Alesis NanoVerb

Absolutely mindless to use.
Everything is dial style.

I used to think it had a great rotary sound, but it's not all that great. Delay is simple to setup and is very digital sounding so you have to dry it out some.
I only use it for weird delay effects in my effects loop, which is parallel, after I use it I turn a knob on my amp and bring it out of the amp. For the dough it's still a great unit.

I ran it thru the preamp out on a Blues Deluxe and almost fried it.
Apparently the preamp out on the Blues is pretty hot, 4Dbv? Anyway, even with the input turned down the unit really pissed and wailed.
Still worked tho....

I sent a drum machine to them for warranty work, they did a hell of a job. I had to pester them for a month because the repair center had to order some IC's from the factory. They probably spent more time and money hosing this thing than it's worth. I still don't believe they "fixed" it and just didn't send me a new one. (It was displaying strange characters on the LCD). Really screwed up stuff. But they fixed it for free, well I had to pay shipping one way.

It's simple and I use it quite a bit. It does the delay and rotary better than anything in it's price range. I have more expensive rack gear, but this one is the workhorse, it's easy to dail in, no presets, and gets a good sound. Also will do stereo.

Very, very simple. Input/output knobs to hone the instrument/effects volumes just so, and a mix knob to adjust between the two. Switching between effects is very simple-just dial it in. The parameter of each individual effect is controlled by the adjust knob. Overall, you get to feel like you're doing analog, which I love! Granted, no effects mixing or saved patches, but hey...knobs! Come on!

I'd like to say that there is VERY little noise coming out of this unit, it sounds great. Its' best effects are better than most full-blown rackmounts I've heard, and damn near as good as the best, although not all the effects are good.
The halls effects are EXCELLENT. All three of them are distinctively different and poweful, and VERY adjustable. Sampled drums sound real through these. I've used drum machines and the kit on Roland's D-10 keyboard through this thing-all of 'em sound great.
Same for the three rooms effects-very nice. EXCELLENT for piano, by the way!
I didn't get much use out of the plates; they're nice and probably excellent for guitar, but I couldn't really find a use for them.
Non linear is terriffic, especially for vocals and stop-start atmospherics. A great implementation of this effect!
Chorus is ok...perfectly acceptable as a good generic chorus.
The flanger sucks ass. Thin and bland.
The delay is good-don't expect incredible amounts of delay time, but it's extremely accurate.
Both of the chorus/room effects are good-with some tweaking, the second one can be turned into a stranger-sounding delay if the other one doesn't suit your needs!
The rotary just sucks. VERY weak, VERY useless.

Perfect for gigging and home recording, no question. It's made of metal and durable enough to withstand years of lugging around and playing, so long as it doesn't come into contact with any malicious abuse, LOL!
But for studio use, you'd probably want a full-blown rackmount...the effects are top-notch quality, but they simply don't offer enough options for what studio production/recording require.

I can't say; I've never dealt with Alesis. I've heard both horror stories and fairy tales about their customer service, so it's hard even to judge by other people's experiences!

Great little tool, this. I don't even want to see a rackmount outside of a studio...but I don't really care for stompboxes either, so this black box is a blessing. Vocals and keyboards sound great through it, although I wouldn't recommend using it with a bass without a compressor. It usually sounds fine with an instrument plugged right into it...but if you plug it into an effects loop, you can't go wrong!
If Alesis released another version of this model without the flange, rotary, and plates effects, with an on/off switch, and was about $30 cheaper...it really WOULD be perfect for me!

Easy to use. All of the patches are preset with only one "tweak" knob so you can't really screw up.

I am a solo-hungry fretless bassist and wanted something to "dress up" my solos. I really wanted to use the "chorus + reverb" settings but so far have had a tough time getting a nice sound. The single "tweak" knob modifies both effects, and it seems that in order to get a lush chorus, I get way too much reverb. Running the single effects, though, allows decent adjustability and some nice tones.

Only had it for 4 months or so. It's bee fine so far...

If I were to lose this thing, I would get the slightly more expensive ($140) Fostex DE-1 which has TWO independent, mixable channels.

