TC Electronic FireworX

Is it easy to get a good sound out of the FireworX? Absolutely. The FireworX uses AKM 24-bit 128x oversampling converters, which give it a very clean, open sound. The I/O, as noted in reviews below, is about as comprehensive as is possible in a 1U device (analog on XLR, S/PDIF opt or coax, ADAT, AES/EBU) and very, very flexible (you can even insert an external device into the signal path using the sidechain function!).

If you are reading this review, you already know that the FireworX is extraordinarily powerful, but what might be surprising (especially if you don't own any other t.c. gear) is how easy it is to use. The 128x56 graphic LCD-based interface is very well-designed and everything makes sense. A series of buttons arranged in a 4x3 grid to the right of the display light to indicate which effects group is active for a particular program (e.g. delay, pitch) so you want to get rid of the reverb completely, you can just press the reverb button. Another nice feature is the tempo button, which, when pressed, opens a menu that allows you to quickly change all tempo-dependent effects like delay to match a tempo. But the best--and coolest--thing about the FireworX is the alpha dial. This essentially acts like a mod wheel on a synth, giving you some realtime control (and of course it sends midi out) over a particular function(s).

The manual is good. It's not as thorough as a Lexicon manual, but is well-arranged (though it is obvious the writer was not a native English speaker. I was disappointed that t.c. failed to put a sysex guide in the manual, but I think you can download one from their site.

The unit I am reviewing is version 2.0, which adds 200 additional presets (400 total), word clock as standard, and apparently a few minor changes to the midi implementation.

I will take 1 point off for ease of use though because this processor is so deep, which might make it very difficult for drummers to use. heh :)

This processor sounds superb. It's that simple. It's sparkling clean when you want it to be, but becomes wickedly evil at the touch of a button or two. The S/N is 104 dB, so it's safe to say that it not noisy.

The effects are simply very good to excellent in all cases, except for the pitch shifter, which despite being based on Wave Mechanics' technology (founded by two New Jersey-based ex-Eventide gurus) has a more limited range of realism than I expected. The dynamics and filters are great (the formant filter is particularly interesting), the ring modulator is by far the best digital emulation I've ever heard, the synth. . .well the synth is in a class of its own. What other effects processor doubles as a not very well-mannered monophonic synth that you can PLAY with a midi keyboard? The drive distortion (i.e. amp distortion)is great though very high-tech sounding, but the cruncher algorithm is the true standout. This process *intentionally* creates aliasing distortion and produces quantizing errors! It may sound hideous but hey, why not? The delay is awesome (derived from the 2290) and up to 6 taps are provided. As for the reverb, I would say that it is very clean, with no metallic overtones or grain, but doesn't sound quite as full and warm as a Lexicon PCM. I feel like I'm kind of nitpicking here though, because the fact is I wouldn't hesitate to use it. It does use a lot of DSP power however, as all good digital reverbs do, which restricts the number and type of effects you can use at once.

I have never rated anything a 10 for sound quality before, but I do so here without any reservation.

I have only had it for about a month, but it seems to be well-constructed and has never behaved erratically. I wouldn't use it at a gig unless I had Mr. T and Mike Tyson as bodyguards, but then I guess they would probably get into a fight on the way to the show and possibly mistake the FireworX for an ear. Barring a calamity of that magnitude, I would definitely not need a backup.

I have been pretty impressed with t.c.'s support. When I first visited the website, I placed an online order for the M3000 and FireworX demo CDs and brochures, and received them about a week later. The following week, I received an email from someone asking me if I had any questions and if I was satisfied with the material I received. Once I got the FireworX, I guess I accidently disabled the DSP overrun setting, which essentially allows the DSP to process more data than it is capable of processing. I asked a question about it on the FireworX "mailing list" (it's not much of one) and got a quick reply from a tech support guy, who I assume was lurking on the list.. .

