A pretty unique and cool feature you missed are the MASH switches. All 5 of the switches can act as expression pedals based on how hard you press them.
I like these- I have a breakout on my board so I can incorporate one- I used one for quite a while as a simple way of getting some other effects into a gig for fun. The board switch is good because you can go through loads of different boards… i think the effects do their job - not fantastic and takes a while to find the sound you really want but it’s simplicity I think is what’s good… especially how I used it live as something like almost an emergency get out of trouble or a weirder effect thing to mess with on the fly..
I bought one new when they first came out and it has been on my board ever since. No problems using it live and I like that it doesn’t have any OD or distortions as I have my own which I prefer anyway. I’ve never particularly liked those on any multi FX pedals I’ve ever tried anyway. I have it along with 6 other pedals on the one board including a mini wah all powered by a One Spot power plug no problem. The fact that I can make 40 odd 5 pedal boards infinitely adjustable just makes it for me.
Likewise, mine is an absolute godsend. I sold all my discrete TC electronics pedals. and picked this up in the Anderton‘s sale year or so ago. Great for chucking on a small pedal board with fuzz, OD or distortion pedals. Piece of cake to use if your used to TC toneprint pedals TBH 👍
The X5 is my "in the loop" Swiss Army Knife. I have a Shure wireless GLDX16, a comp/booster, fuzz and 2 drives on a Pedaltrain Jr. Everything is run off of a VooDoo Labs 4x4. This covers more than I'll ever need. The update for creating a dedicated tap tempo/tuner slot is invaluable to me. I'd very rarely need more than 4 FX in the loop.
Yuo are such an incredible guitar player with an obvious ability to figure out this complex gear. I'm sure you spent years learning the guitar. I own a Kemper and all the toys and I have not realiy practiced in the last few years, just chasing things like this. Your channel would grow very quickly If you would focus on things other than these things. I wish just once you would show everyone the sound you always use that's so heavenly. What a shame the world does not know more about you. You are one of a kind!
@guitarplayingman Hi. I agree, JC is amazing. I'm not JC, but your comment about finding that heavenly tone prompted me to reply. After MANY years, I found MY heavenly tone. I can't stop playing MANY hours every day since I found it and have been inspired to write music more beautiful than I ever thought possible since I found it. Here's how I do it: I'm using a modeler and frfr speaker, (Fender Tonemaster PRO, FR-12) but you could get similar, maybe better results using the actual gear the TMP is emulating. Here's my signal chain: prince of tone, gain set fairly high, it cleans up well with the guitar volume knob (I play clean most of the time), always on. Then into an AC-30, two greenbacks. Then into a deluxe memory man, about 400 ms, 4 repeats, level set to where you don't really hear the repeats, but when you play sustained notes/chords , the modulation really fattens everything and gives movement. Then into a modulated hall reverb set to taste. Then into a Cloud reverb set to taste. Then into a TR-2 tremolo, when desired. Then into a noise gate because I run the gain fairly high. With the guitar volume down, the cleans are beautiful, and when I want I just turn it up to as filthy as I want... I hope all this is helpful for you. Since I started using this setup, my playing and writing has gone to places I never thought possible. Cheers!!!
The unit is amazing . updating the software, opens up other pedals and settings .. the Dann Huff Tri chorus is excellent .. so many options. It's a standalone fx unit for my digging, rig ..
Try power it with the provided adapter. You are under powering the pedal based on its required power. Just because it turns on doesn't mean its getting adequate power to run all the DSP and have enough headroom.
Had an X5 for a few years. None of the effects are class leading but with some effort you can always get very very close to whatever sound you are after. The sheer range of sounds and routing flexibility is astounding. It's very easy to use but has one big drawback, you have to go into edit mode to change effect parameters on the fly (you can program some of the dials to adjust specific parameters, but it's never quite enough) so it doesn't quite work for me when playing live. Saying that, I have it paired with a Boss IR-2 on my desk and it works brilliantly for recording, rehearsing and discovering new sounds.
The TC modulation algorithms sound a litte higher quality than a lot of other similar price modelers (although I'm going from what I hear on RUclips, not owning one myself).
I've always assumed the Plethora would shine in the effects loop of an amp - you'd need nothing else. Few of your favorite drives in the front, and then the Plethora handles all the modulation and wet effects. I was on the verge of importing one but decided to go full modeler and sold all my stuff for a Headrush. If I decided to keep an amp, the Plethora would have made perfect sense.