The output/input overall volume is kind of confusing at first, but once you get that very simple. This is basically like an effects pedal, a few knobs to turn. Simple.

I use mostly Evh Wolfgang guitars /w a Crate Gx1200H and Tube Works Tube Driver amps, /w TONS of effects. This unit seems to even things out really well, and give desirable reverbs. It can go from regular reverbs, to insanily spacious reverbs in a second. This unit is also most important because it creates your own original tone. It is an excelent tone shaper and for the cost, it couldnt be any better. My favorite artist are Joe satriani and Neil Zaza...this reverb can do their sound justice and any1 else as well. I use this just for reverb. The delay, flange, and chorus arent that great.

Very reliable so far...it is more of a stuido type reverb effect, but i'd use it without a backup.

Never had to, hope I never do!

I play mostly instrumental rock, but i also like indie rock, neo-classical, and Emo rock. Sometimes metal. I absolutley love this thing, it gives me my own unique tone and is very flexable. You have several reverbs at your fingertips...enuf to do a different reverb for every song on an albumn! get some smooth sustain goin /w this and you'll leave it on always!

I didn't even have to use the manual. Just plug in and screw around with it for a while and find the sounds you want. It only has 4 or 5 knobs anyway.

My set-up is mic -> adaptor -> nanoverb -> mixer -> 4 track. You have to use an XLR adaptor because the ins and outs are only 1/4". my only complaint is that it loses a lot of level through the adaptor. I have to turn the channel up really high. Most of the effects are really good. My favorite is chorus/hall reverb. the flanger sounds not so good. the non linear mode sounds like a drum machine when you clap in the mic. kEwL!!!

solid

they great dogg

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Relatively easy to use. The only critical settings are the INPUT and OUTPUT level controls... you don't want the incoming signal to overload the input or too hot a signal going out, which may cause unwanted distortion. The manual goes over this fairly well.
Since I am connecting this unit to the aux send/return on my mixer, I just turn the MIX control all the way up and set the overall level at the board. The ADJUST knob sets various parameters for each effect. The only other thing to do is decide which effect you want: several reverb and chorus choices, plus a couple of delays and flanges.

I use this unit strictly for adding reverb to my portable sound system and since reverb is less critical for live sound, I am happy with the overall affect it has on the types of places I play. On the other hand, in my opinion, it's too digital sounding for use in the studio. In a recording situation, the reflections are just not natural enough for me. But, (the point I was getting to) in live situations where the sound is saturated by the environment and audience, plus the addition of natural room reverberation, nobody's going to be able to tell the difference anyway. I find the fidelity of the sound to be very satisfactory.
As for the remaining effects, you'll have to read some of the other reviews here. I haven't really used anything but the reverbs and have never used it as an in-line device (such as for guitar) so I can't say how well it works for those situations. Personally, I like the HALL REVERB #1 set to a medium long decay (about ? on the ADJUST control). At this setting, the reverb adds enough lush ambience to be fulfilling for my tastes in live performance.
I consider its sound to be at the professional level. As for the 8 rating in this category, keep in mind that, though true excellence is somewhat eluded, for all around capability it works well.

Still works.

I hear they are all communists... but that is just a rumor.

For what I use it for, I think the Nanoverb is a great product. I originally got it because I didn't have another rack space left on my rig, and it's big enough as it is, so I got some Velcro and stuck the Nanoverb in the back. Of course, you get what you pay for, but at the price they are going for now (under $100 last time I checked) the Nanoverb has found its niche and I've heard worse effects at higher prices.
Oh Yeah, I like the idea that it has a bypass feature (external footswitch not included) which is good for certain situations, such as speaking to the audience, were effects may make speech sound garbled and unintelligible. I may get another one just for adding delay to vocals or flange to instruments, etc.
If you are in a serious working band, or are trying to make professional recordings, you can absolutely do much better. But I suspect this product is designed for the average Joe sixpack AND WE DON'T MUCH CARE FOR THEM SNOOTY HIGH-END STUDIO TYPES ANYWAY! (But we'll take their cool studio toys anytime!)... Jamm on.

