Yamaha Magicstomp EB review - It ROCKS!!!

[Kickin'Fruit]

Does the Magicstomp let you adjust the amount of "clean" and "dry" signal? I know I really don't need another multi effects pedal right now but it does look mighty tasty.

Not quite, sure, I've been using it on a home stereo because my rig is at practice, and I haven't been able to bring it to practice yet. I do know that some patches have Gain, and a Master Volume. There is also a Master volume knob on the pedal itself. You can adjust the levels directly on the pedal or through deep edit. Such as frequency, delay, etc.

 

[Vandelay]

Does the Magicstomp let you adjust the amount of "clean" and "dry" signal? I know I really don't need another multi effects pedal right now but it does look mighty tasty.

From what I've observed, some of the patches (the Auto Wahs, the Choruses, the Flangers, for example) allow you to adjust the "MIX", which I understand to mean the blend between the effect and the dry signal. But most patches don't allow this -- they simply allow you to adjust the level of effect, the gain, the EQ, etc.

 

[Kickin'Fruit]

From what I've observed, some of the patches (the Auto Wahs, the Choruses, the Flangers, for example) allow you to adjust the "MIX", which I understand to mean the blend between the effect and the dry signal. But most patches don't allow this -- they simply allow you to adjust the level of effect, the gain, the EQ, etc.

With deep edit you can add the mix function as one of the knobs.

 

[shooter_mi]

In performance mode, of those three patches lined up, you can only have one active at a time and when you switch to the other, the previous is turned off.

But the point is you can program any number of effects, in any combination, into one user patch. You can't have two factory presets on at the same time, but you can program them both into a user preset together.

 

[DrGroovenstein]

I read somewhere that the max number of effects was two, and they were actually specific combinations.

 

[Kickin'Fruit]

Are there any specific combinations you are looking for in effects? I could try it out and tell you.

This isn't a pedal board replacer but it is definitly a single pedal replacer. If you're looking to have every pedal out there, this is it. It is a multi effects but not simultaneous effects really. Sure you can mix and match some but it's not going to simulate them all at once. It can be an amp simulator (which I assign a type of head to one of the knobs then I can just change it with the turn of the knob) with cabs (i.e. yamaha 410 or 210 etc) it can be a parametric eq., it can be a compressor, it can be distortion, fuzz, autowah and much much more.

I guess I would really need more specific questions to give more specific answers without saying "try it"

 

[Michael Vee]

I'm thinking about a bass 'stomp myself.

But, yamaha.com and magicstomp.com only have online info on the guitar and acoustic 'stomps, not the bass model.

The online library doesn't have any bass 'stomp-related downloads, either.

Am I missing something? Or is Yamaha way behind the product introduction on getting the online info going?

 

[DrGroovenstein]

Does it have any synth sounds?

MichaelVee, don't hold your breath for anything else downloadable or website content. They are being blown-out for a reason. They will probably be replaced or discontinued very very soon.

 

[The Dave]

I'm thinking about a bass 'stomp myself.

But, yamaha.com and magicstomp.com only have online info on the guitar and acoustic 'stomps, not the bass model.

The online library doesn't have any bass 'stomp-related downloads, either.

Am I missing something? Or is Yamaha way behind the product introduction on getting the online info going?

I called Yamaha and they told me that there are no plans to make a Bass 'stomp website.

 

[PhatBasstard]

In performance mode, of those three patches lined up, you can only have one active at a time and when you switch to the other, the previous is turned off.

Missed that part.
RATZ!!!

 

[Orco87]

I just ordered a zoom 505II since I'm a newb @ effects, but wish to have fun...

should I buy this instead and sell the zoom?

 

[Kickin'Fruit]

I just ordered a zoom 505II since I'm a newb @ effects, but wish to have fun...

should I buy this instead and sell the zoom?

I think the Magicstomp blows the ZOOM out of the water as far as features, quality, pricepoint, customizability is concerned. Only place where the ZOOM I can think is better is the ability to add an expression pedal.

Remember that at one time the Magicstomps were selling for over $200 and were considered worth it. Now at $79, there's not even a decision to be made... get it.

 

[Orco87]

I think the Magicstomp blows the ZOOM out of the water as far as features, quality, pricepoint, customizability is concerned. Only place where the ZOOM I can think is better is the ability to add an expression pedal.

Remember that at one time the Magicstomps were selling for over $200 and were considered worth it. Now at $79, there's not even a decision to be made... get it.

Geez!!! I wish I knew about this before I purchased the zoom... *sigh* I'm gonna have to wait til' payday before I go all out and just buy it.

 

[Ian Perge]

Where did you purchase the Zoom - is there any type of return policy available to you? If online, you usually have 30-45 days and it'll only cost you the shipping price back to the dealer.

If a physical store, ask politely if a return is possible. At the cost and savings of the Magicstomp, even a restocking fee is tolerable.

