DigiTech GNX2

I got the 1.0 version and there are several bugs on it : getting the tuner is quite hard (gotta press 2 footswitchs at the same time), espetially in the bank mode, because if you're pressing one of them a wink too early u will go to the bypass mode...

The display window sux. Could have put a LCD screen for that price.

Funny sounds and lot of possiblities, but gotta spend some time on it. Sometimes a bit hard to get the OD sound u want.

The wah-wah foot control is bugged, u can control the toe-down pressure on the volume pedal to get the wah but the pressure needed is varying through weeks, and i once get the wah instead of a volume boost during a gig, pretty confusing...

My 'wheel-like' control has been messing up for 1 year.

Had to change the power unit once on my former Digitech-RP6 and the dealer gave it to me for free 2 years after.

I think i'd buy something else if it were stolen. Maybe a tube amp and simply use the OD channel + effects.

Ease of use? I would say that it depends on how long you've been working with it. This is a sophisticated board in that it provides so many variables in EQ and sound alterations. You MUST read the manual and work with it for awhile to really understand how different controls affect the overall sound. If you try to learn this thing in one day, you'll get a headache trying to make it work right. Also, make sure you know how to exit certain functions without changes and know what actually saves or mantains a specific setting or you'll screw up the settings you have already (and yes,..get a headache....). I've had this processor for about a week or more and I'm still discovering its capability. Remember, with any new processor, it takes about a month or so to really get what you want out of it due to the normal learning curve.

This unit comes with an external power supply(which I don't prefer) unlike my self contained RP-1. Don't know why they didn't do the same thing, unless they were saving space in the unit. I use a Kramer American-made Lacer guitar with coil tap function which in single coil can be slightly noisier at ultra high gain settings (keep in mind "high settings", not rectifier or super distorion selections on the menu), but not quite as bad as it was with my old RP-1. I use this with a 100W Marshall valvestate or a Peavey 130W stereo combo. I do not seek to emulate the exact sound of other guitarists, but a reasonably close tone to the cover songs that my band plays. We play a wide selection of material, so I can't have the sound of every single song itemized verbatim on my pedal. This board has some good emulations, but remember that they are only going to be as good as you are able to operate this board. Most of the effects have some good range and you can smother your sound in digital delay, for one. The chorus is definitely better than what I had on the RP-1, (more like the Boss chorus). This board use rotary dials for EQ and settings: personally, I prefer digital selection by button instead because on rotaries you have to turn the dial to find the point where the display will engage the change and it wastes precious time when you are making corrections or attempting to build smething. I would prefer the kind of display used on the RP-1 because you can see multiple settings on one screen and you get a "picture" or "image" in you mind of what series of settings works for you or a specific tailored edge.
The only item in the effects that I would prefer a different readout is compression. Threshhold and ratio are not what I'm used to using, so I find it kind of ambiguous in relation to it's usable effect.
and it wastes your time when you are in the middle

I've had the RP-1 for ten years and it has stood up to the bumps and jolts. I assume that our new and improved matal chassis Digitechs would be the same. I've never had a backup unit; however, if I played full time, I would probably have one due to that being my livelihood. The nice thing about this board is you can store it's settings on your PC(it comes with a PC software disc). I have lost ny settings before on my old RP-1 trying to clear some glitches out, and I don't like having to re-program from scratch.

Digitech has available customer support which I have spoke to via e-mail. If you use their support, just make sure they know up front what you do and do not want to happen to your board/software before you follow the prescribed resolution. (That's how I lost all my programming on my RP-1)

