H9000 as a stereo only device

Hello;

I am curious, as a guitar player a unit with stereo inputs only is all that is really needed. I thought I remembered early on in the 9000’s life and maybe early development when it was being talked about here on the forums that eventually a stereo only version would be released. Was that something being considered at the time and would such a niche SKU potentially ever be released? I suspect it would cut down on the cost of such a unit like the 9000R offers users by not needing to pay for features a particular subset of users will never need.

Thanks

What is it you’re looking for above and beyond an Eclipse or even an H9, or 2 or 3 H9s? I envision an H9000 LT to still be at least 8 or 16 channels. Many of the H9000 algos offer more than stereo outs. Just seems like a stripped down to stereo version would end up being 10% of an H9000

I agree with the last post. I also use the H9000 in a guitar rack, so we share the same goal. I got the H9000R which is the cheaper version of the H9000, and except for the long awaited and soon coming Emote version with Scenes capability, I see no use for the front panel for a guitar rack.

The discussion to me is less  about stereo versus the number of processors, because the H9000 is really 4 processors into a box. In fact, my setup is stereo, and I use a Switchblade with 16 IO in which I literally have 4 stereo virtual pedals named H9000-1 to H9000-4. This way I can route the IO any way I want between H9000 algos used in mono or stereo only. Please note that emote cannot do that, as linking the IOs between FX chains is not available.

‘if someone said that my budget was less than the cost of the H9000R, then I would probably say that the next step down with same functionality would be to buy 4 H9’s and wire them in my Switchblade. This would be the physical equivalent of my current virtual setup. For a guitar rack, I 100% agree that the sound quality would be absolutely adequate. With any good midi programmable switching system, you’d get an awesome rig.

I have never owned an Eclipse, but I had an H7600 wired in stereo before my H9000. What I can say is that except for losing certain algos which H9’s cannot do, I would take 4 H9’s over one H7600 any day as it gives way more routing capability for a guitar rack unless you want to become an expert VSig file programmer. Besides, the new vSigfile software doesn’t work for the H7600, which is one reason I upgraded to the H9000 to begin with.

i guess if Eventide wanted to re-enter the guitar only world with a new high end product, i.e. what should be the Eclipse 2.0, maybe they should build some sort of nice switching system that could integrate 2-4 H9’s with a nice software GUI to combine them and a connected pedal board with MIDI switching capability. But there is already a world out there doing that (SwitchBlade and similar). Or to keep it cheaper, combine 4 H9 CPUs into a modular box (users could buy from 1 to 4 H9s or H9 “cores” with it) with switching capability as above and keep the cost in the under $2,500 range, which would be quite cheaper than 4 H9’s and a Switchblade, and would be a direct competitor to the AxeFX3, which is the other product I had considered when upgrading from the H7600.

So this approach for stereo guitar rig would make sense to me, whereas downgrading the hardware of the H9000 to be stereo only may have very limited cost savings implications. It would offer an extendable stereo product from 1 to 4 CPUs and answer 100% what guitar players want.

Make no mistakes the axefxIII is REALLY nice. It’s an amazing piece of guitar gear. For effects only, it serves its purpose just fine, too. Comparing those effects to even an H9 I’d say the eventide stuff is just more lush, more interesting and the fractal effects are more utility. I’d say really comes down to how much time you put in and how good you are with each unit. You can definitely get stellar sounds out of both. I much prefer Eventide’s crystals shimmer like effects. They’re just so lush, 3D and complex in comparison. Maybe it’s a horsepower issue? I know the fractal puts a lot of attention in its amp modeling so the effects need to be efficient while the H9 or any other eventide product has no concern. I really don’t know.

Agreed, and it wasn’t an easy decision. Although in my case, I have good tube amps and preamps, mostly Mesa, so I can get a really good amp tone without need for a sim. The MarkV has a built in CabClone which is akin to to a miced cab DI, so handy for late night work and a key input in my switchblade system. So ultimately, and like you, there is something in the Eventide that no one else can do, whereas simulating a MarkV is of low value to me when I … own a MarkV. Besides, I have one more tool in my studio which is connection of the H9000 to a digital mixer via ADAT and I can use AmpliTube from Mac as a guitar modeler and connect it into my rack rig. So I can model any amp as well.

But I agree that the AxeFX3 is amazing as an overall package. Which has is why I was suggesting an approach above for Eventide for people who want everything in stereo for guitar but don’t care about modeling. Maybe that’s not that many people.

