Large format (three or more footswitches) pedals have become the standard for effects, with options for tweaking that can get to the molecular level. They can also get expensive, and overwhelming to some players. IK Multimedia’s X-Space has reverbs galore, with ease of editing, some great extras, all at a great price.
With 16 modes of reverb it has pretty much any kind of ambience covered, from vintage slap back to cascading ambient soundscapes. On board are 50 factory presets, with the ability to have 300 presets stored in the pedal. The three footswitches can navigate through the presets, and can be set to true or buffered bypass, bringing in elements such as continuing trails after the effect is turned off. Every element of the reverb effect can be manipulated through the controls on the front, as well as quick editing on the fly. There’s not a lot of deep editing to get lost in, and the large display gives the info needed in a very simple and streamlined way. It’s stereo as well and can run at line or instrument level. Full-size MIDI connectivity is available, as well as USB. For added real-time control of effects, an expression pedal connection is also at the player’s disposal.
The Shimmer effect is always a great way to generate synth-like pads, and having two of them takes things to a whole new level. For more traditional “spaces” the hall, room & chamber modes were excellent in adding depth. For ’80s fans, the gated version made us want to go back to the days of dayglo and pastels, as it certainly captured the signature of the era.
Getting into the more out-there versions, the Bloom and Swells certainly gave a response that was more like a synth that can bend time. Each version has plenty of adjustability for the particular application and sound desired. Play “stump the pedal” and look to see where the road runs out, and you’ll lose, every time.
There are a few optional extras available, such as a cab sim with five impulse responses pre-loaded. These are not adjustable, but do sound nice, and work well with a drive pedal.
The USB connection offers up access to IK’s Librarian software (free to download), which allows the user to move around and rename patches on a computer. It also functions as a DAW interface as well! For added use in a computer environment, a copy of AmpliTube 5 SE is included, with a plug-in version of the X-Space featuring the same functionality.
For a player looking to step into the world of more reverbs, but thinks that it’s too expensive, or too overwhelming, this is the large format reverb pedal that’s wont bog you down. It’s small format pedal thinking, with big reverbs and big results.
PROS:
Excellent reverb options, easy to edit, cab sim
CONS:
None.
STREET PRICE:
$279