Sweepstake on how long it is until I sell this M13 I just bought!

Heartfeltdawn · October 2013

They sound crap, they've never filled me with confidence about their build quality, the stereo implementation is crap, and I've had 3 M13's and 4 M9's.

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

So I've now got an M13 - that eBay seller got the unit fixed (cable came loose inside the unit, was an easy fix) so I bought it off him, and he kindly matched an M13 that I was going to buy in London. So he's happy, I'm happy.

Just today put together an Arduino patch for my Arduino Duo which filters midi CC's from the output.

So I can switch my amp from the 12 scenes, and can turn effects on and off within a scene, and my amp wont respond - basic stuff, but really cool!

Marshall Satriani JVM responds to PC's and CC's, but you cannot disable CC's, so turning on an effect was resulting in an amp channel change; kinda idiotic really, but oh well. Workaround!

So I'm basically using it for delays. 4-cable method works quite well, but I might also try just going straight into the amp, and having a tubescreamer and my Zoom MS70CDR in the FX loop of the unit, and then have some patches with the loop on and then some with the loop off - basically enabling me to get around the slightly poor footswitching on the Zoom unit.

This would all be solved if Zoom had an M13 clone/ripoff/destroyer with their own algo's!! I'd be heaven then!

Grumpyrocker · October 2013

That sounds like a great setup. Once again reminding me what a dick I was for selling my M13.

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

They are good units. I am thinking I will do a comparison between the Zoom delays, the M13 delays, and my Boss DD7's. Maybe even try and get a DL-4 into it as well.

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

So after all that, using the M13 as a midi controller for my amp was less than satisfactory. There is about a full second of latency when switching scenes and the arriving program change to the amp, meaning the M13 is deferring the midi transmission.

So effectively the best way to do it is to use a midi controller capable of sending to two devices at once, to avoid the latency of the M13. But it does mean more floor real estate.

ragingben · October 2013

That sucks... I'm surprised to a degree although I think it's probably for the best - I wouldn't be surprised if the internal stacking was turn off all FX - send midi PC - turn on new fx. A delay that long is bad though. It's not a gap of silence in that time is it?

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

Nah no silence, just literally a pause on the current sound, and then the switch. But the scene change is instant - which means depending on what effects you've got, you could get a loud burst of sound before the change. It's just a bit sloppy.

Still a good unit though.

digitalscream · October 2013

I presume you've done the obvious and taken your Arduino out of the MIDI path?

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

Aye, as discussed on Facebook

It's definitely the M13. I even tried my RFX Midibuddy into the M13 and the amp, and it worked perfectly.

Why do Line 6 have to constantly make their shit retarded? Beggars belief.

digitalscream · October 2013

Sorry, having a bad day, brain be absent

Line6 are just like all the other manufacturers. There isn't single one which makes a unit that doesn't have just enough flaws to make it unusable.

Hell, I'm at the point where I'm looking for a good, relatively low-priced 3-channel amp. The one I really want, purely because it sounds exactly right, is an Ironheart...probably the IRT Studio...but then Laney had to go and fuck it up by using a totally retarded switching mechanism (which is completely different to anything else they produce). Mental.

Currently considering a GSP1101, which is great...but it doesn't support relay switching. Gawd.

Grumpyrocker · October 2013

I think the odd switching comes from the clean channel being added late in the development of the Ironheart. Originally it was a two channel metal amp - crunch and lead. You can get a surprisingly good almost clean sound out of both dirt channels. In fact this week I discovered that the lead channel was brilliant for getting a fat, bluesy, slightly broken up sound - and all this time I'd been using that channel teh brutalz.

The switching makes sense when you see it as a two channel amp with one of the channels have a dual mode. There are ways round the switching - as well as the din-lead and footswitch that comes with the amp, there are regular 6.5mm jacks for switching so you can use a 3rd party switching system and set it up however you like.

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

digitalscream;69052" said:
Sorry, having a bad day, brain be absent

Line6 are just like all the other manufacturers. There isn't single one which makes a unit that doesn't have just enough flaws to make it unusable.

Hell, I'm at the point where I'm looking for a good, relatively low-priced 3-channel amp. The one I really want, purely because it sounds exactly right, is an Ironheart...probably the IRT Studio...but then Laney had to go and fuck it up by using a totally retarded switching mechanism (which is completely different to anything else they produce). Mental.

Currently considering a GSP1101, which is great...but it doesn't support relay switching. Gawd.

Yeah, prior to my JVM I looked at the Ironheart, and the switching was the reason I didn't buy one back then!!

ddlooping · October 2013

Sorry for the off-topic question but, Drew, how come you got rid of the Kemper?
It seems like a unit that would meet most of your needs.

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

I liked it, but didn't want £1300 tied up in a pure recording solution, and at the time to make it a live performance solution seemed like I'd have to spend even more money. It is a good unit, but isn't perfect - at the time it was subject to some of the same issues that I dislike with amps and effects - gaps of silence between patch changes, inability to run a reverse and digital delay in series.

So yeah; I do see the slight irony of then spending £800 5 months later on a valve amp!

ddlooping · October 2013

Drew_fx said:

I liked it, but didn't want £1300 tied up in a pure recording solution, and at the time to make it a live performance solution seemed like I'd have to spend even more money.

Good point, I hadn't thought about that.

Drew_fx said:

So yeah; I do see the slight irony of then spending £800 5 months later on a valve amp!

GAS and irony go together hand in hand.

Drew_TNBD · October 2013

Also the other thing that put me off slightly was that the cab bypass isn't 100%, and I'm really not into FRFR monitoring - feels fake and unresponsive to me. An amp is as much an instrument as a guitar, and I do use feedback musically quite a bit in our music. I find feedback through a FRFR type solution is not as musical sounding - can't quite explain it. But doesn't feel right.

ddlooping · October 2013

Drew_fx said:

Also the other thing that put me off slightly was that the cab bypass isn't 100%...

I didn't know, thanks.

ragingben · October 2013

Interesting about the Kemper issues - people (fanboys) gloss over these on the official forums. I'm thinking of saving up and getting the power head version and using my 112 as a monitor for live, main outs to the PA. Thing is like with any multi/digital solution or whatever I know I'll end up missing my stomps, and GAS!

ICBM · October 2013

Drew_fx said:

Also the other thing that put me off slightly was that the cab bypass isn't 100%, and I'm really not into FRFR monitoring - feels fake and unresponsive to me. An amp is as much an instrument as a guitar, and I do use feedback musically quite a bit in our music. I find feedback through a FRFR type solution is not as musical sounding - can't quite explain it. But doesn't feel right.

Totally agree. One of my pet bugbears - sound engineers who insist on you turning the amp down too low, then when you say "I want to use feedback, I can't get it if the amp is quieter than this" say "don't worry, I'll give you more in the monitors". It always sounds wrong and is far harder to control properly.

There is something about an electric guitar going through a conventional amp and a conventional speaker which 'just works'. I really wish it wasn't so in many ways - I'd love to be able to be all modern and carry next to no equipment, but for anything rock-oriented I've just never been happy with my sound any other way than the old way.

Si_ · October 2013

Speaking as someone who'd spent the last 24 months with an AxeFX (in one form or another).. I'd never go digital again. Played my first proper band rehearsal last night with a proper valve amp rather than my AxeFX II and it's just miles better, feels better, plays better, sounds better..

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Sweepstake on how long it is until I sell this M13 I just bought!

Comments