Im upgrading from my Zoom pedal to either a Empress Reverb/Echosystem or Strymon Timeline. Budget is up to £500. Anythoughts? Most of my gear is Analogue keyboards. Cheers.
OTO BIM and BAM? I’ve always wanted them but never got around to it. Worth a look!
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Cheers Craig. Yes they look cool. Every one of these has a unique strong point. If i choose one im sure it will be amazing anyway.
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I’ve owned this one twice. Sort of a ‘jack-of-all-trades, master of none’ type pedal. They’re all passable algorithms but nothing really stands out. The ‘Lo-fi’ machine got the most use for sure. It’s the ‘Destroyer’ machine from the Mobius with a delay line in it (which can be disabled entirely).
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You could also check Source Audio Ventris/Nemesis (Reverb/Delay) or the Collider.
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Check Out the source audio collider.
High quality reverb/delay combi pedal!
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Came here to recommend the Collider but I see I have to get in line!
(I also upgraded from a Zoom and was happy I did.)
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The Collider sounds quite amazing never heard of it before. Gah more options!!
I really like my avalanche run ~ and it’s really pretty too:
No midi in, but tap tempo and external pedal to live tweak parameter makes this a really fun pedal to use with my analog gear.
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What about a Poly Effects Beebo? They’re much more flexible than most pedals. They are multi effects after all, but you have to get digging with the menus. 4 ins and outs.
I found most of the swish, fancy new pedals became a distraction. Sounded great but in the end I wanted more of a workhouse effects processor than a specific character in sound/tone.
But if you’ve narrowed it down to the Strymon or Empress, I’d go with the Empress Ecosystem.
I had the Collider and liked its algorithms very much. Two aspects I did not like: (1) inputs/outputs on opposite sides (made me place it 90 degrees turned on my table), and (2) on some effects the sound was silenced when I changed parameters.
I sold the Collider and bought an Audiothingies Doctor A - great sound and an immensely enjoyable and straightforward live tweaking experience. (There is a good Sound on sound review about the Doctor A…)
I had one but never used one tenth of what it could do. I sold it and make do with OT delays (or those onboard synths) for ‘standard’ delay duties, and got a Red Panda Particle 2 for more out there delay/granular/freeze sounds.
Actually I follow the same plan for reverbs - OT/onboard for regular stuff, Eventide Space for whacked out modulated infinity.
Ive had the Timeline, didn’t really like its sound - seemed not to be as defined as some other delay pedals I’ve had. Its massively popular with guitarists, so Ive wondered if it maybe just is a bit less perfect for line level / synths.
I’ve had the Empress Reverb. Sounds amazing. In the end I exchanged it for something else because it sounded too beautiful/clean for my taste. As in: The H9/Space algorithms that are so famous for techno really turned out to be better for me too (as I make darker/moody techno). If I’d make more natural, beautiful, melodic music, I’d get the Empress Reverb. Bonus for the Empress Reverb is that it has a good Delay&Reverb mode, where you can blend between the two.
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Seconding Space. Any one of the algorithms would be worthy of the full price alone. Maybe not the perfect pedal, but almost certainly a forever pedal.
AK + Shimmer:
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Neunaber’s sale is still ongoing. I don’t think you could go wrong with any of their pedals
I love the time-based FX on my Eventide H9 and Empress Zoia as well, although the Ghost Reverb on Zoia eats up tons of CPU, so Zoia patch designers typically substitute other FX for Ghost with pretty good sounding (imo) results.
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+1 for the Eventide H9. I have mine in the FX loops of my Octatrack so I can just send tracks to it with CUE, and resample from there.
Great reverbs and delays, fantastic midi control, and some wilder stuff.
I have the timeline. Not too happy with it. The configuration requires menu-diving using a really bad display.
I think I would prefer a pedal with just one algorithm, and no menus.
The sound of the Timeline is good though 
I had the Damage Control Timeline (green one with tubes) for a while, which I sold to fund an EHX DMM 550TT. No regrets, but the older Timeline did have nice tones.
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I did have a timeline for a little while and didn’t really like it, I much prefer the Eventide Timefactor, which has multiple algorithm but all happens with the 8 knobs available and no 2 pages of settings.
Now I have a Doctor A and I like it. Less versatile delays (no reverse) but it sounds and dubs well. With the reverb, parallel or in serie, I enjoy it.
One reason de Timefactor doesn’t work for me in some context is it adds a tiny latency to the signal. It’s fine in most cases but not for very precise percussive instruments, if used directly behind the instrument (find as a send). The Doctor A hasn’t got that problem.
Specular Tempus
Review:
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