Digitech RP500 Early thoughts
Monster Zero
versed in tweaking and using these types of things. Haven't tried it in a
band situation yet. So far my biggest disappointment is not being able to
throttle back any of the distortions with my guitar volume knob. It lessens
the volume yes but the amount of distortion stays right where I set it on
the unit. The modulations and verbs are pretty good and so are the wahs. The
harmonizer tracks poorly and the "ya ya" thing is the crappiest idea I've
ever seen since the DOD "American Metal" pedal.
I've got 30 days so I'm going to really dig into this thing and give it a
good chance but thus far it's not looking like it's going to find a home in
my rig or little studio. At this early stage it doesn't even compare to my
Zoom G2 or GNX2.
Master Betty
"Monster Zero" <rock...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:zeWdnXkLzPZetqHW...@giganews.com...
Hey....if you can get a couple of decent sounds out of it; they're cheap
enough.
I gave up on those gizmos but, I've heard good things from, and about, the
v-amps.
I've COSM in my recorder if I want half ass effects. :(
Jim
Monster Zero
"Master Betty" <em...@address.com> wrote in message
news:hhhbk4$e0g$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
A buddy of mine has a Twin Tube GFX-1 with foot controller he'd sell me for
100 bux. I had one once and just about creamed my pants over the distortions
on it but I couldn't track down a foot controller for it so I traded it in.
I gots ta get it!
Yeah I have "TASM" in my recorder which I'm guessing is about the same thing
as COSM. Dunno cos I haven't ever tried it out.
Tony Done
I tried the Digitech and Boss digital FX and preferred the Korg Toneworks
versions to either. My main current complaint with the Pandora is that
everything sounds very bright to me after the Blues Deluxe, and a bit thin.
The OD settings are touch and volume sensitive, and the fuzz is smoother
than I expected.
Tony D
dvaoa
> ...So far my biggest disappointment is not being able to
> throttle back any of the distortions with my guitar volume knob. It lessens
> the volume yes but the amount of distortion stays right where I set it on
> the unit.
How is it with picking dynamics?
> and the "ya ya" thing is the crappiest idea I've
> ever seen since the DOD "American Metal" pedal.
C'mon...what did you expect?
Any toy with a million features is bound to have a few flops. The way
I see it, if I can get a dozen usable features out of a modeler/mfx
unit, I'm golden. I have 5 or 6 different ones and the best thing
about them...they each do a few different things well. The POD 2.0,
for instance, does a better Mesa rectifier than the real thing.
>
> I've got 30 days so I'm going to really dig into this thing and give it a
> good chance but thus far it's not looking like it's going to find a home in
> my rig or little studio. At this early stage it doesn't even compare to my
> Zoom G2 or GNX2.
I have the G2.1U, and I find all the drive emulations overly gain-y.
If you've been able to get a lot of use out of your G2, I'm guessing
the RP500 won't disappoint if you dig in. Especially with the
individual stomp fx foot switches.
-d
orange
No problems here, great board.
Try downloading some of the user patches on the Digitech Sound Community
forum and then tweak them to your taste as a start.
Cheers,
Jerry
Arlowe
That's why I didn't get a RP500...
The RP1000 lets you bypass the amp cab models & use your amp's preamp.
Dr. Zontar
> So far my biggest disappointment is not being able to
> throttle back any of the distortions with my guitar volume knob. It lessens
> the volume yes but the amount of distortion stays right where I set it on
> the unit.
I used to have an RP100, and it did the same thing. But you can't
always apply analog thinking to a digital pedal. How about setting up
different patches with different levels of distortion? It wasn't a
problem for me, mainly because I never feel a need to turn down
distortion. I like squeaky cleans and filthy fuzzes and not much in
between.
> harmonizer tracks poorly and the "ya ya" thing is the crappiest idea I've
> ever seen since the DOD "American Metal" pedal.
I love my Pod XT Live, but you should hear some of the incredibly
stupid FX it has. One is call "Tape Eater". It makes you sound like a
garbled cassette tape. Is this Line 6's idea of a joke?
- Rich
Arlowe
Yes, I learned my lesson on a RP 350. It is great for some things and
not so great for others.
Monster Zero
"dvaoa" <dv...@altavista.com> wrote in message
news:65c9becb-3c38-4fd3...@z41g2000yqz.googlegroups.com...
-d
SO far it's null and void on the picking dynamics but I haven't tried it
through the front of an amp yet just XLR out to my recorder which is hooked
up to monitors. With the Zoom your best bet is to use the NC distortion and
turn the gain down to 10 and the mid up to 5 or so and flavor bass and
treble to taste. I get a very good Angus Young type tone using that
distortion.
Don't get me wrong, I'm going to give the thing a chance but I was fairly
frustrated with it yesterday. I also forgot to mention that I'm having sinus
and ear problems right now and one of my ears is slightly plugged so that
might be affecting how I'm hearing it.
dvaoa
Bingo.
