Feature:
All of its features are effective, doing everything they need to, but it still has NO VOLUME or BLEND CONTROLS!!(!!!)! It has two outputs (wet and dry) which are supposed to be used by the soundguy to blend it all at the desk, but that still leaves the dry (effect-less) signal up on the stage through my amp where I can't hear it! Its construction is indestructable. Buy a power supply.
Quality:
It's construction is heavy and solid. As good as anything I've ever played with and better than most by far. (....if only it had.......grumble grumble grumble...)etc.
Value:
In hindsight I would have (should have) bought something else. I have my own very specific reasons of course, but I have to say the quality of the product and the sound is truly exceptional. Digitech do it very well. It's just not what I can use right now.
Desirability:
It does look awesome! But it can't compare to the minimalist Euro-vibe of EBS!! I think less really is more in this respect. Smart and simple design beats flash any day. I don't know how long it will stay on my pedalboard. It looks like a poorer, older cousin to the other gear I own even if it does sound just as good(ish).
Sound:
I'm a working musician with professional equipment. I have several active Fenders, played through a Sadowski outboard preamp and into several EBS pedals which supply 99% of the tonal needs for my work. The only sound I can't emulate is the sub-dub synth sounds used in so much rap and dance/trance music being played today. The XBW has plenty of this to choose from, and I'm happy to say the tone quality is comparable to my EBS pedals. It has one or two issues to get around, like the total lack of blend control on the more extreme wah types - which is unforgivable really - and more or less makes the pedal useless to me since I already have an EBS octave and auto-wah in my set-up!! To run it without the tone blended down is suicide for the bass-heavy PA systems I have to play through! At the very least I need to buy a good compressor for my set-up before I use this thing like I want to. The wet volume is nearly two to one over the dry volume (it also has no volume control!) so it is currently unusable, which is a real shame because it sounds awesome! I'm trying to find other uses for it.
Ease of Use:
It's no doubt a fun little thing to play with. Just plug it in give it a whack!! It's like BOOTSY on a good day! It's best to study the setting examples to start with and it becomes very intuitive with practice. It really does needs those controls however. Enough said.
Support:
I've not needed to contact anyone as yet.
Overall:
Even though it sounds very good on its own terms and as a stand-alone effect pedal, it is not what I am after. I will need to buy more equipment if I am to use this pedal in any real way. It cannot meet professional requirements on the gig. Now what do I do with it?
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