Absolutely nailed it with the description of the UA being a more pleasant, post processed studio sound, while TC is exactly what I'd expect to hear coming out of the real amp. That was my reaction to other Ampworx pedals I got to try - "yup, sounds like standing in front of that amp" BYOSF; bring your own studio finessing
Exactly... I find these pedals sound great recorded... but what happens live? I'm assuming bar gigs would be fine... but would it make me feel the way a tube amp sounds right in front of me in a quiet environment. I'm hoping it's good b/c the prices for these are great.
@@elwrongo My old Tech 21 Trademark 60 sounds way better. I did initially like the TC but when I started AB ing it, it fell flat. The TC does have a sweet spot but once you start increasing the gain it's horrible. Was expecting good things but to be honest I'd rather have a Joyo American Sound with pedals.
@@neilwardenI'm wrestling with the same, here. Joyo American Sound about 30eur and this TC Electronic pedal 160eur - for the price difference, I am not sure it is worth keeping the TC pedal; it is a fine pedal but I still enjoy the Joyo more. The conundrum right now is: do I return the pedal or do I wait until - hopefully - TC releases a firmware update to address the lack of headroom in this pedal?
Great job Ryan - I really appreciate this video. Been sitting with a true spring in my cart for ever trying to not buy the surfy bear, then trying to true spring by buying the UA Dream 65, a 100 videos later didn’t do it. Now I know I can get the TC and get a good reverb, with a little bit of extra. Freaking awesome. You’re the man. What a blast, cheers broksy
Through my earbuds, listening to this demo,I'd say there's something about the reverb on the dream that kind of softens the brightness. Like you said: there's more separation on the TC, the UA seems to have reverb that surrounds the sound of the tone, kind of warming it and softening the shrillness. With all that, I do have the TC and I run it through a cab simulator and into my daw and I like recording with it. I run an Ibanez tube screamer in front of it often and it sounds good 👌
I got mine tonight. I use a pedalboard into a quilter amp head into a cab. I have intention of using it that way rather than direct into a PA. I like my dirt pedal (OCD) and have no need to do anything different for a dirty sound. It’s my clean sound that needs more clean. I wanted this pedal to get me closer to a clean fender tone with good reverb and quality EQ adjustments. The pedal sounds good. I didn’t realize how good it sounds until I A/ B it on and off. This pedal clean verses the clean straight into the quilter. This pedal can get a very thin Fender tone or a very fat and rounded fender tone. The EQ works good. The reverb is good but it is not great. It gets in the way of the tone actually after 5-6. Not in a good way. The bypass mode works great. No color at all. Here is the big surprise. The OCD pedal sounds great going in front of this pedal. It brings out some great sounding presence and slightly compresses it in a good way. I will use it for my dirt tone. I don’t like how bright the pedal is. Even with the bright switch off, the reverb rolled down for the darkest tone and the treble setting way down … it has a treble frequency that is giving it a harsh sound. It can be dialed down to taste but the harshness is still there. This may vary with different guitar pickups and cabs. I have to try the direct to PA out and see how it sounds. Overall I think it is gig worthy. It is built well and great looking. Trying to use the pedal in two channel mode to get a clean and dirt out of it did not work for me. The pedal does clean well. It does the edge of breakup very well. But I don’t think most will want to use it for a dirt tone on its own.
There actually sort of is a bright switch on the Dream 65. It’s on by default but if you switch the boost toggle to “lead” it removes the simulated bright cap in the vibrato channel. You need to have the lead boost knob slightly above 8 o clock for it to work
The Dream sounds as if it has a noise gate on constantly, which is good but very clinically clean every note has the same volume, like in a studio. The Combo is like that rough natural sound of a standard amp that I like. I'm impressed with the Combo Deluxe 👏
This is an awesome review dude. I’m still watching and you’ve already answered all of my questions. Until now I really haven’t considered an amp-in-a-box pedal as a real option. But hearing these side by side I totally have my eye on that tc electronics version.
I ordered one of these today. This is probably the best video I've seen demonstrating the Deluxe 65. I have the Jims 45 and have found some tasty tones but I think this is the one for me. Nice to hear a bit of Dick Dale and Link Wray too.. Thanks for sharing.
I bought mine and it took ages to arrive because it was coming straight from Germany. I saw your video a year ago and was convinced to get one. Problem is I now have the Deluxe 65, The Jims 45, the Boss IR-2 AND now the Strymon Iridium. For whatever money I've paid for each they all have their unique advantage over the others. Sticking to the Deluxe 65 I was totally sold on the pedals ability to drive an overdrive pedal while giving that very clean "Shadows" tone. The reverb is gorgeous of course. My pedal collection is now officially ridiculous and it's all thanks to UA-cam channels like yours. Thanks for the toys :)
Very cool pedal and very affordable. I have an original 1965 Fender Champ and have always been hooked on that era of Fender amps. If I didn’t already have a Boss Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb pedal, I’d definitely buy one of these. Hell, I might still buy one! Thanks for the review; great job!
The UA sounds much more like I remember the amp sounding like last time I played one at a good volume. That warmth and bass is a massive part of that amp’s sound IMO.
That hizumitas into the dream was great for both guitars. Also I appreciate your drip quest despite personally not caring about the drip. Any drip quest videos I always watch!
Dream sounds like an actual Deluxe Reverb. It's spring doesn't sounds detached probably because they implemented it within the signal chain properly (before and after the preamp stage). But also the spring sound cascades properly unlike in the TC. Surprisingly the TC reverb does seem to emulate the spring chassis resonating at higher gain volumes (so does the Dream). I can't imagine confusing the TC for the real thing. Dream clearly stands above in terms of emulation and by a decent bit.
