Nick, I respectfully submit that you are talking out of both sides of ET's face – engineering and marketing. Anyone who has purchased more than one H9 and more than a few algorithms would be better served by an "H99" with dual engines, bigger display, and more external controls. The ET model of buying into a system of hardware merely being a vessel for digital algorithms begs for a better vessel. Physically, the H9 is a beautiful piece of minimalist design but is far too limited in ease of external control (including display size) and total effects chain available. The solution is not to water down processing power to provide more simultaneous effects but to double the processing power, especially with the importance of longer looper memory time to stay competitive. ET customers looking for the best will pay for it. The H9 as it sits now is a good "baby" high end processor but needs to grow up someday. As it sits now the H9 is in danger of being a mere iphone toy ready to be tossed aside for the next incremental model upgrade. (Apple is tripping over themselves bringing out new models with bigger display screens – hint, hint!) THE SINGLE BIGGEST COMPLAINT REGARDING THE H9 IS ITS LACK OF MULTI_EFFECTS PROCESSING FOR ITS PRICE AND SOPHISTICATION – its all over the internet – so if the processing power needs to be doubled then double it! Keep safe the sonic quality of ET but be willing to quickly shed a constricting exoskeleton. My point is ET should be making this high end hardware platform with with room inside to double up its powers in the very forseeable future. To maximize live performance capabilities, both three button aux switches and expression pedal use simultaneously are mandatory. And a bigger display. Do we really have to go to mounting ipads and androids on stalks to have a cogent display?
There also enters the issue of "enduring quality". A twenty year old Harmonizer can still be a prized possession in a studio rack, but twenty years from now when I am long gone will my son be able to use my "account collection" of algorithms in a prized vintage H9, or "H99" or "H999"? As long as there is a hardware platform offered that continues to accept the current algorithms as long as ET itself exists then ok, if not then not ok. We expect ET to help protect and leverage our investment in the future, not squander it. This is an important issue I have never heard addressed by ET – if stompbox algorithms are non-transferable do they "die with me"? I expect to be able to leave a fully functioning ET processor to my heir no different than a vintage guitar or tube amp! I would really like to see a policy statement from ET ensuring their commitment to safeguarding their customers' continuing investment into the future. Thanks!
