I'll probably regret this one...

Dear Lazyweb:

I need one more multi-FX box. I’m extremely happy with my shiney new Eventide Eclipse (and at the risk of being both repetitive and boring, if you have the means, give Shawn a ring and get one your own bad self) and I’d like another multi-FX box to compliment it. Two caveats: maximum of $1100, and it must have AES/EBU I/O. I’m not fooling with any bullshit converters or impedance matching adapters. My shit is 100% AES in and out of my computer, and that doesn’t change.

So, what’s the most versatile and suck-free multi-FX unit, taking those two factors in to account? I’ve seen a couple PCM-81s going for that or less. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t turn down a PCM-91, even though it’s ’verb only, because I seem to be bouncing through the Eclipse while building a song, and finishing with a nice ’verb; might as well eliminate the middle-man. What I’d really like is a single-engined M5000, I think (as long as it had the digi card) but I’d be lucky to find one in that configuration for the price. So, the floor is open. Convince me.