Expensive Synth Pedals??

[Hobbes96]

Howdy!

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about the available higher end synth pedals available these days. I'm currently rocking an FM4 and Roland GR-30, but was thinking about investing in something with some more options. I'm kind of looking something that can get digital hardcore and rave sounds, so I can continue ripping on Nick Reinhart's style

The Boss SY-1000 looks pretty gnarly, and seems like it has enough added functionality to justify it over the Sy series options. The SY-300 also looks cool, but lacks the differentiated strings that the 6 pole GK pickups offer.

Source Audio C4 also looks pretty cool, but it looks like you absolutely need the app to access the majority of its features, which is a little disappointing. I think this one might be an obvious choice if it had a screen and a few more switches, but needing an added midi controller to access presets in a live setting is a little bit of a turn off.

The Panda Midi Future Impact seems cool, but I'm looking for something primarily for guitar and there's not a whole lot of info online for people using it on things besides bass. Perhaps one of you fine folks has a two cents or so they'd be willing to share?

Meris Enzo is alright, but I just didn't click with it when I tried it. It seems like a decent evolution of the FM4, but hard to justify the price for the functionality imo.

Is there anything I'm missing or any thoughts you might be willing to share? What big synth pedals are you using and what are you using them for?

[retinal orbita]

You’re talking about the Line 6 FM4? I have one and just upgraded to a Boss SY-200. I can’t speak to the higher end models of the SY series but the 200 has so much functionality I’ve been playing it for two weeks and can barely comprehend how many things it can do. I could never go back to ripping on the FM4 which I really like but wow is it primitive compared to something higher end.

[backwardsvoyager]

Also curious about this.

The FM4 is super outdated but nothing since seems to have matched the ease of live use. It's like playing a sampler full of goofy sound effects.

I also didn't click with Enzo. The lack of master volume control is bizarre and the Meris team doesn't seem to have any interest in constructive user feedback. It makes some beautiful sounds, but what's the point if you can't save presets with consistent dynamic levels?

SY-300 demos never wowed me but I've seen Melt-Banana use one live a couple of times and it definitely sounded legit, so I'd probably take a chance on that or the SY-200 before dropping ridiculous cash on the SY-1000 (which is also the size of a whole pedalboard on its own).

I got a Fishman TriplePlay last year to mess around with, and it's definitely on a whole different level as far as tracking goes, and super easy to use with any synth VST.
Obviously a pain to rig up for live use, but with one of those and a laptop + interface + midi controller there's nothing you can't do.

[manymanyhaha]

The Panda Midi Future Impact seems cool, Perhaps one of you fine folks has a two cents or so they'd be willing to share?

Will report back, have one incoming.

Been kind of obsessed with synth pedals lately, I guess because I've been listening to a bit more electronic stuff than I used to, mostly stuff like JK Flesh, BOC, I Rococo Rot, Barker, Mayaan Nidam etc. But I like to play guitar and I play my drums live so have gone down the synth pedal rabbit hole.

I like the Enzo though with all of its features,they missed some opportunities for better envelope control. Not sure what they were thinking because the current envelope control is really counterintuitive and kinda sucks. I mean, why put a delay on it? That's what delay pedals are for, give me envelope control dammit! The Arp may as well not be on there and presets, wtf. No Save As. I mean who gives presets but no ability to do a Save As and no preset recall without other hardware.

Have had a Superego (and now Superego+) and a Mel9 on my board for a long time, though they are both one-tricks and I think I'm finally ready to move on from them.

I have a pair of SY-1's that I play in stereo that I like and I too have ordered SY-200's to potentially replace them. That's as big as I want to go on my board though so no sy-300 for me. Have not received them yet. But the SY-!, on many settings, sounds like a real synth and sounds good doing it.

Am a little curious about the Pigtronix Mothership2 and the Red Witch Synthotron but all the demos I've seen of both do nothing for me. Don't know if it was the type of playing or the pedals.

Bought a Zoia a couple years ago for this purpose but never was patient enough to sit down and figure out how to turn it into a guitar synth pedal. Same with the Beebo.

