Has anyone checked out this review for the TC Flashback Delay, this thing seems quite awesome to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvCC1TfNfb4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvCC1TfNfb4)
And here is the manufacturers page: [url]http://www.tcelectronic.com/flashback.asp[/url
After mulling it over for all of a few hours, I ordered one and will post my thoughts after I receive it. But man, the features sound pretty good:
* TonePrint- instant access to custom pedal-tweaks made by your idols!
* 11 delay types including looper - expansive delay options from subtle repeat to total time-warp
* Audio Tapping - set delay times by simply strumming your guitar!
* 6 seconds delay - all the delay time your playing could ever need ... and then some.
* Stereo in & out - for added flexibility to your set-up
* True Bypass - zero loss of tone
* Analog-Dry-Through - maximum tonal integrity and clarity
* Delay Time, Feedback and Repeat controls - for total control of your delay sounds
* Spillover on/off - super-smooth and natural transitions between sounds
* Easy battery access - makes changing batteries fun! (well, almost)
* Small footprint - save precious pedalboard space
* High quality components - only the best will do when it comes to tone
* Road-ready design - ready to follow you wherever your playing takes you
Plus they are marketing it for like $169.00USD, sounds pretty swell.
Gotta say, that does look pretty bad ass. I wish you hadn't posted this because now I want one!
I like the feature of audio tapping where you strum the delay tempo but the Digitech Time Bender does that. I think im going to get the Strynom Timeline for Christmas. That thing looks badass
This pedal looks and sound pretty sweet and at a good price.
Ok Colforbin, we need that report you promised :P
Right, got it.
This thing is awesome. Really cool sounding delays, all of which I like, but to be honest I rarely use any setting but the tape delay, it's super rich. I'm getting used to the audio tapping, but it definitely takes some getting used to. I have my delay in the end of my chain, so I elected to use it in buffered mode, sounds terrific. It's a super versatile delay pedal with a small footprint, and I've only found one drawback. My biggest beef is with the looper, when you have the looper selected, the effect level knob controls the volume of your signal, even when the pedal is disengaged. Here is the response to that issue from TC.
QuoteYes - that is correct. Here is a somewhat complicated reason why... it has to do with the analog-dry-through feature and true bypass:
Basically Flashback is never true bypass when you select looper: The reason why, is that we want it to be "armed" and ready to record as soon as you select the looper. If it was true bypass you'd have to first turn the looper on to active the effect and THEN turn the recorder on, to actually start recording. Obviously we couldn't be using one press on the footswitch to do both these actions, so we'd have to come up with some way of controlling "looper on" AND "record/stop" using to different footswitch "commands" (for example "press footswitch once to activate looper" and "press and hold to record"), which I hope you'll agree would be very annoying and not very intuitive.
So the bottom line is that no matter how you set the dip switch on the back of the pedal, Flashback will always be in buffer mode when you select the looper. If you have Flashback in TB mode, it'll of course automatically jump back to TB when you select one of the delay types... you should actually be able to hear the relay clicking when you switch between the looper and delays.
The reason why the looper controls the volume of the entire signal in loop mode is because of the analog-dry-through feature. The FX Level pot is an analog pot that mixes the wet signal with the dry AFTER the wet signal has been converted back to analog. In other words, we can't do any clever digital trickery to the wet signal (i.e.turn it all the way up when in loop mode), because the pot is analog. Because the looper is 100% wet and no dry as explained above, this means that the FX level pot controls the overall output of the entire signal.
Hope this explains why we designed the pedal the way we did.
Cheers,
Tore
So at the end of the day, great delay pedal and I'm super happy with it. The looper is fine if you are just using it for practice, but if you are looking to loop stuff live, you need another looper. I haven't got into any of the toneprints, I imagine I might check them out some day.
Cheers.
That was a great report! ;D Thanks. I was really getting ready to maybe purchase one and this info is golden. Not sure yet if i want to pull the trigger.
I picked one up over at TGP, will report once I've had time to play with it!
AWWW YEAH, just purchased a Flashback. On it's way. Forbin you were much of my convincing along with about 7 other YouTube demos.
Happy, like I told my wife in on our wedding day, I believe you've made the right choice here.
I think you'll really dig it. Cheers.
Finally it arrived. It's amazing! The clarity is impeccable. I ran in stereo mode with my BJ and Champ. I love the Mod mode. Grandioso chorus in there and the delays just swirl around your head. OMG I have missed time based effects so much! Anyway every mode is cool. The looper is great too. Now I just need another one so I can loop and delay:)
Yeehaw!