-d (I also have an RP350...it bugs me that there's no on/off switch,
but I love the "A/B channel" foot switch)
Dr. Zontar
bra>> wrote:
> SO far it's null and void on the picking dynamics
That seems to be the common problem with most modelers. Some can get
the sound of a tube amp, but don't have the feel. A few models on my
XT Live respond to picking and volume knob changes pretty well, but
that's the exception in the digital world.
By and large, I've stopped using the amp models. I set my amps for a
good clean tone, and use the Big Muff model in the XTL. But as I said,
I'm not a subtle overdrive kinda guy. I go for Fenderish cleans with
lots of headroom or total sludge.
> but I haven't tried it through the front of an amp yet
My guess is that it won't sound that good in front of an amp. At least
the RP100 didn't. Try the FX loop in. Be sure to turn any cabinet and
mic modeling off.
> I also forgot to mention that I'm having sinus
> and ear problems right now and one of my ears is slightly plugged so that
> might be affecting how I'm hearing it.
Good thing you have 30 days. Get well.
- Rich
RichL
> On Dec 30, 11:41 pm, "Monster Zero" <rockin...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> So far my biggest disappointment is not being able to
>> throttle back any of the distortions with my guitar volume knob. It
>> lessens the volume yes but the amount of distortion stays right
>> where I set it on the unit.
>
> I used to have an RP100, and it did the same thing. But you can't
> always apply analog thinking to a digital pedal. How about setting up
> different patches with different levels of distortion? It wasn't a
> problem for me, mainly because I never feel a need to turn down
> distortion. I like squeaky cleans and filthy fuzzes and not much in
> between.
For me, that's the poison pill with modelers. I *need* that touch
sensitivity for my favorite styles, being able to go from almost clean
to distorted simply based on how hard I pick, or turning down the volume
control a little and having the sound clean up without actually reducing
perceived volume very much.
Consequently I tend to use pedals that kick the preamp tubes into gear
(like treble boosters, for instance) rather than create the distortion
on their own.
Greendistantstar
> Dr. Zontar <drzo...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> On Dec 30, 11:41 pm, "Monster Zero" <rockin...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> So far my biggest disappointment is not being able to
>>> throttle back any of the distortions with my guitar volume knob. It
>>> lessens the volume yes but the amount of distortion stays right
>>> where I set it on the unit.
>> I used to have an RP100, and it did the same thing. But you can't
>> always apply analog thinking to a digital pedal. How about setting up
>> different patches with different levels of distortion? It wasn't a
>> problem for me, mainly because I never feel a need to turn down
>> distortion. I like squeaky cleans and filthy fuzzes and not much in
>> between.
>
> For me, that's the poison pill with modelers. I *need* that touch
> sensitivity for my favorite styles, being able to go from almost clean
> to distorted simply based on how hard I pick, or turning down the volume
> control a little and having the sound clean up without actually reducing
> perceived volume very much.
There's no issues with touch sensitivity/attack on modelling amps in my experience.
I've two Line6 amps and both allow excellent sensitivity to pick attack and rolling back the volume.
To be sure, the Bognerised one is better, single coils respond better than humbuckers, and dialing
in the 'insane'/Dual Rectifier setting doesn't allow the variations one would expect from driven
tubes, but 'poison pill'?
Nah.
GDS
"Let's roll!"
Dr. Zontar
wrote:
> I've two Line6 amps and both allow excellent sensitivity to pick attack and rolling back the volume.
>
> To be sure, the Bognerised one is better, single coils respond better than humbuckers, and dialing
> in the 'insane'/Dual Rectifier setting doesn't allow the variations one would expect from driven
> tubes, but 'poison pill'?
>
> Nah.
It's funny. Most people complain that modelers don't sound anything
like tube amps. Then when I let them try my XT Live on one of the
Marshall or Soldano settings, they'll say, "okay, it SOUNDS like a
real amp, but the feel isn't there". I hear this all the time. It's
not a big issue to me, because I don't rely on touch-sensitivity. I'm
either angelically clean or disgustingly filthy. I don't mess with the
in-betweens.
I think my XT Live is pretty responsive on some some settings
(especially the tweed Fender models). But I rarely use those, due to
my playing style.
- Rich
Les Cargill
> On Dec 31, 11:18 am, Greendistantstar<Greendistants...@iinet.net.au>
> wrote:
>
>> I've two Line6 amps and both allow excellent sensitivity to pick attack and rolling back the volume.
>>
>> To be sure, the Bognerised one is better, single coils respond better than humbuckers, and dialing
>> in the 'insane'/Dual Rectifier setting doesn't allow the variations one would expect from driven
>> tubes, but 'poison pill'?
>>
>> Nah.
