You love that boredbrain stuff. I'm GASing pretty hard for the terminal
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Bitcrushers and Sample Rate Reduction (SRR) - what's your flavour?
- Thread starter Al Krow
- Start date
You love that boredbrain stuff. I'm GASing pretty hard for the terminal
Seems like the right tool for the job. I believe the Transmutron can do something similar, as the crossover loops can go at rack levels.
Interesting point about not putting a volume knob on the Ottobit. This isn't their only pedal where a volume knob has been omitted - it was a big concern for bassists with regard to the Enzo too and was a factor (together with lack of presets) in me not getting an Enzo - I opted for a Future Impact instead.
I am finding that with the Meris pedals, you really need to take the extra step to get MIDI setup. That's what really makes those pedals something super special.
You're all right ! These powerful tools need to be used with all the extended possibilities.
Someone made an Enzo and a Mercury 7 MIDI online editor (some kind of genius), maybe he will make the other ones too.
But as live machines, they lack of output volume (or sometimes wet/dry mix) managing.
Have to admit the idea of being FORCED to use MIDI is something that annoys me. I don't need to do that with my Helix, Source Audio pedals, or Panda FI, so this thread has already been helpful to me in saving me a bunch of cash on an Ottobit Jr!
Sorry about my rant - it's just annoying that you're "expected" to be bringing extra kit to the party to be able to use a $300 pedal to its full potential!
Anyway I took out my annoyance by spending a bit of quality time with my Helix Stomp this evening. The bitcrush on the Stomp is without doubt a whole level better than the Mooer Lofi, so my Mooer can get swiftly moved on having had a short but sweet stay on the Krow pedal board! It was kinda fun putting together a 'gated' bitcrush on the Stomp that's only triggered when you dig in hard; dead easy to do by setting the open and close levels suitably.
Just as an fyi - the bitcrush parameters available to adjust on the Stomp are also a whole level more sophisticated than those available on the Zoom multis (I've got the B1X-4 and previously had both the B3n and the MS-60B).
So I guess that we could reasonably add another bitcrush option to our list: Helix Stomp.
Anyway I took out my annoyance by spending a bit of quality time with my Helix Stomp this evening. The bitcrush on the Stomp is without doubt a whole level better than the Mooer Lofi, so my Mooer can get swiftly moved on having had a short but sweet stay on the Krow pedal board! It was kinda fun putting together a 'gated' bitcrush on the Stomp that's only triggered when you dig in hard; dead easy to do by setting the open and close levels suitably.
Just as an fyi - the bitcrush parameters available to adjust on the Stomp are also a whole level more sophisticated than those available on the Zoom multis (I've got the B1X-4 and previously had both the B3n and the MS-60B).
So I guess that we could reasonably add another bitcrush option to our list: Helix Stomp.
It's not so much that you are being forced to use MIDI, but there is an option to take things to the next level with MIDI. A Meris pedal is way beyond just a stompbox. Much like the Source Audio pedals and Panda FI you mention...they are much more than just a stompbox too. If you want to unlock the power in those, MIDI makes it possible...in fact, without MIDI the Panda FI is pretty unusable unless you organize your patches (which requires MIDI). The helix is an all in one solution...it would be as if Meris was selling you a package that included the MIDI and the controller...and it's priced like that.
You can be rant and be mad, but if you are getting an ottobit jr just for bit crushing then you don't need MIDI at all, just pick the setting you like and click it on and off. The Ottobit Jr does WAY more than bit crushing. If all you want is bit crushing, go with the Frederic BugCrusher - one switch, and 2 knobs (balance & rate which lets you control the mix of the signal and the voicing of the crusher). Getting a Meris pedal without at minimum taking advantage of presets is wasting your money.
@cosmicevan I partly agree with you.
To get the most of the Meris or indeed the Panda FI you need access to midi, this I agree.
But with the Panda FI you can edit patches at home on your PC via an inexpensive midi cable and store them on your FI for live use. You don't need to be taking a midi set up with you on your board to access them - you have up to 99 easily accessible patches available. So all you need with the FI is a cheap midi connection to your PC.
And you certainly don't need even access to midi at all to do something as basic as equalise your clean by-pass volume to your effect-engaged volume on the FI (or indeed pretty much most other pedals). It is this basic 'standard' volume control feature that is not available on a $300 Meris pedal without using additional hardware that is the cause of my annoyance with Meris. It demonstrates a basic lack of understanding of the needs of a gigging musician.
To get the most of the Meris or indeed the Panda FI you need access to midi, this I agree.
But with the Panda FI you can edit patches at home on your PC via an inexpensive midi cable and store them on your FI for live use. You don't need to be taking a midi set up with you on your board to access them - you have up to 99 easily accessible patches available. So all you need with the FI is a cheap midi connection to your PC.
And you certainly don't need even access to midi at all to do something as basic as equalise your clean by-pass volume to your effect-engaged volume on the FI (or indeed pretty much most other pedals). It is this basic 'standard' volume control feature that is not available on a $300 Meris pedal without using additional hardware that is the cause of my annoyance with Meris. It demonstrates a basic lack of understanding of the needs of a gigging musician.
Yes, you CAN access all 99 patches on the Future Impact with no peripherals, if you don't mind clicking 7 or 9 times between settings and most likely clicking the wrong button or overclicking (I have one, I know...and that motivated me to go MIDI - I was already there before I discovered Meris - and honestly if you have a FI and a Meris pedal on your board you are crazy to not invest in MIDI at this point). Also, the future impact costs quite a bit more money than Meris so there's that too...I'd argue you can dial in your ideal sound at home w MIDI on a Meris pedal and then have that perfect stomp box access. But ultimately we can agree to disagree here since you will never convince me that Meris pedals aren't worth the money...but I don't know what you are expecting if you aren't taking advantage of the MIDI. The helix is a multi-effects unit...
You might as well just get the EHX mono synth and just toggle between the dozen or so presets with that knob if you are looking for simple dial in pedals. Even that pedal requires the add on of an expression pedal to really take advantage of it, but the sound set is so much more finite. To unlock all that magic without MIDI, the pedal would be riddled with internal dip switches or lines with external toggles like chase bliss pedals...neither of which are functional in a live situation. If you want the sound to change there has to be a way to change the sound and these pedals give you 2 buttons.
Haha - yes you are correct we are not going to agree on this one!
Not sure whether you are using your pedals live with any bands, but I am never realistically going to need anything like 99 FI presets with any of my three bands. Maybe 2 or 3 tops. Very easy to set up.
But please don't get me wrong - I am not anti the use of midi, which is what I am sounding like on the above posts! Indeed, I have a One Control Gecko III for this very purpose.
My point is actually a very simple one which @Molnfabrik helpfully brought to our attention: it would be simple for Meris to include an output volume control on their pedals (this doesn't require Chase Bliss levels of sophistication). Until they have the good sense to do this, I am reluctant to spend $300 per pedal on their gear.
Not sure whether you are using your pedals live with any bands, but I am never realistically going to need anything like 99 FI presets with any of my three bands. Maybe 2 or 3 tops. Very easy to set up.
But please don't get me wrong - I am not anti the use of midi, which is what I am sounding like on the above posts! Indeed, I have a One Control Gecko III for this very purpose.
My point is actually a very simple one which @Molnfabrik helpfully brought to our attention: it would be simple for Meris to include an output volume control on their pedals (this doesn't require Chase Bliss levels of sophistication). Until they have the good sense to do this, I am reluctant to spend $300 per pedal on their gear.
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