I just recently got my '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb amp and it is like a dream come true. My only problem when I chose that one was that I was also looking at a '65 DRRI and having to choose was making me a little nuts. Now with this TC Electronic Combo Deluxe '65 I can enjoy a little more of both the worlds I wanted to explore. BTW, I agree that the headphone jack is a major Plus. Great demo! Great pedal! and thanks to the Patreons for paying the freight that got this review done. When I do order, I'll be sure to go to Sweetwater through your link.
I was hearing a theremin type sound in my in ears at my last gig. After watching this I have figured out it was my Dream pedal not getting the proper power after i redid my pedal board. Thank you!
@@ThemFuzzyMonstersBasically the only reason I went into debt 💸 with my lady. Lol she wanted to get an apartment. I said “Yeah. I can’t play guitar in an apartment.”
Fantastic demo, thank you so much !! Each their own but... ended up selling my UA Dream 65, also my tc combo deluxe 65 , I play every night in a country band with no amp, straight to the P.A. in both pedals I needed to use a eq pedal to fine tune the sound and make it sound like a deluxe amp, but both pedals have a big lack of HIGH freq. yes they both can sound High but not high enough like a the Amp which is crucial that freq to get the twangy sound on a telecaster... both pedals are great , I prefer the UA for many reasons... but at the end I tried the new Kemper Player and man... that's the one so far that got closer to the real deal, I can get all the highs and even more ... Kemper player is more expensive but man at the end of the day what u want is to have the best sound and forget about keep buying stuff to get the sound you have in mind. The little Kemper player it's been already 6 months in my pedalboard and it works like a charm.
To answer your question, if you run the out on the tc it bypasses the amp sim, so the ampworx pedals are great to run into a poweramp and cab! The DI out has the cab sim.
I would mic the TC putting it through the insert of an amp and get whatever sound I want THAT way. The drip it has is amazing and the dynamic response is pure magic.
And actually for recording, I could see myself taking out a lot of that low end that makes me favor the Dream in this comparison, so the TC might actually be better for my purposes
Great reveiw, thanks. Let's say they were both actual amps and I was deciding which to buy on overall sound alone, for me the TC would be a no brainer,
Ryan: Don't have Imposter Syndrome over your guitar-playing. I've seen video of you playing live. The imposter is the one who talks about playing live without having done it. Just playing at church you play to more people than most musicians ever will. On top of that, you have a passion for a style...most wannabes are just that because they never find their voice. You have not only found it, you preach it and teach about it in a way that not only promotes it, it ties it back to other styles. In doing this, 60 Cycle Hum teaches about things people who aren't aficionados of your style can still use because it makes us/them see and hear things differently. Mission accomplished I think.
I wish that Fender would create a pedal in this form factor that takes the electronics out of their ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb and puts it in to a single pedal.
I currently own a Fender '65 Deluxe reissue and the TC Combo sounds closer to the real thing to my ears. The UA Dream sounds very processed and very much like an electronic amp sim. IMO, no sim can replace a good all-tube amp but they do offer a lot of convenience and help clean up a stage - both visually and sonically. That's really the only reason I'm even considering an amp sim - to use at church with our praise band. I'll continue to use my '65 Deluxe combo when I play out live and the amp sim pedal will stay at church. I will use the same pedalboard into both. Since I'll be using my pedalboard, I don't really need all the options the UA Dream offers. The test with the Hizumitas was very revealing. The TC sounded a little harsh on the top end but I think that was because of how you had the tone stack set. You were trying to make the two pedals sound alike so you had flipped the bright switch on to give the TC Combo more of a scooped sound like the UA Dream. Later in the video at about 44:58 you dialed the TC Combo into to sound more like the UA Dream - more of a muddy, scooped sound. But while that type sound may sound good when the guitar is played by itself, it's not a sound that is going to sit well in a mix. It would have been nice, and very revealing, to AB both pedals with a real '65 Deluxe with a good mic on the cab. Thanks for making this video! I'm going to order the TC Electronics Combo and give it a try. This is a huge move for me. I'm a tube amp purist. But, I decided to give this a try at church to reduce stage volume and clean up the stage. At $149 versus $399 - it's an easy decision. If I don't like it, you'll find it for sale on Reverb!
I prefer the TC it's more straight forward and sounds like a real amp to me. The UA has too many switches and options to get crazy with but it does sound great..
That's the problem I have with my mustang gtx amp. Too many options. I mean, it's capable of almost any tone you can dream up, but it gives me option paralysis. I wish I'd have bought something simpler and a couple pedals. I'm too old to learn all the stuff the mustang can do. I'll probably sell it and downgrade soon.
Ur absolutely correct, the TC, sounds live amp. UA sounds mastered recording. In my opinion I’d go with the TC. Because I could smooth it out to my personal perfection.
Had a Dream pedal for about 2 weeks. It sounds incredible, but it's a one trick pony. No DI out, it did break up too quickly, but had a very realistic feel. In the end, having to use a DI and the fact that it gave me only a single amp made the price tag unrealistic. I ended up getting a NuX Amp Academy and mimicking the sound and returning the Dream and used it on a month long theater run. Good to see TC offering this at the price that they did.
Still have a Dream but had to use warranty within 4 months- Sent me a new one. I still get nervious its going to crap out mid-song which happened before. For this TC, no app, no bluetooth, no headphone, one speaker sim, no online B.S. This TC paired down plug and play pedal is what I wanted to the UA to be. UA is too finnicky, Hoping the power on cycling through is going to work. For the price I think Im getting this.
@@ericlewis217 I'm going to look into this as well as the Vox model. I've heard a few horror stories about the NuX Amp Academy, but a lot of that seems to stem from users not using sufficient power or daisy chaining it. The TC is the same reason I love (and still use) the Tech 21 Liverpool. Just knobs and less to go wrong with it.
@@tonepoet How do you use the academy amp to make it sound the same as the UA? I also have the nux and I love it, I have achieved a good sound, but it never hurts to know new ways to use it.