I use my X3 in the effects loop - saves me space on my board when I need a particular modulation effect for one song. The delay and reverb are the best sounding effects and that’s what most people use most often.
Bought an x5 when I started playing live again, it does what it’s supposed to do, I am able to get all the mods and time based effects that I need and it’s probably going to be in my board forever, haven’t used the midi part but the mash buttons are great
Their algorithms have never been at Strymon levels but that’s always been reflected in the price. So this and the individual pedals will ever be a ‘blow me away’ situation. To expect that would be unrealistic and not seeing them in context.
Ive used one for a few years, very tidy and sounds great to me. You are under powering it, so I wouldn't judge it on a unit that is asking for more power. I like it for the reverb "oh thats nice - Paul Gilbert" . Get the software update and try it in stereo, experiment with buffered or true bypass etc . Its very capable. I love the HUGE tuner and the looper.
TC Electronic where absolutely cutting edge with everything they did including all their effects and algorithms, but Music Group - Uli Behringer’s company - bought them and that stopped all the grown-up research and development. Lot’s of brains have moved to UA and other companies. What you’re hearing here, basically, are some of the very best digital sounds available for guitar players in 2015. I actually thought I liked the effects but hearing them here it’s very clear how much we’ve moved on since the original tone print pedals came out
If it’s still good enough for a Pro like Mark Lettieri to use on the road, and he has some of the best tone in the business, I’d argue it’s more than good enough for the rest of us.
@@DGGriffinMusicfor someone like me with a bit of Scandinavian pride, “good enough” is a depressing downgrade from the proud Danish brand TC Electronic and TC Helicon used to be. Like how Saab used to be this wacky, confounding Swedish company that created some of the most singular jet fighters and cars and now the car arm is just a boring and predictable foreign car company
This may sound hilarious 😂, I agree with every single point. Singularly model for model helix beats this thing in pretty much every way, given enough time. But to me you sounded better in this particular video than you have in many others. I reckon this is the key to the plethora, minimal time invested and it just bloody works, the flashback and the hall of fame were two pedals I would see in helix floor rigs and I had always deeply queried this prior to the x5 coming out, and the response was always the same, those had a sound people gravitated towards and they wouldn’t let go of em. I think if you want to be a tone surgeon - helix or fractal, if you want sonic perfect - Strymon - but you will sound like you’re playing Strymon. This thing is that Goldilocks in the middle place where the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. It’s weird, but this is how it is, your drive tones you bring to the party so that’s one less thing to pfaff about with. Your time based and modulations are a more basic pallet of colours overall - but it just freaking works and it’s really fast to sort out right there on the board. The hardware is well designed and thought out, the physical size of the hotknobs - unlike helix mean you can move it under your feet, 5 exp pedals would take up far too much room, and here you have that in something the size of a stomp xl, or an hxstomp if you use an x3. It’s a modulation freaking GUNSHIP this thingy 😂. Will see how you get on with it in time. If you’re one who sets pedals and forgets it works, if you’re one to tweak knobs, it simplifies all that extremely well… Seems quite a paradox but I reckon that’s the right word for the plethora series - less brain strain yet it sounds just fine ☑️
I think this is best for live in the loop of an amp. Have the old G-System and that also is not impressive by today’s standards but does a fine job in a rock band.
TC makes pretty good stuff. I like the Ditto+ looper and the Infinite Sustainer. The Plethora is a nice idea, but I just couldn’t justify bumping anything else off my board to make a spot for it.
I bought one, did one gig with it, and ended up selling it and went back to HX Effects. It was no contest between the two for my purposes. The TC effects were ok but I didn't like the workflow and there were some quirky behaviors.
Yup, I had a Plethora X5 for a while, really wanted to like it as it seemed like an ideal solution for me but it was just a pain to use in a lot of ways. The Toneprints are a good idea, but I always ended up wanting to adjust parameters which were buried and couldn't be assigned to a knob without some deep editing, and some of the effects were just a bit cheap sounding. Replaced it with an HX Effects and never looked back.
Same here. I could absolutely make it work, but when compared to my HX Effects I like that much better. I think the Effects is honestly the most underrated thing out there. It can be used how most people like using physical pedals. Only downside is I honestly don't need all the slots. I would love it if they came out with a smaller 4 scribble strips version (or even 2 w/ snapshots if you need it would be great). My dream pedal would be something like the fender unit with the models on screen but with the HX Effects scribble strips. It's silly but I like looking at the pedal one of the things that makes Amplitube 5 fun for me. :)
I like my Plethora X3 as a companion to the HX Stomp but its big downside is to really get into the editing you need to use the software...which is itself nowhere near as friendly as the Line 6 editors. The MIDI control available is pretty good which is the other important thing for me.
