Logidy EPSi

Started by Elantric, June 17, 2014, 02:41:45 PM

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Elantric





Manual
http://www.logidy.com/files/EPSi_Manual.pdf

http://www.logidy.com/?pid=1
The EPSi is a DSP powered effects processor using convolution to simulate various sounds. The impulse responses used to generate the effects are stored on an included SD Card and custom impulse responses in the standard Wave format can be added to the factory collection. Two versions of firmware are available for it:

Version 1.00 is optimized for long time windows turning the EPSi into a high quality reverb pedal. The SD Card lists 114 sounds from acoustic spaces to spring and plate reverbs to various special FX sounds.

Version C.00 is optimized for low latency dry path convolution which allows the processing of Speaker Cabinet + Room type impulse responses. Together with an onboard guitar amp style EQ, the EPSi alone can simulate stunning clean channel sounds from a mic'ed guitar amp.

The EPSi has a high impedance input where a guitar can be plugged in directly and it also has an analog zero latency dry




Review by Joe Gore
http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/20899-logidy-epsi-review
If you've used software or hardware amp modelers, chances are you've used impulse responses. The technology, developed by Sony at the end of the last century, is one way that modelers mimic various mics, cabinets, rooms, and outboard gear. Impulse responses (IRs) are recordings of test tones created in the spaces or through the gear being modeled. IR reverb players compare these recordings to a theoretically dry version, and then apply the resulting variables to any audio you pump through them. Voilà— your guitar can sound as if it was recorded in the Taj Mahal. Or a sewer. Or through a $5,000 outboard reverb unit.

Most modelers don't let you load your own IR files, though you can do so using dedicated software plug-ins such as Audio Ease's Altiverb and Space Designer in Apple's Logic Pro. And now you can add this technology (also known as convolution reverb) to your pedalboard, thanks to Logidy's EPSi—the first load-your-own IR stompbox.

EPSi reads IR files from an SD memory card, and ships with a 1 GB card containing hundreds of shareware impulse responses. (Many more are available online.) Quality varies, but with searching and a bit of patience, you can assemble a fine IR library at no cost. (And if you have an IR-making utility, like the ones included with Logic and Altiverb, you can make and load your own IRs.)

Ratings

www.logidy.com

EPSi is a solid 4" x 4" stompbox with minimal controls: just a terse, three-character LED, a data knob, an enter button, and a bypass footswitch. To select a new sound, simply scroll to the desired IR number and press enter. Same with altering the reverb time or adjusting the wet/dry mix: scroll and enter. This system works fine, just don't count on changing tones mid-song, or even mid-set. But hey, even if you use only one IR per show (a nice juicy spring to soak the sound of a no-reverb amp, maybe?), you may find EPSi useful in performance.

But the studio is where EPSi really shines. You have access to hundreds of sounds at once, or even thousands with a larger, pricier memory card. You can also swap between cheaper cards. (You can buy 1 GB cards for less than five bucks each.)

Swapping cards may be a good strategy. There are two versions of the latest EPSi software, which the pedal reads from the SD card along with the IR files. One is optimized for reverbs of up to six seconds, and the other is geared toward mimicking speakers and cabinets. (Yes, you can plug your amp's direct audio output into EPSi, record direct, and clone the tones of countless cabinet/speaker/mic combinations with startling realism.) To switch software, just power up with the appropriate card inserted. Like most powerful digital effects, EPSi requires AC power, but thankfully an adapter is included.

To learn more about using IRs in the studio, check out the recent PG article "Impulse Control: Mastering Fake Spaces." It covers some extreme sound-design scenarios and includes a link to download some cool and free IR files.


http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/20631-the-recording-guitarist-impulse-controlmastering-fake-spaces

Elantric

#1
Member "Ringleader" talks about how he used the  Logidy EPSi here:
https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=8387.msg80720#msg80720

QuoteZoom MS-100bt into a Logidy EPSi (fw version C for cabs) is my new grab and go rig. Love the new effects available in the App Store (super crunch, carbon copy, etc.) - stuff that my G3 didn't have. iOS cab IR apps were giving me too much latency but the EPSi only adds 1.5ms and the latency is imperceptible. When I want to use it with an iPad, I can do zero latency monitoring on the guitar signal with an external audio interface so the 10ms+ latency is finally a thing of the past. It is nice to no longer be tethered to my iPad to use cab IRs. Highly recommend this pedal, especially with an EPSi.


QuoteMost modelers don't let you load your own IR files,


FWIW -the Digitech GSP-1101 with the "C63" Firmware and third party apps G-IR-Loader (GIRL) allows custom IRs to be used instead of the factory Speaker Cabs. Details here:

http://www.frugalguitarist.com/post/2012/03/16/Digitech-GSP1101-Beta-C63.aspx

Digitech GSP1101 Beta C63
Friday, March 16, 2012| by Will Chen
For those who've followed FrugalGuitarist.com for a while, it should be no surprise that I'm a fan of Digitech gear. I've owned a piece of their gear for just about as long as I've been playing guitar as they are one of those companies which always offers a great balance of professional features at a relatively affordable price. As such, it was only a matter of time before I got my hands on their flagship processor the GSP1101. The GSP1101 was initially announced in 2007 and was quickly adopted by many professional players. However, Digitech continued to build new features on the AudioDNA2 platform which appeared in new lines of the company's RP processors. By the time the RP1000 had been announced at the end of 2008 the GSP1101's features already appeared rather dated by comparison. Stan Ripley and mustbebeta.com to the rescue! Though unofficial beta firmware updates, the GSP1101 has been updated to stay extremely relevant in a market which has grown increasingly competitive since 2007. The latest firmware as of this writing is C63, which may very well be the last as its been a year since its release. As the GSP1101 has been on the market for some time and reviewed thouroughly, I'm only going to focus on the beta C63 upgrades and whether the GSP1101 is worth the upgrade for owners of the current Digitech RP series. For opinions on general Digitech amp modeling and effects (the same algorhythms used in the RP series are in the GSP), be sure to check out my reviews of the RP255, RP350, and RP500. Before I get into the review, a few links. The latest GSP1101 beta update and release notes can be found here, the GSP Impulse Response Loader (G.I.R.L.) can be found here, and the official Digitech GSP1101 page here. Potential owners should really take a read of the beta release notes as all updates are covered.



