editing (section / parameter / value), it is far from the headlock of some competitors: the grip is really intuitive!
You can assign one or two parameters to the expression pedal, or else to a pedal and a knob to change preset (helpful during hacking sound)
Be careful to change system patch: there is no concept of bank / preset, just 3 buttons Up, Down, and Recall. Think playing "prepare" the next preset in advance and press to change its recall.
But in practice, it does not prove more difficult than juggling buttons to change bank and preset selection (IMHO).
At construction: the Utopia is built like a tank, all metal.
Pedal like a rock-solid. The 3 footswitches for switching patches are kind of rubber, small and flat, it is surprising but it is ultimately comfortable and less fragile than a basic inter plastoc.
The display is quite small, but very readable white on blue.
The editing knobs seem fragile, but are protected from inadvertent kick by a recess in the body of the beast.
SOUND QUALITY
So there ... I was on the ass! (But I think Raphhh has already said that lol)
This little trick there, with three buttons and the pedal I was completely amazed!
Live on the sound system (and stereo), the sound is monstrous: o)))
The effects are small but excellent and really does not "puff" no sound, and the whammy wha are also excellent (the whammy is 4 in 1: pitch shifter, detune, and Octaver harmonizer).
The Hush is devilishly effective: the channel Mega, a 10 gain can drop the guitar: no noise.
The clean sounds (clean channel) are beautiful, transparent, the texture of the Air Norton I particularly like is respected.
The British Channel is very good too, good hard-rock distortion of the heavy-metal.
The distortion channel is just monstrous Mega, especially by using the Scoop which as its name suggests widening the mediums.
I have not tested the channel from Texas to the factory presets, so no reviews yet ...
The simulation of HP seems very good too (I have little experience, but given the results ...), with a lot of settings to change the sound reproduction (HP type, position the microphone , reactance ,...)
Big plus for the factory presets are for every exploitable and often very good (long live the Recto-Fried!): Just a little down sometimes the effects and / or gain and that's it.
OVERALL OPINION
I was looking for a small multiFX / simulator that I can stroll around without a trainer and a rack 4 * 12 50 kg. I bought a little blind, have found little info and was not able to try it.
I use it for two months, connected to anything and everything (PC, HiFi, PA) ... it sounds, it makes you want to play, it's a real treat!
I play mostly prog-metal, I use an Ibanez RG7620 with DiMarzio Blaze rise and Air Norton and with my Swiss Cheese, I am extremely satisfied! (Actually, I do most of the rack is used almost lol)
What I like in Utopia: "only" 4 channels and effects "basic" but all of excellent quality, rather than simulations approximate 50 amp that does not interest me and 312 cumulative packet of twelve that useless ...
And a sytème editing simple and intuitive, rather than a gas plant.
Weakness: The changing system type patch up / down will not suit everyone. I did some point before ordering and I realized finally that I do that six or seven different sounds, which is very manageable with this type of interface.
Price / quality ratio, I think all the buried Utopia multi / simulators down to the edge of € 400/500. I would buy without hesitation (unless in the meantime a lot Rocktron "improved" version with a few more footswitch)
In two words: it's solid, it is easy to use and it sounds that you ask for: o)