Do any of these multi effects units have a looper pedal and drum machine incorporated? I would one that incorporated the Boss RC500 functionality into it
I think being able to load the TonePrints and set up the MASH foot switches for quick expression control are the biggest 2 selling points. TC effects can be great, but my experience is that you need to tweak them more than other units to get there. The online editor is where it shines, because you can get into the nitty gritty granular depths of each effect and pretty much build something more or less from scratch. I think the X3 would suit me better than the 5, since I’d probably be integrating it with Helix units and regular pedals. As much as I’d like the full fat X5, I’m not sure I’d ever be able to fill all 5 slots on a regular basis.
Hi John, I was eyeing that pedal since quite a while, but I hesitated to get it, because I wasn’t sure about it’s processing power. I would have loved to try it out for Holdsworth like delays. By that I mean four dual delays setup in pairs like Holdsworth and check how it sounds, and if the device is able to deliver. Would that be too cumbersome to try for you? I’d appreciate it very much.
I have the smaller X3 version, I find it easy to use and I'm a luddite. On my board that is mostly dirt/drive/distortion it's a mini pedal board that I use for modulation/time effects... and a huge selection of options in each effect.
Sold my X3. Was very fun at first due to the novelty of mash, but the lack of parameters without going into the app(which is a hot topic of itself) was a dealbreaker for me
Some nice features but more awkward than it initially looks to adjust sounds. In the end sold Plethora X5, Nova System, Headrush GIGBOARD to focus on the HX Stomp XL. Just one UI to learn and I get good sounds really quickly now. Thinned out gear a lot and things just get easier - no decision paralysis. Much better for playing gigs and at home unless your main aim is fiddling with sounds.
Only TC pedal I’ve had a was a Hall of Fame 2. Honestly I really hated it. Shimmer was terrible and the hall was either too much or too little. Ever since then I’ve given them a wide birth. This video just confirms I’m not missing anything.
John, update the firmware to 1.4.3, aside from all the MIDI improvements, they added a Tap Tempo/Tuner block to replace any of you 5 slots, and in setting you can tie global tempo from this tapping to any FX that uses tap tempo. It uses one slot but leaves you 4 and resolves one of the biggest complaints. Could they have originally added an EXP/SW utility, of course, but for some reason this is the best fix we are going to get. That being said, for my needs 4 FX at a time are enough.
I use the flashback 2 and Hall of fame 2. They’re great. I particularly like Oz Noy’s and Greg Koch’s reverbs and Mike Stern’s and Mitch Gallagher’s delays. I prefer analogue chorus to the tc one I had. I use a tc mini tuner and ditto so I guess I’m part of the target market. lol. Edited to add that the Plethora pedals do not have analogue dry through. Many regular tc pedals do, which means overdrives go straight through to the amp without conversion to and from digital.
Not impressed with the drives/compressor. Love the modulations and its stackability. I took an X3 off my board when I got an H90, but I'm thinking of bringing it back in and starting an ambient shoegaze band.
I got the X3. I was looking for a delay and reverb and was recommended the Flashback and Hall of Fame so it made sense. The extra features of the X5 did not justify the price difference for what i needed.
I had one right when it came out. The mash function was cool, but it was way too glitchy to be part of a serious board. With the new firmware updates, I think the x3 is the best value with a Goldilocks principle of sorts. But the x1 seems to be promising too.
I had one of these and sent it back within about a week. The reverb and delay functions were entirely inadequate and just didn't sound good. It's as though the unit lacked sufficient DSP for those functions. I thought it was a great idea and really wanted to like it but I was extremely disappointed. The time based effects in the Fractal FM3 and my NU-X Cerberus are far superior.
It didn’t sound bad on this end but I think one would get better sounds with inexpensive pedals costing the same. I own a HOF and a Nova delay from TC Electronic and been very happy with them but their modulation effects are not that great, imho. Still, sounded good over here, man!