I play rock, the older style, thank you. I seek to get a basically natural sound, but often with with your standard effects. I am not a purist, per se, but I want a clean, tight sound whether distorted or otherwise. Sometimes, that is difficult on a modeling board period. I hve discovered in a week of working with this unit that I CAN get a pristine natural guitar sound out of it. Keep in mind I'm still in the stages of discovery. One comparison I can make is aainst the Boss ME-88. That Boss unit lacked the quality of the GNX series boards, and yes it is an older unit, but I couldn't manage it very well at all- could not get any natural sound from it so I returned it to Musician's Friend and they gave me full credit for it. I tried out the Boss GT-6 and would have considered getting it, but I don't like their brand of footswitches that require more force to activate. When I tried out the units at Guitar Center I was looking for clean, clear, guitar sounds and Digitech won because it sounded more full and natural. The one thing that retricts me is that I don't have a whole plate of ten pedal switches like I did on the RP-1; I will have to bank or toggle to get to another 4 presets at a time. In the end, I am pleased to find another Digitech (my personally preferred brand) that will give me what I need the next few years to deliver a varied array of sounds cause I don't want to have a whole arsenal of stomp boxes spread across the stage- I don't like having to hook all that spaghetti up every time I play (even though they sound good).

This pedal is really easy to use, especially for the factory presets. All you do is turn it on and press the pedals. When you want to create you own presets it can get a bit confusing, presets that are already there that you want to change an effect with only require you to select the effect you want to change, and turn the knobs. It saves it automatically, i had a bit of confusion with this because i thought you were supposed 2 press the store button everytime and it was really annoying. Also, some of the paramaters that you can edit dont really seem to do anything, I dont know too much about effects, so i have no clue what things like LFO are supposed to be.

My setup is pretty basic, I'm a poor teenager, my dad buys my stuff, so I have a Yamaha Pacifica running to the GNX2 then to an Ibanez Tone Blaster 15R. I read a few complaints about the noise gate, but i dont really see what the problem is. It works very well, except when you want the sound where you just let the noise fade out on its own, the noise gate will cut it off a bit. Most of the effects sound great, not all because some I've never used any other effects pedal for so I cant compare it to anything. I love the stompbox modeling, a few of them are kinda weak for a distortion, but i guess their for different styles of playing. Chorus, flanger, phaser, and all those rock. Wah's great. Love the divebomb preset. Theres a riff-o-maticish thing, I sounds kinda cool, but i think its useless. Amp modeling sounds great, althought I cant tell you if it sounds like the real amp itself. Sometimes if you mix a certain effect with a certain amp it comes out terrible, never mix grunge with a clean that's high on the treble side, it sounds really sharp. I play mostly heavy metal, punk, and alternative. This pedal can get me to sound like almost everyone of my favorite artists, so far I've been able to get Metallica, Creed, and Papa Roach, but I'm sure that if I wanted a different set of effects to play each band with it wouldn't be hard. I love this pedal, its great and all, but still there's one thing that bothers me, the main 'flagship' feature of the GNX models is the amp and cabinet warping. I cant speak for everyone, but for me, ITS USELESS!

I havent had it for too long, but it has a steel case so it must last long. >=) The buttons are plastic, they would've been better metal, but i guess metal isnt as flexible, but they dont really need it flexible for butons, but either way I think it would last a long time if you dont drop it, put it in water, drop anything on it, kick it, use it as a literal stomp box, throw it at a wall (I read about some guy who got really pissed off and threw his RP-3 at a wall :P), hit it with a hammer, stab it with a knife, open it and lick the circuits, bang your head on it, or let your dog piss on it. So just take care of it and it wont break. Oh and ya, the pedals a bit squeaky, but its probly just mine and can probly be fixed with a bit of oil. I would gig it without a backup, it seems very sturdy and I dont think it will fail me anytime soon. I've also read complaints about the power supply, its not that bad, but the design is that the power supply is a bit loose so it could probly come out very easily. Other than that it seems perfectly reliable. If your really paranoid then yes, go for a backup power supply, but the pedal itself is a tank. Ya... so thats why I would gig it without a backup, that and the fact that I dont have a backup. :P

Never dealt with them, but I'm sure they can't possibly be as bad as marketing.

I've been playing for almost a year and a half, and I'm not half bad, this pedal is perfect for everything I play. If it were lost or stolen then I'd definately want to buy a new one, if I had the money. I love the expression pedal, it has a good range, can be programmed to do 3 different things, plus wah so 4, and it has a V-Switch to toggle wah on and off. I compared this pedal to a few other ones, I didnt like any of the zoom models, they look like crap, they're plastic, and I heard they sound like crap. Dod, same story as the zoom. Boss Gt-6 was 80 bucks more. I also compared it to the GNX 1 and 3, 1 didnt have stompbox modeling and 3 was toooo much and I dont need a recording unit.

