Plethora X3

EricTheWeary

https://youtu.be/lLFVbJVetGg

TimmyO

Looks neat 

Kebabkid

This might just be what I need, replacing 2 X TC Flashbacks and a Zoom MS-70 CDR and it has cab sims to be a DI rig and looks simple.  

With the X5 at £400, it'll be interesting to see at what price point this comes in.

This has just come in and I like this guy's reviews/demos

english_bob

Interesting. I like that it's small but doesn't seem to lose any of the functionality of the big box (except that yer man below says it can only do three effects at once, not five).

I want to see the back panel though. If it hasn't got MIDI and a send/return loop I'm going to rapidly lose interest.

Just starting on this other video:

Kebabkid

english_bob said:

Interesting. I like that it's small but doesn't seem to lose any of the functionality of the big box (except that yer man below says it can only do three effects at once, not five).

I want to see the back panel though. If it hasn't got MIDI and a send/return loop I'm going to rapidly lose interest.

Just starting on this other video:

Good point on the FX loop but not fussed about the MIDI

english_bob

Product page and manual.

https://www.tcelectronic.com/product.html?modelCode=P0EB4

Has MIDI in/out/thru, so that's good. Stereo in/out but loses the insert loop from the X5 so everything in the box has to be in the same place in your effects chain.


I've got my eye on something like this to replace a pair of Line 6 M5s that currently provide a bunch of effects I don't want / can't afford / can't fit a dedicated pedal on my board for, but the ability to put the two units in the signal chain at different points is crucial. Looks like I'll keep saving.

robinbowes

@english_bob I'm selling an X5, if you're interested: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/227243/fs-tc-electronic-plethora-x5

EricTheWeary

Lost the FX loop and the expression socket. I’d much rather be able to use an expression pedal in this than have MIDI. Although has the MASH function I guess. 

EricTheWeary

£297 inc VAT at thomann.

english_bob

robinbowes said:

@english_bob I'm selling an X5, if you're interested: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/227243/fs-tc-electronic-plethora-x5

I don't really know what I want at the moment. Can't even remember the last time I plugged in a guitar. My big pedalboard is like a slightly cooler version of a train set in the attic right now.

robmac5150

Looks good. If it did Aux in and Headphones I'd have bought it for home

Kebabkid

Thanks @EricTheWeary for the price. Mmm, that's there with a used HX Stomp which is more powerful and would allow for all this and much more whilst occupying the same small footprint

Shame about the insert loop and signal chain as I would like to utilise the Compressor, Pitch Effects and Phaser, which like many, I prefer first in the chain, before my overdrives and with the modulation and delay after those.

merlin

For me even GAS doesn't stretch to this. Curiosity to try one out, but I sense disappointment so I'll pass. 

welshboyo

Kebabkid said:

This might just be what I need, replacing 2 X TC Flashbacks and a Zoom MS-70 CDR and it has cab sims to be a DI rig and looks simple.  

With the X5 at £400, it'll be interesting to see at what price point this comes in.

This has just come in and I like this guy's reviews/demos

That's 2 of us interested then!!

I've been looking at building a 4CM board for the EVH and this could be exactly what I was looking for.

english_bob

Kebabkid said:

Shame about the insert loop and signal chain as I would like to utilise the Compressor, Pitch Effects and Phaser which I prefer first in the chain before my overdrives.

That's vital IMO if you're trying to sell a multi-fx to integrate with a pedalboard.

I think most of us would be happy to sacrifice stereo for a mono I/O and insert loop (or a way to switch between the two) if the firmware will allow it. 

EricTheWeary

£289 in stock at Andertons if anyone wants to be an early adopter. 

paulnb57

I have an x5 and really like it, although it sits on top of my amp and goes into the fx loop, I dont use it to anywhere near its full potential, the x3 look like a good option for a small board

Creed_Clicks

Looks interesting! HX Stomp might win out!

StefB

For those of us that still mount pedals to a timber board with chain links, and I realise I’m in a minority of one, I do hope TC use those usual neither imperial nor metric monkey metal screws with tiny Posidrive heads to attach the base plate. 

handsomerik

I would absolutely buy one of these but only if they update the firmware to let you use 2 of the stereo jacks as an insert loop for drive pedals. 

To have so many different effects available and have to choose whether to put them all either before the drives or after them makes it untenable for my needs. 

I love the look of it apart from that one issue. 

english_bob

handsomerik said:

I would absolutely buy one of these but only if they update the firmware to let you use 2 of the stereo jacks as an insert loop for drive pedals. 

To have so many different effects available and have to choose whether to put them all either before the drives or after them makes it untenable for my needs. 

I love the look of it apart from that one issue. 

This. I get that making it smaller than the X5 means there wasn't room for a dedicated set of jacks for an insert loop, but I completely agree that an effects unit designed to provide more than one effect at a time, but that can't be used as a standalone multi-fx is hamstrung by being stuck in one place in the signal chain.

How many guitarists really play in stereo anyway? I get that it's nice to have for studio recording (how many guitarists regularly do that either?) but the reality for most of us is mono.