I make psy trance, ambient/dub, triphop or whatever ends up piquing my interest and the FireworX is perfect for this. I use it for sound design (making weird pad noises, atmospheres, and my own brand of "distorted reality"--yes Eric Persing used this box for those). I have been making music for maybe 5 years though I've played keyboards for a few years for a while). My other main effects unit is a Lexicon MPX 1, which although a bit more tame and less powerful then the FireworX, complements it pretty well. Of course the FireworX is INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE so make sure you know what you're getting yourself into before gear-lust seizes the rest of your checking account. If it were stolen or lost I would be in big trouble, so this question would depend on my financial situation at that time I suppose. What do I love about it? It does literally almost every effect in existence, and even invented a few of its own. It sounds (and looks) very futuristic, which I like--meaning that if I wanted a retro amp simulator I'd buy one.

I never really thought about anything else because the FireworX is kind of a niche product aimed squarely at me (free will notwithstanding ;) ). Anyway, the PCM 81 is also an awesome processor with better reverb, but it simply was never designed to mangle sound the way the FireworX was (and also costs about $500 more) and is more of a "typical" multieffects unit. The FireworX is a sound *generating* machine in its own right (check out preset 201 if you don't believe me) as opposed to something that enhances or simply modifies an existing sound. If you can stomach the obligatory bank account destruction, get it now.

Having owned over 20 digital synths and multiple digital effects units, including the finalizer, I have to say that this is most difficult and awkward unit I have ever used. The screen is far too small, the parameters are scaled to keep you turning a knob for half a minute to edit a single parameter, and the base layout of scrolling down lists of parameters is the most painful system ever. This unit is for Preset-only-users.

Sure, it's new, But it has very starightforward, (and boring)algorithms.

probably fairly reliable.

If your going to use the presets, they're fairly unusable do to being programmed by really lame engineers trying to be cool by applying LFO's to every other parameter. And if you want to spend 20 min. to mess with the terrible operating system design you might get through editing one effect, EXAMPLE-- "finally, I got the pitch shift down one octive, but I'm so pissed that I don't even care."

Have not bought it yet, see below.

Have not bought it yet, see below.

Have not bought it yet, see below.

Have not bought it yet, see below.

Hi!

These are som questions and answers I believe others would be interested in reading, since, for example, TC claims that new specifications have been altered since the release. The news are, for example a lot more preprogrammed presets, and 24 bit S/PDIF contacts. TC claim, interestingly, that the S/PDIFcontacts have been 24 bit all the time, although the (online)manual always has and still says it's 20 bit. It would be nice if an independent user could varify if they are 24 bit.

The pretty fast and detailed answer from TC says, in my opinion, more than a little about TC:s customer support...

Henrik Bergman
Lund, Sweden

--------------------------------------

2000-11-29

Hello!

I'm seriously contemplating buying your Fireworx effects unit. I looks like a mean powermachine. Need some answers to the following questions, though. Knowing, by a lot of people, that TC is a great company at support and answering customers questions, I hope it's possible for you to take the time answering them. I will report your response to the user review section in Harmony Central for your convenience/free advertising. Thank you very much.

1) I plan to use the Fireworx as a effects unit for the EMU P2000 (using the AES/ABU IN of the Fireworx), POD Pro (spdif IN ditto) and Echo Mona PC card (ADAT IN ditto). I plan to keep the other digital gear connected to the Fireworx this way, avoiding changing physical contacts all the time. Then, after processing, I will send the (hopefully) 24 bit signal spdif OUT from the Fireworx back to my Mona card for recording in my PC. Do you see any problems with this, on behalf of the Fireworx?

The bottom line: Do ALL the digital connections (AES/EBU, spdif, ADAT) of Fireworx work in 24 bit today?

2) If all the spdif and ADAT work in 24bit today, did the ADAT/spdifs in earlier versions of Fireworx work in 20 bit (like it even today says in the manual)? I'm asking because I know a guy, in the Harmony Central, who claimed that, a year ago or so, the 20 bit spdif out didn't sound as great as the AES/EBU 24 bit out.

3) How will I know that the Fireworx unit in the store I'm buying it in has the ADAT/spdif contacts working in 24bit, when the manual says 20-bit (without having a practical possibility to really check out the sound of the unit in a noisy store)? Any special markings?