While sonically superior to the RP2000, I prefer the user interface on the RP to the GNX2...I expecially miss the easy access to a "master volume" for each patch.

My primary setup is a chambered Warmoth VW, basswood body/maple top and maple neck, w/ Rio Grande single-coil (Stelly/Muy Grande)pickups straight into the GNX2. Output is either into headphones (I'm an apartment dweller)or a Tech 21 Power Engine (so I can recreate the sound from the headphones in a live setting). I also have 3 Hamer USA Daytona Strats (in E,Eb, & D tuning), a 83 Hamer Special, and an original 54 Les Paul Goldtop (set up for slide).

Right now, I'm using the Warmoth and getting a convincing David Grissom "Joe Ely-Live at Liberty Lunch" tone from this pedal. I'm also getting very usable Crybaby/ProCo Rat/Plexi tone that's very reminiscent of Ian Moore's Live from Austin. Do I sound exactly like David or Ian...nope I pretty much sound just like me...and that's good because that's why I chose to play guitar all those years ago. Wait just a damn minute! Who am I kidding...I started playing guitar for the same reason that you did...to meet girls.

I'm 45 years old w/ over 30 years playing experience...I was raised in the analog world of Plexis/Twins/Super Reverbs...6L6s, EL34s, EL84s, etc...I know tube amps & I love 'em. So to younger players that may have bought into the hype as well as some of us older guys that now have a little disposable income and think we can buy our way into tone-heaven...I've heard guys sounding like Gods playing a Squire Strat through a modeling pedal, direct to the house PA...and I've heard guys sound like shit playing through the most choice vintage/boutique gear that money can buy. Like Bugs Henderson says (Four Tens Strike Again), it's the "man behind the pick". If you believe in your heart that you have to have a beat-to-hell strat running into a a 35-40 year old tweed/blackface/plexi/pick-one to get "tone", then you probably will not be satisfied with this pedal or any other effect made in this century. If, on the other hand, you believe that YOU are the tone and that it comes from your head, your heart, and your hands, then I can't believe that you can't find something here that makes you happy. Remember Tommy...you're the tone...be the tone Tommy...Be the tone!

American made probably by honest, God-fearing Mormons up in Utah. For something with more silicon than Pamela Anderson, this thing appears to be very well made. I had it's predecessor, RP2000 for 2 years playing live-houses in Tokyo using Japanese 100v/50hz power (US is 110v/60hz) and it never missed a beat...the American-made stompbox that is. Unfortunately the "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supply" that comes with it is a different story...I'm on my second one right now; the first one went tits-up in a matter of weeks. I also had trouble with the "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supply" that came with the RP2000...this IMHO has nothing to do with the 100v power supply in Japan since both of these tanked while running on US power. My advice is not to gig w/o a backup, regardless of your rig. If you can't afford a complete backup for the GNX2, my advice is to spend about $35 for an extra "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supply"; maybe two "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supplies"...just to be safe ;o)

The honest, God-fearing Mormons up in Utah answered the phone promptly and listened patiently while I described my problems with their "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supply". They gave me a return authorization number, which I didn't use since I now live in Bitburg Germany and didn't want to wait weeks to receive my same pedal with a new "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supply". Instead, I drove up to my local German Digitech dealer, dished out 35 Euro from my personal strip-club stash, and bought a brand new "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supply" that has worked OK for the last 6 months. I even got the Euro-version 230v "cheap-assed Chinese-made power supply" so I don't have to lug a transformer around with me.

I play geezer rock, roots, & blues. I also like some of the newer de-tuned stuff, as long as it appears to me that the players at least made an attempt to learn how to play.

"Cheap-assed Chinese-made power supplies" aside, this is a good pedal for a variety of styles from Bo Diddley to Korn. When I'm hearing great tone in my head and somehow accurately transfer it into my hands, I get great tone out of this box. If it were stolen or lost, I'd definitely consider buying another one. I'd also consider many other products out there...I'd probably also give the Line 6 Vetta or Duoverb a test drive.

