DigiTech BP-50

The interface is very starightforward and easy to use - but it is not efficient to use. I dont like having to cycle through things to get to the one i want.

you need to cycle through presetlevel/wah/compressor/amp model/noise gate just to get to eq - then you have to cycle through low mid and high to alter them - altering them means - more cycling. say you want to turn phaser off - hold the button down while it scrolls through 9 levels of flange and chorus and god knows what else till it gets to the 'off' position - its a bit time consuming. also i dislike having predetermined amounts of compression or phaser or amp gain - eg if you have an amp model it will have 9 settings representing 9 levels of gain. Its a bit limiting.

I think most of you are wondering what the big deal is, i think its because i have been using the Digitech RP100 and RPX400 pedals - they have the knob based interface rather than the left/right button interface (of course the RPX has the ex edit software editor so you can look at all the variables of a patch and alter them immediately.) which i find preferable. If i were to buy another cheap bass pedal it would be the BP200 - which has the same interface as the rp100 (and an expression pedal!) on the BP200 you have more control over things like gain/effects settings and levels - rather than just having 9 variations pretermined for your use.

if i had more control over the settings and levels of the effects/gain/compression etc.. id be happier. I bought the bp50 to record with (not to go through an amp) - im dissapointed with the way it compares to older digitech pedals. Because im recording into the pc the cabinet modelling is important. On other pedals you could choose an amp and try running it through several different speaker models - on this one the cabinets are (again!!) predetermined for you. one cab model for each amp model no choice - they're either switched on or off.

i think the noisegate is pretty cheap - left idle = no noise play it and you get hiss.

the fretless sim doesnt sound like a fretless bass it sounds like some strange reverse delay effect - not too bad in its own right though.

compressor is ok.

chorus is pretty good actually even though you can only have 9 versions of it (instead of dialling in your own speed, deapth and level etc. but you get the picture by now = not enuff control for my liking..)

flange/phaser/vibrato/envelope/detune are too thin, vox is ok

i really like the octavider!!!

pitch shifter (as on most pedals) sounds nasty

whammy - havent got a pedal to test it with (same for the wahs) so no comment.

analogue/digital/ping pong delays and the reverbs are quite basic but ok

but this pedal will live and die by its amp models - i record to pc by plugging the bp50 into the line in on my RPX - i can leave the line dry and let the BP50 do the work or i can run the line in through the rpx effects (much better then than BP50s!!) but when recording i dont really want basslines with tons of delay and chorus and reverb - i just want it to sound good but be quite simple.

unfortunately i havent heard an amp model that is any good yet either! the pedal sounds best just using the compressor and eq and running the bass through direct - soon as you select an amp model it seems to suck tone and character away - of course, this may be different if you are playing through a real amp - (eg using the stomp box models with an amp might be quite good.) i'll keep fiddling with it though - you can get cool noises - its not an awful pedal just not that great.

its tiny and made of plastic but every other digitech pedal ive owned has been reliable

digitech are good for customer service, they are nice people

I play everything from death metal to ambient. ive been playing 2 to 3 years - i have a vintage 5 string bass, fender stagemaster/rp100 and rpx400 pedal - i record on Pro tracks.

the BP50 should be half the price it is. i bought my rp100 pedal for 120# i got a lot more control and sounds (had more amp modelas and mic placement settings/much better eq etc...) i bought this for 89# just dont make sense!! only a few #### cheaper but many times more crapulent.....

i was previously making patches for bass on my rpx400 guitar prcessor - im a bit dissapointed that some of them sounded better then the bp50, i thought having a modelled bass amp would be better than using a modelled guitar amp - but apparently not... I should have saved up and got the BP200. if this was stolen, i wouldnt miss it. but id regret losing the cash i paid out for it in the 1st place.

digitech do good stuff - but never go lower than the rp100 or bp200 is my advice these plastic button pressing pedals are a bit poor.

even so it is cute - and i do own it now - so will persevere.

it's pretty easy, considering it's a multi-effects processor that is roughly the size of a small distortion pedal

I'm playing an SR505 into this and then into a GK amp. my rig without this sounds gorgeous. I think the more I use this thing, the more I don't like it. The only things I actually like are the tuner, one or two of the phase shifter settings, and the compressor.
Quite frankly, I think the sounds I get from my old RP-7[talk about old school] are far better than anything I've gotten out of this.

