Reviewed: DigiTech RP2000 Guitar Effects System

January 14, 2000

Introduction

The Digitech RP2000 finally offers guitarists a truly great sounding, programmable multi-effects unit. But can it replace the trusty stompbox? That depends on the type of player you are. Many of us were originally drawn to these brightly-lit multi-effects boxes in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. We came to know them for a dizzying array of effects, but also lackluster tones. Particularly uninspiring were the overdrives and distortions. We also found them difficult to program for live performances, due to massive jumps in output level between presets.

(Click for a close-up)

So the old multi-effect processors found their respective ways into pawnshops or closets in favor of a few stomp boxes. Stomp boxes were cheaper, more flexible for live playing, sounded better, and were much easier to use. Many of us never looked back. In the process, Ibanez TS-9's flew off the shelves while a small boutique analog pedal market flourished. Still, the engineers at companies like Zoom, Boss/Roland, Line 6 and Digitech/DOD pressed on. They experimented with tubes (with various degrees of success) and eventually settled on a technology called “digital modeling.” In layman's term, this means simulating the effects of the circuitry found in classic amplifiers or pedals or guitar pickups or whatever, and using a digital processor to recreate those effects.

So here we are upon the new year, and the aptly named Digitech RP2000 clearly demonstrates that multi-effect guitar processors have come a long way since the Quadraverb GTs, the Yamaha FX500s, and even the early Digitech RP-series pedals of the last century.As far as the RP2000’s modeling is concerned, if you close your eyes and pretend you are not listening to a digital model of a Mesa Boogie or Vox AC/30 or hot-rodded Marshall, all you hear is solid, warm, gig and studio-worthy guitar tone. It also “feels” right. In other words, the RP2000 requires the same amount of physical effort to make a note sing as would on a Fender Deluxe Reverb set at its “sweet spot” (on mine, around 2.5).

So before this review delves into features and programming and applications, it must be said the RP2000 sounds as good through my amps as my pedals sound. In fact, it sounds smoother, more refined and less harsh on the ears (unless you want it to sound harsh). If it didn’t sound good, it would be pointless to continue this review.

In a Nutshell

The Digitech RP2000 is a floormount, multi-effects preamp unit intended solely for guitar. It is designed to either drive a pair of headphones, send a cabinet-emulated signal into a mixing console, or even output a pure digital signal via a “S/PDIF” output. Non-emulated tones can be sent to the front of your combo guitar amplifier(s). However, the RP2000 is technically a preamp. The front of your combo amp is also a preamp. Driving a preamp with a preamp is a recipe for noise and microphonic feedback. Ideally, the unit should output directly into a stereo power amp or into a the effects returns on a pair of combo amps.

My amps are both vintage, however, and neither has an effects loop. I therefore turned the RP2000 to a low output setting, approximating the loudness of my naked guitar signal. So far, I have had no problems with noise or feedback. Also of note, if you only have one amp, the RP2000 can be set globally to “Mono” operation. The only configuration I couldn’t find as a possibility was, for example, to send the right-side, non-emulated signal to a guitar amp and the left side cabinet-emulated signal to the mixing console. As far as I could tell, either the cabinet emulation is all “on” or all “off.” But since a DI box would be necessary anyway, a Hughes and Kettner “Red Box” would easily allow this configuration for live playing.

One beef: The RP2000 is obviously a flexible unit, but it would be more flexible if it featured emulated XLR outputs for direct signal and separate non-emulated 1/4” “line level” outputs for driving power amps. If there was room, it would be extra special cool if a second set of 1/4” “instrument level” outputs could be provided for driving the front of a pair of combo amps. Most users, I feel, own combo amps or half stacks and would find these features useful.

Effects

The RP2000 features the requisite array of stereo choruses, flanges, reverbs, delays and such. It would be a waste of internet ink to expound on these features other to say they sound nice and warm and natural... particularly the reverb. Instead, this review will focus on the RP200’s less common effects, which you'll have a chance to hear for yourself on the next page

One unusual effect is the “Talker.” The effect allows you to plug a microphone into the RP2000 and talk into it while you play. You are offered 4 choices of tonal parameters (from bright to deep). Essentially, this is an accurate imitation of the Peter Frampton-style talk box.

For live use, there is a microphone output, so when the Talker is off, you can sing through the mic through the P.A. like normal. When the Talker is on, the output is muted. I initially had a difficult time using the Talker because my instinct was to sing the note I was playing. This ruins the talking effect. The trick is to say sentences in time with your licks. The lower notes on the guitar neck seem to sound better than higher notes. Chords sound especially cool with this effect. Also of note, if you stop talking, there’s no sound. This is unlike a talk box since guitar signal will come out of the rubber tube regardless if you are forming vowels or not. Once a good “Talker” technique is worked up, I feel a player could get some serious mileage out of the talker effect live and in the studio (check out the sound clips at the end of this review).

