DigiTech GNX3000

By Design, this was not intended to be "easy", but for what it is, I would say they made it as simple as possible. A good manual reading while on the crapper, every day, will greatly increase one's ability to take advantage of the wealth of features this unit has!

I set this up on a Line6 Amp, sounds incredible. Went to an audition after setting up a few presets and played it thru a really crappy 30-watt peavey, and it still sounded fantastic. For the grand finale, I plugged it directly into my 8 track recorder, and OMG, NOTHING usually sounds good direct, and while not 'perfect' (mic'ed amp always will be better), it was by a longshot, the best sound reproduction I've heard yet. This is about the 10th board/amp I've plugged into my recorder and the first to ever sound truly good direct.

The pedal was one of the few that allows you to on/off the chorus, delay, stompbox, amp model, without having to switch user presets (or patches as some call them) which was a major feature I needed.

On the topic of effects, too many to mention, most are top notch. Can create amp models using a wide variety of combo amp models, or amp head models and match them to any cabinet models you want! If that's not impressive enough, you can also add a classic stompbox (everything from DOD dist, fuzz face, Boss MT metalzone) and be able to hit it on the fly. It even gets better- You can choose 2 amp setups per user patch, and then combine them together for a 3rd amp model that is custom, and you can mix the 2 amps at any levels you want, for instance 25/75% or 50/50.. anything from 1->99% to each other.

The Chorus, flange, phaser are all among the best I've heard. The other effects are all equally pleasing. Many of the artist presets are dead on, with little or no tweaking needed.

I tried many multi pedals like the GT-8, Pod XT Live, ToneLab, and NONE even came close to this GNX3000. You would be hard pressed to find anything less than $1,200 that could compete with this.

I bought it for band practice and to gig, and would trust it, my other digitech RP pedal took a beating and never let me down. I haven't had it long enough to truly rate it, so basing my rating on my former digitech pedal.

Never dealt with them directly. A good thing I guess, says mountains about the reliability.

I play everything from classic rock, to hard rock, 80's hair, 80's hardcore metal, grunge, all the way up to today's modern rock and this pedal does it all, and does it all very well.

As an experienced digitech pedal user I found it very easy to programme, it looks a lot more complicated than it is. The manual is worth a quick flick through but more for reference, I always think it's better to work things out for myself. The patches on the digitech sound community are worth a look but are a bit hit and miss and the x-edit programme makes downloading patches child's play.

I have a Fender Blues Deluxe valve amp and use Electro acoustic, Les Pauls and Strats through the pedal and they all sound great. I play mostly classic rock to heavy metal and I find the pedal is made for this. Some really good distortion sounds and a great wah pedal. I still use my jim dunlop as it does sound better but I wouldn't bother replacing it if something happened to it, the GNX is more than up to the job. A lot of the pre-sets I'd never use but there are some gems, the AC/DC sound,(angus) is quality through a Les Paul on treble pickup and Slash sounds good with a bit of tweaking. Very easy to get the sound of your favourite guitarist. I have to however mark down a little bit because of the delay in switching patches but that is only a small problem for me and it's nothing you can't work around, if it wasn't for that I would give it a 10.

I haven't owned it long enough to really comment but a friend of mine has had his years and gigs with it 2-3 times a week and it hasn't missed a beat. It is very heavy and feels rugged, I would definately trust it without a backup for these reasons.

I e-mailed digitech technical support with some questions and got a reply first thing next morning. All questons answered in a very friendly manner. For this reason I can only give full marks.

Overall the pedal does absolutely everything I need/want it to do plus a lot more too. I would highly recommend this to all beginner/intermediate players but I'm sure there are much better, advanced units out there for the more experienced or advanced player. I bought mine new for ??170 and I think that makes this effects pedal a bargain buy. I have no regrets about buying it and I'm sure I am at the start of a very long relationship with mine.

...well...I got to say, given the depth of the editing capabilities, and the number of paramaters to edit, I thinks it's as simple as it can be. Plus if you've had any experience with digitech products before, it's not too bad.
Plus, the x-edit software, really simplifies things.

IMOHO, I think it sounds very good.
I have used lots of stuff. I've had a couple of tube amps, and I have tried the pedal boards. Both have their good and bad points, from volume issues to having to practically tap dance on stage to get all the pedals on and off.
The GNX is a great compromise...sounds good enough, and is easy enough to use.
The amp models are great! the Effects are top notch!
It really cooks in stomp box mode, there is no delay in switching.