4) In the case of digital synth units working in 20bit (like the EMU P2000, for instance) together with the Fireworx, will the Fireworx accept them through its spdif/AES EBU? Any sync problems?

5) The cost of having different effects in DSP-power, as stated in the manual, is that all referring to 24-bit operation? If I want to record a sound together with, for example, three different Fireworx' algoritms (like compressor, vocoder and reverb), all performing at the same time, will I be able to capture all that in realtime on my PC-harddisk in 24bit (provided the PC does it's usual supposed task)?

6) Can I use the Alphamodwheel (or any other knob) as a real-time pith bender while playing my synth? Will I, in that case, be able to record that in real time on harddisk?

7) What converters do the Fireworx have? AKM? Which model?

8) Space considerations: Can I take the rackmount "ears" off the unit if I need to?

9) How many presets does the Fireworx have? In the advertising there is 200, but in the manual there are over 300.

10) Is there any possibility of editing Fireworx through a PC, like as with Sounddiver? Can't find any Sounddiver implementations anywhere.

11) In a review by Hugh Robjohns in SOS (june/1998), he complained that there is no global dry/wet mixture control in the machine. George Shilling in Studio Sound (3/1998) said the same. Have you perhaps addressed this problem in an OS-revision since then?

12) How does the quality of the effects in Fireworx compare to your TC Works plugins?

13) An honest question: Give me some reasons why I should invest in a Fireworx,

faihi all just a quick review...others cover whats what better......
easy to use ..manuals fine.....not sure of the firmware....musit checkthat!

sound is very very cool...to say the least.....i made the choice to buy this unit rather than yet another synth! or sound module that mimiks old synths and does nothing really new...i figured that this fx unit may be able to act almost like a re-synthesis tool....it does
and really adds an edge to the sound....sets your music apart...very
good for abstract/ambient stuff.....i must admit at time i have pondered the #900 i paid secondhand....thats an awefull lot of money for me....but this thing is just so rich sounding...quite clinical
maybe and not that warm maybe but very futuristic......2001 sort of
the again maybe thats the sounds i use! and something to do with the style>>>

seems ok...has locked once...when i over dsp'ed it...but most gear does this on occasion......or mine does anyway!

haven't a clue>.

shot hot abstract/ambient dance fxunit thats also a synth and a cool
soundsource in itself if you create samples etc ......rich resonant feedbacks....spacial distortions and lush reverbs...pitchshifts...
not an eventide but unique in its own right..and a classic no doubt.

A word of advice.....stop buying all the hyped new synths...mk this or this.....use more fx treatments on your sounds ...re-sample them...
spend your money on getting a defining edge rather than what others brainwash you into buying.....and have fun........ishq

The t.c. electronic FireworX is a 1U-high 19"-rackmount multi-effects processor sporting a plethora of connectivity options, a wonderful user interface that perfectly fuses the software with the front-panel controls, and a selection of effect modules that allow you to create both classic and progressive sonic treatments guided by a multitude of modulation sources with as much control as the deepest of synthesizers.

Is the FireworX easy to use? Given the modular nature and complexity of this unit, it demands a certain level of programming knowledge to operate. If you do not have previous experience programming synthesizers, you will not realize the full potential of this box.
That said, t.c. electronic gets top marks for creating an environment that simultaneously harnesses the power of the machine and releases the creative vision of its user. The combination of a large, clear, backlit graphic LCD with 25 buttons, 3 wheels, 2 knobs and a PCMCIA slot means navigation is fluid and does not get in the way of the creatve process. This is very important, as the FireworX has the resources available to satisfy the most rabid programmer, and it comes "alive" when tweaked so. The manual is excellent and articulate, and mixes the "reference" style of manual with bits of the "tutorial" style, mainly by way of user tips and notes. You can download the manuals for all t.c. electronic products from their website, and I must say that had a definite impact on my decision to purchase the unit, as I knew what I would be getting into, and that it had the power I desired.

Is it easy to get good sound? Oh my goodness, yes! Everything from vintage effect tones to modern treatments can be realized, all with the kind of detailed sound that speaks to the sonic quality of the algorithms, which are world-class to say the least!

