James... « Not very impressed »
Published on 12/15/11 at 16:41Fairly simple pedal. It's primarily a chorus with the vibrato/chorus mix built in. I believe this is part of Carl Martin's vintage line which I am not as familiar with as the regular more boring looking pedals which I own a lot of. I don't believe this is an analog pedal although with the price you would think it might be. I'll have to figure that out. It does feel solidly built though and just as reliable as the other Carl Martin pedals I own.
UTILIZATION
This pedal is pretty simple to use. No surprises if you've used a chorus or a vibe before. The speed and rate knobs are a bit tricky at first because they seem to react to each other if the setting is on vibrato. I haven't run into any issues with the knobs or annoyances so I will have to give high marks here. Pedal seems really solid.
SOUND QUALITY
This is where I have some issues. The chorus setting is pretty good. Perhaps a little too vintage for my taste, but if you want a really 70's sounding chorus this will do it. It's pretty limited to those sounds though. No 80's or grunge chorus to be had really. It's voiced decidedly for the classic rock stuff. Now the vibrato is honestly unusable. It's way louder than the chorus and very erratic. In a live situation it's useless and not worth jack unless you want a huge volume boost.
OVERALL OPINION
I think maybe my volume issue might have been a defect and I want to exchange mine and see. Still, to only have a chorus, and a very limited range one at this price is not my cup of tea. Generally I am a fan of Carl Martin but their modulation effects have not impressed me. I must say try before you buy because I'm not sure I will be using this much longer. I have better choruses.
UTILIZATION
This pedal is pretty simple to use. No surprises if you've used a chorus or a vibe before. The speed and rate knobs are a bit tricky at first because they seem to react to each other if the setting is on vibrato. I haven't run into any issues with the knobs or annoyances so I will have to give high marks here. Pedal seems really solid.
SOUND QUALITY
This is where I have some issues. The chorus setting is pretty good. Perhaps a little too vintage for my taste, but if you want a really 70's sounding chorus this will do it. It's pretty limited to those sounds though. No 80's or grunge chorus to be had really. It's voiced decidedly for the classic rock stuff. Now the vibrato is honestly unusable. It's way louder than the chorus and very erratic. In a live situation it's useless and not worth jack unless you want a huge volume boost.
OVERALL OPINION
I think maybe my volume issue might have been a defect and I want to exchange mine and see. Still, to only have a chorus, and a very limited range one at this price is not my cup of tea. Generally I am a fan of Carl Martin but their modulation effects have not impressed me. I must say try before you buy because I'm not sure I will be using this much longer. I have better choruses.