This is too limiting. I have an HX-Effects, but seriously considering a Boss GX-100; many Boss effects, touch screen, easy signal flow / block edits, mappable switches, integrated expression pedal, good price,... I plan to use it in 4CM with my tube amps
I’m going to keep asking and bugging you about demoing a Sonicake Matribox II Pro until you do😂 So please I am very interested in your opinion… Great video as usual by the way.. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Craig
I wonder if the pedals are supposed to be ordered from right to left like a traditional pedalboard instead of left to right like the helix path. Maybe that’s why you were getting lackluster tones?
I must say, I am pleasantly surprised. All the TC pedals I have owned were overly transparent imo. I like a pallet of colours, that colour my tone. Else I could just play directly into a clean amp channel. There were a number of brands, Boss and Ibanez etc, that used to manufacture similar designs, that were like a pedalboard with each pedal permanently connected to the next, four or five effects. But they were terrible and glitchy. I did not enjoy TC’s G System (I think that’s what it was called).
Updating your firmware would give you the alter ego delay, as well as a bunch of quality of life improvements to the software. I’ve come across your channel because of the JHS drama, but it kinda seems like you make the video before getting informed on the topic first. Instead of prefacing it saying you are just gonna play with it, take a few minutes to look through the manual.
A pretty unique and cool feature you missed are the MASH switches. All 5 of the switches can act as expression pedals based on how hard you press them.
I like these- I have a breakout on my board so I can incorporate one- I used one for quite a while as a simple way of getting some other effects into a gig for fun. The board switch is good because you can go through loads of different boards… i think the effects do their job - not fantastic and takes a while to find the sound you really want but it’s simplicity I think is what’s good… especially how I used it live as something like almost an emergency get out of trouble or a weirder effect thing to mess with on the fly..
I bought one new when they first came out and it has been on my board ever since. No problems using it live and I like that it doesn’t have any OD or distortions as I have my own which I prefer anyway. I’ve never particularly liked those on any multi FX pedals I’ve ever tried anyway. I have it along with 6 other pedals on the one board including a mini wah all powered by a One Spot power plug no problem. The fact that I can make 40 odd 5 pedal boards infinitely adjustable just makes it for me.
Likewise, mine is an absolute godsend. I sold all my discrete TC electronics pedals. and picked this up in the Anderton‘s sale year or so ago. Great for chucking on a small pedal board with fuzz, OD or distortion pedals. Piece of cake to use if your used to TC toneprint pedals TBH 👍
The X5 is my "in the loop" Swiss Army Knife. I have a Shure wireless GLDX16, a comp/booster, fuzz and 2 drives on a Pedaltrain Jr. Everything is run off of a VooDoo Labs 4x4. This covers more than I'll ever need. The update for creating a dedicated tap tempo/tuner slot is invaluable to me. I'd very rarely need more than 4 FX in the loop.
Adding complexity and simplifying controls at the same time is a deal killer for me, no matter how good it sounds.
Yuo are such an incredible guitar player with an obvious ability to figure out this complex gear. I'm sure you spent years learning the guitar. I own a Kemper and all the toys and I have not realiy practiced in the last few years, just chasing things like this. Your channel would grow very quickly If you would focus on things other than these things. I wish just once you would show everyone the sound you always use that's so heavenly. What a shame the world does not know more about you. You are one of a kind!
@guitarplayingman Hi. I agree, JC is amazing. I'm not JC, but your comment about finding that heavenly tone prompted me to reply. After MANY years, I found MY heavenly tone. I can't stop playing MANY hours every day since I found it and have been inspired to write music more beautiful than I ever thought possible since I found it. Here's how I do it: I'm using a modeler and frfr speaker, (Fender Tonemaster PRO, FR-12) but you could get similar, maybe better results using the actual gear the TMP is emulating. Here's my signal chain: prince of tone, gain set fairly high, it cleans up well with the guitar volume knob (I play clean most of the time), always on. Then into an AC-30, two greenbacks. Then into a deluxe memory man, about 400 ms, 4 repeats, level set to where you don't really hear the repeats, but when you play sustained notes/chords , the modulation really fattens everything and gives movement. Then into a modulated hall reverb set to taste. Then into a Cloud reverb set to taste. Then into a TR-2 tremolo, when desired. Then into a noise gate because I run the gain fairly high. With the guitar volume down, the cleans are beautiful, and when I want I just turn it up to as filthy as I want... I hope all this is helpful for you. Since I started using this setup, my playing and writing has gone to places I never thought possible. Cheers!!!
The unit is amazing . updating the software, opens up other pedals and settings .. the Dann Huff Tri chorus is excellent .. so many options. It's a standalone fx unit for my digging, rig ..
