New Processor: Digitech RP-155

[tunghaichuan]

I picked this up yesterday at a local guitar shop:

http://www.digitech.com/products/Multi-Effects/images/RP155main.jpg

A new Digitech RP-155. I got the smallest one with USB, editing software, a drum machine, and a looper. I wanted a portable headphone amp that I could play without disturbing anyone and also to record with eventually.

I hooked it up to this rig to test it out:

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs195.snc1/6569_112327552054_666597054_2367474_2493392_n.jpg

Two Valve Juniors into matching 1X12" cabs.

It doesn't sound all that great into the VJ amps. I'm going to have to play with the settings. Most of them have too many FX and the FX are too loud in the mix. The high gain sounds are good, but the mid gain sounds are too gritty. The clean sounds have too much treble and are too hifi sounding.

I spent most of the morning downloading the audio drivers to my PC, installing the editing software and updating the firmware on the RP-155.

New shot of my four 5W amp heads and 1X12" cabs:

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs195.snc1/6569_112328187054_666597054_2367475_7705952_n.jpg

The pedal boards in front of the amps are Boss: SD-1, OD-2, OS-2, DD-3, DD-7, RV-5. The RV-5 is a nice compact reverb and adds some spaciousness to the sound. The DD-7 is a true panning delay, and has tons of features I will never use.

The pedal in the middle is my trusty MI Audio Tube Zone. That pedal is killer for metal sounds. And totally *crushes* the four Boss metal pedals I have. It is a Recto in a box, literally.

The Boss and MI Audio FX sound great into the two VJ amps, much better than the Digitech unit.

The manual is pretty thick, so it is going to take me a while to go through it and discover all the neat, built-in features of the RP-155.

tung

[ibanezjunkie]

off topic...but why exactly do you have 3 identical 5w amp heads? :)

who needs 4 tiny wattage halfstacks...you must love playing 'surround sound' style :D

i was going to get one of them processors, but like you said the only great part is the hi-gain. far too bright.

[tunghaichuan]

off topic...but why exactly do you have 3 identical 5w amp heads? :)


I've actually got four. The two on the right are completely stock except I swapped out the 12AX7s for JAN Philips 5751 tubes. The one on the left is heavily modified, although it doesn't look it. I've got a spare in next room.

I plan on modding all of them, but haven't had the time or ambition lately.



who needs 4 tiny wattage halfstacks...you must love playing 'surround sound' style :D


I don't "need" them, it is 20W of true Class A power. Surround sound is my next experiment. I plan on using the two amps on the left as my middle channel. Then I can hook up the two amps on the right to a stereo chorus for some extra spaciousness. :AOK:




i was going to get one of them processors, but like you said the only great part is the hi-gain. far too bright.

Having played with the Digitech, it actually sounds pretty good when recorded onto a computer. The direct outs into amps leaves a lot to be desired, but plugged into a computer it sounds good. I am having a bit of an issue using it with the various DAW programs installed on my PC. I've tried it with Reaper, Audacity, Krystal Audio Engine, and Mackie Tracktion 2. I get seem to get it to record consistently. And I can't get the recorded tracks to play back over my computer's speakers.

The drum machine is kind of cool and sounds pretty good for a low end unit.

It sounds pretty good through a set of headphones as well.

All in all, not a bad unit and worth the money for my intended use.

tung

[Robert]

Cool. :cool:

I should check out some of these newer modeling units, it's fun if they have a drum machine built in.

[tunghaichuan]

Cool. :cool:

I should check out some of these newer modeling units, it's fun if they have a drum machine built in.

The drum machine sounds pretty good and is adequate. It is not super flexible, though. There are two dozen patterns or so and can't be edited. Basically the You can change the tempo and the output level, which is fine for my needs.

Now all I need is a Steinberger type guitar for a portable rig. :AOK:

tung

[marnold]

WRT listening to the modeler through amphs, I've found that generally it sound better if you defeat any cab simulation. Also (and you know this already) but a problem I used to have with my old Zoom is that I was hitting the amp with too hot of a signal. Great with headphones, crappy through an amph that expects a passive pickup to be plugged into it.