Unbiased review of the two notes opus

Two Notes Opus. - unsponsored video. All thoughts are my own. No sound clips, sorry.

[@johnnyringo8174]

You dont need an effects loop with this device. You place you time and modulation effects (you would normally use in an effects loop) at the end of the chain. You place them after this box as though you were recording in a studio and adding the effects afterward.

[@Jotun0rigin]

I’d agree with this, except when you are using it for the headphone feature, which is what I primarily use it for at the moment. Also, why do you have a picture of my cat in your profile? Lol

[@MyNameWasTecho]

Really good information, thank you. I’m looking at putting one in the effects loop of my 28 watt Matamp so I can plug my headphones in and turn the master volume to zero for silent practice. I think you’re spot on with your comments about the Opus not having the effects loop. I wonder if it’s a space or software issue?

[@Jotun0rigin]

@@MyNameWasTecho hey! Thanks for commenting. I’m glad the video was useful. For the application that you are talking about, Make sure you get an attenuator or load box for that application to avoid damaging the amp. I think it was either a space or cost issue myself.

[@MyNameWasTecho]

@@Jotun0rigin with the Opus in the effects loop and the Amp master volume at zero, I was thinking I shouldn’t need an attenuator as there is still a load attached. Does that sound right?

[@Jotun0rigin]

@@MyNameWasTecho it does seem correct as far as I know. It has to have a load of some form to avoid damage

[@altpath]

Very useful information, thank you. Trying to decide if I should go for this or a multi effect unit in a similar price range.

[@Jotun0rigin]

I think that that really would depend on what you want to do with the device. I’m not saying 300$ usd is a small amount of money, but in the guitar world, it’s the lower end of the scale. If all you care about having a unit do is sound like an amp and have features to plug into a pa at a gig, to be ready to di to a computer, practice through headphones, and maybe make your amp sound like other amps, then this is a great piece of gear. Gross oversimplification of what it is. It now has 8preamp models, and they are nearly infinitely customizable with a plethora of different options. What it doesn’t do is model effects. I don’t care, I own a lot of pedals that I over the years have realized that I prefer to the effects on a multieffects unit. I guess it comes to sound and then ease of adjustment to me. You aren’t in budget for a top of the line multi, but you could get some pretty great used stuff for the money. Some cons to the opus that I really have issues with are no fx loop, no channel swapping except via midi, and the long term support for the app side of the device that will give it longevity. Other than those features mainly, I like it.

[@miniblackhole]

Extra points for the Cirrus - love that pedal

[@Jotun0rigin]

Me too. It’s a pretty amazing pedal that has a ton of great options. Probably top 3 for me… but I have a lot of pedals that are also awesome. Hard to choose a favorite

[@timeagan893]

Dear Sir: Is it "Amp-->Two Notes"OPUS"-->Loadbox-->Speaker OR...............................Is it "Amp-->Loadbox-->OPUS-->Speaker? And finally what jacks use (speaker cable)?? Thank you so much for your help in advance because I am "dead in the water" ntil i know the safe way to cable this

[@Jotun0rigin]

@@timeagan893 this really depends on the goal and use case. If you are wanting to use your amp and record to a di box but don’t want the speaker active, it goes amp -> opus in fx loop ~> load box -> speaker. The box to speaker should be a speaker cable. If you want to bypass your preamp in your amp you would connect the opus into the fx loop return -> load box-> speaker. Make sure that the proper option is selected using the switch on the side. If it’s in the loop, amp needs to be selected. You will also have to change routing options in the global menu.

[@Jotun0rigin]

Let me know if there are further questions

[@Jotun0rigin]

Never thought this would hit 1k views. Thanks guys!

[@JJR3991]

Thanks for this video. I have a boss katana artist mk2 and wanted to use the line out from it into the opus for silent practise. Do you get a convincing amp in the room sound? I Want to drive the Katana and get some better tones for silent practise. That's an issue I have found when plugging straight into it.

[@Jotun0rigin]

@@JJR3991 without having a ton of experience with the boss katana line, I don’t know if this is what you need. If you are committed to using the katana because you use it at practice or live, I’d say what you probably need is a load box. The opus is not a load box, and requires one to do the same thing. There are several options on the market for load boxes and two notes make some. You might be better off with a load box and a versatile drive pedal(like a boss od200). As far as silent practice goes, the opus out of the box does very well with headphones. This is what I primarily do with it. Don’t get me wrong, it isnt exactly an amp in the room feeling but it’s enjoyable through headphones. I can get it to feel pretty close but nothing simulates the feel of the air pushing through a speaker cab quite right… yet. I feel that the tones are levels better than the katana and more tweakable too. I don’t really know what tones you are after, but many can be found inside the opus. I’ll still put a drive or fuzz in front of it for some extra sounds not available in it, but I’m happy playing it without anything going into it too. If high high gain is important to you, the opus still needs a push of sorts from a pedal. My doom tones with it are only achieved with a pedal in front. With a load box and the opus or a pedal for drive you are way over the value of the katana. It might be worth considering selling the amp and getting a better one at this point, and getting the load box for silent practice with a better quality amp.

