minxman

I agree. The lack of 4 cable capability of the M9 almost kept me from getting it. I wouldn't have minded dropping a few more bucks, but the M13 just takes up way too much real estate for what I need. The M9 is designed to be used in front of the amp, but the first year I had it, I used it in the loop. Obviously this kept me from taking advantage of a number of it's effects, but the delays and mod effects are much nicer in the loop. Unfortunately, there was too much trade-off, so I now use it in-line as it's intended. Ya can't have it both ways with M9. Phil's correct - you need 4 cable handling to accomplish that - something M9 does not offer.

It's retail 101. Nobody is going to market a unit that will be continuously sustainable. They would put themselves out of business. If they wanted to, car manufacturers could make vehicles that last 20 years. They control the market by making them obsolete after only a few years, which perpetuates the constant need for new ones. That's just how it works. Good for them / bad for us, but that's life. And by the way, for a $300 template, how much more "free" updates can we really expect?

I've been using my M9 for 3 years now. I researched the same question, and still see no benefit in the upgrade unless you can't live without that Echo Platter - and I think you get a few more crazy effects with the upgrade. Personally, I have very few complaints with the existing version and am a firm believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" - particularly with technological devices.

For what it's worth, you're not alone. You are attempting to disable effects intentionally, - my fat feet often hit two simultaneously by accident which can be problematic. One of the first things I did with the M9 was remove the tuner "mute" option. So at least if I accidentally engage it, it doesn't cut my signal mid-song. The thing has it's limits, but for the money and convenience, I can deal with it.

Try Rotary Drum/Horn - it vaguely emulates a Dunlop Rotovibe, which is intended to emulate a Leslie rotating speaker. Listen to Ozzy's Road to Nowhere, The Cult's Fire Woman (intro) even Korn uses the effect on Freak on a Leash. Sambora chooses to use it on the solo of this tune which sounds like crap. This effect is best used with arpeggio/ chord picking. It's not hard to dial-in something close, but as with most of the M9/M5 effects, you're better off to go easy on the output mix. Too much effect colors your overall tone in a bad way. I believe the Rotary Drum offers an "Overdrive" knob, so if you choose, you can add some crunch with the patch - probably because the original Leslies came with a built in tube pre-amp which would overdrive the signal.