New Product Request – H9000 Lite

[pacific202]

I’m a very happy H9 Max and Reverb 2016 user, and have been looking at the higher-end Eventide units.  I’m one of those “not a pro but care about the quality in my home studio” users.

I’m giving serious thought to the H9000R, and although I’m sure to pro studios the $5,000 is an easy choice it’s still quite a large amount of money to me for features I really don’t need.  I don’t use Pro Tools, MADI, or Dante, and 128 channels is complete overkill for anything I’d do.

If Eventide were to release an H9000 Lite with the lower half of the H9000 back panel (i.e. no i/o expansions) and half the DSP in the $2,500-$3,000 range I’d be ordering one today.  Or maybe at a lower price only one DSP card with the ability to purchase upgrades in future?

Just throwing that out there.  Thanks to the brilliant minds at Eventide for many years of being awesome and never mediocre.

[joeydego]

Chiming in here as a home studio user who generates zero dollars with his home studio. I record strictly for pleasure and learning right now. I own an H9000 and really its plenty useful as an 8 analog 8 digital channel processor. yes its pricey but running up to 16 algorithms at once as far as I know is unprecedented. You’d need 16 H9 max pedals which would cost somewhere around double an H9000R. I really dont think someone could reasonably get to know every algorithm in the H9000 and they’re adding more. Emote as a VST gives you automation control, too. It’s really a great unit overall with promising continuing development.

[hemlocxl]

A bunch of H9000 algorithms are available as plugins like Blackhole or Shimmerverb, etc., so you can get a lot for a little, that way(I use the plugins AND the H900, actually).  And I’d recommend the faceplate H9000.  I had the R and had some issues, so I switched to the full faceplate version and I love it to death.  But either way, the price may be spendy, but Sweetwater just ended their 36-month no interest financing promo on Eventide stuff, so hopefully Sweetwater/Eventide will renew it.  Definitely makes it an easier pill to swallow.  

[Fender17]

Maybe there could be H9000 Core with highly reduced set of algorithms. And one could buy those in which he is interested…. Something like it used to be with H9. There was H9 Core with few algorithms, H9 with more ones and H9 Max with all ones. And it was and still is upgrade H9 Core and H9 to H9 Max. All were identical HW, the difference was just the SW loaded inside….

[pacific202]

As a follow-up, I ended up buying an H9000R.  I underestimated the current used value of my outboard effects processor collection, it more than paid for the H9000R.

I still do think that Eventide should come out with a Lite version though to attract more people to the platform.  The H9 was awesome but the 2016 Reverb was the box that opened my eyes to what Eventide processors were really capable of.  Without the gateway 2016 I wouldn’t have splurged on the H9000.

[wtholliday]

I second this product request.

I use an Eclipse for guitar effects. I would be happy to see an H9000 Lite. I’ve thought about buying an H9000, but it seems like overkill for just doing guitar effects.

[pacific202]

joeydego wrote:

I own an H9000 and really its plenty useful as an 8 analog 8 digital channel processor.

It’s definitely set up with a huge amount of i/o versatility in its current configuration.  I’d say that most users in our class would be fine with DB25 analog I/O, USB and a much lower price 🙂

joeydego wrote:

running up to 16 algorithms at once as far as I know is unprecedented.

The UAD system does that really well, between my 6-DSP x8 and an 8-DSP expander I can far exceed 16 simultaneous algorithms.  Still, they aren’t EVENTIDE algorithms.

[joeydego]

pacific202 wrote:

joeydego wrote:

I own an H9000 and really its plenty useful as an 8 analog 8 digital channel processor.

It’s definitely set up with a huge amount of i/o versatility in its current configuration.  I’d say that most users in our class would be fine with DB25 analog I/O, USB and a much lower price 🙂

joeydego wrote:

running up to 16 algorithms at once as far as I know is unprecedented.

The UAD system does that really well, between my 6-DSP x8 and an 8-DSP expander I can far exceed 16 simultaneous algorithms.  Still, they aren’t EVENTIDE algorithms.