A player could also get much mileage out of the pitch-shifting capabilities of the unit. For starters, the “dumb” pitch shifting enables you to set a harmony note two octaves above or below the actual note, or anywhere in between. Depending on the scale you’re playing, non-octave intervals will likely be sympathetic to the key for most of the time. Other times, they will be dissonant, but usually in an interesting way. Steve Vai loved to use 4ths in this way, if memory serves.

For further pitch-shifting capabilities, the RP2000’s “expression pedal” can be used for Digitech’s signature “Whammy” effects. The popular effect can bend your note as much as two octaves up or SIX?!! octaves below. I’d imagine the latter is bad for your speakers. Most players will probably choose to set the Whammy action to shorter intervals. You can also reverse the pedal action for weird sounds. I particularly enjoyed the “Harmony Bends” setting, which blends the dry note with the Whammy note (again, check the clips).

The smart harmony capabilities are also useful, especially for players who like to use “EBows” or play sustaining, melodic leads. The harmony parameters let you adjust the interval of the harmony note, the scale and the key. Oddly, it won’t let you set two harmony notes, like my Boss Harmonist pedal does. Scales available ranged from major to minor to blues to all the modes to the wholetone scale. I had the most luck sticking to the minor and major pentatonic settings and adjusting the interval either a third above or a 4th below. But then again. I’m harmonically challenged. The final signature effect featured on the RP2000 is the “Yah Yah” and “Auto Yah.” Essentially, this is a combination of Wah and Flanger, producing what Digitech accurately describes as a “vocal effect.” Yah Yah utilizes the expression pedal in the same manner as the Wah Wah would. The Auto Yah allows you to set the speed of the Yah cycle, like an envelop filter would. Ideally, Auto Yah should be set in time with the music you play (once again check those article ending clips).

The first modeling feature of the RP2000 is the pickup simulator. This enables you to imitate a single coil with your humbucker or vice versa. The feature certainly beefed up my Strat and made my Paul twang. The funny thing is the “HB>SC” (humbucker into single coil) setting added hiss (one single coil trait I could do without). Overall, the pickup simulator is a fairly accurate reproduction, but wouldn’t eradicate the need for owning both a Strat and a Paul. I personally would choose to use two guitars in the studio, but this could work well for live players hoping to keep their rig to a minimum. I think the feature works best for Strat players suffering from a thin, tinny sound on stage.

Moving on to the amplifier models, it’s crucial to note the RP2000 doesn’t have distortion or overdrive, per se. If you want dirt, you need to choose a model. To get dirt, choose from among emulations of amps like blackface and tweed Fenders, Mesa Boogie and Dual Rectifiers, Vox and Matchless-type “class A” amps, and of course a Marshall JCM900. Once you pick a model, you can adjust the distortion level accordingly. Some models offer tons of saturation, others only offer a hint of edge.

If you want clean, however, set the model to clean. Even through I played the RP2000 through real vintage clean amps, the clean models livened up the tone considerably when compared to the bypassed sound. Other convincing emulations include a flat top acoustic guitar and piezo acoustic guitar. These would be really nice for people who are tired of dealing with squealing, out-of-tune acoustics at the gig. But for the studio, bring a real acoustic guitar.

If you want no model at all, choose “Direct.” The problem here is you don’t get any dirt. My favorite model for my Les Paul was “HIGAIN,” which (like it is described in the manual) is a smooth singing lead tone. Interestingly, this model isn’t necessarily “modeled” after anything at all. (Hmmm... maybe some product manager at Digitech was getting a killer tone out of his Peavey Bandit so they modeled it.)

My favorite model for my Strat was the “Mesa Boogie Mark II” recreation. For crunch, I liked the Blackface Fender model set at maximum gain.

Now you’ll notice at the beginning of the review, I mention these are good solid guitar tones. They are usable tones in studio applications. They sound great at bedroom levels and at club gigs (I tried mine at a gig). They sound just as good or better than my pedals (including my TS9, which I swear by). However, I own a Matchless amp. I own a blackface Fender. I have had the pleasure of cranking them up until the power amps saturate. These models DO NOT sound exactly the same. The RP2000 tones sound more like a nice recording of the real thing. They are slightly processed, more refined but with fewer textures to the sound... but they do sound good. Also in their favor, they have a beefier bottom end and a smoothed-out high end, making them very easy on the ears, especially on stage. They also cut through a mix nicely.

Also in favor of the RP2000, it’s difficult to crank my Matchless in a studio and capture that massive sound on tape. With the Digitech, it’s plug direct into the board and play. Speaking of direct recording, the RP2000 offers a variety of speaker cabinet simulation models... more on those later.