Pretty straight forward after the obligatory manual swotting session

Now, I actaully bought this as a dealer was offering it dirt cheap as an introductory offer and I just wanted some digitech pitch shifting device.
Amp modelling - Mainly unusable, I have found that using an amp works better or the Marshall MG10 with its built in emulator works far better.
Fuzz - Terrible

This is a little unfair as the other day I plugged in my Tokai Tele with EMG pick ups and the unit lost its nasty digital nasal mid sound and sounded fair respectable like. Could there be an impedance problem with these units?
FX - Does the job nicely

Delay and Pitch shifting - Top notch and very usable, worth the #200 and odd on its own

Runs hot as they all do with no heat sinks. So it will die at some point

An expensive toy, has it's uses but you should spend your hard earned on a nice amp. Plenty of people buy good guitar kit, get bored and dump it cheap, you just have to look. If you are going to buy new kit from guitar shops then that's your lookout. You subsidise their rent and naff t-shirts. I'd rather spend cash on the device itself.
Play alot of loud stuff [Ramones/Godflesh/Fripp] Feedback drenched. The piutch shifters are grand. Don't buy it if you want to be a HM wanna-be. It wont make that over priced Laney/ Crate/ etc stop sounding like a turd. Just as e-mail chain letter will not make you rich.

I gave this a lower score because, honestly, it isn't easy to use. This has (for me at least) has a large learning curve, and the manual is a MUST. Having said that, I still love it. Just because it's difficult doesn't make it bad. And, you can get the GenEdit software to do it all with your computer. That makes it 20 times easier. One thing I cannot figure out is how to use the SPDIF output. Sure, all you do is plug in the cable, you say. But how do you lower the output volume? If you plan on using digital to record, look into that first. It clips everything on my recordings.

I play a Dean Evolution Doubleneck through the GNX2 into Cakewalk Sonar, or into a Peavey Bandit. Sounds wonderful. The distortions are great, the cleans are great, even the acoustic simulation is alright (but use it direct, not with cab simulation).

The noise gate SUCKS. I hope this is only on mine, but if you turn it on, even if everything is set to 0, it still kills your sustain. I hate it. The compressor is just iffy, but it's better than my $75 Boss CS-3. Modulation effects are great, I love having a triggered flanger.

The "warp" thing is alright. So far, none of my "warped amps" have sounded better than what i could come up with just using the amps they have. But I'll keep tryin.

I don't think multi effects pedals are good to use live myself, but if you don't mind the tapdancing, then this is great. Nothin will happen to it, that's pretty much guaranteed. The whole thing is made of metal. You can set it to stompbox mode, where it works like having distortion, delay, modulation, and amp channel pedals right in front of you. And i guess a wah or whammy, and a talkbox......

Digitech has forums set up on their webpage, where employees of Digitech will answer your questions for free. Thats great. Go digitech.

I play metal, hair, classical, rock, southern...blahblahblah....this thing does it all and more. I would recommend this over all the other multieffects, so unless you have something against digital, then go get one.

This is relativly easy to use. I have experience with a few different multi-FX pedals from a few different manufacturers, and this is probably the hardest one I've used. It's only hard because it has about three times more parameters than most multi-fx. Which is a good thing. The manual is OK I haven't used it too much. I like to turn knobs and push buttons and see what happens. It is more fun that way. The PC editor is absolutley awesome it sucks that you have to have a midi connection on your pc because most people don't, but I do so I can't complain. The PC editor is as easy to use as having twenty effects pedals would be. Without the PC editor this category would be a six.

I recently graduated from college and got a decent Job. So I've got a little money and I've been trying to put together a setup that would give me the tone I've always dreamed of. Consequently I have used a variety of guitars with this. A PRS Mccarty Soapbar, Gibson Les Paul Double Cut, and two Strats. That thirty day return policy at guitar center rocks. I have bought and returned every one of those guitars in the past six months. I know that sounds insane, but each of those guitars was in the 1200 - 2000 price range and weren't exactly what I was looking for. For that much money you had better get what you want. I have also used two different Ovation acoustic electrics. I use this direct to a mixer for recording and thru my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for stage.