@@josecristiandiazclavel I had both the UA Dream '65 and the NuX at the same time for about a week and set the up together into my DAW. I bought and imported some IR' s (a must!) from York Audio into the AA. This is the first step, and it's important as the stock IR's within the AA are a bit meh. I just started dialing things close to the Dream '65 in as far as EQ, as the stock settings within the AA are bland. The Dream' 65 is a bit more refined, but difficult to discern unless you are a cork sniffer. In a band setting it's negligible. With high end delay and reverb reverb added (I use the Keeley Halo or a Digitech Obscura delay and a Nuenaber Wet or Digitech Polara reverb) the sound is very, very good. Most of what you see on UA-cam is done by people who are using the pedal stock and not really dialing it in. Don't get me wrong, the UA is good, but it's one single amp, no DI out (even more money to purchase a DI). Too much hype and price for that.
@@tonepoet "Excellent, I use my NUX with the Vibroking amp and the Line 6 Allure Deluxe Reverb IR (which is actually free on their official website), and it's definitely necessary to use third-party IRs because the stock ones don't quite satisfy. Just as you mentioned, with all the features that the NUX offers, I decided on it, and the ability to connect via XLR is very practical. I'd like to try getting a couple of IRs; could you suggest any in particular that you purchased?"
In your test, I liked the TC better. It sounded more open, less processed than the UA. Also, the UA sounded more congested with the fuzz and the TC again, more open. TC wins with the spring reverb. It seemed to reacted much better to your picking dynamics.
Seems the Danes haven't quite figured out how we Yanks use the apostrophe to indicate missing characters. They put the apostrophe on the wrong side of the "65."
I haven't played one of these but in this video I think the TC sounds more like a real amp while the UA sounds a little bit over produced. You could always add some compression to the TC with a plug in in post or a separate pedal but the UA is what it is so you better like it because you can't unbake the cake. Lack of vibrato (trem actually) on the TC is a major oversight but I suppose some will be OK without it. The more crunchy overdrive stuff I think sounded better on the TC. More cutting on the TC and either a bit brittle or more cutting and present depending who you happen to ask but probably could be managed with eq on the pedal or the tone knob of the guitar or in post post while the warmer more produced sound of the UA is again going to be harder to change if it's not exactly to your taste.. The lack of a headphone volume on the TC is a miss but the total lack of a headphone output on the UA is obviously a far bigger fail. Vibrato, a headphone knob and the ability to load cab sims would make the TC a UA killer but it seems to hold up quite well as is. A real Deluxe has a fixed resistor for the mids but some people add a pot to be able to control the mids so I think this was a really good addition to the TC for those who might want a more forward than scooped sound. Very good review of the pedal here and comparing it directly to the UA made the video even better. Nice job!!!
To me the TC works much better with its clarity and punchy drippy reverb. You can always add warmth to clarity, but you cannot pull out clarity from warmth.
I'm used to not understanding anything when people speak English. But I understand youI'm used to not understanding anything when people speak English. But I understand you. Thank u to for your video
Thanks Badly needed demo For me the TC Electronic would serve my purposes in all cases You can always add other pedals/simulators Even an Eq would do great things
I LOVE TC Electronics. A majority of the pedals on my board are TC pedals. TC/Tone City are the BEST value for yer dollar, IMO. I’m very tempted to try their Vox in a box. This one is the best one-trick amp sim box I’ve ever heard.
TC is Great Value for the Buck. I have one board with JIMS 45 TC , TC Electronic SCF Gold Stereo Chorus Flanger and Flashback and is Great For my Clean Tones. On another board I have th TC CD '65 which is great for clean and works great with drive pedals too.
the UA is a stunner with loads of options but the TC does one thing perfectly - i prefer pedals that do one thing perfectly - that baby will cut through any mix
For most end-use applications where the TC is getting run to a soundboard, every audio engineer on the planet would be happy to receive that signal instead of mic'ing an amp. Once it gets blasted through a PA all of that 'small box' fizz will just evaporate. The UA on the other hand already has that 'post-channel strip' processed sound, which certainly simplifies the user experience on both sides (player and engineer).
I think you should have made the UA Dream the Reference to see if you could make the 65' Preamp sound as good as it. It seems like they are close enough that it would be doable...
Perfect! Now I can have real surf drip from my Spark amp at a reasonable price! I have asked Positive Grid if they were ever going to come out with an update to add real surf drip reverb to the Spark and was told they were working on it.
I like the TC more than the UA in your demo. I really dig Fender amp tones. I mostly play clean, I'm not into a whole lot of gain, overdrive is just fine. I read a review on Sweetwater that said the TC didn't do clean. I think that individual didn't spend enough time with it before writing their impressions. I think this with a compressor, a boost and a univibe of some sort in front -- then a delay/reverb and an Eventide Micropitch after the output might wind up being my pedalboard. THAT PRICE! AND it sounds better to my ear than many of the Fender Deluxe models in multi-effects units.
Tc electronic is a bit rough but I think it's more lifelike like playing a real fender amp. UAD is smoother, but the impression is closer to studio sound amp software
The tc combo 65 might be the reverb/amp sim for me, just to run into the champion 100 with a tr2. I’m not a purist but love the vintage tones and drips and chugs of that era. That dream does sound amazing though 😅
I also totally expected the reverb to be pretty limp. But it's right up there. It's a really impressive unit. It's a pity they left that one flaw - the inability to change the IR. But given the price, it'd be hard to complain too much. I'd definitely choose this unit. The completely marginal difference with the UA for the lack of headphone jack - it's only worth the money if you have a lot of spare cash. For a surf guitar player, I think that aggressive reverb response is preferable.