Quote from: Happyorange27 on November 07, 2011, 06:53:03 PM
...... Now I just need another one so I can loop and delay:)
Yeehaw!
Didn't you have a Nova Repeater?
Cool. When I first landed here, it was a little overwhelming reading everyone's signatures. Who had what gets blurred.
This looks real tempting to add a Flashback to my rig. I love my repeater, but like you said about the looper.. its nice to have 2 delays. Considering my gap in chorus and wah, I think I need to focus on other things than delay. TC does a real nice job in the sound processing dept. I think I want their corona chorus or their chorus/flanger.
Quote from: Happyorange27 on November 07, 2011, 06:53:03 PM
Finally it arrived. It's amazing! The clarity is impeccable. I ran in stereo mode with my BJ and Champ. I love the Mod mode. Grandioso chorus in there and the delays just swirl around your head. OMG I have missed time based effects so much! Anyway every mode is cool. The looper is great too. Now I just need another one so I can loop and delay:)
Yeehaw!
Glad you like it dude, I'm still a huge fan of mine as well.
Also I use the buffer setting (not the true bypass) and this pedal is right before my amp. It really keeps my signal robust and full. I used to think everything needed to be true bypass, but that is not the case. In this situation, the buffer is very nice to have, especially because it is adding value, not sucking.
Update. I still love this pedal but the audio tapping requires you to hold the switch for several seconds and only then will the signal cut out and start to sample your strumming. This takes up valuable time. I wish it had tap tempo. I know it can't have everything. Just wanted to share.
Quote from: Happyorange27 on December 18, 2011, 07:10:43 PM
Update. I still love this pedal but the audio tapping requires you to hold the switch for several seconds and only then will the signal cut out and start to sample your strumming. This takes up valuable time. I wish it had tap tempo. I know it can't have everything. Just wanted to share.
I feel the exact same way about mine, sometimes I feel tap tempo would be nice....but for the most part I can get a tempo from my drummer pre song if I know I will be using it, and just go from there. The ability to do an external tap tempo even, would be nice. Or just the ability to use the existing switch....anyways, that's life.
Quote from: ColForbin on December 19, 2011, 07:43:22 AM
Quote from: Happyorange27 on December 18, 2011, 07:10:43 PM
Update. I still love this pedal but the audio tapping requires you to hold the switch for several seconds and only then will the signal cut out and start to sample your strumming. This takes up valuable time. I wish it had tap tempo. I know it can't have everything. Just wanted to share.
I feel the exact same way about mine, sometimes I feel tap tempo would be nice....but for the most part I can get a tempo from my drummer pre song if I know I will be using it, and just go from there. The ability to do an external tap tempo even, would be nice. Or just the ability to use the existing switch....anyways, that's life.
I often wonder about the possiblitiy of modding one to incorporate such an option. The Echo Park by Line 6 is about the FB's size and that has tap tempo integrated into the switch, I wonder if TC is already planning something like that. the Boss DD-5's and up had an external tap plug available (at least I think so.) Couldn't TC have integrated the USB 2.0 plug at the top to incorporate MIDI commands, which would include tap tempo?
Well look at the Nova Repeater:
(http://www.4theguitarist.com/inet/4theguitarist/shop.nsf/vimgfiles/CLIC-8GEBYK/$file/TC-Electronic-RPT1-Nova-Repeater1.jpg)
Note the tap tempo and hold for audio tap are in the same switch, now I realize the flashback only has one switch instead of two, but I wonder if there would have been a way to incorporate this. Maybe another dip switch setting in the back, one for audio tap and one for tap tempo, I don't know, just spit balling here. I guess they probably feel if that tap tempo is that important to a player, than they will just get the nova repeater or something with tap tempo. I still really like mine, it would just be nice I guess. Looking at it now, I don't have another looper at the moment and the looper on the flashback is very valuable to me for home practice.
Forbin I think we are experiencing the same bitter-sweetness about this pedal. We just need another type pedal to add additional functionality and also so that we can loop and delay at the same time.
That's a genesis idea about the dip switch. But how would the pedal know if you were turning it off/on or if you were just setting a tap tempo...that's the difficulty of making that work. Maybe there are already pedals that can do that but I've never tried one.
