Jind from Ashford, CT USA
Subject:
A great Amp Alternative or a great Stomp Box Alternative? BOTH!
Quality:
Having upgraded from a previous Digitech product, the quality of the finish, and the overall build have come quite some ways in the positive. this unit feels solid, and has heft to it and an all metal chassis. The vacuum switches feel solid and much more reliable than the plastic foot pedals you will find on previous units and other manufacturers products.
Reliability:
I've only had it a few days so far, but I don't suspect I'll be having any issues with it given the dependability of my previous Digitech products.
Overall:
As mentioned in my title, this unit can be used as either a great sounding alternative to lugging your amp/rig from home to stage - having all your tone here in one place, the modeling capabilities have gotten tighter, things sound so much more natural, all with several connection options for either mixers or other PA systems; or this unit can simply be an awesome collection of stomp boxes with easy to adjust parameters and the ability to turn each on and off just as you would your individual stomp boxes making up your pedal-board. But together they make a great team - wonderful sounding amp/cabinet models and stellar effects building your tone is as easy as it gets.
Playability and Feel:
The controls are the same easy matrix knob and LED system Digitech has been using for a long time now. You have a large 10 character LCD display that gives you the name of the device you are altering, and the LED lights in the matrix show you which devices are in your effects chain. You have several knobs to control the individual items that make up each component such as GAIN, BAS, MID, TREBLE, ... for amps, and DECAY, TIME, MIX, ... for effects. It's just like working the real thing, just from the same console each time. If you want really deep editing capabilities, simply load the included X-EDIT2 software and you can see a virtual version of your entire device that you can make patches with and see what makes up the included presets. Speaking of which, the RP500 comes with 100 factory presets and room for another 100 user presets. Overall control and connections are a simple as it gets but it gets the job done and quickly.
Tone:
The tone from this unit is great. Digitech has come a long way with their modeling capabilities and it shows with the new AudioDNA processor chip. The amps sound tighter and more lively, the cabinets make a greater difference as you play around with combinations. The same goes for the distortion models - many of them are spot on for the originals. I encourage all to not just settle for the premade presets or others patches - go nuts and find your own tone or the tones of your favorites, but learn to do it yourself. This unit will get you there or at least as close as you can get with modeling.
Finish:
The finish on this product is great, a nice black and silver coat with the bright LCD display and the red LEDs of the matrix control panel. It looks like a switching rig should.
Action:
It's an FX unit - not a guitar.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
03/23/2009
Jonathan N from Bloomfield Hills, MI
Subject:
Works for Horn Players TOO!
Quality:
Very well made, and so far is very dependable. The only thing missing is a battery-powered option, not that I would necessarily use it, but having the option would be nice.
Sound:
The tone is great, I am using a Shure SM86 going into a Behringer tube pre-amp (mainly for the phantom power) then into the RP500. I don't notice any tone loss or "electronic" sound, except when I want it (which is why I bought this in the first place!).
Reliability:
No problems so far, I've only had it a month, but it is STURDY!
Overall:
I purchased the RP500 to use with my saxophone in live music settings. It works great most of the time. Some of the tones are too over-driven to use with a microphone, so I avoid those presets. The best thing to do is sit down with it, play around with the settings and create your own sound.
Playability and Feel:
No problems with the playability or feel. The controls are smooth and intuitive.
Tone:
Tone production is great. I can't use any of the amp modeling because I'm using the RP500 with a microphone, so I haven't been able to test that function, but everything else works great and sounds awesome!
Finish:
Fit and finish are great!
Action:
Everything worked as it should.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
10/11/2010
Quality:
It seems very dependable. As I mentioned, the adaptor burned out, but that was because I left it plugged in. This can happen to any adaptor. I bought a new adaptor and it's fine. Just unplug the adaptor when you're finished and you shouldn't have a problem.
Sound:
The tones are good. Very clean, in that the integrated noise gate functions nicely. I play really loud and it's dead quiet as soon as I stop the strings from vibrating. I mostly use the recto preset as a starting point and then add or change whatever I need from there.
Reliability:
The knobs do break off. I lost one the first gig i played with it. But that didn't matter to me at all because I program it with my computer. Do not leave the adaptor plugged in. It will burn out. A new one is like 20 bucks shipped. Other than that, I've had it for probably 6 or 8 months with no problems. Nothing changes once it's set. I trust it to work every time.
