NAMM Update: TC Electronic announced Nova System, a new floor-based all-in-one effects solution that combines analog distortion and overdrive with the advantages of digital control.

What makes Nova System interesting is an innovative drive and distortion circuit that offers true analog sound under preset and expression control. While the drive circuit is 100% analog and physically separated from the digital effects, its controls are digital. This way the drive effects can be tweaked, stored and recalled in exactly the same way as any of the digital effects, and the amount of distortion can be controlled in real time by hooking up an expression pedal.

Nova System houses six high quality effects blocks taken straight from G-System. It features compression, EQ, Noise Gate, Modulation, Pitch, Delay and Reverb, all programmable and storable in 60 user presets. The 30 factory presets take advantage of the wide range of versatile effects combinations and are designed to get the guitar player started right out of the box.

The Nova System overdrive emulates the classic overdrive originally only found in tube amps. The range goes from slightly warm and subtle overdrive to high gain for screaming leads, but retains excellent chord clarity even with complex voicing. The Nova System distortion is fat and aggressive and allows for full and massive chords and fluent compressed leads. The tonal character is raw, crunchy and very tube-like. Using just the guitar volume will allow for anything from semi-clean chords to intense leads.

Completing the feature list, the Hi-Z and balanced input plus balanced stereo outputs, and the two footswitch layouts – preset and pedal – with an option for adding a G-Switch for further control, make Nova System the obvious floor-based solution for the serious guitar player.

Nova System ships in Spring 2008 at a suggested retail price of EUR 699..