It's pretty rare to find a programmable multi-effects unit for under £240 — or a preset unit for under £140 — but Italian manufacturers Viscount have launched both onto the UK market. Derek Johnson and Paul White find out whether they're cheap and cheerful, or just cheap...

When was the last time you saw a new multi-effects processor being unveiled by a European manufacturer? Bar Dynacord in Germany or TC Electronic in Denmark, I can't think of any either, especially at the affordable end of the scale — our hi-tech stores are stacked with imported Japanese and American products. So it's with pleasure that we introduce to you a new unit from Italian company Viscount (better known for Hammond organ impersonations, in keyboard and module form). There's something spookily familiar about the EFX1; if you've ever come into contact with a Boss SE50 you'll know what I mean. The same type of package, similar stereo inputs and outputs, MIDI connections, quite a similar editing system and so on. What can it all mean? Well, imitation is a form of flattery...

The EFX1 is a half-rack black box with a few buttons and an LCD on the front panel. A pair of buttons scrolls through patches, another pair scrolls through editable parameters, and a last pair alters parameter values. More buttons hide a utility mode, bypass the effects, write an edited patch to user memory and exit from editing. The simple front panel is rounded off with an input level knob, power switch, and overload and MIDI activity LEDs. Connections are via unbalanced jacks, and there are a pair of inputs and a pair of outputs — the EFX1 is stereo in operation, although the guitar multi-effects algorithm prefers a mono input. A switch is provided for +4dB/-20dB operation, and a pair of jacks are available for bypass and patch advance footswitches; power comes from an external supply.

Any superficial resemblance to a Boss product disappears when you look deeper into the EFX1. Effects patches are based around a smaller collection of simpler algorithms — 22 in all — most of which contain a single effect (10 reverbs, seven delay/time domain effects and pitch shifter), with just four multi-effects algorithms (Keyboard Multi 1, 2, 3 and Guitar Multi). Note also that there are never more than five effects happening at once. These algorithms occupy the first 22 memory locations and can't be overwritten, remaining as templates for your editing. The 106 other memory locations can be written to; initially they contain a good selection of factory settings to get you started.

Programming the EFX1 is simply a matter of pressing one of the Parameter buttons, scrolling through the parameters and altering their values. When you've sorted a sound you like, name it, press the Write button and save it to a convenient location. Such ease of use is fortuitous, since the manual is a little odd, abounding with Italianate references to 'effects concatenations', 'labile memories' and so on. It's just about clear enough to tell you what's going on, and the separate algorithm guide lists all the parameters you can expect when programming (see box for list), which is all you'll need once you've figured out which buttons do what, but watch out for inaccuracies and omissions: for example, MIDI Control, where available, is noted as having a value of Off or 1-128; in reality, this parameter has a value of Off, Pitchbend or 0-95. No explanation of MIDI controllers is given, and the manual doesn't provide a MIDI implementation chart or basic technical spec. Makes a change from Japlish, though.

MIDI

MIDI control is available, but on a limited scale: only one parameter can be controlled by pitch bend or continuous controller 0-95 in each of the following algorithms: Early Reflection 1 and 2; Ambience; Chorus; Flanger; Phaser; Rotary Keyboard Multi 3; and Guitar Multi. You have no choice over the parameter, which is a shame: you are restricted to chorus mode in Chorus, rotary speed in Rotary and distortion on/off in Guitar Multi, for example. Other MIDI functions include program change table and memory dumping via Sys Ex.

IN USE

As the EFX1 is fairly cheap, I was prepared for the worst. I don't mean that disparagingly, just that it could have been fairly cheesy and yet still good value. As it happens, I was pleasantly surprised. Reverbs have a nice feel to them, and phasing and flanging effects are great — with large resonance values, they can provide quite an 'analogue' vibe. I especially liked the gated flanger: it's tricky to get it in time with a track, but it can provide some interesting rhythmic effects. The Guitar Multi is rather good, if a little unsubtle — this may be no bad thing to most people; try it on solo synth as well. Pitch shifting is hardly ever outstanding on budget units, but the effect is fairly useable in its own right, and offers special effect possibilities. Keyboard Multi 3 is slightly off-course — a combination of phaser and chorus — but is still effective on synth pad sounds and the like.