Overall:
This pedal is a great value. I would recommend it to anyone. Yes, the knobs are prone to break off (I've lost one already), but you're going to end up doing your presets on your computer anyway. So it really doesn't matter. I bought this on payments and it was well worth it.
Playability and Feel:
Everything works pretty well. The only small complaint I have is that the wah is very easy to engage. It turns on when you reach the end of the travel of the expression pedal. It also turns back off just as easily, at which time it becomes a volume pedal. This can be a little difficult to wrangle in the heat of the moment. A person could probably learn to negotiate it effectively, but I mostly leave the pedal full volume and don't use the wah.
Tone:
The metal tone is pretty thick. So you may have to do some EQing to get the guitar to sit in the live mix properly. But overall the tones are really cool.
Finish:
The color is black and the back is a flat metallic color. The colors look tasteful.
Action:
You will probably want to set up your own banks, but the presets are a great jumping off point. In fact, I would just modify those to get the necessary sounds.
Do you own this product?:
I own it.
Date submitted:
9/24/2010
Nathan Ryan from Boise
greenleafgangstas@gmail.com
Subject:
Great for the price
Quality:
Great! 1 1/2 years and it still works awesome.
Sound:
Sound is pretty good. I am playing out of an older cheap amp, so if I had a better amp it would be awesome
Reliability:
No problems what-so-ever, besides the computer program that comes with it. It wont save what I make on it, but thats fine. Its a little more fun to tinker with the thing yourself.
Overall:
I needed something that would provide me with the effects that I wanted with the versatility to use only specific effects. This provided that for me. When I need that extra crunch, apply the distortion. Same with everything else. AND SO EVERYONE KNOWS, DOWNLOAD THE NEW FIRMWARE FROM DIGITECH WEBSITE FOR THE LOOPER!
Playability and Feel:
A 2 year old could run this thing
Tone:
Some of the effects sound awful, but when there are so many to choose from that sound great then who cares. Most of them do sound good though, expecially the delays...I love the delays
Finish:
i got a B-side, and would not have known it. Still looks great after a year and a half of play
Action:
Ummmmm, its like Schwarzenegger in Predator type of actoin.
Do you own this product?:
Yup
Date submitted:
6/28/2010
Mark Shields from Corbin KY
shadowsong69@hotmail.com
Quality:
So far it feels good - if it goes down hill I will update later
Sound:
I will tweak it some but this is the first processor that I have found sounds I like right out of the box.
Reliability:
just got it but I have had a few digitech processors and they do pretty good
Overall:
First, this is the B stock and while it came in a GNX2 box, I can't find a scratch, ding, blemish..anything, wrong with it.
Playability and Feel:
it feels pretty heavy duty. It's not as heavy as the GNX3 I had but it's close.
Tone:
this thing sounds really good. the models are close and sound pro.
Finish:
it's grey and black like any digitech since the rp2000
Action:
this isn't a guitar but the foot switches are like the ones on an amp food switch..this has been a problem for me with my other digital pedals. it's eventually what killed my RP3 and the first thing that went wrong with my RP250.
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
6/23/2010
Eek from Brooklyn NY
Subject:
I'd actually give it a 3.5
Quality:
Seems to be very well made, just like other Digitech gear I owned back in the 80s/90s.
Sound:
Sound is excellent. I use two main sounds: Distortion and clean/just starting to break up if I pick hard enough. This does 'em both just the way I want with minimal knob twisting. I'd say after a good 45 minutes of playing around with it I had my sounds and needed to tweak no more. The editing software is a godsend.
Reliability:
I've only had it for two months but have used it at countless band practices and 2 gigs. Seems sturdy enough - although the matrix display/knobs seem a little flimsy. For $300 though, there's really not much to complain about.
The only reliability issue I have is the dropout when switching patches.. I didn't really notice it until I was playing a gig and it was in my face - it was pretty noticeable and since then I've been a little hypersensitive and annoyed by it. I won't give up without a good fight though.
Overall:
Having been a dedicated Boss GT user for years and disappointed with the high gains in the GT10, I recently switched over to the dark side and bought an RP500.
