Is the TC Nova System worth having?

gearaddict

I've got an itch to get one of these but the angel on my other shoulder keeps telling me it's a flawed unit and I should steer clear. I get the feeling that lots of people try them, get annoyed with the lack of 4CM and the fact that the drives aren't quite good enough to base your whole sound on and then they sell them on. Maybe I should avoid that whole process and just not bother.

Teetonetal

It's reasonably old now. I would think there are better options about? Besides you didn' get on with helix, right? I can't see this being more suitable?

gearaddict

Probably right - I suppose the Nova is quite a bit simpler though, which appeals to me more and it's not modelling...just analogue drives with digital effects. It also has a downtuner capability I think which is something that I used to use a Morpheus droptune for (and the helix doesn't do) but that died on me recently.

TateFX

I love the Nova system, Every time I go to buy one I think "TC must be coming out with a new one soon". It's been like this for a few years. It's user interface is getting a bit dated now unfortunately. 

gearaddict

Stu_tate said:

It's user interface is getting a bit dated now unfortunately. 

So am I

guitarcookie1

It was the foot switches that annoyed me, they switch on/off when you take your foot off the switch, not when you press it down. Felt very odd. 

Trude

Ping me if you do decide to give it a try.  I have one I'm thinking of letting go, mainly because I'd like to be able to switch between two reverb/modulation types within a single preset.  If you don't need that, then I think it's a solid unit.  I also think the drives sound great, personally.

CarpeDiem

I'd suggest trying one out. I don't use the presets and prefer to treat as separate pedals. I've set a drive sound I like but also use a separate drive pedal to give another sound, including the option to stack the drives. The tuner isn't the best, so I use a separate tuner. Like most TC gear, it's robust and good quality.

firepaulmusic

It does a lot for the physical size and used price of the unit. Compressor not great, drives ok, delays pretty good with tap tempo, reverb quite nice. 

peteri

I would echo the try them out.

I had one briefly - as above the switching takes some getting used to, as does the programming and preset management.

I would honestly steer clear, they're from another generation - I certainly think the a/d d/a conversion is massively better in modern units - I could always hear it on the Nova stuff

TheBigDipper

I owned one for about a year. Loved the delays, reverb and modulation sounds. The compressor was a bit "meh" and I didn't like the drives. Hated the programming - but it was probably down to me rather than it. 

The switching issue wasn't a bother for me - I saw it as a benefit to tread on the switch before I needed the next patch and lift off when I wanted it to activate. Onstage, it meant I didn't have to worry about finding the switch at the right time, just release it at the right time. 

Roger

@simonk A friend and band member had one - it nearly cost him his mental health one night when it started flashing at him at a gig so the story goes... Hopefully he'll fill you in! Personally my experience of TC gear is it's not that great Build quality questionable and a bit too ambitious for what they deliver

simonk

Roger said:

@simonk A friend and band member had one - it nearly cost him his mental health one night when it started flashing at him at a gig so the story goes... Hopefully he'll fill you in! Personally my experience of TC gear is it's not that great Build quality questionable and a bit too ambitious for what they deliver

@Roger ;That was a G System actually mate... shudder!
Don’t know much about the Nova system but given you didn’t bond with the Helix, I’d suggest it might not be for you.

Roger

simonk said:

Roger said:

@simonk A friend and band member had one - it nearly cost him his mental health one night when it started flashing at him at a gig so the story goes... Hopefully he'll fill you in! Personally my experience of TC gear is it's not that great Build quality questionable and a bit too ambitious for what they deliver

@Roger ;That was a G System actually mate... shudder!
Don’t know much about the Nova system but given you didn’t bond with the Helix, I’d suggest it might not be for you.

Apols chum - me and names!

simonk

Roger said:

simonk said:

Roger said:

@simonk A friend and band member had one - it nearly cost him his mental health one night when it started flashing at him at a gig so the story goes... Hopefully he'll fill you in! Personally my experience of TC gear is it's not that great Build quality questionable and a bit too ambitious for what they deliver

@Roger ;That was a G System actually mate... shudder!
Don’t know much about the Nova system but given you didn’t bond with the Helix, I’d suggest it might not be for you.

Apols chum - me and names!

...and chord progressions

jdbwales

Used one as the centre of my live fx rig for years - loads of great sounds. However, mine just died one day and from then on I went with individual pedals, so if one goes down it doesn’t take several other effects with it! 

kennedydream1980

I think at the last count I had owned about 8 Nova Systems over the past however many years they have been out. I got one when they were first released, then bought and sold them over the years. I keep coming back to them as they are a great sounding all in one solution. Never had a hint of trouble with any of the units I've owned.

I've also used them to control amp switching via midi on a Marshall JVM and a Blackstar series one 45 combo, worked perfectly and made for a nice compact gigging rig. Just ran the Nova in the loop of both amps, so had access to all the modulations, delays / reverbs etc, and could switch to all modes on the amps if required.

I've also used them straight into a clean amp using the on board drive/distortion, sounded perfectly fine to me.

Jace_Nuzback

I used the Nova System in the FX loop of my tube amp rig for quite a while. I think they sound great! Quite honestly I only used it for reverb, delay and chorus. So it suited my needs perfectly at the time. 

Dan_Halen

I think for the 150 quid or so you can grab a used one for they are an excellent all in one. Menu is a bit annoying (but not too bad) so it's probably better if you're a set and forget guy rather than an on-the-fly tweaker. I used to gig with one and after a bit of playing had no issue with minor tweaks during sound check.

If I was after one of these units, I'd still get it over the Boss or Zoom equivalents but mainly because I do like TCs delays, mods and reverbs. The ME-80 and G5N are more modern and are both brilliant as well in their own right - it's really just taste.

crunchman

CarpeDiem said:

I'd suggest trying one out. I don't use the presets and prefer to treat as separate pedals. I've set a drive sound I like but also use a separate drive pedal to give another sound, including the option to stack the drives. The tuner isn't the best, so I use a separate tuner. Like most TC gear, it's robust and good quality.

You obviously haven't been using the same TC gear as me.

Jota

Used one for years. Great sounds. Easy to use.
Some cons: Too big. Needed an extra MIDI switcher to control it the way I needed it.
I'm now using a Boss MS-3. Love it.