Digitech iStomp! review.

okay, let me just qualify this review by stating that I did actually get it when MF was blowing these out for 35 bux or so. That being said, it's probably the best 35 bux I've spent in the studio! Crazy versatile for my needs. I mainly purchased it because I sold all my hardware delays a while back and was looking for some good 'ol  echo action that the apps/plugins/pedals I normally use pretty much sucked at providing in real time. I pretty much have the unit permanently attached to an effects send on the mixer and since it's a stereo box , I still have a free in/out to randomly plug into. I thought the ios thing might be a little clunky but I really don't mind as I rarely switch up the fx and when i do it only takes  about 30 seconds. This is integration done the right way IMO, a standalone box with its own power supply, processing hardware, interface, etc-I can't stress enough the advantage of offloading the effects to an external unit with realtime control.  this is basically like, 50 pedals in one. I actually recorded a track using the box itself as an instrument utilizing the old feedback trick wherein you just patch the out into the input and tweak knobs. There are also tons of choruses , phasers,flangers,reverbs,distortions, etc. but for me the basic delay is the tops-haven't changed it in about 3-4 months, actually but less than the price of most halfway decent pedals I got 50! Very useful , awesome pedal.

comment: not a review! Volca Sample and the "integration" trend

umm…so if you need an ios app to sample with this thing, then you need an iphone or ipad -so why do you need this thing? I mean, really, whats the point, besides spending extra money, that is? It reminds me a lot of the akai mpx16- just a really, really handicapped version of something that worked fine 10-15 years back. Its like they are intentionally being cheap about the audio stuff, wth? On what planet does it make sense to put out a hardware sampler that doesn’t sample? The electribe s is like, ancient . The mpc500 is pretty darn old, too. Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy? How can decades old technology (proven technology) actually be MORE useful than something that came out today? I have no problem with IOS integration, but this is simply handicapping the device and making the end user jump through a freaking hoop just to do a simple function I can pull off right now with OLDER technology-namely um…just playing a sound into the machine and then triggering the resultant recording as part of a midi sequence aka sampling with my sampler. Don’t worry guys, one of these days, if AKAI, Roland and Korg merge into one gigantic megacorp, combine all of the talented R&D staff they can muster, working grueling 14-16 hour days , only stopping to replenish the vital nutrients they need to stay alive, we can expect , one day , maybe 10-15 years from now……………a sampler with a line in jack and a record button! G’nite folks, thats my time!