I've only had it a few months, so I really cannot comment on this

No issue so far, so no comment

My overall rating is as I said, a great compromise...so I give it an 8

Easy to get a fair sound out of it but the drum machine sucks.
Patch editing is familiar because I have been a multi-effects user.
Only read the manual briefly.
No firmware update, still use the firmware that came with the unit. Digitech must not be keen on releasing one :)

Hey, this unit can get you Satch, Ritchie Blackmore and Van Halen but who cares? Setting your own sound matters most so I tweak it the way I like it to sound.
The effects are just as good as any other mulit-effects out in the market.
I use a Kramer Striker loaded with Lace sensors, a Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul with PAFs, a Fender MIJ and a NO Name guitar fitted with EMG HZs. My amp is a Fender Twin Reverb.
High gain can always be noisy :)
The effects sound good.

Now this is the part I love most.
The GNX3000 cannot be relied upon during live gigs. There is the latency issue, which makes you lost about 1 second of your sound when you switch patches. Nobody likes to switch patches and lose the first note, right? You also cannot bounce between the user patches (bounce is only activated if the unit is in the green preset mode).
I stopped using this for my live gigs. I returned to my Zoom GFX-5. Zoom was really correct when it adopted the motto "Catch Us If You Can."
Digitech has to make more research so that the latency issue in the GNX3000 would be addressed. Zero dependability during live gis should be apt for the GNX3000 but there is no 0 rating here.

Asked about the issue of latency and promptly answered. Also the lousy drums but it seems it can't be remedied :(

I play mostly hard rock and metal music. This thing is good if you're not switching patches.
I have played since 14 and I owned several effects.
If this were stolen, I would be sad because I paid money for it but I would not buy it again.
I love its effects sound but my Zoom GFX-5 can give me the same sounds. I hate the drums as I have said. It seems the skins are not tuned and sounds terrible.
The amp modeling is superb though, which Zoom can learn from.
But comparing it to Zoom, Digitech has yet to learn so many things.
I wished the drums were more realistic and a near zero latency when switching between patches. I also wished you can bounce the effects like you can do on a Zoom GFX-5.
It won't help you making good music during live performances because you will always wary about losing a note or two when switching between patches.
To the Digitech team, Catch Zoom if you can :) honestly

I apologize for my previous review.

After downloading hundreds of user-generated patches from the GNX sound community, setting aside time to explore the unit properly, creating dozens of patches over a period of time, and sorting out the direct out problem by going through a Behringer GI-100 for amp sim on the way into the computer, I now have to say that....

WOW! This unit is FANTASTIC. Very versatile and it sounds great.

you guys are good if you can get this one sounding good so easily.

there are lots of possibilities laid out in a logical way, and it's not hard to understand the theory of it. the editing software is excellent, but for me it's a struggle to get a sensible sound out of it.
the presets are pretty much what you'd expect from presets. i'm not blown away and i hope there are more patches available somewhere.
i'm gonna set aside some time and really get to know this one, hopefully things will get there in the end. doesn't seem like an instant winner.

the direct sound can be extremely bright and digital, and the speaker compensation just slices off all tops until there's nothing left. so if you're going straight to computer, you may have to program this quite carefully or put it through something else on the way.
through an amp or console things should be easier.

some of the stompbox, amp or cab models are great but the overall sound has a funny high res digital quality to it.

i was quite happy with the RP6 through a sansamp gt2, and i've never liked the pods. but the GNX with amp and cab modelling through the sansamp can end up sounding ridiculous because of the sheer amount of modelling and processing.

no problems.

the music store ordered the wrong product by mistake, but digitech have been as helpful as you could expect them to be.

i really don't know at this stage. it has lots of features that really fit my requirements, but i'm struggling to get the sound right.

Not that hard to get decent tone. The book is good and covers what it needs. They just need more info for the pc users editor and recording usb software. No upgrades yet.

Sounds for SRV, P-Floyd, and some generic names for metal and blues players are in stock presets. Distortions are nice. Effects are nice but the noise gate is not as quiet as the GNX4 IMO. My GNX4 was stolen and I latched on to the new pedal.

The amp I use is a Mosfet Tubeworks. That through a pair or orange cabinets. Sounds work well. Step 2. I didn't like the metal sounds or the JCM stock amp model. Plexi was good.

I hopped on the supermodel group and I should have had those for the GNX4. What a change for the better. Marshall amps have that bite and Mesa amp models instead of RECTIF something sounds like a RECTO!

If it isn't the amp models by themselves that get you. Then the artist presets will floor you. Perfection !

Black metal case that seems tough. Built well. The switches are like a boss unit. I always have a backup Zoom G box

If you are going by what forums say then it's bad since Digitech posts are not interacting with the group. When I called cust support they helped me right away.