It is a pretty straight forward echo, delay reverb unit. It also has chorus, flange and rotary. The manual describes how to use it but you could probably figure it out on your own. There are differnt settings one dial knob controls for, 2 room and chorus, 1 rotary, 3 rooms, 3 plates, 3 halls, 1 linear?, 1 flange, 1 delay. There is a mix knob and another knob that tweaks what ever sound you are selected under. For example this knob would change the length of your delay if you had the delay selected. It also increases the rate of the rotary, flange and chorus swirl as you turn it clockwise. It also has input and output which have caused some people confusion trying to get the volumes all level. It is a bit hard to describe but i find that having two knobs one for input volume and one for output volume gives me more control. I don't mind it. I actually like it. Read someone else's review at this site on how it is a pain have these controls to decide for yourself.

For the price you can't beat it. Great sound. I have a dod stereo chorus I haven't used in six months as long as I have had the nanoverb. Great variety. It does lack in the control area. I wish you could tweak the sound a bit more but that's ok. The reverbs sound like ass the further you turn the one control knob clockwise. That is what I like though. Very bizzar sound. If you want full control of reverb go out and buy a twin reverb amp and some rack reverb unit. For bizzar sounds, good quality reverb and chorus and moderate flange go out and get one on sale. One of the guitarists of my favorite band, Purple Ivy Shadows, uses one. I love this unit I just wish I had more control with the sounds but then again you get more than you pay for with this unit. For more control go out and buy a full sized rack unit.

It seems a bit light, but it isn't a stompbox so it should be fine without over abuse.

I have emailed them just recently and I haven't heard from them yet. I am growing a bit impatient. I just had a question, nothing to report broken, missing, malfunctioned about my unit. Not that unit you sick perverts.

Great unit to get you started or to add to you pallet of tonal experiences

This thing is really easy to operate. You have a couple of knobs: mix, output and input level, an effects parameter adjuster, etc. there is a knob for selecting your effect. no lcd displays, no midi, no editing, no problem. all jacks are 1/4".

Actually, I don't use this for guitar, but for my vocals when i use the 4-track (Tascam 424 mkII). I set it up in line with my mic, so it goes shure sm58->nanoverb->Peavey mixer->4 track. It is not noisy. The effects I use most often are chorus with reverb, hall reverb, and chorus, and sometimes the rotary speaker. they all sound pretty good for a $120 unit, the delay and flanger suck a fat nut.

This is a pretty solid unit. The in and out jacks are kind of cheap, though.

This is for my metal/funk metal/post grunge/rap metal/punk band's vocals, and for easy demo recordings, it really makes the tracks come alive. Great value for the money. If you want to buy this, it might be useful to get an adaptor for a low Z mic to go into the unit. Keep in mind: this is not a lexicon or anything like that, but it gets the job done.

Quick, easy, good for beginner.

I bought this primarily for live fx on my vocals (reverb, delays). I run it out of the FX loop of my mixer. Sound quality is adequate considering the price.

I've had mine for about a year and a half, no problems.

No experience.

If you can pick one up used for under $100, it's probably worth it. I may sell mine and get a Lex MPX100, which I think has a lot more "bang for the buck".

This thing is a piece of cake to use. There are four knobs on the front: Input, Output, Mix, Adjust, and the effects selector. Almost straight out of the box it is very easy to get a nice sound. Editing is limited to just the four knobs, but for a secondary effects processor it works really well. In fact, with the delay turned up a hair, and the output and mix maxxed, it will give vocal tracks an ersatz doubling effect that is quite useful.

The 2's and 3's [meaning Hall 2 & 3, Room 2 & 3, Plate 2 & 3) are a little over the top for my tastes but the 1's are terrific. Forget the phaser. It is useless. On the other hand, routing an Alesis DM5 drum module through Room/Chorus adds pleasant depth to the otherwise dry sounds. The effects are basically transparent in terms of background noise. It is primarily used with the DM5 and routed into a Peavey Unity 1002 mixing console. In that setting, it's terrific. For guitar, it's more than acceptable, but there are better choices from the likes of DOD or Boss.

