Ceti’s E.S.U. is a pocket-sized touchscreen multi-FX, amp processor, audio interface and hard drive recorder

New York-based Cetin, Inc. has unveiled the Ceti E.S.U., a standalone, touch-screen guitar/bass processor and audio interface.

The E.S.U. (electronic sound unit) offers 64GB built-in storage, 24-bit audio  and sample rates of up to 192kHz. The manufacturer has not specified the exact number of amp emulations and effects onboard, but says players can expect an array of models, inspired by everything from Marshall Plexis to the Vox AC30, Marshall JTM45 and Fender Deluxe Reverb and Bassman combos, among others.

Effects include tremolo, phaser, digital delay, an Echoplex emulation, flanger, vibrato, tri-chorus, jet fuzz, octaver and wah. The E.S.U can also be used as a looper, with a two-minute loop time.

There’s space for 50 custom patches onboard and four physical buttons on the front for the immediate recall of your chosen presets. You’ll also find a volume slider on the side, plus a button to access the tuner.

The 2.4” touchscreen interface is not full color, but navigating and tweaking the various models looks to be fairly intuitive.

A rechargeable battery is onboard, which lasts up to 10 hours, and connectivity-wise, it’s kept fairly simple, with a 1/4” I/O for guitar or bass, plus 1/8” connections for headphones and aux input. 

The E.S.U. can also be connected to a computer for use as an audio interface, or you can put some of that 64GB to use recording directly to the device. You can also import song files, for playback and practise purposes, or connect to an external player via the aux input.

Currently the project is looking for backers on Kickstarter, so the usual caveats apply (ie, unforeseen production delays could occur) but the E.S.U. looks like it could be a handy unit. The early bird pledge price of $155 certainly makes it a tempting proposition.

There’s clearly something in the water when it comes to handheld guitar/bass processors at the moment. Just a fortnight ago, Chinese manufacturer Mooer launched the Prime P1, its own mini multi-effects box, though – like the Boss Pocket GT – that unit relies on an accompanying smartphone app for full functionality. 

If you’re interested in backing the project or finding out more, head to the Ceti E.S.U. Kickstarter page.