I use the FireworX to process a mix of wavetable, FM, virtual modular, and analog synthesizers, and it handles all of them with elan. The FireworX adds no noise to the input signal unless you want it to, and if so, it has the tools to satisfy.

Tools? The FireworX is appointed with the following modules: dynamics (expander/gate, soft compressor, hard compressor/limiter (all with sidechains!)), filters (resonance, bandpass, phaser, resonator, resochord), formant processing, distortion (drive (tube-distortion), cruncher (quantize and alias)), vocoder, ring mod, synth (function curve generator, fractal chaos generator, noise generator), stereo pitch shift (this is quality pitch shift done by WaveMechanics, and is musical over a much wider range than most pitch shifters), chorus (2 types), flanger (2 types), delay (stereo dual, dual three-tap, one-tap, six-tap, and reverse delays), reverb (quality reverb based on the t.c. M5000/M2000 algorithms with a welcome level of shaping and control of both the early reflections and reverb "tail"), tremelo, pan, stereo enhancer, and parametric EQ.

You control all of those algorithms with a varied complement of modulation sources, including up to 8 MIDI CCs, the alpha wheel or pedal/slider controller, pitch detector, 2 x envelope detectors, 2 x ADSR, 2 x LFO, 2 x function generator, and a "freeform modifier", which is a multi-stage step-sequencer that can modulate any other parameter in a patch.

You choose up to 20 modulators per patch, and as many effects blocks as you wish, up to the DSP limit of the FireworX, arranged in a freely definable modular matrix that includes serial and parallel routings, feedback loops, and external inserts. With this setup you can realize configurations that cover the gamut of options. How much DSP do you get? Quite a lot. You can create maddeningly complex sound processors that go far beyond the limits of other units that seem to offer more DSP. However, the reverb module eats up a bit of power, so the most complex patches + reverb might not be attainable, but the FireworX has excellent provisions for this in the form of an insert loop. You can patch any external processor into the signal chain of the FireworX via alternate I/O from the main I/O. When it comes to connectivity, how does balanced XLR 24-bit analog, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, TOSLINK, and ADAT litepipe sound? I send and return the FireworX via analog I/O, but I have three other effects devices chained to the FireworX via digital I/O, so I not only have the processing I desire on-demand, but the FireworX serves as a capable digital router at the same time, greatly expanding the flexibility of my project studio.

The build quality of the FireworX is nothing short of excellent, sporting a sturdy feel, auto-sense international power supply, and a solid tactile response to its fingertip controls. While I do not gig with the FireworX, I would have no problems doing so. Dependability has been top-notch, with nary a problem.

t.c. electronic has been a pleasure to correspond with via e-mail, and the experience ranks among the best feedback and customer-support I have ever experienced from a maker of musical equipment.

The FireworX is a great match for many musical styles, but offers the power, control and style of effects that make it wonderfully-suited for "modern" musical styles that could be loosely grouped into the heading "electronica". When you need reverse tape fills on-the-fly in your drumbreaks, it delivers. When you need to tempo-lock your delays with melodic, stepped filtering, it delivers. Lush, organic modulations that make pads come alive with motion and air are at your disposal. If you need to patch in another box for more power or because you can?t let go of an analog pedal, it can accommodate. This is the Swiss-Army Knife of processors.

If my FireworX were lost or stolen, I would need to be tranquilized so as to not commit an act of grievous bodily harm upon the perpetrator. I would most certainly get another one!

Is there anything wrong with the unit? Yes, I would like to see a bit more velocity sensitivity in the dials, as spinning to get thru over 1000 patches can become tiresome. This is a niggling complaint overall. Instant patch load would also be nice, but all of the high-end processors of this class need a second to switch setups.

I didn?t compare the FireworX with any other multi-fx units, as none of them offered the kinds of "radical" processing and control that the FireworX did. It is simply in a league of its own.

