Benidub FX-ONE is a new live dub FX tabletop with four built-in synth sound generators, echo, and external sound processing.
Dub music is a subgenre of reggae that emerged in Jamaica in the late 1960s and early 1970s. One of the characteristics of this subgenre is the remixing nature through live mixing and manipulating sounds and tracks on the fly.
Echo and reverb play major roles here, used to mangle signals like live vocals and more. With the FX-ONE, Benidub is now bringing a tabletop device to market that packs all the key elements of dub music into a single unit.
Benidub FX ONE
FX ONE features four sound generators, a live-ready microphone channel, one AUX input, and an echo engine in one new compact unit.
According to Benidub, FX ONE is designed for live performances and gives you direct control over sound creation and echo manipulation.
The four sound generators each have their own character. With Dub Siren and Lickshot, it includes classics you expect in such a device. Then, FM Square is a square wave modulation with an extended rate range for outer-space textures, and Sonar is a pure sine wave.
Each sound generator has its own dedicated controls: gain sets the output level, tune sets the pitch, rate sets the LFO rate, and sweep. The latter is a rising envelope on both, so a sound can climb as it plays.
Plus, each sound generator has a trigger that activates the selected sound engine. FX B, C, and D operate in momentary mode while FX A supports both momentary and latch operation, allowing sustained modulation without holding the trigger.
The Echo: Your Best Friend
One of the things you will use most in the Benidub FX ONE is the purpose-built dub echo engine. It offers hands-on control over the volume, feedback, and delay. When you adjust the delay, it shifts in a tape-style pitch behavior.
The echo unit also integrated a filter that sweeps the cut-off from low-pass to high-pass, with a flat response at the center. There is also a two-way switch with two live performance features.
To the right, the loop function holds whatever’s in the buffer and repeats it indefinitely. Flip it to the left, and it instantly mutes the echo output and feedback path. Neat, internal limiting keeps the feedback from running off on its own.
Alongside the four sound generators, the FX ONE includes a mic channel with a balanced XLR with always-on soft-knee compression and an anti-pop filter for dynamic mics.
Plus, there is an AUX channel that can be switched between line input and an external spring tank. Yes, you can buy a spring tank and connect it to it.
Connectivity
On the backside, it has a 1/4″ TRS balanced/unbalanced mono master output with a level meter, a dedicated echo input jack for feeding the echo engine directly, a balanced XLR microphone input, and a 12VDC 1A center-positive power supply input.
First Impression
The FX ONE looks like an exciting device for anyone involved in live dub music. I’m not in that genre, so it’s not for me. It’s a bit pricey for what it offers.
Benidub FX-ONE is available now for $1399/1199€.
More information here: Benidub
Available from my partner
oh.. i thought “good Idea!”
But so expensive… 😢