Try power it with the provided adapter. You are under powering the pedal based on its required power. Just because it turns on doesn't mean its getting adequate power to run all the DSP and have enough headroom.
Had an X5 for a few years. None of the effects are class leading but with some effort you can always get very very close to whatever sound you are after. The sheer range of sounds and routing flexibility is astounding. It's very easy to use but has one big drawback, you have to go into edit mode to change effect parameters on the fly (you can program some of the dials to adjust specific parameters, but it's never quite enough) so it doesn't quite work for me when playing live. Saying that, I have it paired with a Boss IR-2 on my desk and it works brilliantly for recording, rehearsing and discovering new sounds.
With the X3 and HX Stomp sending Midi Commands is actually a killer combo
The TC modulation algorithms sound a litte higher quality than a lot of other similar price modelers (although I'm going from what I hear on RUclips, not owning one myself).
I've always assumed the Plethora would shine in the effects loop of an amp - you'd need nothing else. Few of your favorite drives in the front, and then the Plethora handles all the modulation and wet effects. I was on the verge of importing one but decided to go full modeler and sold all my stuff for a Headrush. If I decided to keep an amp, the Plethora would have made perfect sense.
I use my X3 in the effects loop - saves me space on my board when I need a particular modulation effect for one song. The delay and reverb are the best sounding effects and that’s what most people use most often.
Bought an x5 when I started playing live again, it does what it’s supposed to do, I am able to get all the mods and time based effects that I need and it’s probably going to be in my board forever, haven’t used the midi part but the mash buttons are great
Their algorithms have never been at Strymon levels but that’s always been reflected in the price. So this and the individual pedals will ever be a ‘blow me away’ situation. To expect that would be unrealistic and not seeing them in context.
Ive used one for a few years, very tidy and sounds great to me. You are under powering it, so I wouldn't judge it on a unit that is asking for more power. I like it for the reverb "oh thats nice - Paul Gilbert" . Get the software update and try it in stereo, experiment with buffered or true bypass etc . Its very capable. I love the HUGE tuner and the looper.
TC Electronic where absolutely cutting edge with everything they did including all their effects and algorithms, but Music Group - Uli Behringer’s company - bought them and that stopped all the grown-up research and development. Lot’s of brains have moved to UA and other companies.
What you’re hearing here, basically, are some of the very best digital sounds available for guitar players in 2015.
I actually thought I liked the effects but hearing them here it’s very clear how much we’ve moved on since the original tone print pedals came out
If it’s still good enough for a Pro like Mark Lettieri to use on the road, and he has some of the best tone in the business, I’d argue it’s more than good enough for the rest of us.
@@DGGriffinMusicfor someone like me with a bit of Scandinavian pride, “good enough” is a depressing downgrade from the proud Danish brand TC Electronic and TC Helicon used to be. Like how Saab used to be this wacky, confounding Swedish company that created some of the most singular jet fighters and cars and now the car arm is just a boring and predictable foreign car company
I had one for a while, thought it was good, but also not blown away. Ended up selling it.
I got the old Nova System for about 80 quid. I use it for all the post effects and run my own drives into it. Its solid, top tier and was cheap.
I always wished I had a g-system
I still use one occasionally
This may sound hilarious 😂, I agree with every single point. Singularly model for model helix beats this thing in pretty much every way, given enough time. But to me you sounded better in this particular video than you have in many others. I reckon this is the key to the plethora, minimal time invested and it just bloody works, the flashback and the hall of fame were two pedals I would see in helix floor rigs and I had always deeply queried this prior to the x5 coming out, and the response was always the same, those had a sound people gravitated towards and they wouldn’t let go of em.
I think if you want to be a tone surgeon - helix or fractal, if you want sonic perfect - Strymon - but you will sound like you’re playing Strymon. This thing is that Goldilocks in the middle place where the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. It’s weird, but this is how it is, your drive tones you bring to the party so that’s one less thing to pfaff about with. Your time based and modulations are a more basic pallet of colours overall - but it just freaking works and it’s really fast to sort out right there on the board. The hardware is well designed and thought out, the physical size of the hotknobs - unlike helix mean you can move it under your feet, 5 exp pedals would take up far too much room, and here you have that in something the size of a stomp xl, or an hxstomp if you use an x3.
It’s a modulation freaking GUNSHIP this thingy 😂.