I can imagine TC implementing some sort of quick editor program, in the very least, to solely change the built-in IR (the description never mentions which mic(s) are being used and, for example, I always prefer a combo of the SM57+R121 which Celestion DOES offer in the IR packs so exactly WHICH IR is being used here in these pedals?) I mean it's a pipe dream at this point but I can't imagine the sharp folks at TC not being able to figure out something
I wondered the same, but at the end Ryan says he can do that with just plugging in to the output vs direct out. TC Electronic's specs say: Output 1 x ¼" TRS, balanced with ground sensing* Direct out (cab sim) 1 x ¼" TRS, balanced with ground sensing*
Hi Ryan! First of all very nice (and detailed) review of these two nice pedals! Any chances for you to test#compare the Benson Preamp versus the Jackson Audio Silvertone Twin Twelve? Ps: waiting for my UA Dream 65 on my mail box! 🎉🎉🎉
I got the Jims 45 for the crunchy tones on both channels and it sounds amazing for punk rock. However I was thinking about getting the CD 65 for my clean tones and it drips. Only downside is No swapping IR's but for the price I can't complain. Thanks for the video Ryan and keep playing that drippy surf music.
Quick question: can you use the two outputs (to amp, DI with cab sim) simultaneously? I'm thinking of using this live with a low watt combo on stage, with the cab sim signal going to FOH and the out (without cab sim) into the amp for a bit of on-stage monitoring. Many thanks!
I previously posted a review which highlighted the clean overhead and harshness, I recently updated with the latest firmware. GREAT update resolving all problems, I'm hanging on to it now. MAJOR improvement!
A lot more headroom but after closely comparing it to my all analog Tech 21 Blonde I still found it too digital and the T21 overdrive knocked the TC for six. The reverb is amazing though. I sold the TC, wasnt wasting any more time on it. @@DD_Franks
Why do all of the demos feature Strats? I'd love to hear someone play an ES-335 or PRS through these pedals. I had a '70 silverface Deluxe that sounded great with humbucking pickups.
Regarding the TC's lack of cab options, since they are using official Celestion cabs, adding 2 more would surely increase the price. They likely decided it wasn't worth it considering the budget of the users they are targeting with this product. Also USB will likely provide software updates and maybe just maybe allow the user to change the onboard IR. Still even if this doesn't happen it still sounds great on its own. Like others mentioned would've liked if more drive/distortion pedals were tested but the video was already 1h long so it's understandable why they were not
I tried a UA Dream for a while and it just had a smallness to the sound. I couldn’t dial it to sound anywhere near as full or present as the amps I had mic’d up. Even running the Dream into the loop return of an amp didn’t do it either. Also, with humbuckers it was nearly impossible to get a decent full clean sound. It went back from whence it came.
Absolutely nailed it with the description of the UA being a more pleasant, post processed studio sound, while TC is exactly what I'd expect to hear coming out of the real amp.
That was my reaction to other Ampworx pedals I got to try - "yup, sounds like standing in front of that amp"
BYOSF; bring your own studio finessing
Exactly... I find these pedals sound great recorded... but what happens live? I'm assuming bar gigs would be fine... but would it make me feel the way a tube amp sounds right in front of me in a quiet environment. I'm hoping it's good b/c the prices for these are great.
yep, I think the TC sounds almost like a solid state amp, the UA sounds tubey
funny id say its the other way round
@@elwrongo My old Tech 21 Trademark 60 sounds way better. I did initially like the TC but when I started AB ing it, it fell flat. The TC does have a sweet spot but once you start increasing the gain it's horrible. Was expecting good things but to be honest I'd rather have a Joyo American Sound with pedals.
@@neilwardenI'm wrestling with the same, here. Joyo American Sound about 30eur and this TC Electronic pedal 160eur - for the price difference, I am not sure it is worth keeping the TC pedal; it is a fine pedal but I still enjoy the Joyo more. The conundrum right now is: do I return the pedal or do I wait until - hopefully - TC releases a firmware update to address the lack of headroom in this pedal?
"Does it drip?" is the new "Will it chug"
We need to get a timeline on which came first though…. I have no idea
I bet "the Drip" came first than the "the Chug"
Is the new?
If it doesn't chug and drip then I don't want it.
The crossover we deserve.
It may not be as pristine as the UA, but at that price, it’s a winner. That apostrophe in the wrong place, though, is killing me.
Xacto knife!
It’s a sixty-five footer. Big as a house!
Jesus Christ I didn't notice, that seriously makes it look fake and/or cheap
@@tmead07 underrated comment
ESL in the design studio.
Great job Ryan - I really appreciate this video. Been sitting with a true spring in my cart for ever trying to not buy the surfy bear, then trying to true spring by buying the UA Dream 65, a 100 videos later didn’t do it. Now I know I can get the TC and get a good reverb, with a little bit of extra. Freaking awesome. You’re the man. What a blast, cheers broksy
Through my earbuds, listening to this demo,I'd say there's something about the reverb on the dream that kind of softens the brightness. Like you said: there's more separation on the TC, the UA seems to have reverb that surrounds the sound of the tone, kind of warming it and softening the shrillness. With all that, I do have the TC and I run it through a cab simulator and into my daw and I like recording with it. I run an Ibanez tube screamer in front of it often and it sounds good 👌
I got mine tonight. I use a pedalboard into a quilter amp head into a cab. I have intention of using it that way rather than direct into a PA.
I like my dirt pedal (OCD) and have no need to do anything different for a dirty sound. It’s my clean sound that needs more clean. I wanted this pedal to get me closer to a clean fender tone with good reverb and quality EQ adjustments.
The pedal sounds good. I didn’t realize how good it sounds until I A/ B it on and off. This pedal clean verses the clean straight into the quilter. This pedal can get a very thin Fender tone or a very fat and rounded fender tone. The EQ works good. The reverb is good but it is not great. It gets in the way of the tone actually after 5-6. Not in a good way.
