Convince me not to return my ModFactor!

[♪♪♫♫♪]

I got a good deal on one of these--and I can't resist a good deal--so I ordered one, and after trying it for 15 minutes, I put it back in the box with every intention of sending it back. It just wasn't doing it for me. Very cold, digital and "inorganic" sounding. Then I read some posts singing it's praises, and one in particular from a member who actually dumped their Analogman chorus and Retro Sonic Phaser--two of the most highly regarded boutique analog pedals on the market-- for this box.

Should I give this thing another chance? What am I missing? Incidentally, the day after I received it, I stumbled across a cheap Arion stereo chorus in a guitar shop, and I thought the sound of the Arion blew away the ModFactor.

WTF?

[Alex Law]

If you don't like it, trust your ears, and send it back.

I think it's an amazing pedal - it'll go to someone who feels similarly! :)

[Andre357]

I got a good deal on one of these--and I can't resist a good deal--so I ordered one, and after trying it for 15 minutes, I put it back in the box with every intention of sending it back. It just wasn't doing it for me. Very cold, digital and "inorganic" sounding. Then I read some posts singing it's praises, and one in particular from a member who actually dumped their Analogman chorus and Retro Sonic Phaser--two of the most highly regarded boutique analog pedals on the market-- for this box.

Should I give this thing another chance? What am I missing? Incidentally, the day after I received it, I stumbled across a cheap Arion stereo chorus in a guitar shop, and I thought the sound of the Arion blew away the ModFactor.

WTF?

give it some time........I was not impressed at first but after creating some of my own patches I've realized it's a very nice pedal...

I will tell you I think the chorus sounds are awful on the modfactor, in my opinion they are unusable and cause ear fatigue...digital cold and you cant dial out that short slapback sound....they dropped that ball on the chorus sounds for sure.....if they had a tone control ( or filter like the timefactor ) I think you'd be able to dial in a warmer sound. So if chorus is your thing look elswhere...

I get better chorus sounds out of my Timefactor !!

But the rotary is fantastic, trem is brilliant ( and you can tap in the time ! ) vibrato is wonderful..........the auto wahs are great after you tweak the parameters ( the factory presets sound pretty bad IMHO ) and the phasers and flangers are cool as well AFTER moving away from the factory presets....

I'm sure EVENTIDE will address the chorus sounds on this pedal with a software update at some point....

The fact that I get warmer more vintage sounding chorus sounds out of the TIMEFACTOR rather than the MODFACTOR is just downright weird ....

They need to fix those ASAP or they'll be seeing a lot of returns I think...

[shood]

I am really digging mine, and I agree with the others that some tweaking makes all of the difference. I actually like the first chorus preset after changing the type to Shimmer - one simple adjustment like that makes a huge difference on a lot of the presets.

I have never owned a flanger or phaser, and I am surprised how often I am able to incorporate them with great results into songs I have always played dry. These effects were lower on my list of priorities, but I have to say they are among my favorite in the Modfactor, along with the rotary (I haven't spent enough time with most of the other effects at this point)

[Alex Law]

The vintage wah w/expression pedal knocked my RMC off my board.

[♪♪♫♫♪]

Thanks, y'all. I think I'll break it out and take 'er around the block one more time.

BTW, what are the chances of Eventide actually addressing the lame chorus issue? Is that bloody likely?

[riker4208]

Wow.....thats disappointing. Eventide chorus in the racks is killer

[Alex Law]

Lame chorus issue? Sheesh...

It's a killer effect.

[dk_ace]

No experience with the modfactor, but I had a similar experience with the Nova. I wasn't digging it at all off the presets and my initial experience with it. I came back to it for an hour and pulled the most amazing delay sounds I've ever heard out of it. I'm now ditching my DD20 and DL4. I don't know that you will have the same experience, but I would spend some real time with it before you give up.

D

[starfish]

Wow.....thats disappointing. Eventide chorus in the racks is killer
+1 I think if you don't dig Eventide you're just not going to dig digital. That's cool. I love analog and digital when it's done right and Eventide clearly does it right.