A Repeater is pretty inexpensive for how cool it is. I may as well just get one as well. Then my TC pedals can hangout together and give each other high fives. 8)
Quote from: Happyorange27 on December 20, 2011, 07:32:29 AM
A Repeater is pretty inexpensive for how cool it is. I may as well just get one as well. Then my TC pedals can hangout together and give each other high fives. 8)
+1
Is there a pedal that does looping like the flashback but without the delay options? I can only think of the RC-2 but thats almost as much as the FB. I would use something like that next to any delay.
What olive about the flashback loop is that the fidelity is perfect. Your recording playing sounds exactly the same once it plays back. Seemless!
I only miss being able to stop a loop then turn it back on with the same recording in the memory. Like when the wife yells for something: you stop it, get the thing she wants, then turn that loop back on and continue the jam without having to record again. :)
Hey just wanted to say I like Dynamic delay. It's a setting I had never explored in my old pedal. It's great because it gets out of the way while you are playing. We you stop the the delay keeps doing its thing. Also it's great because if you screw up a note you just have to keep playing or do some "chicka chicka" as to prevent delay. Anyway it's great because it doesn't dominate or get old this way.
Quote from: Happyorange27 on January 15, 2012, 07:50:32 PM
Hey just wanted to say I like Dynamic delay. It's a setting I had never explored in my old pedal. It's great because it gets out of the way while you are playing. We you stop the the delay keeps doing its thing. Also it's great because if you screw up a note you just have to keep playing or do some "chicka chicka" as to prevent delay. Anyway it's great because it doesn't dominate or get old this way.
When I first got my Nova Repeater, dynamic delay was the first setting I liked using, but since then I've gone through phases where I liked analog, studio, and I think lately I've been using tape.
Quote from: Happyorange27 on January 15, 2012, 07:50:32 PM
Hey just wanted to say I like Dynamic delay. It's a setting I had never explored in my old pedal. It's great because it gets out of the way while you are playing. We you stop the the delay keeps doing its thing. Also it's great because if you screw up a note you just have to keep playing or do some "chicka chicka" as to prevent delay. Anyway it's great because it doesn't dominate or get old this way.
Do you find that the loop is long enough for just jamming with a chord progression? My Boomerang + never sold. I found the Dynamic setting to be a great tool also! I mainly use the MOD setting too
Quote from: tomasmaclennan on January 16, 2012, 11:05:03 AM
Quote from: Happyorange27 on January 15, 2012, 07:50:32 PM
Hey just wanted to say I like Dynamic delay. It's a setting I had never explored in my old pedal. It's great because it gets out of the way while you are playing. We you stop the the delay keeps doing its thing. Also it's great because if you screw up a note you just have to keep playing or do some "chicka chicka" as to prevent delay. Anyway it's great because it doesn't dominate or get old this way.
Do you find that the loop is long enough for just jamming with a chord progression? My Boomerang + never sold. I found the Dynamic setting to be a great tool also! I mainly use the MOD setting too
Absolutely. 40 seconds is a long time. I used to only have 14 seconds on my last looper so it feels like infinity.
I've been looking for a cool inexpensive looper for live use. I would most likely use it how trey does, so basically to make ambient loops to fill up some sonic space. How easy is the TC to navigate on stage?
Quote from: the_great_lemon on January 16, 2012, 11:09:19 AM
I've been looking for a cool inexpensive looper for live use. I would most likely use it how trey does, so basically to make ambient loops to fill up some sonic space. How easy is the TC to navigate on stage?
Honestly i don't recommend this pedal for looping during an actual gig; only practice. The volume depends on the delay knob setting which can not be unity if it's set other than noon. Also you can't recall the last loop. Once it's off it's gone forever. Great for practice...not for gig unless you are willing to handle the limitations.
Quote from: Happyorange27 on January 16, 2012, 11:11:57 AM
Quote from: the_great_lemon on January 16, 2012, 11:09:19 AM
I've been looking for a cool inexpensive looper for live use. I would most likely use it how trey does, so basically to make ambient loops to fill up some sonic space. How easy is the TC to navigate on stage?
Honestly i don't recommend this pedal for looping during an actual gig; only practice. The volume depends on the delay knob setting which can not be unity if it's set other than noon. Also you can't recall the last loop. Once it's off it's gone forever. Great for practice...not for gig unless you are willing to handle the limitations.
Have you figured out if its possible to use delay while its looping?
YOu can not.