So far it's been bulletproof. There's not a whole heckuva lot that can go wrong with it. Sometimes simplicity is the best model and that is fer sure the case with live-gigging equipment.

The realities are, unless you are a dedicated audiophile, this unit will be terrific. It is just fine for virtually ANY style of music and I intend to buy probably three more, at least, because the quality of the unit vs. the price is unbeatable. Obviously it lacks the programming abilities of pricier models, but that's an acceptable compromise for the price. Its simplicity is endearing and a boon for stage performance when change-on-the-fly is de rigeur. As a whole, it's a great unit, minus points for the lousy phaser.

The controls are kind of annoying because it has input and output level controls that you have to set and balance when you start out. Theres a green signal light that turns red when it gets overloaded. You set the input control so the light stays green when you play hard then use the output to set actual volume. Other than that i just wish it had two parameters per effect instead of one.

I like the way it sounds. The chorus is pretty good. I like the flange sound because its sounds wierd and you can stop the sweep completely by turning down the speed all the way but it does thin your sound and the volume swells suddenly at the end of each sweep. The reverb sounds very nice particularly plate reverb 2 it has a deep sound like an ocean

it seems fairly sturdy but it is rackmount and probably would get damaged if you really abused it but it is metal not plastic. Also you do need a footswitch to turn it on and off and it could be scary at a gig if you forgot to leave it "on" and didin't have the footswitch

n/a

generally im happy with it. its great for creating smooth waves of seashell hissing tonality with reverb levels set high. I also like all the extra bells and whistles like delay, rotating speaker, flanging, and the chorus/reverb combinations. i think i got a really good price so if you can get it for that you definately should

My first non Guitar effect unit. it has 5 knobs, stereo ins, stereo outs, and a footswitch plug. The footswitch doesnt come with it so you gotta make one yourself or (ugh) buy one. the knobs are: Input volume, Mix level, Output Volume, Effect selector and Effect adjust Nothing can be easier than this unit and I say this since there is only 2 knobs to control effect. select your effect, and adjust its parameter.. leave the volume and mix about half way, and you're ready to go. The manual is short and sweet, even giving background information on some of the effects (leslie, Non linear) Oh.. forgot to mention.. the signal LED is also an overload LED..nice to know when your recording is about sound like eggs cracking..

Using this with my guitar and home recording setup. through a behringer mixer, sometimes plugged into my guitar amp. Reverbs are very good, and because there are plenty to choose from (10), any sound is possible.. just dont put too much reverb on anything. Chorus: My first experience with chorus, having had a flanger up to now.. very nice, makes the sound shimmer with a nice tone.. AND its stereo. Stereo flanger CAN be useful despite things said in other reviews.. since its stereo you can use it for weird effects on songs .True, its not a boss flanger (which I also have) and it does sound like a jetplane overdubbed onto your sound.. Stereo Leslie: rotating speaker effect.. somethings wrong with mine I think as there are only 2 speed settings 6-12 oclock is Slow, after that its FASSSTTT .. shouldnt it be gradual?? but it is awsome on guitar sounds. 2 multieffects (Chorus/reverb) and (chorus/reverb/delay) . Very nice.. I havent found use for it though.
The unit is digital, its completely (COMPLETELY) noise free, and sounds great. just make sure to get your mixer volume levels set correctly in conjuction with the Nanoverb's I dont know if delay/reverb tails last when switched off cuz.. I dont have a footswitch...

Its small, its metal, except the plastic plugs.. but Im not worried.. kinda scared to go gigging with it since I dont know how it would hold up. hasent given me any trouble .

I dont know about support since I have no reason to call Alesis anyway...

Its great for any music. Makes every recording sweet and tasteful. It made my keyboard drums sound like real drums, it made my guitar sound fatter. it works magic on vocals. Its small, doesnt take up alot of space, its cheaper than the competition, its better than guitar effect units.. in short: Get it if you home record. if you're in a professional studio you might like an Alesis Wedge but .. hey.. I dont have 500$ spare change...

