Each effect family has a corresponding color:
green for delays, orange for reverbs, pink
for filters, blue for modulation, and off-white
for distortion, compression and volume.
The LED display background turns this color
when an effect family is selected, so I could
instantly tell which type of effect was in play.
Pushing down the first control knob selected
the family, and turning it selected the effect.
Once selected, the other five knobs controlled
the parameters. But Line 6 goes further,
once an effect is programmed to a foot
switch, a light just above the switch glows
in the appropriate family color—dimly when
in bypass, and brightly when selected. This
way, I never stepped on a fuzz when I meant
to call up a chorus.
The M13 was obviously designed by players,
not pencil pushers. It is relatively intuitive,
but downloading the advanced manual is
recommended, as the device can operate on
a number of levels from simple to complex,
depending on your needs.
I have a few things on my wish list for the
next generation. Having “Volume” as an
effect that can be run by an expression pedal,
and programmed into different places in the
chain for each Scene is fine, but it would also
be great to have a global volume option that
didn’t require relinquishing one of your four
effects slots to control it. The workaround I
used involved placing a volume pedal in the
effects loop, then programming the loop
between effects slots 2 and 3. That way, I
could globally place all my ambient effects
(reverbs and delays) in 3 and 4—post volume
control. Speaking of the effects loop, though
it too can be programmed to be at different
points in different Scenes, you can’t program
it to turn on and off. This means that any
effects in the loop must be turned on and off
independently.
The Final Mojo
These are small points however when
weighed against the wealth of great-sounding
effects, routing flexibility, easy tweaking,
and looping possibilities of the M13. If you
are looking for a way to meld stompbox convenience
and multi-effects control, check the
Stompbox Modeler out post-haste.
Buy if...
you want an all-in-one pedalboard
with extreme versatility
and amazing looping powers.
Skip if...
you hate modeling.
Rating...
MSRP $699.99 Street $499.99 - Line 6 - line6.com
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