Im about 5 figures into UAD, so…….yea. Great stuff for vintage emulations, but really apples and oranges to the H9000. We have similar setups, I have an XD8 and an octo card. Im not using my H9000 for 1176 or LA2A type stuff. The Eventide handles the delay and reverb throws (this is the most taxing stuff on a UA platform as you know), as well as all pitch effects, Im a guitar player so I have guitar specific FX chains for different purposes, etc. 

 

Agreed right NOW I have little use for expansion ports, although theres been talk of an 8 mic pre expansion which would be tremendous for guys like us. Also, who knows what UAD3 will bring? Madi? Dante? 

 

So, for 5k, you can go even further down the UA rabbit hole (ultimate 9 and another octo or something), maybe get an eclipse and some more UA stuff if you’re in love with the UA platform? Or just an eclipse and a nice vacation? 

 

Honestly if they removed the expandability options in the H9000, I question how much that would bring manufacturing costs down which would translate into a lower MSRP. This is a product that was nearly if not 10 years in development. Thats 10 years of salaries, countless (I imagine thousands) of hours etc. If you look at other offerings from competition, the 5k really isnt absurd. Check the price of a premium reverb unit, or heaven forbid some rackmount pres and comps (the omnipressor algo rocks, BTW). One thing for sure, this home studio thing isnt for the faint at heart! Some people have a nice muscle car in their garage. I have my desk! 

[pacific202]

All good points, and you’re right about the investment in UAD over the years.  Still, it was easy to get into and easy to space out the purchases.

The more I learn about the H9000 the closer I am to just biting the bullet and forking out the $4999.

[pacific202]

hemlocxl wrote:

A bunch of H9000 algorithms are available as plugins like Blackhole or Shimmerverb, etc., so you can get a lot for a little, that way

I do own Anthology XI and am happy with those, but from everything I’ve read and heard the H9000 is a big step up in quality and power.

hemlocxl wrote:

I had the R and had some issues, so I switched to the full faceplate version and I love it to death.

Could you be more specific as to the issues?  I have seen a few issues posted here in this forum, but Eventide support looks to have been diligent in following up and getting the units working.

hemlocxl wrote:

But either way, the price may be spendy, but Sweetwater just ended their 36-month no interest financing promo on Eventide stuff, so hopefully Sweetwater/Eventide will renew it.  Definitely makes it an easier pill to swallow.

Even when it’s financed over 36 months it is still $5000   I have a great retailer that I work with and would rather continue with them than switch to Sweetwater.

[joeydego]

pacific202 wrote:

As a follow-up, I ended up buying an H9000R.  I underestimated the current used value of my outboard effects processor collection, it more than paid for the H9000R.

I still do think that Eventide should come out with a Lite version though to attract more people to the platform.  The H9 was awesome but the 2016 Reverb was the box that opened my eyes to what Eventide processors were really capable of.  Without the gateway 2016 I wouldn’t have splurged on the H9000.

If you still have the 2016, you can flip it to help absorb the cost of the R. The 2016 algo in the 9000 is the same, and the AD/DA in the 9000 is also superior.

[joeydego]

wtholliday wrote:

I second this product request.

I use an Eclipse for guitar effects. I would be happy to see an H9000 Lite. I’ve thought about buying an H9000, but it seems like overkill for just doing guitar effects.

Do you play mostly live or home/studio????

[wtholliday]

joeydego wrote:

Do you play mostly live or home/studio????

Mostly home these days, but I go jam with friends sometimes. Also planning to start a new band this year so that will involve moving things around.

[joeydego]

wtholliday wrote:

joeydego wrote:

Do you play mostly live or home/studio????

Mostly home these days, but I go jam with friends sometimes. Also planning to start a new band this year so that will involve moving things around.

If you record as a serious hobbyist or professionally, the H9000 is the way to go. If you’re not doing much more than jamming along to backing tracks and want to put together a band to make a few bucks, I still like the H9+other pedals. Ive seen more than one board with 2 or 3 H9s too.

[wtholliday]

joeydego wrote:

If you’re not doing much more than jamming along to backing tracks and want to put together a band to make a few bucks, I still like the H9+other pedals. Ive seen more than one board with 2 or 3 H9s too.

Making a few bucks never crossed my mind. Anyway I had a H9 but the editor software would always have trouble connecting. The Eclipse seems more capable than 2 H9s anyway.

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