Will see how you get on with it in time. If you’re one who sets pedals and forgets it works, if you’re one to tweak knobs, it simplifies all that extremely well…
Seems quite a paradox but I reckon that’s the right word for the plethora series - less brain strain yet it sounds just fine ☑️
I think this is perfect pedal for tonex or nanocortex users. Simple and easy to tweak. It has stompbox vibes
I think this is best for live in the loop of an amp. Have the old G-System and that also is not impressive by today’s standards but does a fine job in a rock band.
TC builds very quality pedals. I've had a number of them and their effects are very good. Always wondered about the Plethora. Interesting concept.
TC makes pretty good stuff. I like the Ditto+ looper and the Infinite Sustainer. The Plethora is a nice idea, but I just couldn’t justify bumping anything else off my board to make a spot for it.
I bought one, did one gig with it, and ended up selling it and went back to HX Effects. It was no contest between the two for my purposes. The TC effects were ok but I didn't like the workflow and there were some quirky behaviors.
Yup, I had a Plethora X5 for a while, really wanted to like it as it seemed like an ideal solution for me but it was just a pain to use in a lot of ways. The Toneprints are a good idea, but I always ended up wanting to adjust parameters which were buried and couldn't be assigned to a knob without some deep editing, and some of the effects were just a bit cheap sounding. Replaced it with an HX Effects and never looked back.
Same here. I could absolutely make it work, but when compared to my HX Effects I like that much better. I think the Effects is honestly the most underrated thing out there. It can be used how most people like using physical pedals. Only downside is I honestly don't need all the slots. I would love it if they came out with a smaller 4 scribble strips version (or even 2 w/ snapshots if you need it would be great).
My dream pedal would be something like the fender unit with the models on screen but with the HX Effects scribble strips. It's silly but I like looking at the pedal one of the things that makes Amplitube 5 fun for me. :)
Might be a perfect companion for a dual TONEX stereo rig
This is one of my rigs, it works great.
Had one for nearly 2 years. Sold it, but it was a solid unit!!!
biiig downside for me the lack of od/dist
Dude everything becomes gold in your hand
I like my Plethora X3 as a companion to the HX Stomp but its big downside is to really get into the editing you need to use the software...which is itself nowhere near as friendly as the Line 6 editors. The MIDI control available is pretty good which is the other important thing for me.
Do any of these multi effects units have a looper pedal and drum machine incorporated? I would one that incorporated the Boss RC500 functionality into it
I think being able to load the TonePrints and set up the MASH foot switches for quick expression control are the biggest 2 selling points.
TC effects can be great, but my experience is that you need to tweak them more than other units to get there.
The online editor is where it shines, because you can get into the nitty gritty granular depths of each effect and pretty much build something more or less from scratch.
I think the X3 would suit me better than the 5, since I’d probably be integrating it with Helix units and regular pedals.
As much as I’d like the full fat X5, I’m not sure I’d ever be able to fill all 5 slots on a regular basis.
Hi John, I was eyeing that pedal since quite a while, but I hesitated to get it, because I wasn’t sure about it’s processing power. I would have loved to try it out for Holdsworth like delays. By that I mean four dual delays setup in pairs like Holdsworth and check how it sounds, and if the device is able to deliver. Would that be too cumbersome to try for you? I’d appreciate it very much.
I have the smaller X3 version, I find it easy to use and I'm a luddite. On my board that is mostly dirt/drive/distortion it's a mini pedal board that I use for modulation/time effects... and a huge selection of options in each effect.
Sold my X3. Was very fun at first due to the novelty of mash, but the lack of parameters without going into the app(which is a hot topic of itself) was a dealbreaker for me
Some nice features but more awkward than it initially looks to adjust sounds. In the end sold Plethora X5, Nova System, Headrush GIGBOARD to focus on the HX Stomp XL. Just one UI to learn and I get good sounds really quickly now. Thinned out gear a lot and things just get easier - no decision paralysis. Much better for playing gigs and at home unless your main aim is fiddling with sounds.
What was the song played in the beginning? I actually like this one, I am not big on fusion-jazz ballads
Hey John, just purchased 3 of your hx stomp presets. The seem to stop at 3.15. Will they work in 3.80?
That TrueFire is a Sweet DEAL.
Only TC pedal I’ve had a was a Hall of Fame 2. Honestly I really hated it. Shimmer was terrible and the hall was either too much or too little. Ever since then I’ve given them a wide birth. This video just confirms I’m not missing anything.
