The VOP-9 is basically an OD-820 in a nine-series chassis with the same JEC NJM4558D op-amp and negative feedback loop clipping diode.  I am not a fan of tubescreamer pedals (stock, modded or clones) and the VOP-9 is nothing like a tubescreamer, which is what got me excited when I heard Dave Weiner review it here.  In fact, I was sold on the pedal based on a few of Dave’s Riff Of The Week videos.  Since no retailer in England stocks the VOP9, I could not try it before I plonked the money down for one, so a big thanks to Dave for doing a brilliant job of demoing the VOP9.  I’m completely blown away at the warmth, headroom and clarity of the VOP9.  I’ve owned an Xotic BB and Fulltone OCD before and while they were high quality boutique pedals with amp-like characteristics, they didn’t really bowl me over or inspire.

The CP101 is an optical compressor unlike any compressor I’ve owned or tried, with it’s optical circuit for low-noise operation.  When turned on, you notice this really smooth and transparent compression.  Without the hiss of normal compressors it’s hard to tell, just by listening, whether it’s turned on or not but it does an excellent job of keeping those levels in check.  It was either the CP101 or the Barber TonePress but as I was looking for a compressor with a subtle effect on tone, the CP101 made sense.

Detailed reviews with audio samples to follow, meanwhile you can check out Dave Weiner’s review of these pedals here.

All Maxon pedals feature heavy duty die-cast chassis, high-quality components and mechanical, true-bypass switching.  Based on the quality and tone of these two pedals I own, I’m looking forward to testing other Maxon pedals

A little history on Maxon for those interested/not aware:

Maxon is the name used by the Nisshin Onpa company of Japan for its line of effects pedals designed for guitar and bass.

During the 1970s Ibanez became one of the company’s main OEM customers. Nisshin Onpa designed and manufactured the now legendary TS-808 and TS-9 Tube Screamers for Ibanez, and many other models, including the FL-9 Flanger, CS-9 Chorus, and AD-9 Analog Delay. Nisshin Onpa also marketed its pedals under its own Maxon name during this time. When Nisshin Onpa and Ibanez parted ways in 2002, Nisshin Onpa began to more aggressively market its own line of Maxon pedals. Repositioning itself as a manufacturer of high-end mass-produced effects, Maxon expanded its line of analog pedals, using rare NOS components and classic circuit designs that are to this day highly respected and sought after.

Maxon continues to expand its product line. Although they produced digital delays and reverbs during the 1980s and ’90s, they now concentrate mostly on “hard-to-find elsewhere” vintage type effects such as analog delays, analog choruses and flangers, and classic overdrive and distortion units. Most of the old Ibanez Nine Series is available in Maxon form these days, but the Maxon pedals now include true-bypass switching and circuitry equal to or in many cases superior to the Ibanez originals. The company prides itself on a reputation of quality over quantity.

Enough of the past: Enter the Eventide TimeFactor.  I’ve only had it a few days so this is not a review, just a list of reasons why I like and bought this unit:

- Two independent 3-second delays in one stompbox
- Studio quality effects (Digital, Vintage, Tape, Modulated, Band & MultiTap delays sound authentic)
- Flexibility: Mono/stereo operation, instrument or line-level inputs/outputs, expression pedal out, aux out for single or 3-button footswitches and full MIDI support
- True or buffered bypass selectable based on your setup
- 100 presets (2 per bank) onboard: I don’t need more than 10 but it’s nice to have
- Global Tap Tempo (optional) so it’s easy to call up presets and retain the same tempo, or dial in a new tempo
- Delay trails when changing presets or going into bypass
- I don’t use much modulation, reverb or filters in my music but if I need some, the TimeFactor can pull it off
- Regular software updates from Eventide with bug fixes and improvements
- Eventide support forum/staff are very helpful

This pretty much sums up why I chose the TimeFactor over the Empress Superdelay which costs the same, £299.  A more detailed review with samples coming up in a few weeks or months :)

Now I’m planning to start repairing and setting up guitars part-time and know that I will need a very accurate tuner for intonating guitars, so I ended up selling the CT-04 and TU-2 and turned my attention to the Peterson StroboStomp 2 which is regarded as one of the best tuners – fast, accurate and easy to use. I could not justify the £150 price tag, however, so I looked for alternatives and remember reading good reviews about the Korg Pitchblack series and DT-10 last year, which are reasonably priced. Their accuracy is pretty good (+/-1 cent) but the Pitchblack+ was more tempting for it’s accuracy that was on par with the StroboStomp and it’s price that was a small step up from the Pitchblack and DT-10.

Korg Pitchblack+ Tuner
If you’ve always want a high precision tuner like the Peterson Strobostomp without spending that kind of money, I would recommend getting your hands on a Pitchblack+ for £95. The price is lower in the U.S. (as is the case always) but it would cost the same after shipping and duty had I imported one.

Right out of the box I was impressed by how Korg thoughtfully included a 4-way daisy chain to power other pedals with the Pitchblack+. A 9V DC output is common on pedal tuners but none of the manufacturers bundle a daisy chain so buyers can use this feature right out of the box.

What I love about the Pitchblack+:

» really intuitive and easy to use
» tuning accuracy of at least +/-0.1 cents, as good as the Strobostomp
» brilliant dual LED meters making it so easy to tune
» true bypass that doesn’t color your tone
» dual inputs to connect 2 guitars simultaneously, each with their own tuning profile
» muted tuning

Check out Korg’s product page for detailed specs and information on the Pitchblack+.

You will notice the Pitchblack+ is larger than other tuners but that is a small price to pay for a professional tuner that has some very cool features. If and when I do find time, I shall follow up this brief review with a video of the Pitchblack+ in action because seeing is believing.

Finally, while conducting research for a new tuner, I did come across the Turbo Tuner from Sonic Research which is the most accurate tuner to date – someday I might buy that, but the Pitchblack+ is perfect for my needs at this time.

1. Boss MT-2 Metal Zone (with Monte Allums Sustainia & Tri-Gain mods) – Sold

2. Boss DS-1 Distortion (with Rectifier mod from Monte Allums) – Sold

3. Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer (with Monte Allums Opto Plus mod) – Sold

4. Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor – Sold

5. DiMarzio Breed bridge Humbucker – Sold

6. DiMarzio Blue Velvet single-coil pickup – Sold

7. DiMarzio/ibz HSH pickup set from RG2550E – Sold

8. Smoked mirror pickguard from RG2550E – Sold

If you have questions or need audio samples/more pics, just holler. Can be shipped to US, Europe, India. Payment via PayPal or bank transfer (UK/India). Email for prices.