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heads on fire « Excellent multi-effects unit! »
Published on 10/31/11 at 10:33NDT - Nova Drive Technology: All-analog programmable overdrive and distortion circuit under preset and expression control.
6 effect blocks taken straight from G-System: Compression, EQ + Noise Gate, Modulation, Pitch, Delay, Reverb - these are all digital
30 factory and 60 user presets
Two footswitch layouts: preset and pedal
Hi-Z and balanced input + balanced stereo outputs
Optional G-Switch for added control
Very nice display feature
Anodized aluminum housing - very durable
Great switches
UTILIZATION
The Nova System is designed to replace a pedalboard setup. It is a multi-effects processor, which is a term that makes many guitarists groan - one tends to think of the old cheesy processor units with over a hundred sounds, but zero GOOD sounds - but this unit is full of excellent tones. It has a smaller amount of presets, as well as different effects models, as something like a Line 6 M9 has, but they tend to be higher quality sounds. The unit is really easy to navigate and program.
SOUND QUALITY
First things first - the delays and reverbs are PERFECT. They don't get much better than this, folks - you'd have to get into mega-expensive Axe Fx units to get any noticeable difference. The analog drive unit is surprisingly good. I thought the addition of having analog drive instead of digital distortion was a great move on TC's part - digital distortions frankly typically sound like crap. Now, distortion is one of the most personal of sonic touches that any guitarist looking for their "signature tone" can have, so it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but TC Electronic has made it easy to bypass the distortion signal so one can use one's amp distortion or another external pedal.
OVERALL OPINION
I love this pedal. The functionality is vast, deep, and yet simple. Two gripes - it weighs a lot for the size, so it definitely adds a considerable mass to a pedalboard. That's not totally a bad thing - it seems to be extra durable, but I wanted to mention this in order to be thorough. The other gripe I have is with the switching - it seems like the switch activates the function upon the RELEASE of the switch, and not upon the PRESS of the switch, like 99.99999% of all other units. This is a bit awkward to get used to. It's not the most annoying feature in the world, but for someone that is used to many sound changes in the course of a set, this can make the stomp timing a bit harder to nail.
All in all, this is a great unit.
6 effect blocks taken straight from G-System: Compression, EQ + Noise Gate, Modulation, Pitch, Delay, Reverb - these are all digital
30 factory and 60 user presets
Two footswitch layouts: preset and pedal
Hi-Z and balanced input + balanced stereo outputs
Optional G-Switch for added control
Very nice display feature
Anodized aluminum housing - very durable
Great switches
UTILIZATION
The Nova System is designed to replace a pedalboard setup. It is a multi-effects processor, which is a term that makes many guitarists groan - one tends to think of the old cheesy processor units with over a hundred sounds, but zero GOOD sounds - but this unit is full of excellent tones. It has a smaller amount of presets, as well as different effects models, as something like a Line 6 M9 has, but they tend to be higher quality sounds. The unit is really easy to navigate and program.
SOUND QUALITY
First things first - the delays and reverbs are PERFECT. They don't get much better than this, folks - you'd have to get into mega-expensive Axe Fx units to get any noticeable difference. The analog drive unit is surprisingly good. I thought the addition of having analog drive instead of digital distortion was a great move on TC's part - digital distortions frankly typically sound like crap. Now, distortion is one of the most personal of sonic touches that any guitarist looking for their "signature tone" can have, so it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but TC Electronic has made it easy to bypass the distortion signal so one can use one's amp distortion or another external pedal.
OVERALL OPINION
I love this pedal. The functionality is vast, deep, and yet simple. Two gripes - it weighs a lot for the size, so it definitely adds a considerable mass to a pedalboard. That's not totally a bad thing - it seems to be extra durable, but I wanted to mention this in order to be thorough. The other gripe I have is with the switching - it seems like the switch activates the function upon the RELEASE of the switch, and not upon the PRESS of the switch, like 99.99999% of all other units. This is a bit awkward to get used to. It's not the most annoying feature in the world, but for someone that is used to many sound changes in the course of a set, this can make the stomp timing a bit harder to nail.
All in all, this is a great unit.