The limited bandwidth of the EFX1 (the 12.5kHz top limit is even less than its 32kHz sampling rate would imply) is not really noticeable, and for the most part adds to the feeling of warmth. Unfortunately, the input can be rather easily overloaded and there is more hiss than with other budget units, but the overall quality of treatment definitely belies the cost of this unit. And the EFX1 has a character all of its own — I'd urge you to have a listen to determine whether that character is compatible with your system.

CONCLUSION

There are points both for and against the EFX1. In the winner's corner are its price and ease of use. Thumbs down, I'm afraid, for MIDI implementation and the tendency for the input to overload, but these and any other negative comments must be seen in light of the low price — for the money, you're getting a lot of processing power. And in the absence of affordable British effects processors, this is the next best thing: support your local trading bloc!

If your budget is tight, and you want a brand new, programmable multi-effects processor, then there is little else at this price. Unless you want to up the ante considerably (or buy second hand), then you have no choice: the EFX1 is the one.

Further Information

EFX1 £239; EFX2 £139. Prices include VAT.

Turnkey, (Contact Details).

At £139, Viscount's EFX2 must be the lowest cost multi-effects unit we've yet encountered. It's much simpler than the EFX1, offering seven basic effects or combinations, each with seven variations (49 effects in all) and one user adjustable parameter. It has a mono input, no MIDI, no power switch and no programmability. There is also no display, but the unit is a doddle to use, with knobs for input and output level, dry/effect mix and a parameter value. Seven buttons select the basic effect types and a further seven select a variation. Three of the reverb variations offer variable reverb time (using the 'parameter' knob), the remaining four having a fixed decay and another variable parameter (gate hold time, HF damping or early reflections delay). Though slightly limited, I thought the reverb settings very usable; the Plate was particularly suited to drums.

Delays come in single and multi-tapped versions with control over delay time or feedback, while the chorus and flange settings have variable depth, rate, delay or resonance. The quality of the delay and chorus effects is good, and in spite of a limited audio bandwidth, the result is warm, musical and surprisingly quiet for such an inexpensive device. As expected at this price, pitch shifting is none too special, though you can get away with an octave downward shift if you layer it with plenty of the unshifted sound. Upward shifts sound ringy, but are still valid as special effects if used carefully.

The Multi section offers seven variations for treating general sounds (guitar or keyboard pads, for example), while Guitar 1 and 2 offer 14 treatments aimed at electric guitar. Guitar 1 has a choice of crunch and clean sounds, with variations on compression, echo, reverb and chorus, while Guitar 2 is a surprisingly successful collection of overdrive sounds dressed up with a little reverb or delay. Guitar 1 was too dull if the guitar was plugged directly into the EFX2; better results were obtained using a guitar preamp first. The same is true, but to a lesser extent, of Guitar 2 effects; acceptable overdrive sounds are possible without a preamp; the overdrive effects sound pretty good DI'd, so speaker simulation is obviously included in the processing. The only problem, which may have been a fault on the review model, is that Guitar 2 effects seem to suffer from a background digital grumbling noise when the guitar isn't being played, even with the input level turned down and the guitar turned off.

This is a very simple unit, yet it is capable of very useful effects. It does tend to overload easily, even when the input clip LED isn't coming on, and some glitching can be heard when adjusting the parameter knob, but other than that, the noise performance is adequate for the cassette-based multitrack user, at whom it's obviously aimed. As a first-time buy for the fiscally challenged user who doesn't want anything too complicated, the EFX2 is very appealing and extremely good value. Paul White