Now down to the Real stuff. I play mostly blues with some rock and jazz mixed in. I bought this to get a few good reverbs and delays and a wah pedal. This was cheaper than buying a good reverb unit, a cry baby ,and a nice delay unit plus I got all the other stuff as extra stuff to play with when I get bored. This unit gave me what I wanted.

Reverbs can be lush and warm or very digital cold and sharp depending on settings.

The delays are widely varied and do their jobs well.

The wah is decent. Its hard to get that voodoo child wah sound but it's almost there.

I have good amp so I don't use the amp or cabinet sims to often but the acoustic sim is awful. I do like the VOX sim it is decent.

I don't use the modulation effects to often either but they all seem more than adequate.

Other than that I can tell you that you need to keep this thing away from your computer or neon signs and stuff of that nature or it can get noisey. Sounds like common sense, but you never know.

It hasn't broken yet and I don't expect it to. It is very well built. I will say that I have a toneworks(Korg) ax1000g that I haven't used in over a year because it broke twice in six months and cost me fifty bucks to fix each time and is broken again which is why I bought this. Keep in mind that I only used the ax1000g in my studio it never left my house. Don't buy Korg.

never dealt with them. The guys at the guitar center I bought it at are complete jerks, but I love their return policy.

As I said above I play blues/jazz/rock. It does the job I want it to do. I have been playing about 10 years and have owned quite a bit of gear recently (see above), but I have settled recently on a custom shop strat and my trusty hot rod deluxe. If this were lost or stolen I would not buy it again, but that is just because I would want to try something new. I compared it to other stuff at guitar center and went with digitech because I have used their products in the past and always been satisfied. I wish I could rack mount it because I use it in the studio about 95% percent of the time and it would be easier to edit that way than on the floor, but I guess that is what the pc editor is for. This definintley not a must have, but it is decent I would recommend looking for older digitech products like the rp2120 as they sound better and can be bought cheaper on places like ebay.

I have owned a Digitech RP-2000 for a few years and the GNX-2 is very similar so I really can't comment. If you read the manual (it's very well written and easy to understand) and have a few brain cells left you should be able to start really getting around the interface in about 20-30 minutes TOPS. (But do yourself a favor and read the damn thing!)

I play a Fender Fat Strat(pickup modification), Ibanez RG-550(pickup mod) and a few Peavey Wolfgangs(no mods). I own quite a bit of guitar equipment including some very sought after vintage equipment and of course the new stuff too. I have been recording quite a bit lately and my choice of setup depends on the situation so I am not really going to go into the setup thing here other than I have played the GNX through my Boogie II, Johnson Millenium 150 and my Peavey 5150 2X12 combo. Oh yea, I have also recorded it direct into a Roland VS-1824...WOW!

Before I go any further PLEASE NOTE:
I have been around the block sound wise about 8 times and have been playing for 20+ years in all styles from jazz to country to classical to blues to metal to neo-classical to pop to alternative to etc. etc. etc.
Forget the nostalgic and brand name hype you read in many of these reviews. We all know the type, they buy the vintage equipment and because they can't afford Steve Ray Vaughn's or Jim Hendrix's original guitar they buy the replicas that are 'guaranteed' to look like a truck ran over them straight out of the box...what retards. The other scenario is the "I have a (fill in the blank) and this new thing sounds like crap". Then they have the ignorance to say that after goofing with it for ONLY 5-15 minutes they took it back? If they took there heads out of there asses and the corn cobs out of there ears and ditched the "Equipment Prejudice" long enough to give the GNX-2 a fair shot they COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY given the GNX such low scores in sound quality!!! It sounds EXCELLENT and is VERY versatile regardless of your style of playing. I am very, VERY picky about guitar sounds and especially MINE!(it's how I make a living). Even the big time pros who have unlimited cash and the best techs in the biz could work out a sound they would be happy playing with. The FAT HUGE and AMAZING sounds you hear on the records is in most cases 50% mixdown and production AFTER the recording has taken place, so to even come as close as 51% is a major accomplishment and the GNX-2 does much better than that!! The only reason I would sell or return mine is to get the GNX-3 for the ease of getting multitracked ideas down quickly. If you can't get an excellent sound in any style out of this unit you need to:
1)Stop smoking blunts laced with elephant tranquilizes.
2)Go see a good ear nose and throat specialist and have them give you a hearing test.
3)Perhaps a less complicated instrument, like the tambourine might be more your style.
4)Continue your already accomplished mastery of the bone flute.