That's all I can think of right now

[UglyCasanova]

I also didn't click with Enzo. The lack of master volume control is bizarre and the Meris team doesn't seem to have any interest in constructive user feedback. It makes some beautiful sounds, but what's the point if you can't save presets with consistent dynamic levels?

I couldn't agree more.

[Confuzzled]

I have the Enzo but have yet to click with it. I have spoken with the folks at Meris and they've been helpful with issues that I have had with functionality and all those fucking layers to access. I think I would be in a better place with it if I bought the connect from disaster area designs or a similar midi interface to access the presets.

The source audio C4 from everything I've seen is by far superior. Yes you need the app if you want to sculpt and create your own sounds.

I have the Mooer E7 which is cheesy and has an absolutely useless USB port that mower dropped the ball with. They could have created an app for users to be able to adjust settings with a bit more depth the way the cabinet mod pedals are setup, but this is a dumbfuck company who used EHX code signature in their POG ripoff.

[Confuzzled]

sorry Q connect.

[cosmicevan]

Just today I was thinking that Panda Audio Future Impact truly is the best synth pedal out there. The sounds are just phenomenal, but yeah, you've gotta build them or sift through the user patches which is a big time commitment. It's definitely not twist some knobs and go. The SY1 is like that, but then you've got just one sound. I dug the Matroyshka when I had it, but again, one sound at a time. If you've got MIDI and are willing to invest the time in the Future Impact, it's really the one. I haven't tried the C4, but those I know who have tired both find them to be comparable, but the sounds and functionality are just a bit better with the Future Impact. That said, the boss with presets is probably excellent as well since it is the SY1 with presets.

[manymanyhaha]

Just today I was thinking that Panda Audio Future Impact truly is the best synth pedal out there. The sounds are just phenomenal, but yeah, you've gotta build them or sift through the user patches which is a big time commitment. It's definitely not twist some knobs and go. The SY1 is like that, but then you've got just one sound. I dug the Matroyshka when I had it, but again, one sound at a time. If you've got MIDI and are willing to invest the time in the Future Impact, it's really the one. I haven't tried the C4, but those I know who have tired both find them to be comparable, but the sounds and functionality are just a bit better with the Future Impact. That said, the boss with presets is probably excellent as well since it is the SY1 with presets.

Got the Future Impact on Friday and played through the presets for a couple hours.

First off, it is monophonic (as is the C4 which I did not like). Surprisingly, we still don't have a lot of polyphonic options for guitar synth pedals in 2022 (Enzo, EHX 9 series, Boss SY series etc)

But it does indeed sound really good. A clarity to it that is beyond the other synth pedals I've tried. Most of the presets are oriented towards bass but all sounded great on my guitar and the presets gave enough of a glimpse of potential awesomeness that I downloaded the editor and started trying to mess with that. Couldn't get the in-app keyboard to do anything though and I haven't had time to troubleshoot it.

The Matroyshka: Despite it being advertised as a bass synth, it is actually polyphonic, isn't it? I'm curious about it now...........

[cosmicevan]

I don't think the Matroyshka was polyphonic...but memory ain't what I like to think it is.

Be sure to check out the user submitted presets. The user Quackmacker (or something like that) makes some amazing presets. I'm currently using 36 presets. It was hard to trim down to these...but I have them as 6 options per category...my categories include - Bass, Lead, Weird, Effects, Pad, Classic. Not that my presets actually fit into these buckets, but it's how I have them organized in my MIDI controller for now.

[manymanyhaha]

Thanks for that, will definitely check those out once I get the editor up and running. Were you limiting yourself to 36 because of the controller?

[Dandolin]

i am waiting for rfurtkamp

[retinal orbita]

What do you you fine people (who obviously know more about midi than I do) suggest for a controller? I’d like to access like…. 8? 12? presets easily? But not spend like $300 to do so?

[manymanyhaha]

Foot controller? I have a few from this builder and they work well and are not expensive: https://www.ebay.com/itm/323769464107?h ... SwMgdX0nLu

4, 8 and 12 button controllers. They are fixed cc and pc numbers though, you can't change but you can tell him which ones you specifically want, if you know

[gila_crisis]

As limited as it may sound I still llike and enjoy a lot the Digitech Synth Wah!