>
> It's funny. Most people complain that modelers don't sound anything
> like tube amps. Then when I let them try my XT Live on one of the
> Marshall or Soldano settings, they'll say, "okay, it SOUNDS like a
> real amp, but the feel isn't there". I hear this all the time. It's
> not a big issue to me, because I don't rely on touch-sensitivity. I'm
> either angelically clean or disgustingly filthy. I don't mess with the
> in-betweens.
>
I don't buy it, anyway - if you use one of the Blackface
or Tweed low-gain model on an XD, it has plenty of touch
sensitivity.
> I think my XT Live is pretty responsive on some some settings
> (especially the tweed Fender models). But I rarely use those, due to
> my playing style.
>
> - Rich
--
Les Cargill
Grip
Gotta say, out of all the pedals and multi's I have or have had, I use
the Pod XT most of the time, I do not use any of the modeling live as
I'm happy with the amp's tone...,the XT is for time based effects.....
but on recordings, it's pretty acurate. I also use some of the
algorythms in my digital recorder, they take some understanding for
sure.....
The Interceptor
I'm not exactly sold on these multiple effects units. I have a Pocket Pod
which I bought primarily for headphone use, for which it is fine, but not
much else. I can't really find a distorted tone in the Pod that works for
me, although some of the overdrive/crunch stuff isn't bad.
My feeling is that I want flexibility, and I wouldn't want to run a multi fx
unit and then have to run an outboard pedal or two because a certain effect
doesn't work in the way I want it to. That's why there are 7 pedals in
front of my amp (and at least that many in the pedal cupboard).
Brett
dvaoa
wrote:
> "Monster Zero" <rockin...@gmail.com> wrote in message
It's funny, this topic always comes up every so often. I'd agree
about the modeling not sounding credible through an amp, but run it
through a beefy tube slave amp like the Atomic Reactor...different
story.
Without the amp's preamp adding its own layer of gunk on top of the
models, suddenly these things start to sound like they were
intended...or hoped they would. ss PA's aren't the same, there's a
sterility you just can't get rid of.
If I could redesign my Atomic Reactor (it's a 1x12), I'd make it a
2x12, but I'd angle the two speakers at something like 20 deg. away
from each other to cure the directionality issue.
-d
Tony Done
-d
Might multiFX work better through the effects loop of an amp? My Sansamp
"Character" analog pedal does, and I plan on trying it with the PX4 when my
New Year fog has cleared a bit. The Sansamp has a lot of gain to drive the
power amp, not sure about the PX4.
Tony D
dvaoa
Not sure...don't some fx sound better in front of the amp? Those
Character pedals are really preamp stomps, so yeah....loop 'em.
As for amp models through the loop, it makes sense, but you'll find
some amps are better than others at this. In my experience, tube amps
will do a better job at it.
Happy New Year, Tony!
-d
Tony Done
Happy New Year, Tony!
-d
Happy New Year.
I tried the PX4 as both a direct input into the power amp, bypassing the
preamp, and in the FX loop. Neither were as good as straight into the normal
amp input. There was a lot of extra noise, and the tone had a boomy quality,
like you get if you plug the guitar straight into the power amp. It's all a
question of trial and error eh?
Tony D
Arlowe
> The modulations and verbs are pretty good and so are the wahs. The
> harmonizer tracks poorly and the "ya ya" thing is the crappiest idea I've
> ever seen since the DOD "American Metal" pedal.
>
If you are not in tune the harmonizer is useless, It seems to work well
in some ranges & not in others..Muting the idle strings helps too.
The Unit models a DOD FX25...pretty cool effect...
The other day I had my LP plugged into the RP1000.
I was screwing around with some settings and stumbed on
Stinkfoot...ver-bucking-batum.
I wish I had saved the settings.
The coolest thing about modeling pedals are the sounds you find purely
by accident.
Monster Zero
"Arlowe" <bare....@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:mn.0c587da15...@gmail.com...
"Put's a hurt on my nose"
I think I'm getting there. I was able to get a really good Paul Kossoff
tone out of it and a couple decent acoustic patches. Still fighting with the
noise gate and the high gain tones. Tried that FX25 and that is a pretty
cool effect! It's 3:18am here now and I've been going at it with this pedal
since 6pm lol.
I seem to have an easier time getting usable tones if I use the Digi
Compressor at various settings on patches I'm creating across the board.
dvaoa
There are just so many variables to this brew that, yeah...trial &
error. Ten modelers will have 10 different takes on a Dual
Rectifier...mixed with the host amp's sonic characteristics...eq...the
guitar itself, and so on. Hitting a sweet spot is like a needle in a
haystack sometimes. You end up spending too much time fiddling at the
expense of playing.
I watched "It Might Get Loud" last night; Jack White's attitude
towards creation is so primitive yet refreshing. Neck a little
twisted, couple strings a little out of tune, action a little too
high...perfect (and creepy). Plug & go. It's all balls, 180 degrees
opposite to The Edge's approach. Cool doc.
-d