It sounds fantastic to me (I have it plugged into the front of a Bogner Alchemist), especially for the price, however I have one major complaint that I wish other reviews would have mentioned (which is mainly why I'm writing this): I posted something on the Digitech board and other users have acknowledged it so I'm not alone on this: there's a lag/dropout when switching between patches. This stinks for me because I switch from high gain to clean several times in songs and although I'm starting to get the timing down to press the switch early, it's still sort of a deal breaker for me.
If there were no dropouts, I would definitely give this a firm 4.5. It's too bad.
Tone:
The tones this thing cranks out are wonderful. Great crunch/high gains, great cleans.
Finish:
I dig the black/silver.. but that could be the 1970s KISS fan in me. Display is nice and easy to read in almost any condition.
Action:
Foot switches are nice and sturdy. Expression pedal feels a little loose but I'm sure that can be fixed pretty easily.
Do you own this product?:
Yes
Date submitted:
02/16/2010
Chris from Athens, NY, USA
Subject:
This unit will save you from Back Injury
Quality:
Top notch quality.
Sound:
Excellent sounds come from the RP500. I find that if you make the amp volumes loud and adjust your master volume accordingly, you will have better tone. I love this thing and it sounds awesome when you record USB w/ it. People always comment on how brutal it sounds.
Reliability:
Totally solid device. Metal box, the switches are sturdy
Overall:
I love this DigiTech! You don't need amps and cabs anymore, use this live and go right into the board. Tons of sounds for any music styles. X-Edit software is easy to use and you can get what you want as long as you play around and have some patience.
Playability and Feel:
It is easier to make your patches in X-edit, but if you must edit on the fly, it is not terribly difficult.
Tone:
The key to good tone on this thing is to not max everything out. There is some tinkering involved to get a good tone but the time is well worth it. I no longer need an amp and cab anymore.
Finish:
The LED is bright Red so you can see it well in the dark.
Do you own this product?:
yes
Date submitted:
Sept. 10, 2009
Chris from Stockton,Ca,USA
Quality:
Love the construction of this unit. All metal. I was kinda iffy on the foot pedal untill I recived the unit. It' sturdy.
Reliability:
Only had it a couple weeks but I really don't see any issues in the future.
Overall:
I wanted this unit for one reason really, The stomp box's. If you are anything like I am, you will never use everything in here. The Wah has pretty good feel to it and reacts well. I can't tell any differance from the Tube screamer pedal and the one thats in this unit they sound the same.
The MXR flanger, well it was easy enough for me to get thet Eddie Van Halen sound from it. The twin verb sounds pretty close to the older fender amps.
I haven't used much in the way of the internal amps/cabnets. From what little I have done they do sound pretty good. Really just depends on how good your amp is.
I use a Marshall so my amp has great sound already. But if your amp dosen't have great dirty tone, then this unit will be an upgrade for sure. I have found at least 3 or 4 amp/cabnet combos that sound pretty good.
Playability and Feel:
fast respones from the switching. easy to use right out of the box. Read the book though just makes it a little less confusing at first.
Tone:
not a guitar but I like what I hear from the rp500 so far. way more here then I will ever use.
Finish:
Nice finish, looks like it won't scratch easy.
Skill Level:
Intermediate
Do you own this product?:
Own it, and dig it!
BillyO from Monson MA. USA
okies4@msn.com
Subject:
More hands, less feet!
Quality:
Solid, metal case. Switches seem to have a nice solid push feel.
Reliability:
I've only had it 2 weeks so far.
Overall:
I bought this pedal expand my sound possibilitys without having to deal with a bigger pedal board. I play in a cover band and I like to mix up my tone and the RP 500 lets me do this simply. No more of that "what got unplugged or which pedals knobs got twisted between gigs".
Playability and Feel:
I'm still getting used to the switch layout, but the display is big and bright. Editing is real simple, even on the fly. Took it to practice for the first time last week and it took seconds to get my levels in line with the rest of the band.
Tone:
A couple of the amp models are a little sterile, but it allows you gain and eq adjustments that will make them sing. The fact that you can fully bypass the amp models and use it as a huge arsenal of pedals to keep your amps tone is really useful.
Finish:
mmmmmmmmmm.........pretty.....
Do you own this product?:
yes