Count me in among the "Amazed at the quality" group - I wanted it mainly for time-based and its octave effects, as my preamp's overdrive/distortion, chorus, ovtave down, and synth qualities are bar none. But I'm pleasantly surprised at the OD/Distortions this has, the stereo chorusing is very nice, and the 8/12-string octave effect? (or in my case, 10/15-string) It's so good I'd have paid the $80 for that only, having experimented with "electronic octaves" almost my entire playing career. This makes my old Bass Whammy sound like a faulty circuit.

 

[Bongolation]

Am I missing something? Or is Yamaha way behind the product introduction on getting the online info going?

It's dumped. It was never supported and there are no downloads for it, unlike the guitar MkII. The MagicStomp EB was discontinued in less than a year after introduction. It was a later repackaging of the earlier guitar Magicstomp.

The three MagicStomps are internally 99.9%+ identical except for the (largely useless, gimmicky and overstated) demo factory patches.

The amp and cabinet models (yes, these are modelers -- contrary to someone's earlier misinformation) as well as the distortion settings are identical in the guitar and bass versions, as are all the effects. The only difference I can find in the downloaded list of literally thousands of adjustable parameters is a bass preamp effect.

I doubt that if you have the guitar Magicstomp there's any real advantage to having the bass version, if you could just download the bass patches from someone, as Yamaha doesn't have them available anywhere I can find (don't lose that CD!).

Programming and adjustment are very limited and awkward considering the enormous variety of effects and parameters available -- at least in theory. One cannot program a new patch other than from one of a set of existing templates of certain types of patches. Effects cannot be usually be added or removed from these "type" options, so you cannot string a random bunch of effects together with a cab/speaker model with any real freedom. The computer editing software isn't well documented nor very intuitive.

The basic problem with the Magicstomp is the gross disparity between the huge range of adjustments and the practical user access to them. This is why the line did not meet with market success.

For $80, it's a good deal, but be prepared for some programming frustration.

 

[Fernando F]

Yamaha Website says : The magicstomp has the power to be everything from a single unit stomp box to a studio multi-effects.
Does anybody have tried it in combination with another stompbox?

 

[Orco87]

I just bought one, seems like they're really running out. Earlier last week they said that they would be available until the 16th, I checked back last night and it said the 6th. That's a big difference...

Although I haven't even gotten the thing yet, anybody thing there is a way to use the guitar unit's downloads for the bass unit? If they're essentially the same, it shouldn't hurt....?

 

[Bongolation]

Although I haven't even gotten the thing yet, anybody thing there is a way to use the guitar unit's downloads for the bass unit? If they're essentially the same, it shouldn't hurt....?

To correct what might be some misinformation in my previous message, I just discovered that the dissimilarity between the guitar MkII and the bass EB versions may be purely with the software.

The guitar comes with v1.0 software, which only serves the guitar functions.

The v2.10 (final) software (which I believe comes with the EB) serves all three devices and apparently makes them all 100% interchangeable.

At the moment, I am having problems getting the bass settings to work on the guitar device, however.

 

[Orco87]

To correct what might be some misinformation in my previous message, I just discovered that the dissimilarity between the guitar MkII and the bass EB versions may be purely with the software.

The guitar comes with v1.0 software, which only serves the guitar functions.

The v2.10 (final) software (which I believe comes with the EB) serves all three devices and apparently makes them all 100% interchangeable.

At the moment, I am having problems getting the bass settings to work on the guitar device, however.

okay, so far from reading, I can expect there to be no downloads on the website, and from what you've stated, the guitar comes w/ different software... so the downloads most likely will or won't work w/ the v2.10 software? (Since it's interchangeable w/ all of them, they should right?) If guitar downloads work w/ the v2.10 software, then this pedal should be able to accept the guitar downloads... right?

 

[Bongolation]

okay, so far from reading, I can expect there to be no downloads on the website, and from what you've stated, the guitar comes w/ different software... so the downloads most likely will or won't work w/ the v2.10 software? (Since it's interchangeable w/ all of them, they should right?) If guitar downloads work w/ the v2.10 software, then this pedal should be able to accept the guitar downloads... right?

I'm sorry, but this whole thing is really confusing and there's virtually no Yamaha online support.

I'm still getting conflicting information from users on this, and my own experience is both limited and perplexing.

In addition to the differences in the software, there also appears to be a firmware issue. More or less to my original impression some time ago, the EB and the MkII appear to have different firmware. Trying to run the bass patches in the v2.10 editor on the MkII violently crashes the unit, though the Acoustic settings seem to work fine. The question seems to be if the the EB's firmware is back-compatible with the MkII's.

Naturally, the largely-defunct Magicstomp.Com site only has the ancient firmware from several years ago, not even for the current devices. The site became moribund even before the EB version came out. I believe their latest firmware is v1.8 and the firmware that comes in the MkII is v2.00. I think the EB's firmware is v2.10, but I am not positive.

The Magicstomp's firmware is user-upgradeable, but only if you can find it somewhere.

I'm thinking that the EB (bass) Magicstomp, which is a later device, may be back-compatible to the previous MkII and AG Magicstomps, but perhaps not the other way around.

If you buy one of these, I'd say go for the EB. What I find amusing is that MF is still selling the AG for $150 and the v2.10 editor will make the $80 MkII (and probably the EB) do the identical functions.