Reviewed: DigiTech RP2000 Guitar Effects System

Continued...

Programming

My old Quadraverb GT is still the reigning champ in the “easy to program” category. But this one ain’t bad. Helping the cause is a thorough and helpful manual which can be read in one sitting. Especially useful is the tutorial, which walks you through the creation of a user preset. I suggest reading the manual upon purchase. If not, at least try the tutorial. It will save you time in the long run. If that isn’t helpful enough, a quick call to Digitech’s customer service line will yield a staff of patient and friendly people. I put at least three calls in and all my questions were promptly answered.

For starters, the RP2000 contains two sets of 64 presets, totaling 128 presets arranged in banks of four. From the factory, these start as two duplicate sets of factory presets. The first set of 64 (marked by a green light near the data wheel) are reprogramable into user presets. The second set (marked by a red light) can only be factory presets. The factory presets can be changed in real time, but the changes cannot be saved. They can, however, be easily moved and saved as one of the 64 user presets. To start programming, you hit the “Edit” switch to enter program mode. Parameters are grouped in one of nine groups; “Pickup,” “Compression,” “Wah/Pitch,” “Amp Model/Cabinet,” “EQ,” “Talker/Noise Gate,” “Effects,” “Delay,” “Reverb/Preset Level.” To access these groups, you can rotate the data wheel to scroll through each parameter or hit the button which corresponds to the specific group you want to modify. Once the desired parameter is selected, you adjust it using the data wheel. You then hit the parameter button again and you move on to the next parameter.

For example, to add Crybaby-style wah wah to a user preset, hit “Edit,” then hit “Wah/Pitch.” You then rotate the data wheel so the screen changes from “bypass” to “on.” You then hit “Wah/Pitch” again and rotate the data wheel, scrolling past “Harmony,” “Whammy,” “Detune,” “Pitch” and “Fullwah,” finally reaching “Crywah.” You hit “Wah/Pitch” again and rotate the data wheel, selecting either “Pre” or “Post” (before or after the amp model). You can then hit “Save,” at which point you can rename the user preset (using the data wheel in conjunction with the “Effects Mode” and “Rhythm” switches). You can also use the data wheel to move the user preset to another location. Or you can just keep hitting “Store” to save the changes at the same spot with the same name.

The task just described is easier than it reads, but all the steps become a tad tedious by the fourth or fifth parameter change. For many parameter changes, a lot of the challenge is figuring out what the screen’s abbreviations mean. To assign the expression pedal or “control pedal” to various functions (like real time volume, effects level or model changes), hit “Assign” and use the data wheel to scroll through the available assignments and parameters... more on the expression and control pedals later.

Practice Applications

The RP2000 has three features designed as practice tools. The first is the “Jam Along” feature. To use this, simply plug the output of your CD or tape player into the 1/8” stereo input provided on the RP2000. Adjust the CD or tape player’s output level. The tape or CD will then be heard through your amp or your headphones. Adjust the guitar level accordingly and play.

If a certain passage you are trying to learn is challenging, use the “Learn-A Lick” mode. In this setting, the various footswitches now control your basic functions like record, stop, play, rewind, etc.. Recording up to ten seconds from your CD or tape player, the passage is stored in the unit as a sample, allowing you to play the passage as many times as you like. The difference is you can play the passage at full, 7/8, 3/4, 5/8, 1/2 and 1/4 speed without any change in pitch. To exit Learn-A-Lick, hit “Exit” or the “Control” and “Bank switches again. The Learn-A-Lick function is pretty easy to do on the fly and makes learning your favorite Limp Bizkit riff much easier.

The final practice-friendly feature is the “Rhythm” mode. This is simply a built-in drum machine with a selection of common rock, blues, pop, swing, jazz etc. beats which you probably wouldn’t want to record with, but are just fine for practicing. The users manual quite humorously states the rhythm mode is a “...great tool for improving your timing, rehearsing different musical styles, or just jamming when your drummer is out delivering pizzas.” Incidentally, if you want to use the rhythm mode as a loop during live performance, you can assign the “Control” pedal to activate a specific rhythm as part of a specified user preset

Stage Application

There are so many different different ways to configure the RP2000 for live use, I quickly got a headache trying to figure them all out. Many of those options are offered by the “FX” mode. This mode mimics using stomp box pedals. To use this mode, select a factory preset or user preset and hit “FX MODE.” The first footpedal turns on and off the compressor... this is self explanatory. The second pedal switches between amp “channels.” Each preset has two “channels” available; red and green. You could program one to be your lead tone while using the other for crunch or clean. The third switch turns the preset’s effects on and off... self explanatory. The fourth switch turns the delay on and off... ditto.

The “Control” footswitch could be used for any variety of functions. For example, it could toggle between two gain levels on one of your “channels,” allowing for clean, crunch and lead in a single user preset. It could also toggle between two delay times or two flanger speeds. The control switch can also be set to “momentary” (on only when depressed) or “toggle” (remains switched until pressed a second time). The expression pedal can also be assigned to any variety of functions. The most obvious use is for Wah and Whammy effects. But it could also control parameters such as gain level. In such a case, you would adjust the pedal’s “maximum” and “minimum” settings to correspond with the desired max and minimum gain levels. Something which makes the RP2000’s expression pedal unique is a “V-Switch.” This enables you to use the expression pedal itself to turn on and off its assigned effect much like the switch on your Crybaby Wah. The sensitivity can be adjusted depending on how hard you want to push. This is a great feature.