[@AdamYoudell]

That's what I was wondering, about how to place effects between preamp/poweramp like on a regular amp setup. I think I could still use it by coming out of a real amp's effects send, into the effect pedal, then into the opus and bypassing the preamps/just using the poweramp/cab sim. You can bypass the gate/preamp, correct?

[@Jotun0rigin]

You can totally run it that way. You would need to disable the preamp and make sure that you have hit the switch on the right side of the device to amp, as well as using the right out on the device. Make sure you are using a cab or have it hooked up to a load box to prevent avoidable damage. It sounds good this way, and you can also DI it using this setup. The lack of the fx loop is a bigger issue when using it standalone like I have been. I’m trying to figure out the best chain to avoid volume fluctuation when things are switched on/off.

[@Jotun0rigin]

And yea, you can bypass just about any setting on it.

[@harrisondvargo72]

Great review, similar views. I own an HX Stomp and I got this to see if it did anything that the Stomp didn't. Selling it and keeping the Stomp. OPUS is a dud and is hard to get to sound good.

[@Jotun0rigin]

Appreciate the support. I made this because almost every other video I’ve seen on this just glorifies the device, and I wish that reviewers actually talked about the device instead of advertising it. Glad you found something that works for you!

[@harrisondvargo72]

@Jotun0rigin yup, felt the same way watching video reviews. Just seems like every reviewer wants Two Notes to keep them on the nice list and keep sending them gear to check out. Thanks again+

[@patricklong9227]

Not sure if you’ve already tried this but in the manual it show you how to connect reverbs and delays. I myself haven’t gotten that far with min. But I thought it was 1/4 line out on the left. Would that not be your fx loop? Maybe!

[@Jotun0rigin]

Hey! Good tip, this is basically how I currently have it set up. Chain is guitar->dirt boxes and Wah, maybe flanger-> opus input-> left out is modulation delay reverb-> jam man looper-> headphones for my practice set up. Here’s the thing: if I wasn’t using the looper, I couldn’t really get headphones to work well with this. Also, the sound seems to suffer a bit going through this. Not that it’s bad, it’s just not quite as crisp as I would ideally like. If I use a clean setting with the opus at the end and everything else in front, the signal seems very clear. However the moment I do this with a gain setting, it sounds awful and the reverb and delays become mud. Usually(correct me if I am wrong) an fx loop comes after the preamp but before the power amp and cabinet. This drastically changes how the effects are articulated. In the current setup I use, the power amp and cab sim come before the delays and reverbs, which is fine but not the way I would prefer them. I’m beginning to think that two notes designed this to be at the end of the chain with a preamp pedal in the middle to sandwich delays and reverbs, or to basically just stand alone. Recently KMA announced the endgame which might be the solution to my issues, but honestly it’s close enough for me that I can’t justify spending a ton more money to tweak this. Ultimately there were other devices that had this feature around the same price point that I could have gone with. If I add something else, preamp, endgame, etc and then a switcher for midi, I could have gone for a much more expensive device defeating the attractive price of the opus that would do all of the stuff the opus does and then some.

[@Jotun0rigin]

And just for context, I usually use one 10’ cable, 4-5 boxes and patches to connect so I’m not running a ton of cable for degradation of signal

[@patricklong9227]

@@Jotun0rigin Maybe check your power supply. I’ve had tone issues in the past because of this. But also maybe look into a dedicated load box. I bought this unit because I have a Marshall half stack with the rock crusher attenuator. So my amp and my cabinet feed into the rock crush, into my opus, to my interface. And with the additional eq from my amp to colour the sound, it has changed my amp for the better! And the possibilities are endless! But Idk if it sounds good then it sounds good and that’s all that matters. But a load box would probably help.

[@Jotun0rigin]

@@patricklong9227 that’s a thought. The power supply for the device is fine. I have awesome output if I run everything in front of it and then plug in after or run it stand alone. It could be something I’m running in my delay/mod/ reverb chain causing this, but I don’t have level issues in my amps fx loop with these pedals. My brick is also newer, but I’ll check it out. I haven’t used the opus with a load box on my amp, just in the loop and it’s pretty cool. I bought it basically to use for practice with headphones and then to later use the other features that the device is capable of. Right now, if it can’t be silent then I can’t really play… I only have nap time and evening practice opportunities.

[@ClemsonJohnson]

I was close to buying one of these, but the absence of FX loop is a no go deal breaker.

[@Jotun0rigin]

Still my biggest complaint even after owning one for half a year. That and a lack of foot switchable preset swap without using a midi switcher. Might be swapping soon.

[@vetzaaak]

You run your time based effects after the device, no real audible disadvantages compared to other units with fx loop afai can tell.

[@Jotun0rigin]

@@vetzaaak it depends on the use case of the device in my opinion. If you are playing through an amp and are using it in the effects loop or bypassing the pre amp, an fx loop isn’t necessary. If you are going from it into a di box, again no. If you are playing using headphones then it is necessary. Primarily my use for it is headphones so to me it is a big feature for it not to have.

[@JudgeFredd]

Not a single sound

[@Jotun0rigin]

At the time it was recorded I did not have a working computer. The lack of sound clips was disclosed at the beginning of the video.