I could probably maim someone with this thing and nothing would be wrong with it afterward. The only thing is it drains batteries relatively quickly, but an adapter would obviously eliminate this. It's definitely reliable enough, but I would never use this on a gig -it sounds like ass.

The reason I give it an overall rating which is less than any other category is this:
When something is built like a tank and pretty easy to use, I expect it to sound decent at the very least. This thing, on the other hand, insists on sounding like ass.
I would sure as hell never buy another one of these. If it were stolen, I would sit on my couch for and laugh like all hell for 2 days straight.

It took a little tinkering to get the sound I wanted but then it ain't too bad from there. The manual helps if you don't understand the abbreviations.

I use a Schecter Stilletto Deluxe 4-string Bass guitar and I thought the bass sounded fine by itself. When I get the right sounds on it though is sounds great. The Fuzz/Drive on it could be better. I play off an Ampeg B2-R with a Peavey 115 cab. The effects could be better but you get what you pay for. I try to sound like Cliff Burton. With this pedal i sound half-assed.

I is a durable little thing. I've been using it for 2 1/2 years and it still looks fine. You won't need a backup.

Having no need for repairs, I haven't had to deal with them.

I play Sabbath Metallica and Megadeth. I does its job. I wouldn't get too carried away with it. If I had lost it I would only feel bad for losing a tuner. I've messed with other pedals that sound better than this and I plan on using this one for a tuner and let my other stuff do all the work. It allright. I'd look around a little more. It's worth the money if you're starting out. But you get what you pay for.

This being my first effects pedal, I was expecting a headache getting to know how to use it. It was surprisingly easy and the manual used plain language to describe the different effects and explain what they do to your signal. The bypass works fine, and the tuner and drum tracks are a nice plus. I basically sat down, plugged in, and started using the presets before I picked up the manual. It's pretty easy.

I play a Carvin BB75 5 string through a Fender BXR100 amp. The bass already had a really nice natural sound, but the BP50 gave me the little bit of extra warmth and presence I was looking for. I play worship music at church, nothing over the top, so this has plenty of sound options for someone in my position. The presets are fun to explore though, and although many of them would be pretty useless in a band situation they do show the surprising range of effects this little unit is capable of. Several of the effects seem to magnify fret noise, but that can be remedied once you're got the hang of editing (which is pretty easy). Bear in mind, this is an inexpensive unit. I had considered the BP200 or the Bass Pod, but I thought the wah pedal was pretty useless for my style of playing and I couldn't see spending $300 + on a higher-end unit when this really had everything I needed. If you won't be satisfied with anything less than rack-quality effects, you probably won't like it. For my purposes, it's more than enough. Some of the presets don't sound how they're described (fretless, for example), but are neat effects in their own right (I think big bottom sounds more like a real fretless, but I digress...) Volume varies from preset to preset depending on your settings, but the master level is the first thing that pops up when you go into editing, so it's pretty easy to get it where you want. The amp models, chorus, flange, eq, reverb, etc... all sound good when put together at the right levels, it just takes a little time and experimentation to get your own edited sounds right where you want them.

Mine has never failed me. It's plastic, so I'm careful with it. I kept the original box and carry it around in there, so there have been no problems thus far. I can't imagine it holding up to much abuse though, and it's probably better to think of it as an "effects pedal" rather than a "stomp box". If you play in a controlled environment, no problem. If you're in a thrash band and have people running across the stage, you probably need a sturdier unit.

I haven't had to deal with them.