Hold your computer up a mirror or dust off your old Captain Crunch Decoder Ring for my last message.

!!!detnioppasid eb ton lliw uoy eno teG
Have a nice day :)

So far so good.

Not yet.

Just get one already.

alright, being realistic...its easy..but confusing at the same time...
Its simple to get the basic sound you want, but once you start tweaking, it gets confusing...

I dont know what drugs some people are on, because I am getting the sound I want from this magnificent peice of work every time I use it..
Are you using a guitar with no pickups?
Do you know how to play the guitar???
I think this is quality manufacturing, from people who know guitars.

Hah! Dont even need to comment! sturdy and very reliable..

Never had to deal with them, but from what I hear they do fantastic in guitars, they lack in CS...

I play a mix of rock, acoustic rockish, funk... Its a great match.
I have played 3 years, own an Aria Fullerton, Ovation A/E and an Ibanez elec. I used to have the Digitech RP200, but this is 1000 steps beyond it.
If it were stolen, I'd probably buy it again...this or a Korg.
I love its sound, I love its style. I hate that its hard to customize quickly. My favorite feature is probably the fact I get too much joy everytime I am within 50 feet of it..
I compared it with a number of other products before I bought it, and this one came down to the best for the price.
I wish I had the manual.
It has definetly helped me make and create music, as well as my style.
If you are going for a box, I recommend this one...
If you are looking for something else, get the other products. Don't bitch about something YOU paid for if you dont know how to use it or what you want from it.

This unit is reasonably easy to program, although I found the dual amp settings confusing to change on the fly. It's a little disorienting to deal with 3 sets of tone controls (global, and 2 amps). Manual is good.

I have been using a POD since 2000 and wanted some different effects and an integrated wah. I was unable to get even 3 good sounding presets after spending 2 weeks of programming. Unlike POD, DG-Stomp and even the Korg PX-4, this thing does not sound like an amp. It is possible to get completely unnatural sounds by just messing with an eq or effect. I get the impression of a digital tool that was not centered around traditional amp sounds. You can plug up a POD or DG-Stomp and quickly get amp-like sounds by just playing with gain and tone controls. The GNX-2 has so many tweaks and combinations that I found myself wasting time just trying to get a baseline sound that was familiar. In addition, the clean sounds have a hard, harsh edge to them. I should have forseen all this on a product from a company who in the past specialized in mostly heavy distortion sounds to the detriment of clean sounds, but I succumbed to the reviews I read.

The unit seems pretty well built. Some of my students have owned older RP pedal units where the pedals actually broke off or quit working after a few months, so I don't trust the pedal controllers longevity. The high temperature was noted, but didn't alarm me as I had an ART rack unit that was very hot and never had a problem for years.

When I called for pre-sales info, Digitech was friendly and helpful. No need for support. I sold the unit at a loss to get rid of it.

I mostly use a Strat built from parts with vintage single coils and a Danelectro 12 string. I've been playing since the mid-60's and play most styles other than metal and country. I use a POD live out of necessity (stage volume) and would prefer an amp and pedals, but that's the breaks. I bought a GNX-1, returned and got the GNX-2 to hear the pedal models, which suck. I hated the GNX-2 so much I sold it at a $100 loss and purchased a DG-Stomp. Unfortunately it didn't quite cut it for me either. I am back to my POD and auditioning PODXT and Valvetronix. I will probably not give Digitech products another chance based on my experiences with the GNX series, although I have recommended them to my students and friends based on their needs and ears.