Simple question about speaker compensation and a prompt answer. That's the only time I've used support.

Being 70's and 80's Rocker, I like the Marshall sound. I had tried a POD live and hated it. For now the gnx3000 and supermodel are a match made for rockers like me. I wanted a pedal not needed to tie my PC.

I may go to the GNX4 or I may wait. Always get G.A.S but now I like things just peachy. If it ain't broken don't fix it thoughts.

I might just buy a new computer for recording only. That's how I hear it should be done. For now my sound is for my band. If I record things I may change my mind.

It is easy to a get a good sound from the device, however it is more difficult to get the sound you want. This is probably more to do with having so much choice on amp selection and effects than difficulties in using the controls.

Although I understand that using a matrix selector layout makes it easier to manufacture by reducing the number of rotaries, but this means you can't tweek more than one module at a time. That is, since the one set of rotaries are used for everything you need to switch back and forward between, say your amp and cabinet settings, to make changes and because the rotaries are different between the two modules you can easily lose track of the settings. However, this is not a problem if you use the Xedit software to directly edit the patch.

Although the sound quality is very good, the supplied presets seem to only approximate the sound of the artist (it appears) they are emulating. Downloaded patches from enthusiasts seem to be better approximations. With a bit of expert tweeking you should be able to get very close to the true sound.

The good feature of this unit is that you are not restricted to the amp and cabinet models that come with the unit. This is because the GNX3000 stores the modelling information in the preset. Unfortunately the software to edit the modelling information doesn't come with the unit but there are third parties that say can create these virtual amps.

The effects sounds aren't as good as the amp sounds but are quite usable.

I play mostly rock and folk rock music and this unit is great for this. If it was lost I probably would buy it again or maybe go for the GNX4, which is essentially the same but with a recorder and better drum machine.

I love the sound quality and the ease of use with PC connection. Having a USB connection is great for DAW recording. I am less impressed with the low function drum machine - there is no programmability about it at all - so it is only useful for practice. Other gripes are: only 65 user presets, less than impressive factory presets, user presets are set to factory presets rather than something useful for example they could be set to the raw amps to make it easy for finding the amp sound you want, limited use of the foot switch for example the switches could have user settable functions so if you didn't want to change tempo during a song you could use the tap tempo switch to kick in whammy etc.

I compared the GNX3000 and Tonelabs LE/SE and Boss GT-8, but decided to go for the GNX3000 because of the excellent sound, amp configurability and USB interface.

I wish the drum machine was programmable and you could reassign the foot switches.

It certainly helps me make music since I do most of my work on the computer and this unit gives me direct recording facilities for both electric guitar and mic work.

I have had the GNX3000 for about a year now, and I must say that it has taken a while to write a review on it because it took the better part of that year for me to decide whether I REALLY love this thing or not. I am familiar with DigiTech's matrix-style layout, so it's not like there was a learning curve for me, but this unit is VERY daunting when it comes to programming it right from the deck itself. The software makes programming a BREEZE...but my problem is that I use an older laptop for programming most of my effects units (the computer in my studio has WAY too many peripherals and I can't spare a USB port for the sole purpose of plugging in PODs, GNXs, Zooms, etc. just to tweak them with software). The laptop I use (a Sony Vaio 1GHz with 1GB of RAM and a 10GB hard drive) is not the most sophisticated computer in the world to be sure...but the GearBox and GuitarPort softwares from Line 6 work in it just fine (allowing me to edit patches in my PODxt and my PODxt Live) in addition to the V-Edit software from Behringer (allowing me to tweak my V-AMP 2 and my Bass V-AMP), and I can even run RiffWorks, Cubase LE, and the lite version of Ableton Live 6 that came with my TonePort (although I can't record a whole hell of a lot considering the small size of this computer's hard drive...but having those programs on board is perfect for capturing ideas that I don't want to forget when I'm jamming).

Anyway, having said all of this, the DigiTech WDM drivers WILL NOT install on that laptop making it impossible for me to install the X-Edit software to tweak patches in the GNX3000. I have the X-Edit software installed in two other computers, so I do have the option to use the computer based editing for this MFX, but it is a HUGE pain not being able to have all of my editing software in this one PC since that's the dedicated function of this particular computer.

The GNX3000 is just a pain to program without that software. Not that it can't be done, it's just not a pleasure to do as it is with the PODxt, PODxt Live, V-AMP2, Bass V-AMP, and the Zoom G-series processors. This is what has produced the love/hate relationship I have with this unit. I love the sounds and the flexibility...I hate the fact that I have to use a separate computer if I want to do any software editing of the patches, and programming from the face of the unit is nowhere near as easy or fun as it is to program the POD, the V-AMP, or the ToneLab (although I must admit that I have heard the DigiTech is thousands of times easier to deal with than the Boss GT-8).