However, I'll add a sprinkle of disappointment to the thread. Eventide yanked the Polymod algo at the last minute. It was in the original NAMM demo and all the brochures up until a couple weeks before release. It's still on the Musician's Friend description.

Polymod just kills any digital chorus ever made. Since Polymod clearly works with the Modfactor and it was pulled (due to space limitations), I think Eventide ought to create a special firmware version that loads Polymod alone with nothing else. Then I would be more inclined to buy 2 units like I originally planned.

[dumeril7]

15 minutes is probably not enough time to make a good judgement. Wouldn't be for me, anyway. I don't think I'd have enough time to get much past audition the presets, and they alway suck.

D7

[Angle Loss]

I will tell you I think the chorus sounds are awful on the modfactor, in my opinion they are unusable and cause ear fatigue...digital cold and you cant dial out that short slapback sound....they dropped that ball on the chorus sounds for sure.....if they had a tone control ( or filter like the timefactor ) I think you'd be able to dial in a warmer sound. So if chorus is your thing look elswhere...

I get better chorus sounds out of my Timefactor !!

I'm sure EVENTIDE will address the chorus sounds on this pedal with a software update at some point....

The fact that I get warmer more vintage sounding chorus sounds out of the TIMEFACTOR rather than the MODFACTOR is just downright weird ....

They need to fix those ASAP or they'll be seeing a lot of returns I think...

Wow, that is exactly how I felt. I am loving the pedal, but really bummed about the chorus. I do have a high standard (already have a Retro-Sonic Chorus 12v, homemade Small Clone w/delay time and depth control, and a Dimension C), but I was downright surprised. I've commented here before that the delay times on the chorus are way too long for my liking. I wish they had made a dedicated delay time control for each of the chorus models. I've now posted twice on the Eventide forum regarding what the "types" really are, but still have received no response from them.

The good thing is that they will change it *if* enough people tell them on their forums. They have really been listening to the users regarding the Timefactor, and I would expect the same for the MF.

As Andre said, you really need to spend a little time programming it. I was terribly disappointed with the phaser, but found some great sounds after tweaking it. I think there will be some improvements in software (Biphase!), but users are going to need to tell them what they want.

After having the TF, I was disappointed at first with the MF, but after making my own presets I am finding a lot of use for it. It's nice having tremolo and flange on my board now. The Tremolo is killer sounding. I wish they would separate the LFOs though. Right now, the second one that wiggles the first is useless to me. Maybe experimental types might like it. A separated second LFO would be very cool. I also wish they would replace the modfilter with a uni-vibe. The phaser won't do univibe sounds that well.

I have high hopes that the upgrades will be really good for this pedal.

[anxiousmofo]

Can users upload/download each other's patches/settings?

I won't be able to afford this pedal for a while, and am interested but still on the fence. At least I'll have time to watch things unfold...

[Angle Loss]

Can users upload/download each other's patches/settings?

I won't be able to afford this pedal for a while, and am interested but still on the fence. At least I'll have time to watch things unfold...

Not yet, but they are working on it for the future. I wouldn't be surprised if they got that up pretty soon.

[lv]

The Arion is a great sounding box. I think many of the effects (esp the bias vary trem) on the modfactor, when adjusted, is extremely warm, but maybe it just isn't for you. I would try adjusting some of the parameters if you havent' already.

[lxm]

The Arion is a great sounding box. I think many of the effects (esp the bias vary trem) on the modfactor, when adjusted, is extremely warm, but maybe it just isn't for you. I would try adjusting some of the parameters if you havent' already.

THANKS for the clips LV. very helpful. how crazy can you tweak the pedal? does it go over the top if needed? :crazy

[Jazzgear]

I too got a great deal on my MODFACTOR and it came in today. I've been playng with it all day...and while I admit it has some great possibilities...I am underwhelmed by the tones -- specifically, the chorus. All of the other effects are very good to excellent....but I don't like them enough to keep it...Especially when compared to my inividual pedal effects.

So count me in as one that is sending his back.:confused:

[Jazzgear]

give it some time........I was not impressed at first but after creating some of my own patches I've realized it's a very nice pedal...

