TC Electronics m300

bcgood · 11th December 2005, 02:33 AM

Does anyone here have the TC Electronics m300? If so, what do you think of it? How does it compare to similar racks in the same price range? Thanks in advance for the info.

bcgood

jeronimo · 13th December 2005, 12:17 AM

Mine gets more use than my Lex MPX-1... nice verbs, some FX are cool, some don´t... I like it.

chriscoleman · 13th December 2005, 12:41 AM

Unless I just feel into a wormhole, didn't the M300 come out a couple years ago?

title · 13th December 2005, 02:44 AM

it's easliy more than 2 years old at this point..... but a nice piece of gear for the money....

jeronimo · 13th December 2005, 03:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriscoleman

Unless I just feel into a wormhole, didn't the M300 come out a couple years ago?

What does this have to do with bcgood´s question?

**Jules** · 13th December 2005, 03:50 AM

Chris is right - this was incorrectly posted in the new products section

so I moved it.

bcgood · 13th December 2005, 08:24 AM

I saw a unit at the local music store and I liked the way the controls are laid out. I figured it was new since they are selling it there. I didn't realize that it wasn't brand spankin new. At any rate thanks for the feedback jeronimo. Have you tried the compression and limiting on the unit? What's that like? I’ve actually Googled it and found that quite a few people find it useful. Some engineers are using it on tour with some of the young pop stars…

Thanx

bcgood

jeronimo · 13th December 2005, 02:47 PM

Sorry about that, I never noticed it was on the 'new products' forum, I allways have so many windows open.......

I never tried the compressor on it... I´ll try it today and post back my feelings about it...

MSR74 · 13th December 2005, 03:08 PM

I've used the Behringer REV 2496 with alot of luck. Although I can't speak for the M300, the Behringer has nice long, clean reverb trails for the price. $179 NEW. I am going to add a second one to my set up and maybe two more. IMO it comes close to reverbs costing alot more. I've even heard of some compare it to an M3000 with great results.

JeffSanders · 13th December 2005, 03:21 PM

I'm considering buying this.

My question is (since I've never used hardware fx):

Is hardware in this price range going to be an improvement for me, or in your opinion, would I be just as well off sticking with the itb fx I currently use (Arts Acoustic and Wizooverb)?

Also, is latency ever a problem when routing through s/pdif through units like this?

bcgood · 16th December 2005, 11:25 PM

Does anyone have any more info on this effects unit?

bcgood

chriscoleman · 16th December 2005, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcgood

Does anyone have any more info on this effects unit?

It's a "good for the money" box - but better than any other box in its pricerange.

Quote:

Is hardware in this price range going to be an improvement for me, or in your opinion, would I be just as well off sticking with the itb fx I currently use (Arts Acoustic and Wizooverb)?

I've never used the software 'verbs you listed, but even the M300 is a step up on most plug-ins. If nothing else, for less than $200 you'll be taking the strain of a CPU-hog reverb plug-in off your system. The other FX in the M300 are good in a pinch, but not great if you need something very specific. It would be a great first outboard box...but you may also want to look into a used Kurweil Rumour.

I've owned both the M300 and Rumour - but I now use Lex PCM 80 & 90, and plug-in verbs like ReVibe, Waves IR-1, and RennVerb. The M300/Rumour can hold their own against "better" boxes.

bcgood · 17th December 2005, 07:42 AM

Thanks for the info Chris, good stuff. I think well used reverb is so important in a song it deserves a good thread and posts about the different options. I listen to songs like Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, her vocals are smoothed over with a really warm plate reverb (at least that's what it sounds like to me) and it sounds so sweet!

aussie_techie · 17th December 2005, 10:45 AM

first off i would download some more plugs, there are plenty of free ones out there. what you using for delays?
why dont you save for an M-one(xl). the M300 is decent unit, especially for its price, but the M-one will give you so more in sound and features.
all i can say about those behringer things is you get what you pay for

i still like my old Quadra-Verb Plus from 1989 now thats a bang for the buck unit

jamescnewhouse · 18th December 2005, 04:30 AM

Im a big fan of the m300 for what it is...I think it would be one of the best value units in that price range. SPIDF is handy for studio routing. Dual FX engine handy too. This means you can get essentially two independant FX out of one box.

