This thing looks monstrous.
It's absolutely tiny.
This will cause a problem for large, flat-footed, extremely clumsy guitar players like me, who could trip over a wireless.
That aside, I have some friends who love these things for a fly-in gig or a backup. I don't fly in, but who can't use a backup? Especially the kind of guitar player who isn't playing out currently?
This technology was a problem for me from the start - I only want to hear it if it has tubes in it and runs into real speakers. But the truth is the truth: this little guy sounds good. It might sit well in a recorded track, especially at 2 in the morning when even your Marshall is yawning.
Features:
DLA - delay (duh?)
Sansamp - their main product, clean to a good sounding classic rock grind, plus reverb
Plexi - their version of a Marshall Plexi
Boost - a variable boost button that works on Plexi or Sansamp
I don't have a Plexi (mine is a Slightly After Plexi) but I like this channel. They have a separate Plexi box available too. It's a hot Marshall type sound. One of the impressive features of this box is that you can crank the pedal up and ease back on the guitar volume, to crank it for leads (either channel). When both channels are off, you're hearing your straight signal.
I tested it with my #1 Strat through a Marshall Cube 25 at living room levels. It sounded good. While I haven't tested it at club levels, I think this will do the trick as a backup, in the event of Total Catastrophe (or tripping over all your cords at the same time). It's also a cool little toy for the living room. The knobs light up when activated, so that should keep you blinky light guys happy too.
To be clear, this device can be used as a pedal, like all your other pedals, or be used right into the board/p.a./recording board.
End of Helpful Review.
Now I will review it like the YouTube guys do:
Oh, look, a box!
Let's open it.
Don't cut your fingers, lefty - you may need them.
Isn't that some box? Built to stand the rigors of the USPS.
Very well-packed.
That was the unboxing.
The 2nd video describes the unit.
We have here a Tech 21 Fly Rig 5. The 5.2 is out now, but this is a 5.
5.2 is prettier, but we use what we gots. Thanks to Bob's Music for Flying out this rig, ha ha ha.
Setup is easy, right out of the box (see my unboxing video).
The first issue is size. It's so small, my python boots can hit most of the footswitches at once. Because of this, I'll be going to the Footie Socks - the ones with a spot for each toe. They make the tone better, plus they freak out the dog.
For our test today, I am filming this with 4 iDevices, spread around the house, because iDevices are special, and so am I.
My signal chain is nothing special: a left handed 1977 antigua Strat, with 2 custom-wound Duncans, and in the rear, a JBjr, wired for coil drop. The trem is blocked with ash, due to density. I always use 2 different cables: a crappy coiled cable and a Music Maker $95 ROCK cable. I always put the crappy cable first, for acoustic reasons. I ran it into my Marshall 1987 from 1974, with the channels jumpered, a post phase-inverter master volume, and Jose Arredondo's fingernail, taped to the output transformer. This goes into a 4x12 Marshall cabinet, with all original greenbacks from the early 70s. I use a SM57 and Telefunken U47 (with leather) to mic the cabinet, then take it through 2 discrete Neve channel strips, where I send half the signal to a Studer 24 track analog machine and the other half to Pro Tools, run on a Cray supercomputer. I'm telling you this because everybody has this setup at home, so you'll know exactly how it sounds.
I'm going to add a little phase shifting, to confuse your ears and completely screw up the demo. When I turn the phaser off, I'll turn on my Dan Armstrong Green Ringer, which will have the effect of making you think the video is broken.
Most importantly, I will smile vacuously and use my whammy bar to excess. Your girlfriend will come into the room and ask when he's always wanking on that thing. Your pets will flee.
And that's my demo.
Thanks! See all my other demos. Follow me for more inanity.
And unboxing videos.
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