I didn’t know that. I have the MarkV-25, which has it. Although I bought mine like 6 months before the JP2C was introduced. i only have two channels, which is limiting, so I’m keeping my TriAxis for clean tones in the rig as a 3rd channel. They sell the CabClone as a standalone unit, and it seems to get consistently mediocre reviews, which I really don’t understand, because the one built into my MarkV sounds great 9or at least good enough) on monitors for recording and late night playing on headphones.

Another option, FWIW, if you have a computer or DAW connected to your guitar rig, it to take the preamp loop out of your MarkV, then DI (or split) it into a DAW running either Amplitube or similar, and ONLY use the latter to add speaker cabinet emulation. I use the H9000 via ADAT to connect to my DAW (I have a digital mixer in the middle conveniently but not required) so the H9000 can be used to connect analog (Switchblade) and digital (Amplitube cab emulation) and do serial/parallel loops at will. But this would require that your MarkV can turn off its own speaker cab while keeping at least the preamp on. I dont know if it can do that, so the above may not work.

I currently run any real amps into a 2 notes captor X. I really love that thing. I have my eventide H9000 connected both 8 channels analog and 8 ADAT to my Apollo x8. I use the eventide either as insert or bus effects in studio one. So my rig as far as my amps and the eventide is concerned is entirely studio based. For gigging the H9 and fractal AX8 serves me just fine.

I can appreciate your point. For fidelity/clarity, I know first hand in a performance situation no one will hear the difference between 16 bit, 32 bit float, 44.1 or 192 sample rates. Of course we want nice, clear lush sounding effects, but I think personally there’s a point of diminishing return in packing higher fidelity into guitar rigs. I’d argue processing is better used elsewhere, like for more complex algos, more instances and whatnot. My TC electronics G system must be 10 years old and the effects still serve me well.
Perhaps there’s room in the market and Eventide’s product line between an eclipse and an H9000. I’d personally sooner like to see an H9 on steroids, with multiple instances available, plenty of stomps and IO. Even better if like the G System we had a choice to rack the brain of it and use the stomps as midi controllers. Sign me up for one of those if I ever get another gig again.

I have a mark V 90w and wish it came with the direct out. Never understood why the flagship one doesn’t.

Great discussion

I do wish the H9’s were more capable in that you could load more effects modules together like could be done by using multiple H9’s. Given the size of the units and not wanting my pedal board to be dominated by these if using multiple units is of no interest to me personally but I do see the use case for that.

I am accustomed to the limited number of effects modules engaged at once though as I still have a H3000 D/SX in my old rack. and that Eventide sound is just not something I want to give up so I have never thought about replacing it, except for possibly another Eventide rack unit. For layering effects my old rack has a tc electronic G-Force. I do regret back in the 90’s not being able to have had the opportunity to add a Lexicon PCM-81 as I suspect that paired with the H3000 would have been epic. I also so wanted the GTR-4000 but still being a teenager it was way out of my price range. It took me ages to be able to afford the D/SX and I couldn’t splurge more to be able to get the D/SE instead. A few years later I fell out of interest with guitar playing and just recently I got the bug again. Thankfully I never sold any of my old gear.

The old Fractal FX8 or new FM3 do seem like great units. I’m an a good old physical amp individual not wanting modeling preferring my various Mesa units and cab so like mentioned above I personally have no interest in the modeling on the FM3 or AxeFXIII rackmount unit.

To the question about why the Mark V doesn’t include even the original Cab Clone I think it’s simply due to age, it may be their flagship Mark series amp but it was released what, 10, 15, years ago and Mesa doesn’t like to retrofit the older designs which is why when the Mark V 25 and 35 came out they were considered “new” designs thus had the original Cab Clone built in. I think the 35 has the full original Cab Clone features whereas the 25 is missing something possibly. And of course the new Badlands recto amp has the new Cab Clone D.I. built in so time marches on.

I too tend to chain H9 effects with dare I say more generic Fractal stuff. For instance if I want some delays on crystals, the H9 Crystals already sound awesome so a utility delay is just fine to get that job done. You are also correct about the MarkV timeline. now that I have a 2 notes captor X, its far less important of a feature for me. Honestly if I didn’t have the 2 notes and had a direct out, I’d STILL buy the 2 notes, I love it so much.