I must say i have only found a couple FX that are really usefull. As in many of these lower end processors, there is a lot of gimmicky useless FX.

The biggest plus for me on this unit is the ease of use. Very handy for live situations. Tap tempo easy to use and I find it very easy to dial in any sound I am chasing....

hope this helps....this is my first of many posts so dont be too harsh.......

bcgood · 18th December 2005, 05:23 AM

Thanks James, the layout of the knobs is what initially attracted me to it...

bcgood

JeffSanders · 4th July 2006, 09:16 PM

Sorry to go off-topic a little...

When it comes to using outboard verbs/fx, is the delay introduced minute or just unacceptable? Do you wind up having to nudge every track you use outboard fx on?

squeegybug · 4th July 2006, 11:07 PM

If using the analog I/O, think of it as just a little more pre-delay. Not a big issue in my experience.

Or, you can use the M300 with the digital connections and avoid the latency.

I've owned the M300 a few years, it stays right in the rack next to Eventide 2016 and Klark Teknik DN780, and easily holds its own. Very often the preferred choice. Just a classy sounding unit with outstanding ergonomics.

I've also owned the M-One XL, and prefer the M300. I think TC has discontinued it again, unfortunately

Looks like their "replacement" is similar, and might actually have some additional useful FX: http://www.tcelectronic.com/M350.asp

Steve

mixerguy · 4th July 2006, 11:20 PM

I like the knobs on the front! cool!

djwayne · 4th July 2006, 11:35 PM

I bought mine mainly for the S/PDIF audio to digital conversion. It's advertised as having better converters than many soundcards....I'm not sure how you'd measure this, but it seems to work just fine as everything that goes thru it sounds nice on the computer. I asked their technical support guys about the converters, and they say they are suitable for most applications, and haven't had any complaints about them.

The M300 also has S/PDIF input so you can route things out of your computer and into the unit, apply effects, then route your signal back into your computer as well, all digital.

It also has audio out so I can use that to monitor my signal before it goes into the computer.

As far as the effects go, I'm pretty happy with them. I wanted to be able to have outboard real time effects and this works well.

I haven't had any maintenance or technical problems with the unit.

So how does it sound ?? I've gotten some pretty good sounds out of it, so I'm happy, and at the price of under $200 it's a very nice piece of gear to have, and excellent bang for the buck.

bcgood · 5th July 2006, 01:14 AM

I ended up getting one and I'm happy with it. I still use effects from my recording program in addition to the TC300, because I get lazy but I really like having an outboard effects unit. You have to dial in the sound and really listen and less is more but it is a cool unit.

Bart

James Lehmann · 5th July 2006, 07:14 AM

Like many others here I have an M300 sitting on an S/P-DIF FX loop and use it to relieve CPU strain.

One of the main advantages in my book is the fact that all parameters respond to MIDI CC's so it takes no time to set up a page in Logic to control everything - I never touch the unit itself now and the parameter settings are automatically saved with each song.

I use it exclusively for reverbs and the sound is pretty good especially for the money - that said, I'm never quite satisfied so I'm going to be looking for a high-end reverb unit to replace it at some point, which will no doubt cost me 10x what the M300 did.

pineyb · 5th July 2006, 08:30 AM

Great reverb for the money... I have several more expensive units.... and the M 300 gets used every day

David Lee · 5th July 2006, 07:33 PM

I use it live a LOT, occasionally it gets used in the studio too. Great sounding box for the money!

burn · 13th July 2006, 02:24 AM

I'm about to buy a reverb and was thinking about the m300 because they are cheap now since the m350 is on the market.

What I'm looking for is a realistic room sound for drums and a little bit of vocal, is the m300 a good choice or is it sounding fake or artificial for room ?

