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Sound:
The tone of this pedal is fine, in that it accurately reproduces the tone you put into it and doesn't make your guitar sound harsh or digital like some delay pedals. This is why I originally purchased a HeadRush.
However, the pedal is noisy to the point of being completely unusable. I run a pedal board with 8 pedals, and the HeadRush is noisier than my entire pedal chain combined. I tested it with nothing plugged into the input, used different power sources, different amps, etc. I even swapped it out for a new unit in the hopes that it was just defective.
The bottom line is that this pedal produces an extremely loud hiss that is nearly as loud as the guitar signal itself. Maybe in a studio environment at extremely low gain levels with all of the treble rolled off it would be acceptable, but it sounds absolutely awful when plugged into a tube amplifier (even with nothing plugged into the pedal input).
Feature:
I bought this pedal because it had all of the features that I wanted and is not too complicated. There are other delay pedals on the market that have more options, but all I really need is a tap tempo switch, a level control, and a feedback control. I don't want to have to twiddle a bunch of knobs on stage to get a simple delay sound. The tape simulator with separate outputs is nice, but unnecessary. The looper works well, but the loop time is a little short.
Ease of Use:
Again, this pedal delivers all of the basic features you would expect from a combination delay/looper, while maintaining an easy-to-use interface. It is pretty easy to set up and start playing without having to break out the manual
Quality:
I can't really say how reliable this pedal is because I returned it due to the awful level of noise, but it seems fairly well-built. I'd be comfortable gigging with one.
Value:
This pedal is essentially worthless because of the noise issue. If it actually produced a usable sound, it would be a great value.
Manufacturer Support:
I sent a polite email to Akai support about the noise issue, and after waiting for about a week received a condescending email stating that this is not a noisy pedal, and that I must be doing something wrong. I replied with a detailed list of troubleshooting steps I had taken to narrow down the source of the noise. I never heard back from them after that.
The Wow Factor:
If you just want a nice, shiny, "sexy" pedal, this delivers pretty well. The color and finish are very appealing and it generally looks very pretty. Just don't ever plug it into an amplifier and turn it on, and you'll be fine
Overall:
I exchanged the HeadRush for another delay pedal after trying two units, both of which were noisy to the point of being unusable. It's a shame because I really like the design and features of this pedal, and the actual guitar tone that comes out of it is very true to the original. If they could get rid of the deafening white noise, I would highly recommend this pedal.
7 of 14 people
(50%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
The quality used in making this product is exceptional. The loop feature is a lot of fun. It is a great beang for the buck product. I'll be getting one as soon as i can afford it (i am only 15 so money is limited but this product is still affordable).
Feature:
From what i have used tis has great tones. They are good for what the job is and they dont mess up the sound.
Quality:
It is a Korg, Korg makes great products, hince this a great product. It is made well and is strong.
Value:
250 dollars isn't chump change, but what you're getting is a quality product that is FUN and easy to use!
Manufacturer Support:
I haven't had to deal with the company, because the products have always been quality.
The Wow Factor:
Blue is always cool and it is not a bad shade of it either! It has straight forward styling and that is what i like.
Overall:
This "pedal" has everything. It has a loop, which i love. The freedom of the loop is excelent, and eas of use is great!
10 of 34 people
(29.41%) found this review helpful. Did you?
Sound:
When this pedal is working, its excellent and I love it. To my ears, the sound that goes in is the sound that comes out.
Feature:
I only use it to record loops. Again, when it's working it is great for this.
Ease of Use:
Once you get the knack it's fine. It was depressingly difficult for me when I first got it home. Figuring out when to start and stop recording to fit the loop seamlessly into a song took quite a bit of trial and error. It also requires good timing. To make it sound smooth you need to be right on the beat. It is definitely worth persevering though. I think my best songs have been written on this pedal.
Quality:
Quality is terrible. I'm really annoyed about it. The foot switches have just gone for the third time in under two years. The record and play switches both fail to work reliably. I Had it repaired twice in eight months last year. I didn't use it up until August this year and the switches have gone again. You feel pretty stupid when you're on stage halfway through a song and the whole song stops because the switch didn't work. Basically, I can't use it and am looking to replace it with a different brand.
Value:
In short I would look elsewhere. Having switches work only some of the time makes it not worth the money or trouble.
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