Since this is a no-frills reverb unit it's very easy to use. A rotary dial lets you select your effect, and the other dials control the depth and length of the reverbs. However, this has the downside that you can't store favourite settings. (OK, so not much of a downside to someone with more memory than a goldfish, but I'm trying to be objective

I find it noisier than I'd hoped when you run, say, a mic into it and then into your mixer. However, if you send a % of the signal to the unit from your mixer and then blend the reverb back in it eliminates the noise. Reverb quality is excellent: it genuinely sounds as if you are in a 'live' situation rather than adding in atmosphere. The settings on standard guitar FX sound heavy handed in comparison. Vocals, drums, guitars (even a harp) all sound ace. Stereo chorus good: only the Flange is piss-poor: sounds like you're just dubbing aircraft noises on.

9 months old and not even a sneeze. Studio rather than gigging unit but still sturdy and (probably) droppable.

Dunno (see above) The manual is pleasingly informative and their web-site is OK so one can assume ....

Perfect for adding ambience when DIing, making your vocals more 'professional' and extending your sonic palate. Has the same insides as pricier Alesis boxes so sound is excellent VFM. No On/Off switch, unispired design and a bit noisy but at this price one wouldn't like to be churlish. (I use an SM58 mic, Sansamp GT2 pedal and Fender guitar.) (And harp from Pilgrim Harps, Surrey, UK.) (And hair by Geraldo, Kings Road. Clothes from Oxfam, nationwide.)

Very easy to change sounds/get the sound you want. All the sounds are great! Manual is good.

No noticable noise accept on the Delay (Echo) and the Fanger. It's very quite though, almost not noticable, especailly when there is a signal coming through. The quality of all the effects is great!

Got it yesterday, haven't had any problems yet.......

Haven't had to use, I've heard Alesis are okay though.

I bought this because it was cheap especially for quality and range of effects. I bought it to use in my studio(under construction) and with my guitar. I therefor wanted a good sounding unit that had the effects I wanted and would be easy to use live with a guitar amp and easy to transport. When I have the money and the need I'll by a midi effects unit for studio and eventually a rack setup for guitar. I'll keep the Nanoverb especailly for live use with a giutar combo/head but I wouldn'y buy one again because I don't need another one.

This is a preset-only model so it's ready to go out of the box. There is only one parameter you can adjust for each preset and what that parameter is depends on the type of effect you are using (eg reverb decay, delay time, leslie fast/slow). There is no MIDI and no way to store your own presets, but that's OK considering what this box was designed to do--give musicians access to high quality reverb at a rock bottom price.

The reverbs are probably the best sounding effects and they are all very very good for something this inexpensive. Very low noise. In fact, it sounds better than my old Quadraverb. I was a little bit hesitant buying the Nanoverb precisely because it is so cheap. However, the reverbs use the same algorithms as Alesis' top-of-the-line Quadraverb 2; they've just left out all the extensive editing and MIDI features. You probably won't see any Nanoverbs in pro-studio racks, but for home recording types--even those with ADATs and other digital gear--the Nanoverb provides quality reverb sounds. The other effects aren't quite as good but the chorus, leslie, and delays are all useable. The flanger, however, is worthless.

I've bought A LOT of Alesis gear over the years and never once had trouble with any of it.

Alesis is not easy to get in touch with--their phone lines are busy a lot. However, once you do get through to them they are pretty helpful.

I would definately buy it again. In fact, I'm thinking of buying 2 more (3 Nanoverbs fit in a single rack space). The Nanoverb is truly a winner as far as providing maximum bang for the buck!

Very easy, only a couple knobs.

Sounds good if you dont try to over-do it... You can get a good generic mild reverb quite easily. We run the entire mix through this on mix-down. All the "1's" are good. The HALL1 program, ROOM1, and PLATE1... The other ones are kinda nasty. Keep the mix knob at about 10 o'clock and the Adjust knob at 12 o'clock and things will stay under control. Sounds good, but not much flexibility.