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
TC Electronics M300 question	goobersezhey	Low End Theory	4	22nd July 2006 01:56 AM
Duel engine TC electronics M300	treemind	Low End Theory	0	20th March 2006 07:02 PM
Geffell m300	mosrite	High end	0	28th February 2006 07:13 PM
TC-M300... anybody have one ????	djwayne	So much gear, so little time!	5	23rd May 2005 03:22 AM

11th December 2005, 02:33 AM	#1
bcgood Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Coast Posts: 3,124	TC Electronics m300 Does anyone here have the TC Electronics m300? If so, what do you think of it? How does it compare to similar racks in the same price range? Thanks in advance for the info. bcgood

13th December 2005, 12:17 AM	#2
jeronimo Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Salvador, BA - Brazil Posts: 2,536	Mine gets more use than my Lex MPX-1... nice verbs, some FX are cool, some don´t... I like it. __________________ Think Diferente! www.verticeestudio.com http://www.myspace.com/jelmet

13th December 2005, 03:50 AM	#6
Jules Gearslutz.com admin Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 11,813	Chris is right - this was incorrectly posted in the new products section so I moved it. __________________ Jules "...there are some amazing deals to be had in this right now. it brings battleship mixing closer to the jilted generation" - reptil

13th December 2005, 08:24 AM	#7
bcgood Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Coast Posts: 3,124	Back in time... I saw a unit at the local music store and I liked the way the controls are laid out. I figured it was new since they are selling it there. I didn't realize that it wasn't brand spankin new. At any rate thanks for the feedback jeronimo. Have you tried the compression and limiting on the unit? What's that like? I’ve actually Googled it and found that quite a few people find it useful. Some engineers are using it on tour with some of the young pop stars… Thanx bcgood

13th December 2005, 12:41 AM	#3
chriscoleman Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 535	Unless I just feel into a wormhole, didn't the M300 come out a couple years ago?

13th December 2005, 02:44 AM	#4
title Gear maniac Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: California Posts: 154	it's easliy more than 2 years old at this point..... but a nice piece of gear for the money....

13th December 2005, 02:47 PM	#8
jeronimo Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Salvador, BA - Brazil Posts: 2,536	Sorry about that, I never noticed it was on the 'new products' forum, I allways have so many windows open....... I never tried the compressor on it... I´ll try it today and post back my feelings about it... __________________ Think Diferente! www.verticeestudio.com http://www.myspace.com/jelmet

13th December 2005, 03:08 PM	#9
MSR74 Gear maniac Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 175	I've used the Behringer REV 2496 with alot of luck. Although I can't speak for the M300, the Behringer has nice long, clean reverb trails for the price. $179 NEW. I am going to add a second one to my set up and maybe two more. IMO it comes close to reverbs costing alot more. I've even heard of some compare it to an M3000 with great results.

13th December 2005, 03:21 PM	#10
JeffSanders Gear maniac Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fairhaven, MA Posts: 169	I'm considering buying this. My question is (since I've never used hardware fx): Is hardware in this price range going to be an improvement for me, or in your opinion, would I be just as well off sticking with the itb fx I currently use (Arts Acoustic and Wizooverb)? Also, is latency ever a problem when routing through s/pdif through units like this? __________________ http://www.mountainmirrors.com

16th December 2005, 11:25 PM	#11
bcgood Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Coast Posts: 3,124	Any more info... Does anyone have any more info on this effects unit? bcgood

17th December 2005, 07:42 AM	#13
bcgood Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Coast Posts: 3,124	Thanks for the info... Thanks for the info Chris, good stuff. I think well used reverb is so important in a song it deserves a good thread and posts about the different options. I listen to songs like Dreams by Fleetwood Mac, her vocals are smoothed over with a really warm plate reverb (at least that's what it sounds like to me) and it sounds so sweet!

17th December 2005, 10:45 AM	#14
aussie_techie Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 2,049	first off i would download some more plugs, there are plenty of free ones out there. what you using for delays? why dont you save for an M-one(xl). the M300 is decent unit, especially for its price, but the M-one will give you so more in sound and features. all i can say about those behringer things is you get what you pay for i still like my old Quadra-Verb Plus from 1989 now thats a bang for the buck unit

18th December 2005, 04:30 AM	#15
jamescnewhouse Gear interested Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 3	Im a big fan of the m300 for what it is...I think it would be one of the best value units in that price range. SPIDF is handy for studio routing. Dual FX engine handy too. This means you can get essentially two independant FX out of one box. I must say i have only found a couple FX that are really usefull. As in many of these lower end processors, there is a lot of gimmicky useless FX. The biggest plus for me on this unit is the ease of use. Very handy for live situations. Tap tempo easy to use and I find it very easy to dial in any sound I am chasing.... hope this helps....this is my first of many posts so dont be too harsh.......

