TC ELECTRONIC NOVA DRIVE
Though it has been discontinued by TC, few foot-operated saturation generators
have combined functionality, tone, and compactness quite as effectively as the
Nova Drive. Sure, it looks like some kind of cold, sterile digital multi-effect, but
the Nova’s drive circuit and signal path is entirely analog. It combines this with
extensive digital controls, including MIDI, for a perfect marriage of digital versatility
and analog tone. The user can save and recall up to 18 presets and switch the order
of the signal routing in a flash, while delighting in a cornucopia of warm, dynamic
analog tones that run the gamut from transparent boost, to Tube Screamer midhonk and smooth sustain, to super-saturated distortion that sounds like a Mesa/
Boogie Triple Rectifier set on destroy. The Nova Drive was tragically overlooked
during its production run, which had a lot more to do with its appearance than its
tonal qualities, but the good news is that this unorthodox, under-the-radar stomp
box is widely available second-hand, often for a relatively paltry sum of money. It
is the most affordable box on this list, in fact. Players that need a lot of tones in a
small, dependable package will find the TC Electronic Nova Drive to be an inspiring
musical companion as well as a superb bargain.
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TONE TALK //
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