Good for what it can do, but not programmable, not flexible. If you are happy with the programs it has, then it will work for you... It's definately a better buy than a guitar reverb pedal, which was my original idea for home-studio reverb unit, becasue the nanoverb is stereo. I'm not sure I'd buy another, but I'm reasonably happy with it.

Way easy.

For what it is I think it sounds awesome. These reverbs blow away most reverbs I have heard in guitar multieffect units. I would have prefered the depth of the flange to be shallower (I use a lot of bass in my tone and it just bottoms out too much for me if I slow down the rate). But I have a Boss flanger and the Alesis flange might work okay on my keyboards. I loved all the other presets (chorus, delay, rotating speaker). The unit is really quiet.

I haven't had it long. I got it used through the net and it survived UPS. I have heard some scary things about Alesis's quality so I am crossing my fingers. But I haven't heard any major complaints about the Nanoverb.

I hope I never have to have an opinion on this.

I love this thing! It is perfect for me. The effects are totally useable and I am glad I don't have to mess with a bunch of parameters that give me a billion combinations. It compliments my set up perfectly. I use it with a Boss Metal Zone, flanger, and delay. I wanted a chorus and reverb to round out what I consider essential effects for me. This has a separate chorus and 10 reverbs plus 2 settings that have both. Plus all the effects are stereo. I can go from my Boss delay that has stereo outs for ping-pong delay into the stereo inputs of the Nanoverb. I didn't think I would have so much fun playing with this thing but it just adds so much to my guitar setup. The chorus and reverbs make my distortion sing and the rotating speaker is cool. I don't know how authentic the rotating speaker is but it is a complete bonus in a unit for this price. By the way, the manual says to set the mix knob to be all effect for the rotating speaker but I like it rolled back to about ten o'clock. There seems to be a sweet spot there that sounds cool but not too drastic. Reminds me of Hendrix on Little Wing. I will probably get another Nanoverb for my home studio setup as well.

Very easy, no manual needed. No user presets but only two knobs, so not the main problem.

Perfect reverb and delay. For that price the best you can get (IMHO). Best to use in the effects loop.

Just new, no experience. Seems to be quite stable.

No problems up to now.

Best sound quality for that price. Support stereo mode.

Extremely easy to use, 16 rotary preset programmes with input, output, mix and adjust pots. The adjust pot is the good bit !, providing one parameter adjust on each preset. The front panel also has two leds, one for power, the other showing clipping distortion. The back panel has stereo inputs / outputs and the left channel input doubles as mono in. There is also a bypass footswitch connector, a must for killing the effect, as there's no on or bypass switch. (Bad point- why dont they provide an on switch!). The manual explains everything and tells you which parameter the adjust knob effects. The whole thing is powered by a 9 volt wall wart.

The unit is very quiet and since there are only sixteen effects, well heres the lowdown. Hall 1 - Bright reflections Hall 2 - Warmer hall with decay set to max for good results Hall 3 - Medium hall with 12ms delay before reverb starts Room 1 - Hardwood studio with early reflections Room 2 - Good for Antispetic synth sounds Room 3 - Warm studio, great on acoustic gutiars Plate verb 1 - Classic bright vocal plate Plate verb 2 - Sustain for guitars Plate verb 3 - Vintage tube plate, snappy Non linear - Brilliant for snares Chorus - Well its better than my Boss - its should be its stereo! Flanger - Same again! Rotary - Dont use it - or havent found a use for it yet Chorus/room 1 - Multieffect with reverb decay adjust (nice) Chorus/room 2 - Multieffect with delay adjust Delay - Very clean with upto 1270ms delay time
The quality of the effects are, well better than my Zoom 3030 by a long way.

As I only use in a bedroom studio its hard to say if it will stand up to gig work. The knobs dont look that strong and if all the leads are in, it needs bolting in a rack as its a bit light.

Its only been on for about 50 hours so I havent had to ring customer support yet, hope they are better than Roland.

All in all, a good medium priced unit, however with a little more though i'd be better off buying a used midiverb.