Im willing to bet you're an ehx fanboy
@ no more Eventide Lexicon and Fractal
John, update the firmware to 1.4.3, aside from all the MIDI improvements, they added a Tap Tempo/Tuner block to replace any of you 5 slots, and in setting you can tie global tempo from this tapping to any FX that uses tap tempo. It uses one slot but leaves you 4 and resolves one of the biggest complaints. Could they have originally added an EXP/SW utility, of course, but for some reason this is the best fix we are going to get. That being said, for my needs 4 FX at a time are enough.
I use the flashback 2 and Hall of fame 2. They’re great. I particularly like Oz Noy’s and Greg Koch’s reverbs and Mike Stern’s and Mitch Gallagher’s delays. I prefer analogue chorus to the tc one I had. I use a tc mini tuner and ditto so I guess I’m part of the target market. lol.
Edited to add that the Plethora pedals do not have analogue dry through. Many regular tc pedals do, which means overdrives go straight through to the amp without conversion to and from digital.
Not impressed with the drives/compressor. Love the modulations and its stackability. I took an X3 off my board when I got an H90, but I'm thinking of bringing it back in and starting an ambient shoegaze band.
I wonder do these verbs and delays hold a candle to Fractal or even HX at this point?
Why not to check latest update? As it seems your fw is too outdated. They ve added a lot.
Strange review
I got the X3. I was looking for a delay and reverb and was recommended the Flashback and Hall of Fame so it made sense.
The extra features of the X5 did not justify the price difference for what i needed.
I had one right when it came out.
The mash function was cool, but it was way too glitchy to be part of a serious board.
With the new firmware updates, I think the x3 is the best value with a Goldilocks principle of sorts.
But the x1 seems to be promising too.
All effect pedals need large input and output meters. Because led level meters are Neat-O.
I had one of these and sent it back within about a week. The reverb and delay functions were entirely inadequate and just didn't sound good. It's as though the unit lacked sufficient DSP for those functions. I thought it was a great idea and really wanted to like it but I was extremely disappointed. The time based effects in the Fractal FM3 and my NU-X Cerberus are far superior.
I wanna see John convert into a Tele player
Plethorax 5... didn't the Borg assimilate that place?
Never quite gelled with my X5. Even when everything is off, it seems to colour my tone quite considerably and I can't work out why...
Some people talk about the Plethora X5 competing for pedalboard space. Why not use it as add-on beside a small pedalboard?
Just get a Zoom 70CDR+ for $100. Does everything this thing does plus you can add 6fx at a time
It didn’t sound bad on this end but I think one would get better sounds with inexpensive pedals costing the same.
I own a HOF and a Nova delay from TC Electronic and been very happy with them but their modulation effects are not that great, imho.
Still, sounded good over here, man!
I would like it better if each effects block had three parameter knobs each for instant editing on the fly.✌️
Yeah that's the big drawback of the unit. Everything else is great!
This is too limiting. I have an HX-Effects, but seriously considering a Boss GX-100; many Boss effects, touch screen, easy signal flow / block edits, mappable switches, integrated expression pedal, good price,...
I plan to use it in 4CM with my tube amps
I’m going to keep asking and bugging you about demoing a Sonicake Matribox II Pro until you do😂 So please I am very interested in your opinion… Great video as usual by the way.. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Craig
I wonder if the pedals are supposed to be ordered from right to left like a traditional pedalboard instead of left to right like the helix path. Maybe that’s why you were getting lackluster tones?
I think you can reverse them in global settings.
I just got a plethorax1
I must say, I am pleasantly surprised. All the TC pedals I have owned were overly transparent imo. I like a pallet of colours, that colour my tone. Else I could just play directly into a clean amp channel.
There were a number of brands, Boss and Ibanez etc, that used to manufacture similar designs, that were like a pedalboard with each pedal permanently connected to the next, four or five effects. But they were terrible and glitchy. I did not enjoy TC’s G System (I think that’s what it was called).
yes it is.
I thought it sounded great.
Updating your firmware would give you the alter ego delay, as well as a bunch of quality of life improvements to the software.
I’ve come across your channel because of the JHS drama, but it kinda seems like you make the video before getting informed on the topic first. Instead of prefacing it saying you are just gonna play with it, take a few minutes to look through the manual.
Within the context of a band and a live setting, cork sniffing effects units like Strymon and friends feeds one’s ego, the audience can care less.