I have been a fan of Eventide's harmonizers and other effects since the 1980's, but their units have always been either too expensive or too large to put into one of my performance racks. As a result, I considered them to be a luxury that I could only use in a recording studio. Well, with the advent of their new Eclipse 3.0 that has now changed.
Not only is the unit in a 1U rack configuration - Eventide's first harmonizer in such a small package - but it is also set up with live performance in mind. And, not only does it have their famous harmonizer effects, but reverbs, delays, phasers, flangers, &c. as well (All of which I use, by the way), and, most importantly, it has MIDI and footswitch control inputs so that programs can be recalled quickly during live performance. This is really good news.
The Lexicon MPX-G2's that I've used for over five years now have been long discontinued, and though they are still supported, that will end in time, and the current MPX-1 is simply not a suitable replacement. Not only does the MPX-1 not have as much memory, but it also does not allow for effects side chains, which are crucial for the virtual acoustic environments I program. With two DSP's and up to eight voices of pitch shift effects, the Eclipse ought to be just the ticket for the new performance rigs I'm putting together.
Though the retail price is a gulp-inducing $2,995.00, it seems that the "street price" is about $1K less. This I can manage with some time and planning.
I have been looking for a "third way" for several months now, and I found the Eclipse in a Guitar Player product review. It sounds like an amazing piece of gear - and I love learning to program new effects units - so this ought to be something to look forward to.
Stay tuned.
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I'm leaving town for a few days to play a gig in Tucson, so I'll be back to posting next week. The venue, El Ojito Springs, is not only a performance space, but an art gallery as well...
So, you never know.
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