Rode NT1

March 2014 Guitarist 133
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There’s a long history of Ibanez
analogue delays, but the ES2
possesses perhaps the most
retro appearance of the lot,
despite a fair share of modern –
and oddball – appointments.
At its heart, it’s a pure analogue
delay, but its tap-tempo
footswitch, plus oscillation and
modulation switches, sets it
apart from the crowd.
Feedback and mix knobs
control the core sound, plus a
delay time slider, which adjusts
between 30 milliseconds and
one second. Flicking the
oscillation switch increases the
internal feedback gain to allow
the pedal to oscillate easily for
UFO landing sounds, while the
modulation switch adds a
chorus-esque shimmer to the
repeats, controlled by a depth
knob. The pedal has a buffered
bypass, and can be powered by a
nine-volt battery or a PSU.
Sounds
What’s immediately noticeable
about the ES2’s repeats is not
just their warmth and richness,
but how little noise they bring,
even with longer delay times.
Meanwhile, kick in the
oscillation, and you have
instant sci-fi madness and
pitch-shiftability courtesy of
the foot-adjustable delay time
slider (though the modulation
depth gets overly seasick from
12 o’clock onwards). If you’re
looking for a dramatic way to
end your next gig, give it a try.
Verdict
The ES2 has plenty of sonic
mayhem on tap, but also has
warm, lush repeats for more
practical endeavours. Overall,
an analogue delay perfectly
suited to traditionalists and
experimentalists alike.
[MB]
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: Neither
completely crazy nor totally
traditional, the ES2 combines
the best of both worlds for a
really versatile analogue delay
An analogue delay with a split personality
CONTACT: Headstock Distribution PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.ibanez.co.jp
Ibanez ES2
Echo Shifter
£115
Want to record your guitar
directly into your computer?
Want to record MIDI notes
from your guitar into your
computer? If the answer to
both questions is yes, the
Sonuus i2M musicport could
be exactly what you need.
Connecting via and powered by
USB, it’s not only a compact
audio interface designed to
take a guitar signal, but also a
pitch-to-MIDI converter that
can convert single-string
playing to MIDI notes to play
and record virtual instruments.
In Use
The class-compliant audio-
interface capability is always
on, and sends a single channel
of guitar to your computer,
with monitoring taken care of
by your computer’s own
output. We successfully
recorded guitar into a Mac
running the Logic DAW with
decent-quality sound, and were
able to access amp sim and
recording apps on an iPad by
connecting the i2M via Apple’s
Camera Connection Kit. As for
MIDI, the i2M lets you play
virtual instruments such as
GarageBand’s pianos and
organs on an iPad, and comes
with a software editor for Mac
and Windows so you can
configure it for optimum
results with a computer. It’s
monophonic, so chords and
double-stops are out, but single-
string lines track fine if you play
your notes cleanly.
Verdict
As a companion to your laptop
or iPad that you can slip into a
pocket or a guitar case for
composition, recording or
practice on the go, there’s little
around that can challenge the
i2M’s practicality.
[TC]
GUITARIST RATING
Guitarist says: A portable and
practical add-on for software
recordists who wish to input MIDI
and audio from a guitar
Two functions in one widget – guitar to MIDI
and an audio interface
CONTACT: Sonuus PHONE: N/A WEB: www.sonuus.com
Sonuus i2M
musicport
£120
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Ibanez ES2
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GIT378.rev_quick.indd 133 1/22/14 5:45 PM