 George
Shilling reviews:
Digitech Studio 400 review
The
400 is a black 2U multi-fx box, fairly shallow in depth. On first
glance one is immediately put in mind of the Eventide H3000.
However, this unit is about half the price of an H3000D/SX. This is
reflected slightly in the build quality: the buttons feel fairly
cheap and the data wheel feels plasticky. However, the back panel
reveals a couple of things not found on the H3000: no less than four
analogue inputs and four outputs are provided, all on XLRs and
balanced jacks, with a +4/-10dB button for the output. The review
model was fitted with the reasonably priced Digital Input/Output
option board. This features AES/EBU and S/PDIF with all the usual
connectors and sample rates and software controlled options for
routing in combination with the analogue connections, which could be
quite irritating: no sound emerged from the analogue outputs in
factory default mode!
Buy recording equipment in the music studio shop
Digitech make a song-and-dance about the two S-DISC (Static-Dynamic
Instruction Set Computer) DSP processors. The manual lists 57
varieties(!) of. FX modules which each have a unique set of
parameters. Each module falls into one of three categories,
depending on their complexity. There are Full, Half and Quarter
which use those respective amounts of an S-DISC Processor. There are
then 23 configurations which route the two processors in different
combinations. Pressing FX Edit repeatedly takes you to each module
in turn, plus Input and Output Modes sections (where you can choose
from such options as four mono inputs and outputs or two separate
ins feeding effects which return on the same stereo output etc.) and
a section called Modifiers which allow control by Midi Controllers,
LFO or signal amplitude. Within each of these FX Edit sections are
up to 10 pages, stepped through using the Next and Previous Page
buttons, each page containing up to four parameters. These are
selected using the buttons marked 1, 2, 3, and 4.. For me, operation
was unnecessarily complex, fiddly and irritating. The display always
shows the configuration diagram, flashes the module being edited,
and indicates which page of parameters you are on. However, the
symbols and lettering are very small, apart from the large program
number display and reasonably sized Program name/Parameter adjust
section at the top. Despite this, valuable space on the display is
wasted with the unnecessary S-DISC logo! The display is hard to read
if not directly in the line of sight, no use if mounted low down in
a rack. But by far the worst thing is the input level metering.
Having meters on the main LCD is a very bad idea, especially as they
are so small. No other manufacturer does it, most opting for the
much more visible rows of LEDs.
The 57 FX types are very usable and contain parameters you would
expect plus a few extra things to play with. For example, in
addition to seven basic delay program types there are a couple of
analogue delays which behave just like old-fashioned units where you
hear the pitch change as you adjust delay time. These have a
parameter called smear which diffuses the delay repeats. Reverbs are
excellent, smooth and expensive-sounding. There are also Chorus,
Flange, Phaser, Rotary Speaker, Harmoniser, EQ, Dynamics and other
variations of FX types. One useful feature is the selection of named
starting points for each FX type, which are available as a parameter
in FX edit.
Each Program contains up to eight FX modules (the two S-DISC
processors split into Quarter-type Program modules). Programs are
split into two groups: User Programs 1 to 100 and Factory Programs 1
to 191. The latter cannot be overwritten, and astonishingly many of
the Factory programs 1-100 are set with much of the dry signal mixed
in, as though you were inserting the unit across one signal. This is
not what I want. Digitech market this as a "Professional Studio
Processor" and then set it up for a guitarist! It is very time
consuming wading through modules and pages to find the Wet, Dry and
FX signal level parameters, changing them, and resaving as a User
Program. Why not have a knob on the front to balance the Wet/Dry
signals? A footswitch socket activates bypass, or with a special
Digitech footswitch can also step up or down through the programs.
This feature also suggests a market other than the
"professional studio". Programs 101 to 123 are the basic
Configurations with no FX modules loaded, while thankfully 124 to
191 are all 100% Wet.
If you can put up with this feature-packed machine's foibles and
deficiencies, then it can be rewarding. Audio specification is
superb, the effects are generally excellent, and there are enough
choices to keep you fiddling for hours. The manual is helpful but
not very well thought-out, with everything seemingly explained in
the wrong order. It is tremendous value-for-money, but ultimately I
found it irritating to use compared to truly professional units.
Buy Aphex and other recording equipment in the music studio shop
Reproduced
with kind permission from www.George.Shilling.Com. Copyright ©1997
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