Very strange. Let's see what happens after the next update.
This moring, I re-upgraded using the later Neuro installer (3.0.13) and it upgraded as expected on my Windows device. Now I can see the Artifakt in my device list when I plug it in via USB. The wasn't happening before and it's the first time I've seen the Artifakt in Neuro. I can see all of the pedal's presets and their settings. I'm loving the dirt options...you have packed a LOT into this pedal. I didn't think that the Artifakt had been integrated into Neuro, so it';s the first time I've got this part working and it's amazing. The last few day's I've only been working with the pedal at a hardware level, now Ican see what's happening under the hood and I'm liking what I'm seeing.
As a fan and consumer of Source Audio products, there are three things that are being presented to me with the Artifakt. Each is massive and ground breaking. This is Source Audio "The Next generation"...sorry about the Star trek reference. I think we'll be talking about how the Source Audio have changed or evolved post 2024 for some time.
Firstly, Neuro 3. This new interface is very modern and sleek. The old Neuro (2?) was klunky and I'm going to use a Statr Trek reference. It made me think of what it would be like to drive the consoles on the old TV USS Enterprise, the original 1960's controls. Everything was there...but you had to learn it's quirks. Neuro 3 is literally "the next generation", it now feels sleek and beautiful and it's like the displays on the Enterprise D. Not just functional but elegant and actually nice to use. It's tactile and has a great balance between form and function. I would dar to say that Neuro has matured as product to the point that it may well be the best of breed and light to all the other manufacturers saying...boys...this is how you design a desktop user interface. By "boys"....I mean Eventide, Strymon, EHX, Boss. Seriosuly, this is world class and it almost brought a tear to my eye.
It works, it's beautiful and it's a joy to use. I love the ease that I can navigate local settings, hub scenes, local / published presets and community presets.
Secondly, the new hardware chassis that is being presented with the Artifakt. OMG this is another revolution in a box. This is obviously the new small box One Series...the next generation (soz..another Star trek-ism again). I love the 3 way toggle on the Mod knob....THAT is genius level of function and control, while being VERY Source Audio. It reminds me of the Sound Blox 2 tone shaping options and it's a fantastic way of allowing a lot of control, on the fly , quickly and easily, while using minimal presented hardware controls. It's a single knob and a 3 way switch....brilliant! It's like a return to the Sound Blox 2, only better.
I can easily see this hardware chassis being used to slowly replace the really older smaller One Series units. This hardware really lend itself to what Source Audio does best, a small device that only does one genre. Unlike most multi FX, which do a lot but not necessarilty, everything as well. Source Audio makes specific pedals that don't step outside their intentional parameters. With Source Audio, you are buying a specific type of pedal that does that role exceptionally well. It's like buying a Hi Fi component and not an all in one. With my experiance of Source Audio, usually their pedals are the best of breed in that particular type. I think dirt, the aftershock or ultrawave...boom. I think filter...Spectrum...boom. Compression...Atlas...boom.
This hardware could be the platform that gives Source Audio the opportunitiy to do something with all of the really old One Series pedals that are getting a little stale in their catalogue. I would buy in a heart beat a modulation pedal in this format, or Dirt for that matter. Can you imagine the integration of all 4 of SA's excellent modulation pedals in to this one chassis. I think the Spectrum / filters would work on this chassis too, the ultrawave and C4 would probably need another chassis because they aren't so diven by specific engines.
Seriously guys...this is a stunning piece of engineering and product development. Time to start revising your older pedals!
And thridly, the Artifakt's software layer. Well...i didn't see this coming! It's a crazy delight of what intially appears to be a random collection of engines placed into the new chassis to show case what the new hardware platform can do. Like all the best Source Audio pedals, it's slightly overwhelming and perplexing. It's remit is "anything that destructs your signal" and it does that exceedingly well. Possibly because it's the only pedal like this currently available and it's setting the bar very high. In subtractive Synthesis it's what control you have in systematically taking away from the oscillators that gives you your patch. In a mixing desk it's what you cut that gives you your mix....withthis pedal it's what you destroy, warp, glitch, filter etc...that gives you a very unique charector. Often I'm finding that I am re-creating some kind of 1930's gramaphone sound. I love it, but it's not what I expected.
It's got a great bit crusher....an awesome Ladder filter, the dirt options is suprisingly wide ranging and versatile. It has some limited compression, it has a really capably delay engine which also feeds the modulation options. It's like a well thought out collection of spare parts put together to create something very new, unique and special. it reminds me of when my wife makes a "hot pot" fro dinner. it's liek a random collection of (good) left overs put into a new meal to make some thing new and very tasty. Except Source Audio haven't put scraps or left overs in to this very carefully crafted hot pot...they have put their best bits and carfted something extraordinary.
So...did I need this pedal? No....I didn't know I needed it before the Artifakt came along.
Do I need this pedal? At the moment, i'm not sure. I'm still working through it's practical and musical application. However, life is much more than practical needs...we all buy things we love...not just the things we need. It's what makes life fun and enjoyable and not just about survival.
Do I want this pedal...hell YES! It's a lot of suprising fun.
Would I advise this pedal? Certainly...it's not what you expect. Under the hood, you can do a lot with this pedal. It can cover a lot of ground...however sticking to just it's "destructor" nature, this pedal is unexpected and a suprise. On bass it might not have a massive application (a bit like a fish eye lens in photography), however in the right context it can add some really nice new things to a tonal pallet. On bass specifically; the ladder filter, dirt, reverb, delay and modulation options all have useful application, but that isn't this kind of pedal. It's intention is to crush, destruct, glitch, thin, warble and flutter your world and it does this amazingly well.
So that's my observations from the last 2 days from unboxing the Artifakt.