Initially, the FX mode is a very cool thing. Playing my Strat at a band practice, I scrolled to “ERIC J” and set the machine to “FX mode.” I had all the tones I needed to get me through a rehearsal... right out of the box with absolutely NO programming. Once a player becomes more comfortable with programming the RP2000, he or she will likely recognize the advantages over arranging favorite user presets in banks of four. This corresponds to the four numbered footswitches. For example, a logical grouping could be lead, crunch, clean and then maybe lead with a weird effect (such as an octave or long delay). If there’s a particular effect or two you want in several user presets (such as wah or Whammy), assign the expression pedal and/or control pedal to turn on and off the effect(s). Otherwise, the expression pedal can control parameters like volume. Hit the “Bank/Preset” footswitch to move to the next bank of four. The RP2000 also allows you to name each bank of four.

Finally, a parameter allowing the control of user preset volume level allows the player to eliminate unwanted jumps in volume between user presets. Other stage friendly features include “Tuner” and “Bypass” modes. Simultaneously depressing the first two footswitches mutes the unit and turns on the tuner. The tuner tracks well and is great for silent tuning on stage or in the studio. If you need to compare your sound with the straight guitar tone, hit pedals three and four at the same time and the unit will bypass. This is useful while programming or adjusting your amplifier’s tone controls

Studio Applications

Many of the same features which make the RP2000 useful on stage will be of use in the studio. The difference is the user might want to output direct into the mixing console. In such a case, the user will likely use the “Cabinet Modeling” feature. The cabinet modeling parameters are in the same bank of parameters as amp model parameters. Oddly, the choices aren’t things like “open back 2x12” or “closed back 4x12.” Instead they are “Dark,” “Warm” and “Bright.” You can also choose between 10 virtual “mic placements” ranging from the center of the virtual cone to the edge of the cone.

A cabinet model can be programmed into an individual user preset. However, a particularly studio friendly feature is the ability to globally assign a cabinet model to all user presets and factory presets. The direct signal is good for recording (as you can judge by the sound samples). However, I believe the RP2000 sounds best when used in conjunction with a tube amp.

Final Thoughts

The first RP2000 unit sent for me to review was a prototype. After talking to "Digi-tech" on the phone, it was also suspected of having an early version of software. This allegedly caused some features to malfunction. For example, I could not get the V-Switch to work properly. I was also having a difficult time configuring the expression pedal to control distortion levels in a usable manner. Worse yet, it was making some scary crackling noises, forgetting stuff I stored and eventually it just froze up and died on me. They immediately sent me a different unit, which has worked flawlessly. I feel confident the units which hit the stores will work flawlessly as well.

Also of note, there are tons of MIDI-related functions this review did not address. For starters, I do not have equipment with which to interface the RP2000 and I would bet very few of you do either. Unless you owned a fully automated studio or wanted your roadie to change your presets from offstage while you perform on the MTV Music Awards, I’d say these are features few, if any of us are likely to ever use. If we did need to use them, though, they seem just as easy to program as any other effect parameter. But I do believe I have a strong idea how the RP2000 sounds and how easy it is to use... so here are my final thoughts.

Like most guitar-related products designed for massive flexibility, the RP2000 offered me a handful of sounds and features I really liked and tons of other stuff I’d maybe use every now and then in a studio. To get to the few sounds and features I really liked and make them work the way I want them to on stage, there was a lot of scrolling and a bit of a learning curve involved.It wasn’t an insurmountable learning curve, but it did take a good look at the manual plus a few hours of knob twirling. Often, the act of exploring an option would present four more options to explore, and those would lead to eight more and so on... eventually leading to an entire weekend of knob twirling. For me, it comes down to personal preference. For example, I don’t care for knob twirling. I don’t care for scrolling through 11 parameters to get to the one I want to change. I don’t want to scroll past every possible vintage and modern amp in history when I only use two or three of them.

Still, I have to commend DigiTech on the massive amount of engineering and creativity required to pack this many features in one box and make it accessible to a moderately technical-minded player such as myself... and to make it sound so good. So for my recommendation, I’d have to say the RP2000 would be a MUST HAVE!!! purchase for a portion of the guitar playing community and a frivolous purchase for the other ... let me explain.

One cross section of players (which includes myself), will probably find that it takes too much cranial energy to explore the RP2000. Eventually, you spend so much time messing with buttons and knobs, your playing suffers. I’d rather be limited by my equipment so I’m forced to invent new ways to make new sounds using my fingers and my guitar. Conversely, guitarists with a huge appetite for sounds could find the boundless possibilities provided in the RP2000 will set their playing free. If you’re of the proper mindset, you could create some truly beautiful or sickening effects with this thing. With its MSRP of $449.95, I'd say it's a pretty good deal too. Regardless of what type of player you are, all will agree this digital modeling stuff sounds pretty good.

Brett Ratner is a Chicago-based freelance writer. When not at the computer contributing to a variety of newpapers, online resources or music-oriented publications, Brett can be seen around the suburbs playing guitar in the Geary Smith Band. Please email Brett at ratocaster@harmony-central.com with any questions, comments or ideas.