The FireworX has been programmer?s paradise, and it certainly helps me to achieve the kind of sound I hear in my head and on the records I love to spin. It has been rewarding in a way that can only be appreciated when you program one and add it to your mix.

first of all, the fireworx is not for everybody. analog freaks and old school synth programmers love the idea of its almost limitless modulation capabilities. ironically, though, these are often the same folks who will not want to wade through pages of nested menus on an lcd screen to unleash all the modulation capabilities.
but, given all it does, the relative ease of use is undeniable, even by non-tech-oriented musicians. the global individual effect type cancels are especially useful for those, like me, who do remix and techno work.

typical TC sound quality: pristine. i recommend this in bypass mode as a dedicated a/d converter in a MIDI studio setting.

i use it with a roland SP-808 sampling workstation and a mackie 1202VLZ, live. i use aux 1 from the mackie as the left fireworx channel and aux 2 on the mackie as the right fireworx channel. this way i can have 2 different and completely distinct effects paths. i run it all thru a peavey cs800s 1200W power amp and some fancy altec 145 coaxial speakers.

some people had mentioned that they had trouble getting "low-fi" sounds out of it. i havent had that problem. application of the LPFs in many of the effects algorithms, the "smasher" (tube emulation) parameter in the analog distortion algorithm, and the sample rate reducer can all be implemented(simultaneously if you want!) to thoroughly gunk up your sound.

i heard aphex twin has one of these in his live rig, and that type of sound is easy to get, if that's what you want. sometimes i want that.

i use a peavey pc1600x midi controller to run the fireworx. this gives me the ability (thanks to the fireworx's wonderful MIDI learn mode and exhaustive MIDI implementation) to perform outlandish effects routings completely on the fly.

it has typical swedish build quality. it is as reliable as a volvo. you can bet the farm on this one.

TC was great when i was asking about the finer points of internal signal routing. once we got past the language barrier (i dont speak swedish), we were cool like that.

its main flaw is that it "hiccups" in between presets. it also could use a more efficient DSP power implementation algorithm to avoid processor overload. both of these problems could be addressed in upgraded firmware.
there is no sound that i have wanted, vintage or otherwise, that i have not been able to achieve with the fireworx.
i dont believe that there is a finer effects processor for techno remixers, for studio or live use. to me this box really shines live because of its almost infinite modulation routing capabilities.

Elegantly logical interface and clear, well-illustrated manual. Presets are useful as starting points, plenty of access to effect parameters, and you can save something like 200 of your own presets without erasing the 200 factory ones. You can also backup to PCMCIA card (type I). It allows you to place other devices into a virtual "effects loop" at any point of the FireworX's digital effects chain (which can be parallel or serial). One of the best things, for me, is the ability to assign multiple modifiers (like MIDI control pedals) to virtually every parameter of every effect! These work flawlessly, and open up endless possibilities for distinctive effects. Some drawbacks are that (1) no morphing: preset changes take about 1-2 seconds to load, so if you switch presets mid-phrase in a live performance, you will get a very disruptive "hiccup" (unless you were to use the FireworX in an effects loop at something like 50% or less mix level--which wouldn't do it justice in an average rig). So, although it's wonderful in the studio, I don't recommend it for live use as a primary processor. (It's great as a secondary one, though, as in my setup, where I can quickly switch in and out of basic effects with another device, and reserve the FireworX for other times.) (2) although it has AES/EBU/TOS/S/PDF coaxial and optical digital outputs, only the AES is 24-bit; the S/PDF runs at 20-bit. This makes connecting it to some other digital devices via S/PDF awkward. For instance, I found that it sounds better to go analog (rather than digital) from a t.c. G-Force (which, in contrast, has 24-bit S/PDF I/O) to the FireworX. Both the G-Force and the FireworX have really good 24-bit A/D, so that's not a big problem, but something to consider if you absolutely must to go into the FireworX using S/PDIF connectors. (3) It only has something like 8MB effects RAM, which means you run out of configuration options pretty fast. Its reverb algorithm takes up a lot of memory, for example, so the number of effects you can use along with reverb will be somewhat limited. Some very high-end venue sound systems use these units, and I've heard from one of their tech that they've been a little frustrated by the restrictions imposed by the RAM limit. This is not a big complaint on my part, though, since what it CAN do is still pretty amazing for the price. (4) There's no global "wet/dry" control. You have to adjust the output of each preset separately.