While the GSP1101 C63 firmware offers numerous updates, perhaps the most intriguing new feature included is the ability to load third party Impulse Responses (IR). An IR is essentially the sonic signature of an environment, in the case of the GSP1101 a guitar cabinet. While this technology is fairly commonplace in DAW plugins, and is the backbone behind the vast majority of speaker cabinet emulation in multi-effects units, the GSP1101 is the only multi-effects device under $1,000 which allows loading of third party IRs. That said, the GSP1101 only supports mono impulses and additionally only loads the first 128 samples of the IR (the left channel in the case of a stereo IR) to both left and right channels, or alternatively the first 256 samples to the left channel (mono option). I must admit to being very skeptical that a truncated file could impart the realism typically associated with IRs. My first experiment was downloading the free Marshall 1960A Celestion G12M-25s cabinet pack available at redwirez.com. After some brief experimentation, it was obvious that a third party IR can indeed offer tonal advantages over many of the stock cabinet models in the GSP. I quickly got drunk on the experimenting which ate up many hours over the course of a few days...which I have extremely mixed feelings about. Yes, experimentation is often needed to wrangle the best tones from gear but I believe its also important to remember that putting tones under a microscopic level of scrutiny can be counterproductive and any guitarist (including myself) would be much better served by putting in some extra practice time than performing a similar experiment.

...if you dig the tones your getting from an RP unit, you'll love the tonal advantages the GSP has to offer
After getting past the IR experimentation, the GSP1101 beta updates offer some additional very cool functionality such as parallel effects processing, custom assigns when paired with the Control 2 footswitch, pre/post compressor placement, and many other goodies. All that is in addition to all the cool features the GSP1101 already offered such as disabling cab emulation on the 1/4" outs (so the XLR can still be sent direct), global cabinet modeling, and global EQ.

So is it worth the upgrade for an existing RP owner? Depends. If you're an RP1000 user who makes use of that unit's dual loops, you loose one with the GSP1101. Also, while the vast majority of amps/effects have been ported to the GSP1101, there's still a few missing (most notable the lofi and reverse delays). And despite all the GSP1101's strengths, the one nagging weakness is the unit's inability to run pitch and modulation effects simultaneously. This is a feature offered by the older GNX series as well as the newer iPB series and a frustration many current RP owners are likely familiar with. Now, if those features aren't that important and your not one intimately in love with the floorboard format, the GSP1101 offers a pretty big advantage when going direct into a full range system. That said, an IR is not a silver bullet which will completely transform the GSP tones. If you generally don't like the Digitech tonal signature, loading an IR likely won't change that...but if you dig the tones your getting from an RP unit, you'll love the tonal advantages the GSP has to offer. And then there's all the little things like the GSP's excellent strobe style tuner, global EQ, and excellent controller integration. All in all, unless your a player who absolutely must have a specific feature in an RP unit not offered in the GSP1101, its well worth the price premium especially considering the fantastic deals to be had on the unit due to the length of time its been on the market.

Price: ~$400 to ~500 USD (GSP alone) or ~$600 to ~800 (Control 2 Bundle)
Pros: Great Tones, Impulse Response Loading
Cons: Only one Modulation/Pitch effect available at a time



FWIW - I recently picked up a used GSP-1101 + Control 2 foot controller for $320 for both on Ebay, the cost of doing research


http://www.mustbebeta.com/

http://feki99.wix.com/feki#!__gsp-1101

LordByron

I've got to give this threat a necro-bump. I just recently bought an EPSi and, I have to say, I am amazed that these did not make more of a splash. While the UI is... basic... getting cab and reverb convolution in a pedal for such a low price is really pretty awesome. (Even better, I got mine used, so... bonus!)

The included cab IRs are pretty decent and, having now loaded up a few of my favorite Ownhammer IRs, it's really cooking with gas. In fact, for some of the IRs that include a little room sound, running the EPSi into my Boss Katana's clean channel actually allows me to conjure a sport on cranked AC30, a la Brian May. :)

I've only just started playing around with some of the Reverb IRs, but that is also a really cool aspect of the pedal as well.

I can tell this little fella is going to provide hours of fun, exploration, and inspiration. The adventure has begun! :)

lumena

I just thought I would post another take on using convolution reverbs.




This time from Diego Stocco. Lots of ways to use nontraditional IR's
Hope you enjoy.

davep2000

Whats the best signal chain for me?

The input impedance of the EPSi at 500k suggests a guitar pick up impedance level

I own a GP-10 and a GT-001, both without effects loops

As the unit is reverb based, does it need to be last in the signal chain before PA/amplifier?





davep2000

As usual the forum has provided an answer before I've thought of the question

https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=18569.msg132297#msg132297

:)

Elantric

Quote
As the unit is reverb based, does it need to be last in the signal chain before PA/amplifier?

True the ESPI does Reverb well via Impulse Response (IR) profiles, but many folks skip that and use it for Speaker Cab emulation using IR's - just like the Axe-FX does. This brings new dimension to the  Roland / Boss Amp sim products