I recently purchased the Supermodels CD for the GNX, and I tell you what...it turns the whole thing into a completely different experience. I almost think that DigiTech should work out some arrangement with the makers of the Supermodels CD so that the GNX3000s get packaged with the disc. That thing is freaking amazing, and it creates a filing system for the patches that is unbeatable. It takes the number of patches from 192 to over 600...and it arranges them in file folders that are incredibly intuitive so that, despite the HUGE number of tonal options available with the Supermodels pack, it never takes more than a few seconds to find EXACTLY what you're looking for.

I will say that the sound quality of the GNX3000 is superb...really a toss up between this unit and the Vox ToneLab as far as realistic amp tones (and the Vox unit needs a 12AX7 tube to accomplish its sonic mojo where the DigiTech has no tube).

I've read a lot of complaints in this forum about the presets in this unit...and I disagree with every one of them. I think the presets are fantastic as far as these things usually go. I gigged extensively with this unit using ONLY the presets before I had a chance to get into it and start tweaking...and the results were wonderful. DigiTech did not overload the presets with every available effect (although there are a few presets that fall victim to this effect "stuffing"), and the sounds of the amplifier models themselves are rich and harmonically full. Like I said, this unit sounds more like a real tube amp than any other box in the bunch (aside from the ToneLab). The only complaint I really have about it once again comes from the complexity of the controls on the face of the unit. There are just so many different things going on (especially when you get into warping the amps from channels 1 and 2 together) that you need a much better visual account of what's going on...and you don't get that without the software interface. Once you have the software interface up and running, it's so easy to use that it's silly...that ease of use, however, doesn't transition over into the controls on the face of the GNX3000 itself.

My other complaint comes from the fact that there are 192 patches on this thing...but only 64 of them can be overwritten. Does DigiTech really think that its presets are so good that most users will want MORE of the factory setting in the unit than their own customized sounds? As I said before, the presets in this MFX are better than most, but guitar players want to customize their effects as much as possible. Bad move, DigiTech, making the majority of the patches in this box completely un-editable.

Now for the good stuff...like I said, the amp models in this thing are really VERY good. And, DigiTech has included some fantastic bass amp models as well. That is HUGE. With Line 6 you have to pay extra to get a bass model pack if you want some bass tones in your POD...and the other guys make you buy separate modelers altogether to get this. Out of the box, the DigiTech is the most flexible unit of the bunch in terms of being a "one stop shop"...and this is not only because of the bass amp models, but also because DigiTech includes a microphone input with a very good dbx preamp built in. You can literally plug in a guitar, plug in a mic, and have a one-man (or woman) show right out of the box with this thing. And, as stated before, the Supermodels CD takes the GNX3000 to a completely different level. You are screwing yourself out of the full potential of this modeler if you don't spend the extra $60 for that Supermodels CD. I cannot stress to you enough how much this software adds to the functionality of the GNX3000.

One last thing...Line 6, Vox, Behringer, and all the other modeling guys out there need to take note...the ins and outs on this GNX3000 are so extensive that the other manufacturers should be embarrassed. I have two line outs (right and left), two XLR outs (right and left), MIDI In/Out/Thru, headphone out, USB connector, and a freaking microphone input (again, with a good quality dbx preamp). If there was a digital (S/PDIF) in/out on this thing, it would have the same flexibility as the $800-$1000 rack units that some of these other guys put out. There is no reason that these items shouldn't be found on EVERY modeler..and aside from the Behringer stuff, the DigiTech is the cheapest of the bunch.

I have gigged with this thing, stomped on it, had amplifiers tip over on it in the back of my car...all kinds of stuff...and it has never failed to power up and do its job.

Never dealt with them

I have to give this unit a great rating for many reasons. The sounds are very good (the presets stand out when compared to other MFX units) if somewhat difficult to tweak. The software makes editing a breeze, but I personally feel that you shouldn't NEED software to have ease of editing. However, with the software running, you can dial in just about every sound imaginable. Those that have had trouble with sounds in this particular MFX fall into three categories 1)People who bought bad/broken units 2)People who don't have the patience to sit and tweak until they get the sounds they like, or 3)People who just like to complain. And, with the Supermodels CD, there is just no excuse for getting bad sounds out of this unit.

