In my never-ending quest for technology solutions to compensate for my lack of real musical talent, I may have found my next digital crutch. DigiTech taunts me by introducing the TimeBender, a super tricked out digital delay/looper/harmonizer/make-your-guitar-sound-like-a-spaceship dual pedal at the 2009 NAMM show.
In additinon to the crazy echos and delays, I am looking forward to experimenting with the strum-programmable echo patterns, the ”intelligent harmonies” and “dynamic ducking”. The strum programability allow you to create patterns and set tempos by holding down a pedal and strumming the rhythm, recognizes it and lock its harmony selections to that scale. And the dynamic ducking will fill sonic holes with echo, waiting for you to play the next note before fading that passage away. Very nice.
The RE-20 is a modern digital version of a still coveted Roland analog tape echo from the late eighties, the RE-201. The original would be fun to have with all it’s grainy, fluttery tape-echoing goodness, but $1,000 e-Bay price is a bit over my budget. The digital RE-20 emulates the original’s audio and look. From its vintage green control panel design to the drift and unpredictability of its sound, it a sudo-analogish retrofest.
I have an affinity for analog tape. Although I missed most of the era where is ruled pro audio production, I did quite a bit of home recording, editing and experimentation with cassettes as a teen. And remind me sometime to post photos of the tape bow violin I built during my Lauri Anderson phase.
But along comes this squeaky-clean TimeBender. Decked out in sparkly silver, with more knobs, flashy lights and buttons than the old-school Boss unit, it seems to be ready to slug it out with the aging Roland pedal. The basic Boss vs DigiTech debate is never ending, and depending on who you ask, it usually comes down to Boss being the leader and DigiTech is the Me Too manufacturer. Many say that DigiTech products sound “too digital”. But its in the name of the company, so what are they expecting?
I hope to get my hands on one of these in the very near future to try out. When I do, you guys will hear about it almost as quickly as my neighbors will. But at a lower volume.
hey this is a very interesting article!
Emm. Yeah, it looks like a lot of fun…but isn’t this cheating??? I am old enough (and no it is none of your darn biz how old I am) to remember people saying the guys in Pink Floyd were not musicians, all of their instruments played themselves (not that *I* have ever been that silly). Do you really want to walk down those roads?? Just saying.
What you really need to do is get together with me and play “Wish You Were Here”. I still remember all the lead lines…have you been practicing the chords?
Just saying…
Actually it was not a lot of fun. Its complexity felt more like work than fun. Which is one of the reasons I quickly returned the TimeBender for a full refund (Thanks Guitar Center).
And although I don’t consider this particular device cheating, I do treasure many of my other devices that are indeed cheating (I’m looking at you Boss SL-20) . As a former stage magician, I have no problem with items that artificially augment reality. Walk the road? I will happily sprint down it.
Ready when you are to cover WYWH.