18th December 2005, 05:23 AM	#16
bcgood Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Coast Posts: 3,124	Thanks James Thanks James, the layout of the knobs is what initially attracted me to it... bcgood

4th July 2006, 09:16 PM	#17
JeffSanders Gear maniac Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fairhaven, MA Posts: 169	Sorry to go off-topic a little... When it comes to using outboard verbs/fx, is the delay introduced minute or just unacceptable? Do you wind up having to nudge every track you use outboard fx on? __________________ http://www.mountainmirrors.com

4th July 2006, 11:07 PM	#18
squeegybug Lives for gear Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Missouri USA Posts: 2,012	If using the analog I/O, think of it as just a little more pre-delay. Not a big issue in my experience. Or, you can use the M300 with the digital connections and avoid the latency. I've owned the M300 a few years, it stays right in the rack next to Eventide 2016 and Klark Teknik DN780, and easily holds its own. Very often the preferred choice. Just a classy sounding unit with outstanding ergonomics. I've also owned the M-One XL, and prefer the M300. I think TC has discontinued it again, unfortunately Looks like their "replacement" is similar, and might actually have some additional useful FX: http://www.tcelectronic.com/M350.asp Steve

4th July 2006, 11:20 PM	#19
mixerguy Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,017	I like the knobs on the front! cool!

4th July 2006, 11:35 PM	#20
djwayne Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Location: United States Posts: 2,417	I bought mine mainly for the S/PDIF audio to digital conversion. It's advertised as having better converters than many soundcards....I'm not sure how you'd measure this, but it seems to work just fine as everything that goes thru it sounds nice on the computer. I asked their technical support guys about the converters, and they say they are suitable for most applications, and haven't had any complaints about them. The M300 also has S/PDIF input so you can route things out of your computer and into the unit, apply effects, then route your signal back into your computer as well, all digital. It also has audio out so I can use that to monitor my signal before it goes into the computer. As far as the effects go, I'm pretty happy with them. I wanted to be able to have outboard real time effects and this works well. I haven't had any maintenance or technical problems with the unit. So how does it sound ?? I've gotten some pretty good sounds out of it, so I'm happy, and at the price of under $200 it's a very nice piece of gear to have, and excellent bang for the buck.

5th July 2006, 01:14 AM	#21
bcgood Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Coast Posts: 3,124	I ended up getting one and I'm happy with it. I still use effects from my recording program in addition to the TC300, because I get lazy but I really like having an outboard effects unit. You have to dial in the sound and really listen and less is more but it is a cool unit. Bart

5th July 2006, 07:14 AM	#22
James Lehmann Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Europe Posts: 1,189	Like many others here I have an M300 sitting on an S/P-DIF FX loop and use it to relieve CPU strain. One of the main advantages in my book is the fact that all parameters respond to MIDI CC's so it takes no time to set up a page in Logic to control everything - I never touch the unit itself now and the parameter settings are automatically saved with each song. I use it exclusively for reverbs and the sound is pretty good especially for the money - that said, I'm never quite satisfied so I'm going to be looking for a high-end reverb unit to replace it at some point, which will no doubt cost me 10x what the M300 did. __________________ James Lehmann Voice-Over Artist - Project Studio Jockey www.jameslehmann.net Stop the superlatives madness! Abolish gear threads with the word 'best' in the title.

5th July 2006, 08:30 AM	#23
pineyb Gear interested Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 23	Great reverb for the money... I have several more expensive units.... and the M 300 gets used every day

5th July 2006, 07:33 PM	#24
David Lee Gear maniac Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Santa Monica CA Posts: 237	I use it live a LOT, occasionally it gets used in the studio too. Great sounding box for the money!

13th July 2006, 02:24 AM	#25
burn Gear interested Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1	I'm about to buy a reverb and was thinking about the m300 because they are cheap now since the m350 is on the market. What I'm looking for is a realistic room sound for drums and a little bit of vocal, is the m300 a good choice or is it sounding fake or artificial for room ?

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread: