External FX Recommendations

Will do thank you so much :slight_smile:

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I love the Empress Zoia. It’s more than the average effects pedal. I don’t want to sound like a brand loyalist, but Empress rarely misses. This pedal is the type of thing where it’s easier to explain what it can’t do but it’s also kind of hard to learn at first, because it’s basically a full modular synthesizer that can also loop, sample, sequence, mangle, pitch shift, bit crush, be an entire effects chain, do granular processing, and if you’re really into designing your own effects and in-depth high-quality audio processing capability in a small portable package, the Zoia is all that and a bag of chips. If you don’t feel like deep-diving into modular synthesis in pedal format and just want to use it as an effects module, there’s thousands of free patches that you can download to it from the amazing user community. Many of these are excellent emulations of some of the best effects pedals on the market. You can load up 64 patches per bank and play with Zoia renditions of the Microcosm, Ottobit, Particle, Count To Five, 1978, Gen Loss, and yeah, their not all perfect emulations but many of the users who continue to churn out free insane generative music makers and granular loopers and shit and you can play with all of them. Even if you never really learn the pedal, there’s so many ways to use it, it just makes all things better. And ghost verb for the win. :ghost:

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Poly Beebo is another really interesting option in the same style. Modular Synth and Multi FX module only limited by CPU. Beebo has all the mutable modules too, and convolution reverb.

Damn that Godfather looks sick! There needs to be more multichannel effects routing stations on the market. This is exciting. Would love to see Elektron’s take on this.

Anyway, Dreadbox, Old Blood Noise Endeavors, Chase Bliss, Meris, Strymon, Hologram, Earthquaker, Eventide, Empress. Acidbox and Zen Delay (Erica Synths), Glou Glou, Malekko, Sherman Filterbank, there’s honestly too many cool ones to name them all.

Perfect Circuit always has an amazing selection of some more common, as well as more rare effects pedals and desktop effects modules to browse if you want to see what your options really look like. They typically don’t carry much fluff there. Also, Frostwave, DigDugDIY. The 1010 Lemondrop or if you just just inherited a fortune, Gotherman’s Little Deformer MK3 for granular processing. Don’t get me started on Eurorack effects modules that look cool enough to sell a kidney for. Having an Elektron sequencer tied to an effects track sounds like proper fire though (Syntakt, Analog Four/Keys) Ugh. I gotta get back to this beat now.

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Incredible audio mangling possibilities. More than OT.
CPU limits.
It can also be used as a midi to CV, envelope follower to midi, pitch detector to midi, a midi processor (I mapped OT crossfader to min/max CCs for instance).

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The fact that you decree the Zoia to be better for audio mangling than the Octatrack confirms my hesitant opinion that this is probably the best effects option on the market. Luckily, I already own one so no GAS increase. Also, I would love to see your mangling workflow and learn how you put the Zoia to use, as I am still learning this incredibly deep and lovely machine.

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I use a Line 6 Helix (the floor board, but the HX Stomp has the same FX). It can do everything from distortion/overdrive/fuzz to modulation, reverb, delays, compression. You can chain multiple effects or do parallel processing. It is just excellent as a multi-effect.

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I have it. Yes, tons of fx you can control with midi learn and sync.
I use it for guitar but I didn’t experimented it enough with OT.

Me too ! No workflow yet. I have to dive in again. Its loopers with very high pitch range, sequencers, lfos, enveloppe follower assignable to anything…

I mangled an plant recently.
(CV OUT/IN), cv to pitch on oscs.

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Another thing to consider: the Strymon Mobius. It’s a modulation pedal so it wouldn’t address the OP’s quest for reverb and delay beyond what the OT has to offer, but in terms of modulation it’s a fantastic pedal. I’m especially fond of the rotary speaker and Univibe models, but the Formant is a blast, too. Also, and most of the pedals and effects units folks have mentioned here qualify, I believe: look for things with MIDI input so you can clock and time-based effects from your OT. This is mostly something to look out for with pedals – many companies are including various ways of using MIDI to control parameters, but not everyone. Depending on what direction you go, you may need some adapters and/or interface boxes (for example, Meris makes a MIDI I/O box for their pedals that have 1/4" MIDI/EXP jacks), but being able to sync up your external effects, particularly delay, with the tempo from your OT is probably something you’ll want (and it’s super fun).

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Yeah, Line 6 is excellent as well. I forgot to mention them. I would of course love to get my hands on a Stomp or even better, Helix, but I love my DL4 MKII. The delays and reverbs are both great and between it and the Zoia, It’s kept a lot of effects GAS at a manageable level.

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I highly recommend the Zoom MS-70CDR. Loads of great effects (especially the delays and reverbs) that you can chain together. I have mine as a send/return on the OT. Works great when resampling. Combined with an Analog Heat on the master outs, and you’ll be set for years.

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Thank you so much for the detailed feedback I seen this and very impressed with how it sounds. For me the effects pedal must have midi. Also have checked out the other suggestions too.

I seen this one long ago and its very decent for it’s price makes it very tempting. If only it had midi ports! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Yes. Good value. Great seems exaggerated.
I have a 70 CDR but I may sell it.

I sold my Mobius.

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Monotron delay :heart:

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At the price point ofthe more expensive things getting recommended, you might get more from a cheap Eurorack skiff and a few processing modules (maybe a filter or two, a basic matrix mixer, a couple modulation sources (I’d start with an oscillator that can cover LFO and audio rates, and an envelope follower) and one of the modules that can run Puredata patches.

I don’t even like the Eurorack format (all else being equal it’s one of the last modular formats I would choose - no real adherance to standards betweenmanufacturers, cramped interface, 1/8" cables are horrible), but I think it would be a good choice here if you’re seriousy looking at stuff in the $500-$1000 range.

Or an Axoloti Core if you can actually find one for sale.

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Possible to have a good reverb with it ? (I have one).

for me eventide timefactor and space. I personally don’t like devices that want to be everything like the h90. Although I wouldn’t mind trying it out, maybe I’m cheating too.

with the time factor and the space you have over 20 controllers with a thousand possibilities (midi capability) and that in studio quality. even after more than 10 years, these two effects are unbeatable. eventide has always specialized in building decent effects. Of course there are even nicer things, but then it gets really expensive.

i really hope that elektron will update rytm and a4 with an update where it is finally possible to control cc and please do so for each individual track. that would mean that you could sequence space and modfactor, that’s pure gold for sound design.

Does that price range include a case & power? It’s hard for me to imagine a $500 system on par with any guitar fx pedal mentioned above

I am very intimidated by modular stuff lol. I don’t know how it works what to do. So I’m trying to stay clear for now. However I do know once I enter that side its the big leagues lol.

I’d like to buy it again…
I wonder if its L/R inputs are summed, like on most of reverbs…