I have been playing for 16 years and this was my first effets pedal ever. I love the thing. As mentioned above, I play worship music at church (I guess you'd call it contemporary Christian music), and I practice with different books and cd's at home, with an emphasis on jazz, blues, scales, walking bass lines, you get the picture. This has plenty for me, and I'd definitely go get another if it were lost or stolen. I love the tuner, I think it's great that they included it. A Boss Chromatic tuner by itself costs what I paid for this thing. I can't really think of anything else they should have added to it, other than maybe making the chassis out of metal instead of plastic. The bottom line is this: you can get what you want out of it if you spend the time to get your settings where you want them. Now that I'm used to playing with it, I'd feel shorthanded if I had to play without it. For the price, this is a really great little unit.

Any moron can figure this sucker out without the manual. Manual is an excellent guide and map.
I could use more control of each sound. The effect is usually an agreeable compromise.

Warwick V fretless Thumb and FNA basses through an Eden Traveller with a single 15. Sounds mint. Only noisy when using extreem effects. The bass still speaks through all that digital processing. Envelope phaser and distortions are all good. I've yet to find a good wide sweeping wah effect. This unit has three wahs! BP50 has a wider range than cry or morley pedals.

Been gigging with it for months and no problems. I still keep the box to keep the little bastard safe.

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There is a slight learning curve. Thought must be put into saving preset locations (numbers) if you plan to play live.

Extremely high quality sound. My active Jazz Bass sounds great. The many amp models allow plenty of flexibility. The noise gate keeps things quiet. The modulation effects are of high quality. The delay and reverb cover a wide range. Fretless setting is just okay.

Lightweight but sturdy. The footswitches are durable. The jacks click in and out positively.

None required. Product registry available online. Manual has a couple minor typos.

The BP-50 sounds great into a sound system (in a church), into headphones or as a preamp into a solid state amp. A great value for the price. I liked it so much I also bought the RP-50 for use with my guitar.

Using the Presets on this unti was extremely easy. switching between tuner and drum machine was a breeze. i wasnt able to mess around with it long enough, however, to fully get the hang of it.

the effects on this unit are remarkable. i was using a fender bassman 200 combo and a highway 1 jazz bass, and everything sounded awesome. the presets on this thing are great. using a combonation of the wah and chorus, i could finally play cliff burtons pulling teeth solo and do it justice.

the drum loops included with the unit are fairly annoying, but that just might be me.

i got 30 minutes of great usage out of this thing. it sounded great, it felt great. then it locked up. couldnt change presets, or select between the different features. tryed everything i cuold but the bastard didnt wanna work

havent dealt with them yet

usually i play thrash/punk type stuff with my band, i usually just use this unit to have fun. i would definately consider using it if i had to play a bass solo of some kind. this thing broke in 30 minutes (wasnt stomping on it or anything), but im going to try and replace it at my local music store i purchased it from. i dont think i could use is in a live setting because you cant (or i havent found a way to) toggle between turning the unit on or off quickly.

Well.....I say it's incredibly easy to use, compared to other digital multi units. It's harder than single effect stomp box, but it's very easy to learn how to use for a digital unit. I think it probably took about 10 minutes or less to completely master the functions when I really sat down with the manual (manual is simple and very good) and started doing my custom presets. The only thing that might be a litlle dificult for some is understanding the compressor settings, you really have to go through each frequency range of the compression to find the best one for however you set the rest of the patch. I've owned the Zoom506II and this one is easier to learn. The Zoom units are kind of faster to use once you learn them, but they take longer to learn and the sounds are not as good. Very easy to tweak and store your own presets.

