NPD today! (though this unit isn't actually a pedal)
Just a first impression based on 30 minutes of dinkin around with it. Bass in, synth out, practice amp. Bass sounds completely normal with the blend knob fully CCW. The Unity bass I have is a Dyna, with the active/passive toggle switch. The Unisyn seems to respond better in passive mode. I cannot discern an audible difference between compressor on/off, though I'm using a practice amp right now, which might explain that.
With a 50/50 blend of synth and normal bass, I don't hear any latency above C (A string 3rd fret). Below those notes I *think* I might hear it, but maybe not. Later I'll setup a test recording with multiple tracks to get a better measurement of latency. For now I'll say it's all good - on par with the SY1000 (when using it's 1/4" input).
Fully CW in the blend knob is 100% synth output. This part is both very simple, and somewhat complex. Simple in the sense that it's a pretty simple synthesizer, and complex (somewhat) because getting it to work musically will take some time to figure out. I've been able to come up with some clarinet/english horn sounds (using sine + square waves) and an enjoyable tuba/trombone sound (saw + sine waves). However, the internal synth of this unit is not really something to do backflips over. I should add that when used as an octaver, it can beat the sub feature of my Ashdown RM800 any day (most useless function in that amp), and it might beat out my Aguilar pedal (which admittedly I'm not all that impressed with).
Couple of quirks I noticed. The pitch shifting knob is not accurate with the marks on the faceplate. Mine is a few degrees to the left (meaning that unity is at about 11:57 versus 12:00). Not a big deal, though. There's a funny behavior related to the gate setting and sustain on my guitar. Firstly, I have to use the gate. Without it, the synth will trigger from simply changing my grip on the neck, or air moving across the strings. With the gate engaged (I was using a very low setting) it will close before the sustain from my strings is fully dissipated. However, the synth will still be heard after the gate is closed! Also, some of the available synth settings may result in the pitch of the synth CHANGING after the gate closes, and you can still hear the original note! This could be a real problem if you don't close your notes (as is often the case for me). Maybe my bass has too much sustain - or I'm just not that good of a player? Something to be aware of.
Anyway I think it's pretty cool so far. Still haven't tried MIDI output, or inputting anything other than a bass, so there's a lot more to explore....