The bypass mode works great. No color at all.
Here is the big surprise. The OCD pedal sounds great going in front of this pedal. It brings out some great sounding presence and slightly compresses it in a good way. I will use it for my dirt tone.
I don’t like how bright the pedal is. Even with the bright switch off, the reverb rolled down for the darkest tone and the treble setting way down … it has a treble frequency that is giving it a harsh sound. It can be dialed down to taste but the harshness is still there.
This may vary with different guitar pickups and cabs.
I have to try the direct to PA out and see how it sounds.
Overall I think it is gig worthy. It is built well and great looking. Trying to use the pedal in two channel mode to get a clean and dirt out of it did not work for me.
The pedal does clean well. It does the edge of breakup very well. But I don’t think most will want to use it for a dirt tone on its own.
There actually sort of is a bright switch on the Dream 65. It’s on by default but if you switch the boost toggle to “lead” it removes the simulated bright cap in the vibrato channel. You need to have the lead boost knob slightly above 8 o clock for it to work
Interesting
TC is more natural, UA is more like a studio recording. Well described and showcased!
The Dream sounds as if it has a noise gate on constantly, which is good but very clinically clean every note has the same volume, like in a studio. The Combo is like that rough natural sound of a standard amp that I like. I'm impressed with the Combo Deluxe 👏
This is an awesome review dude. I’m still watching and you’ve already answered all of my questions. Until now I really haven’t considered an amp-in-a-box pedal as a real option. But hearing these side by side I totally have my eye on that tc electronics version.
I ordered one of these today. This is probably the best video I've seen demonstrating the Deluxe 65. I have the Jims 45 and have found some tasty tones but I think this is the one for me. Nice to hear a bit of Dick Dale and Link Wray too.. Thanks for sharing.
I bought mine and it took ages to arrive because it was coming straight from Germany. I saw your video a year ago and was convinced to get one. Problem is I now have the Deluxe 65, The Jims 45, the Boss IR-2 AND now the Strymon Iridium. For whatever money I've paid for each they all have their unique advantage over the others. Sticking to the Deluxe 65 I was totally sold on the pedals ability to drive an overdrive pedal while giving that very clean "Shadows" tone. The reverb is gorgeous of course. My pedal collection is now officially ridiculous and it's all thanks to UA-cam channels like yours. Thanks for the toys :)
Very cool pedal and very affordable. I have an original 1965 Fender Champ and have always been hooked on that era of Fender amps. If I didn’t already have a Boss Fender ‘65 Deluxe Reverb pedal, I’d definitely buy one of these. Hell, I might still buy one! Thanks for the review; great job!
I have a vintage Silverface vibro champ (made 1973 - I looked up the serial code) that I got used in '88 and is still my go to amp.
The testing cab sims with FUZZ tip was gold .... I always have a problem evaluating them. I'll definitely try it next time. THANX!
The UA sounds much more like I remember the amp sounding like last time I played one at a good volume. That warmth and bass is a massive part of that amp’s sound IMO.
That hizumitas into the dream was great for both guitars. Also I appreciate your drip quest despite personally not caring about the drip. Any drip quest videos I always watch!
Wow…I much prefer the Drip on the TC Electronic compared to the UA. It sounds way more natural. Good job TC!
Same.
Here there is about $240 between both. I take the Combo Deluxe and fetch an overdrive or fuzz and still have some change in my pocket.
Dream sounds like an actual Deluxe Reverb. It's spring doesn't sounds detached probably because they implemented it within the signal chain properly (before and after the preamp stage). But also the spring sound cascades properly unlike in the TC. Surprisingly the TC reverb does seem to emulate the spring chassis resonating at higher gain volumes (so does the Dream). I can't imagine confusing the TC for the real thing. Dream clearly stands above in terms of emulation and by a decent bit.
I just recently got my '68 Custom Deluxe Reverb amp and it is like a dream come true. My only problem when I chose that one was that I was also looking at a '65 DRRI and having to choose was making me a little nuts.
Now with this TC Electronic Combo Deluxe '65 I can enjoy a little more of both the worlds I wanted to explore.
BTW, I agree that the headphone jack is a major Plus.
Great demo! Great pedal! and thanks to the Patreons for paying the freight that got this review done.
When I do order, I'll be sure to go to Sweetwater through your link.
I was hearing a theremin type sound in my in ears at my last gig. After watching this I have figured out it was my Dream pedal not getting the proper power after i redid my pedal board. Thank you!
yeah thats totally possible.
You should definitely power the UA pedals with 500mA (and isolated) as a minimum just for safety.
I wonder how much of the difference is because of the IRs I’d love to see a comparison with them going through the same cab sim
It drips alright, but the lack of tremolo is mind blowing. We can never win, there's always something.
Should just buy an actual Deluxe 🤷🏻♂️🤣
@@ThemFuzzyMonsters good luck with that in an apartment lol
@@Snowcountry556
Should just buy a house 🤷🏻♂️🤣
@@ThemFuzzyMonstersBasically the only reason I went into debt 💸 with my lady. Lol she wanted to get an apartment. I said “Yeah. I can’t play guitar in an apartment.”
my dream 65 lack of headphone jack is also mind blowing and the fact that they don't actually show you what your saved settings are in the app :(
Fantastic demo, thank you so much !! Each their own but... ended up selling my UA Dream 65, also my tc combo deluxe 65 , I play every night in a country band with no amp, straight to the P.A. in both pedals I needed to use a eq pedal to fine tune the sound and make it sound like a deluxe amp, but both pedals have a big lack of HIGH freq. yes they both can sound High but not high enough like a the Amp which is crucial that freq to get the twangy sound on a telecaster... both pedals are great , I prefer the UA for many reasons... but at the end I tried the new Kemper Player and man... that's the one so far that got closer to the real deal, I can get all the highs and even more ... Kemper player is more expensive but man at the end of the day what u want is to have the best sound and forget about keep buying stuff to get the sound you have in mind. The little Kemper player it's been already 6 months in my pedalboard and it works like a charm.