Let me preface tis by saying this is not a Eventide Ultrahrmonizer or anything like that. This will not make your Rogue sound like a Benavente. This will not make your Crate sound like an Eden. This will not give you the actual sounds of the amps or that it's supposed to emulate. All that being said, this is an utterly awesome unit for the money and is VERY useful for home recording and practice. The sounds on this unit are way better than the Zoom and any other unit that I've tried that's anywhere near this price. The chorus and delays are suprisingly usable and the fretless simulator is really cool (even though it doesn't really sound like a real fretless, it sounds just as good in it's own right). The synths are the best I've heard on a digital multi unit and I'd even record with them. The compression isn't the greatest, but it's good for digital and it is usable. The phasers are NICE. The octaves are a little weak (just a little), but track really well. The auto-wah is a little thin, but responds well and can be adjusted good enough most of the time. The auto-wah is possibly this unit's weak point. The distortions have some real good settings, but you really got to custom tailor them to whatever else you're running in your rig. Most of the presets kind of suck. You really have to program the user patches to get the most out of this unit. You get 40 user and 40 factory presets. I've found that 40 is a good number of presets for me because you can remember what they all do after having it a while. If it were more than 40 I'd end up scrolling through patches all the time searching for the right sound. The amp sims are really good. By "really good", I mean that they're all nice sounding and usable, even though they don't really sound exactly like the amps they're supposed to. I'm using this mostly straight into a mixer for computer recording, so I have the amp and cab sims on almost all the time and the recordings come out very well. The 30-pattern drum machine is decent and a nice bonus. Some of the beats are a bit cheesy, but nice for practice. I run a lot of extreme lows and distortions (compared to most) and this unit can crap out a little when taxed to the extreme and have a tiny bit of digital clipping, but that's what seperates these type of products from the real pro-gear (with the real pro-prices) and most people probably won't be doing the kind of crap I do (I play a lot of reggae dub and hip-hop style stuff as well as old-school industrial, so I call for a lot of extemes). I'm a bass pedal freak and I've got about 20 bass-dedicated analog effects so, I know somewhat what I'm talking about and I'd recomend this unit above all other current models for the beginner or effects-newbie. I'd also recomend it for people like me that need a decent cheap unit for direct recording and practice. Would I like a pro-grade unit instead? Of course. Can I afford one? No. Is this unit good enough and sometimes more than good enough for my puposes? Yes. I rate based on a price to performance ratio, so I give it a strong 9.

I don't know. It's plastic. I wouldn't really gig with it, but it would probably be OK. I dropped it once on a hardwood floor and it's fine and didn't even get any blemishes. It mostly sits next to my mixer and doesn't even touch the floor. I would refrain from romping down on it really hard if you have it on the floor. Most people step too damn hard on their pedals and then complain about cheap switches. I feel that DOD has been a victim of this phenomenon. DOD switches were meant to be activated with a light touch .

I've dealt with Digtech in the past and they were good to me.

I pretty much said it all allready. Best unit for the price. I wish it was metal, but I'm sure that would jack up the cost. I guess I forgot to mention that it's worth it to hook it up in stereo because the stereo effects are really good. I have a Y-splitter (one stereo 1/4 inch to two mono quarter inch) cable running out of the BP50 into my mixer and it works great this way.

Bought for project recording, the sounds are outstanding, it needs time to get to grips with though. The manual is a slim pamphlet with small print but it does explain the workings, although not in the clearest manner. Just fudging around with the unit gets sounds and they're great.

I'm using a Fender Squier Bass (2002 model) into the pedal then through a mixer, then into either a digital recorder or PC. The unit doesn't appear to be noisy and the effects are excellent. The sounds are just like those on major recordings.

It seems like it's dependable.

No need so far.

The BP50 sounds like it can take care of any style. I don't play live and do not have a bass amp but before I heard the BP50 I thought I was gonna need one. However, the pedal takes care of everything I need.

Definitely requires a LOT of playing around with to fully understand it's functions and capabilities. Would probably be hard to use in a live setting. Manula is a little vague but their web site offers product support. They responded to my e-mail in a day.

I am using this with a Schecter Model T bass and an Ampeg BA115 and BA110. This is my first experience with this type of pedal, but I think the effects sound good. You can definitely dial in the sounds of all of your favorite artists. Some effects are definitely better than others.

Looks pretty solid for a plastic case.

E-mailed the company's support area. Rec'd a reply in a day.

I love the sounds you can get but you definitely need to put in time with the unit. I would get another one if it were lost or stolen.