Re: Headrush/Space Station review

["K. Douglas Baldwin" <dbaldwin@suffolk.lib.ny.us>]

Kevin Goldsmith wrote:
-Date: Sunday, July 04, 1999 3:39 AM
Subject: Headrush/Space Station review


>Just picked up a Headrush and Space Station.  I've only spent a few hours
>on 'em, but I can give some inital impressions.
>
>The headrush is pretty cool, but there are a couple issues.  The
>construction seems a little weak.  The case is plastic.

Plastic?? I have to look at mine again, but I could swear it was metal, and
quite sturdy at that.

 >It seems ok, but it might be a problem, and it's certainly kinda lame on a
box this
>expensive.

Expensive?? Street/catalog price is about $200. Is there anything that will
loop/delay up to 23 seconds at this price? Until the Line 6 delay pedal
comes out, I think this is about the least expensive bang-per-buck unit
available.

>The tape delay works ok, and normal delay is completely as
>expected.  The tap tempo is cool for both of these.  The looper is pretty
>weak, imho.  Doesn't come close to the 'rang except for the undo feature.

And the 'rang is about twice the price of the Headrush, isn't it?

>For those who don't know, the way the headrush looper works is that you
>record the first loop and then once it's set you can overdub as many times
>as you want.  If you want, you can blow out your overdubs by hitting a
>button.  I like that, but the interface is kind of weak.  You start
>recording the loop by hitting the right button.  If you go over 5.9
>seconds in your loop record it won't let you overdub,

That would be closer to 11.8 seconds, not 5.9

>so the recording light starts flashing as you get close to it.  To start
the loop going,
>you hit the left button.  This is maybe a little weird, but ok.  Hitting
>the left button again stops the playing.  To overdub, you hit the right
>button again to start overdubbing.  While overdubbing if you hit the right
>button a second time, you blow away all you overdubs.  This is kinda
>lame and took a little getting used to.  To stop overdubbing you have to
>hit the left button again.  This is a little goofy.


Yes, it takes a little time to get used to the switching. I wrote out "cue
cards" in big letters to remind myself what to do while playing, but is
there a simpler way to do what the Headrush does without more switches, LED
readouts, etc.? And by the way, how much floor space does the 'rang take 
up?
The 'rush is about 7" x 9".

>If you're looking for a looper, get the boomerang.  If you want the tape
>delay aspect of it, it's great for that.

Please don't get me wrong, Kevin, if I seem to be criticising you. Your
opinions are very important! For you, the Headrush is lacking. It's also
important to be factual (and I'm going to check on the metal/plastic 
housing
A.S.A.P.) and price is an important consideration in this field. For some
(like yrs. truly) the extra $200 of a Boomerang is almost two weeks of
groceries for my family, or most of the cost of repairing the struts on my
car, or a quarter of my mortgage payment. If price is no object, then
neither the 'rush nor the 'rang would be in the running, I'd suppose. Buy a
bunch of t.c. two thousands or what ever they're called.
>
>
>The space station has been gone over a lot on this list and on the web.
>So, I'll be more brief.  The space station also has some plastic
>construction that worries me about it as a proffesional pedal.  I'd be
>careful before only taking one for a world tour.  Essentially, the SS is a
>mini vortex in a pedal form with about 1/10th the control available to the
>player.  If you had to choose between it and a vortex (if you can find
>one), get the vortex.

And what's the difference in price (and availability)?

 If you want something that just does some very
>strange sounds that you can't edit too much, go with the SS.  I haven't
>tried the SS and the vortex together, but I bet they would work pretty
>well in parallel (or maybe even in series, but that might just be evil).


Douglas Baldwin, Alpha male Coyote, the Trickster
dbaldwin@suffolk.lib.ny.us