Prefiro o Vox para o country.
To answer your question, if you run the out on the tc it bypasses the amp sim, so the ampworx pedals are great to run into a poweramp and cab! The DI out has the cab sim.
I bought a Topanga just recently but for the price of this one, it's a good deal, love the variety of modes and settings. It is drippy indeed.
I would mic the TC putting it through the insert of an amp and get whatever sound I want THAT way. The drip it has is amazing and the dynamic response is pure magic.
And actually for recording, I could see myself taking out a lot of that low end that makes me favor the Dream in this comparison, so the TC might actually be better for my purposes
really miss the AmPro sea chrome Jazzmaster for pedal demos :(
Yeah I need to put it back into rotation.
Great videos. I appreciate how you always test reverb pedals for the surfy sound. Most of everyone else’s videos are ambient noise.
Thank you, Joe Terwillegar, Andrew Bimson, and Mike Oxbig!
hahaaa
Great reveiw, thanks. Let's say they were both actual amps and I was deciding which to buy on overall sound alone, for me the TC would be a no brainer,
I’m digging those knobs!
If you used a ir in your daw and not from the pedals then how close would they sound is my question
Ryan: Don't have Imposter Syndrome over your guitar-playing.
I've seen video of you playing live. The imposter is the one who talks about playing live without having done it. Just playing at church you play to more people than most musicians ever will. On top of that, you have a passion for a style...most wannabes are just that because they never find their voice.
You have not only found it, you preach it and teach about it in a way that not only promotes it, it ties it back to other styles.
In doing this, 60 Cycle Hum teaches about things people who aren't aficionados of your style can still use because it makes us/them see and hear things differently.
Mission accomplished I think.
I wish that Fender would create a pedal in this form factor that takes the electronics out of their ToneMaster Deluxe Reverb and puts it in to a single pedal.
The second you strummed on the UA I was like yeah, that’s a Deluxe Reverb.
I have a Silver Face DR for reference
I currently own a Fender '65 Deluxe reissue and the TC Combo sounds closer to the real thing to my ears. The UA Dream sounds very processed and very much like an electronic amp sim. IMO, no sim can replace a good all-tube amp but they do offer a lot of convenience and help clean up a stage - both visually and sonically. That's really the only reason I'm even considering an amp sim - to use at church with our praise band. I'll continue to use my '65 Deluxe combo when I play out live and the amp sim pedal will stay at church. I will use the same pedalboard into both. Since I'll be using my pedalboard, I don't really need all the options the UA Dream offers.
The test with the Hizumitas was very revealing. The TC sounded a little harsh on the top end but I think that was because of how you had the tone stack set. You were trying to make the two pedals sound alike so you had flipped the bright switch on to give the TC Combo more of a scooped sound like the UA Dream. Later in the video at about 44:58 you dialed the TC Combo into to sound more like the UA Dream - more of a muddy, scooped sound. But while that type sound may sound good when the guitar is played by itself, it's not a sound that is going to sit well in a mix. It would have been nice, and very revealing, to AB both pedals with a real '65 Deluxe with a good mic on the cab.
Thanks for making this video! I'm going to order the TC Electronics Combo and give it a try. This is a huge move for me. I'm a tube amp purist. But, I decided to give this a try at church to reduce stage volume and clean up the stage. At $149 versus $399 - it's an easy decision. If I don't like it, you'll find it for sale on Reverb!
great video man. you keep getting better and better. thanks for keeping it up.
I prefer the TC it's more straight forward and sounds like a real amp to me. The UA has too many switches and options to get crazy with but it does sound great..
That's the problem I have with my mustang gtx amp. Too many options. I mean, it's capable of almost any tone you can dream up, but it gives me option paralysis. I wish I'd have bought something simpler and a couple pedals. I'm too old to learn all the stuff the mustang can do. I'll probably sell it and downgrade soon.
I feel like the deluxe woud cut through a mix better in a full band setting
Ur absolutely correct, the TC, sounds live amp.
UA sounds mastered recording. In my opinion I’d go with the TC. Because I could smooth it out to my personal perfection.
Had a Dream pedal for about 2 weeks. It sounds incredible, but it's a one trick pony. No DI out, it did break up too quickly, but had a very realistic feel. In the end, having to use a DI and the fact that it gave me only a single amp made the price tag unrealistic. I ended up getting a NuX Amp Academy and mimicking the sound and returning the Dream and used it on a month long theater run. Good to see TC offering this at the price that they did.
Still have a Dream but had to use warranty within 4 months- Sent me a new one. I still get nervious its going to crap out mid-song which happened before. For this TC, no app, no bluetooth, no headphone, one speaker sim, no online B.S. This TC paired down plug and play pedal is what I wanted to the UA to be. UA is too finnicky, Hoping the power on cycling through is going to work. For the price I think Im getting this.
@@ericlewis217 I'm going to look into this as well as the Vox model. I've heard a few horror stories about the NuX Amp Academy, but a lot of that seems to stem from users not using sufficient power or daisy chaining it. The TC is the same reason I love (and still use) the Tech 21 Liverpool. Just knobs and less to go wrong with it.
@@tonepoet How do you use the academy amp to make it sound the same as the UA? I also have the nux and I love it, I have achieved a good sound, but it never hurts to know new ways to use it.