I will tell you I think the chorus sounds are awful on the modfactor, in my opinion they are unusable and cause ear fatigue...digital cold and you cant dial out that short slapback sound....they dropped that ball on the chorus sounds for sure.....if they had a tone control ( or filter like the timefactor ) I think you'd be able to dial in a warmer sound. So if chorus is your thing look elswhere...

I get better chorus sounds out of my Timefactor !!

But the rotary is fantastic, trem is brilliant ( and you can tap in the time ! ) vibrato is wonderful..........the auto wahs are great after you tweak the parameters ( the factory presets sound pretty bad IMHO ) and the phasers and flangers are cool as well AFTER moving away from the factory presets....

I'm sure EVENTIDE will address the chorus sounds on this pedal with a software update at some point....

The fact that I get warmer more vintage sounding chorus sounds out of the TIMEFACTOR rather than the MODFACTOR is just downright weird ....

They need to fix those ASAP or they'll be seeing a lot of returns I think...

+1 I concur with the above findings, exactly!

[playon]

I'm thinking about pickup one of these up to check out. Besides chorus, what kind of modulation sounds can you get from the TIMEfactor?

Also, can't you get in a tweak the tones in the MODfactor, like EQ them? Seems like rolling off some high end might help warm it up?

Also you guys who say you got a "great deal" on the MF, where did you get a good price?

[lv]

THANKS for the clips LV. very helpful. how crazy can you tweak the pedal? does it go over the top if needed? :crazy

VERY tweakable imo.

I think the chorus is beautiful sounding, but I don't have a ton of experience with chorus.

The rotary, trem, and vibrato are very good sounding.

[♪♪♫♫♪]

Ok, so I did end up sending it back, but not because of the sounds. The INTENSITY knob crapped out on me, so I returned it to MF for an exchange.

There has been quite a bit of discussion on the Eventide forums regarding the disappointing chorus patches, and I am frankly astonished by the extent to which Eventide actually seems to CARE what users of their products think. They actually actively solicit our input! In my experience, this is unprecedented outside of one-man boutique operations.

so I think I'll stick with the ModFactor, and hopefully they will address the chorus issue, and potentially refine the unit even further. I was considering switching to a MM4, but there is so much negative feedback about those units that I'm spooked.

BTW, anyone have any experience with the Keeley modded MM4?

[Alex Law]

I ended up selling / trading my ModFactors. Not because there was a damn thing wrong with them; I'm just amazingly fickle. Now I have an assload of Moogerfoogers.

[Steven]

I´ve unly had the Modfactor for a few days but I´m really enjoying it. I think it sounds great - including the chorus. It even does a great univibe inpersonation.

[Jazzgear]

I was just about ready to send my MF back last week. Had it all boxed up and ready to go....then decided to open it up again and really spend some time with it. I decided to keep it. I managed to tweak all of last weekend and got it sound great -- 97% close to my reference standard (for my tastes, at least) to the MXR 134 Chorus....and also got some really nice, warm and organic sounding choruses.

I really do agree that the presets suck, and you must build your own presets by tweaking, tweaking and tweaking.

The MF allwoed me to remove 3 to 4 pedals from my board.

The MF is a keeper now.:dude

[♪♪♫♫♪]

I was just about ready to send my MF back last week. Had it all boxed up and ready to go....then decided to open it up again and really spend some time with it. I decided to keep it. I managed to tweak all of last weekend and got it sound great -- 97% close to my reference standard (for my tastes, at least) to the MXR 134 Chorus....and also got some really nice, warm and organic sounding choruses.

I really do agree that the presets suck, and you must build your own presets by tweaking, tweaking and tweaking.

The MF allwoed me to remove 3 to 4 pedals from my board.

The MF is a keeper now.:dude

Cool. That's exactly why I bought it--to remove pedals from my board. I also ended up buying an MM4 on eBay, which I'll probably send to Keeley for the mod.

Hopefully, eventually there will be forum for exchanging patch parameters, so the slackers among us can glom onto some of those chorus patches that took hours to tweak ; ^ ]