XAOC Devices Timiszoara

I've discovered I don't like this style of eurorack DSP -- it utilizes something called the spin chip (as do a lot of euro multi-effect DSPs) which is pretty dated, and I feel the results sound-wise tend to reflect that and be quite mediocre, with low gain/body and fussy modulation -- especially if you're used to rich DAW vsts that can utilize the processing power of your whole computer, or standalone effects units that do one particular effect really well. For what it's worth, the Timiszoara probably makes the most of its technology thanks to its solid design, intuitive menu, and the inclusion of some unusual effects.

The default/preloaded offerings here range from the typical (choruses, reverbs, phasers), to the novel (unusual glitch/granular type effects and unique distortions). Being an open source platform you can also customize or load user-created FX, which makes this a versatile unit for those interesting in doing that. As is typical with Xaoc, the overall physical design is slick and well-thought out, and the menu is clear and works well.

As someone who was a bit disenchanted with the FX Aid and other euro "swiss army knife" style FX DSPs, though, the Timiszoara to me ultimately represents more of the same. While there are some unique and fun FX to be found, the novelty of the handful of "good" ones will wear thin quickly due to limited modulation options, and there is a lot of extremely weak filler you will probably never touch included (I can't imagine anyone finding the choruses, phasers, or filters here impressive). The reverbs and delays are decent enough, but again, modulation is limited and not that impressive. The gain/body of the overall sound is nothing to write home about (best to dupe your audio signal and use this as a full-wet aux send) and there isn't anything here that competes with modules with a standalone focus -- a few stand-outs aside (and to be fair, there are a few standouts) it's mostly a hodgepodge of mediocre "good enough" versions of whatever it is you're after.

Considering that you can only use one effect at a time here, anyway, I'd advise potential buyers to consider what it is you actually want from a unit like this before commiting to a purchase. If you want a good reverb, you can get some passably pretty ones here -- or you could get an Erbeverb or a Starlab or a Versio (my own top recommendation) or whatever, something that just does reverb and does it well, with lot of ways to modulate it. Maybe you're after a delay? Do you want 8 "okay" ones with 3 parameters (max) to modulate -- or do you want something like a Mimephon or even Xaoc's own Sarajewo, which will give you a richer sound and more interesting modulation possibilities? Is it distortion you're after? There are some fun distortion effects available here to be sure, but you could also just get a Triptych or Miasma or a 100 Grit instead, and be much better off, in my opinon. Maybe you want a good phaser? Xaoc's Kamieniec is awesome and vastly superior to anything here. Perhaps the granular effects seem intriguing. I'd say pick up a Morphagene or a Beads or Clouds or Nebulae, and you'll have a universe of possbilities compared to what you get here. And if you want a good filter, digital or analog, this unit should definitely not be your first stop -- go with a Xaoc Belgrad, which is an excellent filter, or any of the plethora of reputable stand alone filters available to you.

The hook of something like the Timiszoara, of course, is it has a solution for ALL of those things at once. The Timi does that job just fine, and its crisp menu, solid design, and open source nature would make it preferable to other swiss-army-knife DSP options to me, at least of the spin chip variety. But unless you really value/need that swiss-army-knife aspect of the module, it can be a bit underwhelming and filled with things you'll rarely want or use.