I am interested in adding stereo reverb, echo, delay, phasing, flanging, and chorusing to
My sub37. I am currently using an inexpensive unit that sound bad.
I’m looking at these and appreciate your feedback. Thanks.
Eventide H9 MAX
Strymon Bigsky
Electro-Harmonix Epitome
Electro-Harmonix Stereo Memory Man with Hazarai
I have four H9’s with MAX. Love 'em
The H9 is the way to go, if you can afford it.
I couldn’t stretch to an H9 but I am pretty happy with my Big Sky 
R.
With respect to the H9; some people don’t find out before they buy it is that there is no ‘effect spill over’ when you switch presets. So, for instance there is no residual delays, or reverbs after switching from those programs - although there is for bypass. It doesn’t bother me because I’m a tracking studio, but for live events it may not be the thing you’re looking for. Also, while it only does one algorithm at a time, is you want multieffects, that algorthm must specifically support it; such as reverb with delay, or chorus with delay. You can’t pick, more than one algorithm at a time.
I often change things up for different ambient atmospheric soundscapes but my Eventide Space pretty much is dedicated to Sub 37 but I also have on one of my rack mixers a return/send set-up with a T.C. Electronics M300 or a Lexicon MPX110 for those phasers and such. Also have a Hardwire Delay Pedal for Sub 37 but my only planned gear purchase this year will definitely be a Moog Minifooger Delay. (do not care that it’s not stereo)
It comes down to a wonderful sounding synth such as Sub 37 just sounding fabulous no matter what you run it through…even my Virus KC input through it’s FX sounds great.
I had a Strymon BigSky and it is very nice but I found I had to be careful not to overload the input. Most of the effects pedals are designed more for guitar than synth, and even though some say they have lots of headroom, the Sub 37 puts out a very strong signal.
I ended up going for rack effects which can handle +20db and I no longer worry about overloading. I am using the Lexicon MX 300. The reverbs are not as tweakable and varied as on the BigSky but they are at least as lush and beautiful, maybe more so. If you use 2 effects at at time, the reverb is less impressive, but if you’re doing reverb only it sounds really great. The tape delay sounds really nice too. I think the chorus/flange/phaser are just OK-ish.
Using effects pedals, I either had to mount then up high on a mic stand where I could reach them or duck down onto the floor to adjust. I got a rack from SKB and I place it with the back on the floor, up on blocks so the cables don’t get pinched, with the front facing straight up. It’s relatively convenient to adjust in that orientation.
I play my Sub37 through a MiniFooger Delay (mono) into a MiniFooger Chorus (stereo). It sounds pretty glorious and the chorus is very versatile. Both of those together is about a 2/3 of an H9 and they are both analog, if that makes a difference to you.
I ended up ordering the H9 and I’ll post how I like it with the 37. Thanks for all the info.
I also use a Lexicon MX300, and I’m pretty happy. The reverbs of the BigSky sound a lot better, I think, but for the price the MX300 is very good.
check out the sonicstate review of the MS-20m on youtube. the opening sequences use the H9 and it sounds fantastic.
I run my Sub 37 into my Korg Kronos (then out to speakers), and use its effects. Especially reverb.
It does a great job, however, my personal preference is to have more tactile control via real knobs and switches versus a touch screen. But since it’s ‘free’ given I have a Kronos, I can live with it.
Is it only me, or does anyone else think the price of pedals have become ridiculous - i.e. the H9 and Bigsky?
I think the price is high for a reason. Pedals of that nature are complicated to design, with lots of R&D, yet sell in small numbers, respectively. Compared to simple pedals like fuzz boxes and simple delays, the prices are dropping as they have essentially been cloning 40 year old pedals for the last two decades.
That makes sense - like Toyota designing the original Prius. R&D costs very high, with limited sales as they ramped up production (and then long waits).
One question about the H9 that I couldn’t find an answer to is whether it has balanced or unbalanced inputs/outputs. Not much difference from the Moog perspective, but other keyboards like my Kronos have balanced outputs, and I use balanced cables into the balanced input of my monitors. Understandably, unbalanced will work, but with a higher risk of noise. I’m betting that since the primary audience is guitars that the ins and outs are unbalanced.
I would GUESS it’s unbalanced ins, possibly balanced outs, given its studio-friendly nature. Given it’s digital, I wouldn’t be TOO worried about noise, either way.
The noise I was referring to comes into play on the cables, not the unit itself. Balanced cables flip polarity, run the signal in opposite polarity, then flip them again at destination cancelling noise picked up on the way.
Here’s an explanation:
I’m really digging the Eventide H9 with the Sub 37. I use it on a table top and the Mac application controlling it works very well. Once I have a setting I like I save it and then call it up on the H9. Very easy to use and sounds great to me. Its probably more than I need but I do like all the possibilities. I’m running the mono 1/4 from the sub 37 into the H9, then two balanced 1/4 into either my powered speakers or into a Zoom Tac-2 connected to my Mac. I’ve been fiddling with Ableton Live for recording. The setup works great for me.