@@josecristiandiazclavel I had both the UA Dream '65 and the NuX at the same time for about a week and set the up together into my DAW. I bought and imported some IR' s (a must!) from York Audio into the AA. This is the first step, and it's important as the stock IR's within the AA are a bit meh. I just started dialing things close to the Dream '65 in as far as EQ, as the stock settings within the AA are bland. The Dream' 65 is a bit more refined, but difficult to discern unless you are a cork sniffer. In a band setting it's negligible. With high end delay and reverb reverb added (I use the Keeley Halo or a Digitech Obscura delay and a Nuenaber Wet or Digitech Polara reverb) the sound is very, very good. Most of what you see on UA-cam is done by people who are using the pedal stock and not really dialing it in.
Don't get me wrong, the UA is good, but it's one single amp, no DI out (even more money to purchase a DI). Too much hype and price for that.
@@tonepoet "Excellent, I use my NUX with the Vibroking amp and the Line 6 Allure Deluxe Reverb IR (which is actually free on their official website), and it's definitely necessary to use third-party IRs because the stock ones don't quite satisfy. Just as you mentioned, with all the features that the NUX offers, I decided on it, and the ability to connect via XLR is very practical. I'd like to try getting a couple of IRs; could you suggest any in particular that you purchased?"
In your test, I liked the TC better. It sounded more open, less processed than the UA.
Also, the UA sounded more congested with the fuzz and the TC again, more open.
TC wins with the spring reverb. It seemed to reacted much better to your picking dynamics.
if it does things a bit better than the UA and costs half as much, it sounds like a win to me...
Seems the Danes haven't quite figured out how we Yanks use the apostrophe to indicate missing characters. They put the apostrophe on the wrong side of the "65."
It was actually commented on during the development, but the designer won over "logic" 😛
@@larsfrederiksen3005 The Logic being "65 FEET" ?
@@quiksilver78 hehe.. No, the logic being moving the apostrophe to the correct place :-)
I want them to add that drippy spring ‘Verb to their TonePrint library, so I might add it to my HOF.
I haven't played one of these but in this video I think the TC sounds more like a real amp while the UA sounds a little bit over produced. You could always add some compression to the TC with a plug in in post or a separate pedal but the UA is what it is so you better like it because you can't unbake the cake. Lack of vibrato (trem actually) on the TC is a major oversight but I suppose some will be OK without it. The more crunchy overdrive stuff I think sounded better on the TC. More cutting on the TC and either a bit brittle or more cutting and present depending who you happen to ask but probably could be managed with eq on the pedal or the tone knob of the guitar or in post post while the warmer more produced sound of the UA is again going to be harder to change if it's not exactly to your taste.. The lack of a headphone volume on the TC is a miss but the total lack of a headphone output on the UA is obviously a far bigger fail. Vibrato, a headphone knob and the ability to load cab sims would make the TC a UA killer but it seems to hold up quite well as is. A real Deluxe has a fixed resistor for the mids but some people add a pot to be able to control the mids so I think this was a really good addition to the TC for those who might want a more forward than scooped sound. Very good review of the pedal here and comparing it directly to the UA made the video even better. Nice job!!!
Having played a "real" 1965 Deluxe for over 40 years, the TC sounds more like the real thing.
What, no two Princetons? Unsubbed.
To me the TC works much better with its clarity and punchy drippy reverb. You can always add warmth to clarity, but you cannot pull out clarity from warmth.
Much preferred the TC. And less than half the cost to boot! Clear winner.
Thanks Doug 🤘
I'm used to not understanding anything when people speak English. But I understand youI'm used to not understanding anything when people speak English. But I understand you. Thank u to for your video
OH MY GOD - That shirt is so awesome!!!
Thanks Will 👍
Thanks Badly needed demo For me the TC Electronic would serve my purposes in all cases You can always add other pedals/simulators Even an Eq would do great things
They both sound great for blues . But the UA is fit for a MARTINI BLUES BAR and the other is right for a PBR BLUES BAR 😂 So I'd want both 😎
I can get down with that idea.
I LOVE TC Electronics. A majority of the pedals on my board are TC pedals. TC/Tone City are the BEST value for yer dollar, IMO. I’m very tempted to try their Vox in a box. This one is the best one-trick amp sim box I’ve ever heard.
TC is Great Value for the Buck. I have one board with JIMS 45 TC , TC Electronic SCF Gold Stereo Chorus Flanger and Flashback and is Great For my Clean Tones. On another board I have th TC CD '65 which is great for clean and works great with drive pedals too.
the UA is a stunner with loads of options but the TC does one thing perfectly - i prefer pedals that do one thing perfectly - that baby will cut through any mix
Great to hear! This was the exact idea with the ampworx pedals 👏
Thank you Tim Raffa for the Video
I wish my sky surfer sounded as drippy.
On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 1 is a felt padded room and 10 is a Surfybear) where do you rank the reverb of this pedal?
For most end-use applications where the TC is getting run to a soundboard, every audio engineer on the planet would be happy to receive that signal instead of mic'ing an amp. Once it gets blasted through a PA all of that 'small box' fizz will just evaporate.
The UA on the other hand already has that 'post-channel strip' processed sound, which certainly simplifies the user experience on both sides (player and engineer).
Thank you Joey!
To Mike Sveda, thank you for making this video possible by being a Patreon🙏🏾
I have Fender amps out the wazoo, most of them vintage so I don’t need this. BUT I NEED THIS. 😅
Thanks for the comparison. 😎 Do you notice latency with either one of those pedals?
Nope.
Great review! Fantastic Shirt!!!!!
Great review. Will we see a drip check of the new boss ME 90?
I think you should have made the
UA Dream the Reference to see if you could make the
65' Preamp sound as good as it.
It seems like they are close enough that it would be doable...
i have that gretsch baritone, minus the bigsby. arrived damaged but decided to keep it as is less a few schackles!
Perfect! Now I can have real surf drip from my Spark amp at a reasonable price! I have asked Positive Grid if they were ever going to come out with an update to add real surf drip reverb to the Spark and was told they were working on it.
