One year and a bit after the Full-Featured Compact Infinite Sample Sustainer, TC Electronic releases a streamlined Mini edition
I loved the concept of the original Infinite Sample Sustainer - basically a significantly evolved version of that classic freeze / pad effect (a la EHX Freeze etc.) - which is essentially a short loop on continuous repeat. The Infinite Sample Sustainer has a smarter and fuller sounding algorithm which plays back the sample simultaneously forwards and reverse - to produce a wider and more enriched soundstage.
The 3 Main Controls are the same - Decay (Layer Sustain), Level (Output Level), Fade In (Pace of New Layers). The larger original also had switches for Dry/Verb, and Latching / Momentary, as well as a 7-way Rotary Pot where you could select number of layers sampled and layered - 1, 2 or, 3, then Infinite Sustain, and 3x TonePrint slots. The larger edition also had a Send / Return FX Loop.
For the Mini edition we lose the FX Loop, the 2 toggle-switches and the 7-position rotary. Instead you need to rely on the TonePrint Editor to set number of layers, whether Verb (Reverb) is on or off, and whether the MASH-style footswitch is Latching or Momentary. For the Mini - every time you need to change some of the extra settings - you need to load up a new TonePrint.
We've seen quite a few pedals recently utilising TRS Stereo for single input and output jacks - most famously a whole series of NUX pedals. So not sure why TC Electronic aren't up on that. For these kinds of effects you are mostly just using 1 profile fairly consistently - same as with the Mimiq Doubler. The Mini Mimiq without Stereo is pretty useless in my opinion - it just doesn't sound anyway near as good as the stereo version. And for ultimate flexibility for my pedal-chain a stereo pedal would be more handy for this effect too.
I don't like that there is no edge / side slider-switch to turn the Verb on and off on the Mini - there are a number of pedals out there with a couple of slider switch options (some with a whole load of dip-switches even) - so both the switches could still sit on the Mini edition quite nicely. For the rest - it's fine to use just the one main TonePrint.
These are cool pedals for sure - but I feel that the Mini version could have been a lot better. I really need to see the Mini Infinite and Mimiq with TRS single jacks for full stereo - and update the Compact Infinite Sample Sustainer at the same time!
In terms of where my heads at currently - then the original version is still marginally the right one for me. Had the Mini has the side-sliders and TRS jacks - it would have been truly smart. I always say that every pedal you make should be as good as it can be - regardless of its size. While too many companies approach mini pedals as a constrained format which is deliberately made to be less impressive.
I had wondered why I hadn't snapped up the Compact edition yet - and its really because it's mono only - where I need Stereo to make the pedal fully flexible within my chain - with nearly an extra 18months of R&D time - the smaller one should have had those features I suggested - that's what we deserve at this stage of the second golden age of effects pedals!
Pedals are being made with increasingly smaller components - so you can fit more features onboard. There are some truly magnificent Mini pedals out there which are every bit as good as much larger varieties - while as I say this Mini Infinite Sample Sustainer really could have been better!
Pricing on the original unit is $149, and the Mini is at $119 - almost every way I look at it - the original compact makes more sense - certainly for my preferences but is only a must-buy with full stereo jacks! Of course available at all the usual dealers! Someone please make me stereo versions of this - and in the absence of TC Electronic doing anything about my self-evident needs - NUX - I'm sure you're up to the task here!
Demos
12 Degrees of Saturation 2023 Compact Edition