Beautiful sound on just about any instrument or voice, live or in the studio. I've used it on a pop/rock demo for everything from tracking flute and vocals to mixdown; live for a 15-minute avant-garde processed violin solo; also in a guitar rig for performing/recording alternative rock. (My setup is: tuner>cry baby>Ibanez Tube Screamer>Boss DD-5 delay pedal>Rocktron Voodu-Valve preamp>t.c. electronic G-Force guitar effects processor>FireworX>BBE 882 sonic maximizer>Mesa Simul 2:90 amp>Marshall 4x12 w/Celestian 75 speakers.) Very smooth, lush, refined time-based effects for instruments or vocals. The delays are wonderful (better, to me, than the Lexicon PCM-80, which I USED to use). I've been told that the t.c. M3000 offers more realistic room-emulations, but the FireworX is definitely no piece of cheese (and much more verstile). There's nothing inherently "low-tech" about any of the sounds (though you can dither down to 8-bit, if you wish). Compression is very effective, and transparent (but it won't add "personality" like a tube compressor). I don't think the distortion sounds are what most guitarists are looking for; they don't emulate classic amps or anything, but they can be used for vocal effects and such. The parametric EQ is good for some things, like guitar, but not primo studio quality. Formant and other filters add dimension to the EQ possibilities (very useful for "wah" and other "special" effects). I have not found a good application for the ring modulator. The stereo-ization effects sound good. The 2-voice pitch generator tracks very well and is sonorous, (but it's NOT "intelipitch", only "fixed", so cannot be set to harmonize in a key like the G-Force or an Eventide Harmonizer). I haven't been able to get a really good rotary speaker simulation, though it might be possible if you know how to do it. Their rotary speaker preset isn't even close to the real thing. The A/D conversion is very clean, and the device is exceptionally quiet. Although it's being marketed in some places as a "guitar" effects processor, I think many guitarists might find the FireworX to be too "high-tech" sounding for a lot of "roots" alt., indie, metal, grunge, blues, etc. It's more of a Vai, Satriani, kind of product, than one suited to the SRV school (of course). But it's not "clinical" sounding when used in the appropriate musical context. It's about as "transparent" as the current generation of digital processors can be, I guess.

No problems in two years on regular use. It gets moved around quite a bit and doesn't jitter. I think it's reliable enough for casuals, though I don't use it that way.

The U.S. t.c. electronic tech support have been receptive to my inquiries, but I've never had to have the thing repaired, so I don't really know.

I play a variety of styles, and wanted a high-quality effects processor for a wide range of live and studio applications. I have not been dissapointed with the FireworX despite some of its shortcomings. The biggest problem is the delay that occurs when changing presets, which makes it awkward for live performance. The overall sound quality is excellent, though, and it's range of effects and control are awesome. If I were to replace it, I would look at the Eventide Harmonizers (GTR4000 or the Orville) or t.c. electronics M5000 system, but these cost much more money. I'd probably end up buying the FireworX again. But I'm such a gear addict that I'd like to have ALL of the above!

I've been using this unit for a year now and created many patches. The versatility it proposes is incredible, but has its side effects. Indeed, when you come to create really complex presets, it's a bit boring to navigate between so many pages and you're limited with the size of the screen. I put 8 as for the moment no pc editor is available.

I use the unit with my home studio : my 01V, my sampler and a Line 6 Pod. The effect blocks are very impressive once understood how to get the nice juice from them. I especially like the flange/chorus (you have to add a feedback loop to get a really whooshy flange), the delays, the dynamics & pan. The distortion is a bit flat, but is important to get rid of the really clean sound of blocks such as phasers or synths. The pitch sounds for me really digital, as for the filters and the reoschords. I like to get sometimes a raw/wild sound coming out of my machines, but I find really hard to get something that sounds not "trancy" out of it. Don't try to saturate the analog imputs, it sounds awfull. Don't try to change the delay time while running, it'll make some digital clips.
The vocoder is a bit weak with one band.
The synths blocks are really cool, but you can't modulate it quickly enough to get some sounds with a real attack.
However, I'll put a 9 as it'll please those who like clean and precise sounds.

for the moment, no problem with it, it never crashed. However, with the price, I'd think twice to use it in an oudoor live at a muddy free-party !

I asked a few questions to tc and receive the answer the day after. I think they're ok on the support.

I play electronic music. I'm not a purist of analog machines, but I still think some effects sound really digital. You can get more organic sounds with the eq etc..., but it is hard to mix low fi sounds with the quality of the effects of the fireworx (that often sound brighter, more present than the dry source !). I love to use the flange as a laser beam which sounds, once passed through my pod, almost like a guitar, but it's a bit expensive to get that effect.
I'm still expecting to discover new utilisations with this machine, but if it was stolen, I must admit I would try maybe something else, with the same control/modulation capacities, but with a warmer sound. Does it exist ?

Its very easy to get artistic juices flowing with 200 different presets. Editing isnt that difficult when you had others digital machines before. The manual is setup very good so you can start working very quik and so is the user interface, this is a big advantage. Just in one day I got myself going and even editing some patches, and got an expression pedal set up in ten minutes or so. The userinterface is big of course. But hey what can you expect from a machine like this. I really think this is the best interface I had until now except the ones on my computer. Which have obviously much more space. Then there's the manual which got me going. But... its very simplistic I think. With such good effects and this power in the machine I would like to have some more information then a global idea. But maybe this is just me. Its 80 pages which I found to be less then some other simpeler machines i own or have owned. The software version is 1.02. It tells you all the features and parameters and how to do things but I think it should give also more in depth ideas about the effects and how they can be used in comibantion which eachother.

I just had to give this a ten. I've used it with electric guitars, strat and paul, bass, vocals, acoustic guitars, my synth stuff, flute and some percussive instruments. Just too good to be true! This machine has no noise, great presets, great effects and the things you can control are just amazing. You can get many parameters controlled by one controller or setup many controllers. Just something i never thought was possible until now. The presets are very versatile. Most sounds used in all kind of music can be made with it. Also I see good possibilities in this machine to be used for effects on movies. The 24 A/D converters cant be heard in my opinion. I've got it running after my mic preamp straight into my digital in on my soundcard to bypass the soundcards ins. Also got it in after my guitar preamp and behind the synth. The soundquality is the best I've got until now except some plugins on my computer(dspfx). Which are just as good in soundquality I think but not so versatile and you can't maipulate the sounds as well.

Cant say much on this poit yet. Its staying in my homestudio and I think it wont give any problems as long as I myself dont do anything to it. Or if the software has some bugs. No known problems yet.This is also a reason why I bought this expensive quality unit. I hate having to deal with this kind of things I have a computer which is more then enough to handle. I know how but I rather make music.

Not much on this point either.

Im not going to give this a ten because I dont think any machines in this line deserve that with the fast development in the dsp-industry. It comes close to the ten for sure. For me its just a temporary solution until computerbased processing is much better. And for me this will be in two year or so. Right now I wanted a better A/D converter and something that didnt needed upgrading again too fast. I play almost any kind of music. Started out with guitar and picked up anything I could. I've done some recordings for other people, teach and make my own recordings. I like to do everything myself so I just got to have the complete line from instrument to recordingmastering at the right level. Well at least on a budget that is.I think this was my last piece for now I really just got to have. I've had some other stuff like digitech and the VS880 from Roland. But that didnt work for me. Just got to be close to perfect with the budget I have. No I only work with logic audio anymore because its the fastest way to work. Got some good plugins for the final mix. And now I think ive finally got the link i was missing. A good realtime effectprocessor with great quality effects and some really funny and weirds ones. This is gonna make my record really come alive. I can use it with almost anything I play. I used it on some compositions of mine, some guitar stuff like Steve Vai does, classical, blues, jazz ,dance music and I tried to make some movie effects with it. It all can be done. Thats what I call versatile!! For me this is the perfect solution for now. But as technology keeps growing and hopefully so does my budget who knows what I think in a year or so.....