Thank YOU Laura Garcia !!!!!!! 😊🙌🏽
I like the TC more than the UA in your demo. I really dig Fender amp tones. I mostly play clean, I'm not into a whole lot of gain, overdrive is just fine. I read a review on Sweetwater that said the TC didn't do clean. I think that individual didn't spend enough time with it before writing their impressions. I think this with a compressor, a boost and a univibe of some sort in front -- then a delay/reverb and an Eventide Micropitch after the output might wind up being my pedalboard. THAT PRICE! AND it sounds better to my ear than many of the Fender Deluxe models in multi-effects units.
I hear a high pitch noise, is that coming from the pedal?
Im impressed with the tc!
Tc electronic is a bit rough but I think it's more lifelike like playing a real fender amp. UAD is smoother, but the impression is closer to studio sound amp software
The tc combo 65 might be the reverb/amp sim for me, just to run into the champion 100 with a tr2. I’m not a purist but love the vintage tones and drips and chugs of that era. That dream does sound amazing though 😅
I also totally expected the reverb to be pretty limp. But it's right up there. It's a really impressive unit. It's a pity they left that one flaw - the inability to change the IR. But given the price, it'd be hard to complain too much.
I'd definitely choose this unit. The completely marginal difference with the UA for the lack of headphone jack - it's only worth the money if you have a lot of spare cash. For a surf guitar player, I think that aggressive reverb response is preferable.
I can imagine TC implementing some sort of quick editor program, in the very least, to solely change the built-in IR (the description never mentions which mic(s) are being used and, for example, I always prefer a combo of the SM57+R121 which Celestion DOES offer in the IR packs so exactly WHICH IR is being used here in these pedals?) I mean it's a pipe dream at this point but I can't imagine the sharp folks at TC not being able to figure out something
@@quiksilver78 Plus it's possible that users will learn to hack it. I've seen that done on some other devices to substitute user IRs.
TC does make a spring reverb pedal called, 'Drip Spring Reverb'.
How does this compare to the Flamma Preamp and Cab pedals?
Hi! Great demo,, it actually drips... I'm wondering if is possible use the reverb as a standalone effect without engaging the "amp effect"
I wondered the same, but at the end Ryan says he can do that with just plugging in to the output vs direct out.
TC Electronic's specs say:
Output
1 x ¼" TRS, balanced with ground sensing*
Direct out (cab sim)
1 x ¼" TRS, balanced with ground sensing*
Gotta say the TC is boss sounding and that drip is beautiful! Just a bit disappointed that you didn't read out the other languages 😂
@7:58 Nice! Meters for the win.
Hi Ryan!
First of all very nice (and detailed) review of these two nice pedals!
Any chances for you to test#compare the Benson Preamp versus the Jackson Audio Silvertone Twin Twelve?
Ps: waiting for my UA Dream 65 on my mail box! 🎉🎉🎉
it’s simple, the thumbnail says “drip”, i click
Have you thought about releasing an instrumental cd of your own music.
dinosaurghost.bandcamp.com/album/dinosaur-ghost
I got the Jims 45 for the crunchy tones on both channels and it sounds amazing for punk rock. However I was thinking about getting the CD 65 for my clean tones and it drips. Only downside is No swapping IR's but for the price I can't complain. Thanks for the video Ryan and keep playing that drippy surf music.
I grabbed a 45 as well. I like it. I'm debating on whether or not to get the 800 or the dual wreck next. The newer ones seem cool.
Quick question: can you use the two outputs (to amp, DI with cab sim) simultaneously? I'm thinking of using this live with a low watt combo on stage, with the cab sim signal going to FOH and the out (without cab sim) into the amp for a bit of on-stage monitoring. Many thanks!
I previously posted a review which highlighted the clean overhead and harshness, I recently updated with the latest firmware. GREAT update resolving all problems, I'm hanging on to it now. MAJOR improvement!
Hi Neil. How would you say it compares now with the firmware update? How did the pedal change for you? Thanks! DD.
A lot more headroom but after closely comparing it to my all analog Tech 21 Blonde I still found it too digital and the T21 overdrive knocked the TC for six. The reverb is amazing though. I sold the TC, wasnt wasting any more time on it. @@DD_Franks
Curious what a Bass would sound like through this. I sometimes run my Bass through the Deluxe model on my Vox ADIO Air GT
Why do all of the demos feature Strats? I'd love to hear someone play an ES-335 or PRS through these pedals. I had a '70 silverface Deluxe that sounded great with humbucking pickups.
If they make a Princeton amp will Ryan send two of them to front of house?
Did I miss something? You’ve got all the EQ’s at 1, and it’s still crazy bright. Is the EQ disengaged or something?
I’m digging your Das Wiggle Schticken shirt. lol… 🤓
It does the dripping of the dripper deluxe drip-a-potamus. lol yea that!
Ryan, the shirt 😂😂😂 hell yes
I think you should have tried the same IR on both for matching them up or trying to make them sound simialar
Regarding the TC's lack of cab options, since they are using official Celestion cabs, adding 2 more would surely increase the price. They likely decided it wasn't worth it considering the budget of the users they are targeting with this product. Also USB will likely provide software updates and maybe just maybe allow the user to change the onboard IR. Still even if this doesn't happen it still sounds great on its own. Like others mentioned would've liked if more drive/distortion pedals were tested but the video was already 1h long so it's understandable why they were not
I tried a UA Dream for a while and it just had a smallness to the sound. I couldn’t dial it to sound anywhere near as full or present as the amps I had mic’d up. Even running the Dream into the loop return of an amp didn’t do it either. Also, with humbuckers it was nearly impossible to get a decent full clean sound. It went back from whence it came.
Thanks to Doug Kauer for helping with sponsoring this video. I found my next stomper. Thanks.
I'd like to see you compare these two with the spring setting on the EHX Ocean's 11 or 12. How does the drip compare?