I was a the right place at the right time for this one. BassNW had received the first one a few hours before I arrived. I switched over from an Ashdown for the USIP. The difference between the two is night and day. At this risk of sounding melodramatic, it was like having two new basses. The clarity is astounding. The EQ points are perfect, particularly the treble. My bandmates immediately noticed the difference as did our sound techs. If you want to hear your bass as it sounds, this is it.

The FX channels are extremely flexible. Each one (and the mono) has their own blend, so you can mix and match. Each channel has its own gain, EQ, FX loop and DI out. It's a combination of the Master Blender, True Blue EQ and headphone preamp. You can also use the stereo input and mix and EQ each channel separately. It's like the Swiss Army knife of preamps.

Construction is top notch. On one of my first outings with it, I managed to pull my entire rig over on its face. (Don't ask.) The USIP survived without a scratch; even with me plugged in.

I had heard about it several months before it came out and contacted BassNW and Steve Rabe directly. Both were very open to discussing the unit. Steve responded personally when I had signal routing questions.

The only negative comment I can make are the jacks on the back do not like Monster Cable connectors.

Construction	100%
Clarity	100%
Versatility	100%
Customer Service	100%
Value	100%
Overall	100%