Astra Modulation Machine
Customer Reviews
Astra Modulation Machine
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D. Cotting
Saw the ratings, had to leave review
I've always been incredibly fickle with modulation. I generally love flanger, but find its use limited. I think I hate phaser, but always end up using it on my board. Tremolo is... a thing, I guess (hadn't found one I love, but don't feel like I'm missing out). However, when it comes to chorus, I've tried five other pedals and all of them have been somewhere from hate to meh. I've never found a chorus I love. Until this one.
The day I got it, I unboxed it, hooked it up to my Radial stereo re-amper, and tracked it into a song. It was perfect. It was FINALLY what I expected from a chorus. Maybe I'd tried the wrong five, but this sounded perfect pretty much without even tweaking the knobs.
For the chorus reason alone, I've fallen in love with this pedal. However, I have to stress that the flanger and tremolo are also the best of each that I now own (three flangers and one other trem). This pedal really is fantastic, and give me "the sound" that I'm looking for.
Was it expensive? Yes.
Was it more expensive than the five other choruses I own? Not even close.
D. Stevens
Incredible Sounding Pedal
The Astra is jam packed with features and sounds that inspire me every day I plug into it.
I would love to have a full on Uni-Vibe option, that would take this pedal over the top.
G. Saginario
fantastic vintage sound!
fantastic vintage sound!
D. Stevens
Incredible Sound
Very lush and rich sounding pedal. It literally sounds expensive and that's exactly what you pay for. UA knocked this one out of the park.
C. Cochran
Awesome sounds, needs more functionality.
The stereo chorus is worth the price of the pedal, absolute magic. I wish there was a mode with depth and rate controls though. L The flanger is a PITA to use, I really really wish it was an Electric Mistress instead of the MXR. The trem and phase 90 are great as well.
C. Jones
Least interesting of the initial 3 UAFX pedals
I have the Golden Reverberator and Starlight as well. In comparison, this one leave a little to be desired. The chorus is great but simple. Would love an update with a rotary option and maybe a tape doubler like the Strymon Deco. There's so much potential for this to be an incredible pedal since they could in theory add more algorithms.
M. Hakenson
Good pedal but it needs more effects for the price
This is a good sounding pedal but it lacks enough effect variety for the money. You alrady own dytronics tri-chorus & the dimension D. Add them. A Uni-vibe or Leslie would be great. I owned it for a few days but returned it and bought something with more features & effects. Sorry. I’d buy it again because of the sound quality if it only had more choices.
B. Vavra
Good but needs wow factor.
Pedal sounds great and holds true to those vintage sounds. Dharma trem adds something new to the already laden landscape of modulation multieffects pedals.
I think this pedal would be a game changer if it included a more versatile chorus option. The brigade one knob sounds fantastic, but adding something like a tri-stereochorus algorithm would make the pedal something I couldn't ever sell.
P. Ghignone
Phenomenal Sounds - all it needs is presets or MIDI or preferably both
The sounds in this pedal really are sublime, I honestly can't make one complaint about them. The chorus is incredible, the 65 trem is spot on, and the fact no one talks about the uni-vibe in the Dharma-Trem is insane to me, it's that good. I also like the fact that the sounds are expandable as well, keeps me excited for the future of this pedal.
Really, the only thing lacking from this pedal is the lack of Presets (1 only) and MIDI functionality. Some people complain about the knobs having different functions for different effects, but this honestly would not be an issue if more presets were available, you could just dial in all your favourite tones and save them, and barely need to use the knobs again.
The issue is that for a pedal at this price point, being limited to just 1 preset is simply not up to the standards set by its competitors. MIDI functionality would also be standard. It can be marketed as a studio tool first, but it's a pedal, not a rack unit, and it needs to be treated as such. I truly hope they add these features in the future, and they wouldn't be the first company to do it either.
D. Morisset
I want more modes and presets.
I spent the night playing the Astra with headphones, using the Walrus Audio ACS1 Amp and Cab Pedal.
The Tones are superb.
What I would like, is a Univibe and Rotary Modulations, in stereo. Since the Phaser X90 and Dharma Trem 61 are available online, I guess the template for more Modulation Downloads already exists.
Secondly, I would love to be able to store more presets, at least 1 preset per Modulation, in addition to storing the last dialed in parameters for each Mode.
EXH does this with the Oceans 12 and having these features would make the pedal more Pedalboard friendly.
I don't record in any studio, but I do jam sessions and play guitar at church, so the less noodling with the board the better.
That being said, this is the First Flanger Setting that I have tried that I like. Very, Very nice without the harsh swirling tones I associate with Flangers.
The Chorus setting is simply sublime.
E. Bass
Great on guitars - also on synths
Really impressed with this so far, the thing sounds fantastic.
D. Jackson
The Best Modulation
I have owned a lot high end modulation pedals and this one tops them all.
a. dhar
Mod to the Max
Being in possession of some vintage classics, purchased Astra mainly to enable to have the mod sounds in one unit. Astra went beyond expectations. Upon first placement on my pedalboard, I have to say the depth and character of each sound is stellar. The build is superb but the effects are the real star here. The research that went into this must have been phenomenal. UA has captured the mojo of the best and this unit outshines my "standard" and now weary classic pedals. Thank you UA
c. nishimura
Extremely tasteful
The Good: Sounds here are extremely tasteful, stereo is outrageously lush. This pedal will knock plenty, if not all, of your modulations off your board effortlessly. Every setting is spectacular, usable and inspirational. A painful kind of love can be felt that went into this.
The Sad: Nothing gets wild or remotely experimental, a missed opportunity to add innovative new parameters with the wealth of extra knobs at hand. Toggle switches can be awkward to access. Price, well what did you expect?
M. Albergo
SOOOO GOOD.
nuff said