People fail to realize something when it comes to these MFX units...they are not meant to replace tube amps, nor are they supposed to sound fantastic with EVERY guitar right out of the box. If you had a room full of 36 tube amps, plugging into each and every one would require you to sit and tweak the hell out of the knobs...not just once, but every time you switched amps. And, even if you dialed in the perfect sound on one amp for a Fender Strat, that sound would probably need to be tweaked further if you unplugged the Strat and plugged in a Les Paul. Imagine the time and effort it would take to get 10 or 12 really killer tones in a room full of vintage tube amps...and imagine needing to re-tweak those tones every time you switched guitars. The same principal applies here. I've never understood why some people have the tendency to believe that a modeler is supposed to sound fantastic right out of the box with no fuss, and why people complain that there are "too many" parameters to adjust. How else would anyone be able to possibly adjust the setting for 30+ guitar amps, bass amps, cabinet tunings, stomp boxes and their respective settings, positioning of all those effects, speaker size, number, power rating, mic type, mic placement, etc...some of those comments are just foolish. Think about this, folks...you've got a REAL 1959 Fender Bassman (classic tweed 4x10 configuration) and you play a Fender Strat. You decide to plug in a Les Paul...do you really think you wouldn't have to start twisting dials and screwing with EQ settings to get a tone out of it that you like after switching from an ash or alder body single coil guitar to a mahogany body with humbuckers? Then, let's go further...you decide you want to take that preamp and run it into a 2x12 cab...or even a 1x8 cab to get a really interesting, unique sound. Unless you've got a spare set of 12" speakers laying around, and you happen to be a gifted electrician, these things aren't going to happen. And, even if you had the speakers and you were a gifted electrician, what kind of "tweaking" would you have to do to put all of that together? I guarantee it would be a much bigger pain in the tail end than figuring out which knobs to turn and which buttons to push.

I really, really hate to say this...but the folks that complain about modelers being too difficult to figure out or having "too many parameters" to mess with aren't illustrating a problem with the modelers...they are illustrating a problem with their own brain power. Some modelers are a little more tempermental than others...but none of them are "just too difficult" to figure out. And, no one should expect modelers to replace tube amps. If you love tube amps, and that's the sound that you want, then for God's sake, why would you go buy a modeler? Common sense (and unfortunately there seems to be a shortage of that these days) should make it clear to anyone that a modeler is for one purpose...to give a musician an alternative to having to own $60,000 worth of amplifiers and microphones when they want to get a multitude of different sounds for live performances or recordings...period!!!!

I bought this pedal with the hopes that I could get some really good and usable sounds along with Digitech's outstanding effects modules. Unfortunately, that was not usually the case. Out of the box the device is rather overwhelming with the amount of parameters to set on individual sounds and effects. That would have been fine and I did study the manual but the problem was this upper harmonic series distortion or it was missing, depending on the patch. That's not to say all sounds from this device are bad, because there are some really good ones as well. AS far as usable sounds, there we maybe 2 out of the box. That brings me to my next point of editing patches. Editing patches with the pedal alone is a pain and far more complicated than it needs to be. The software suite that was included was very helpful and intuitive. . . when it worked. To all Vista users: Wait until Digitech releases a Vista capable software suite before considering this product. The best thing about this device was the ability to "warp" or combine amp sounds. I was able to get some really cool amp sounds that way, but the problem of the overall sound plagued even the best sounds.

AS I stated before, there is a distortion of the upper harmonic series with this device. The sounds for the lower pitched notes sound pretty good, but as you climb into the higher registers of the instrument, this distortion is apparent by the device's compensation for it my eliminating the sound of pic attack. This makes your sound a "ya, ya" instead of the natural sound the guitar makes. The clean sounds on this device are done really well and the distortion does not seem present. The effects are done really well with the exception of the noise gate and the chorus effects. The sounded very poor to my ears. Overall I would say this is an average sounding pedal at best.

The device is built rather well, but I am worried about the knobs being broken off by being stepped on. Furthermore, the stomp buttons themselves have a little play so I am concerned about them falling out or breaking off. However, Digitech makes pretty hardy gear so I am probably being overly critical.

Digitech's website for information and updates are just plain second rate. The don't seem to try and update the firmware or software often. This pales in comparison to Line 6's website and updates. There are no really helpful forums to point you to the right direction. There is a guy who makes bad patches acceptable but will try and sell you a disc for $6o. He was the most helpful of all the places I looked. As far as customer care for product issues I have no rating since I have not dealt with them.

I felt this was a good pedal for people who play cookie-cutter import guitars with EMG's and the like. If you like the natural sound of your instrument, then I can't recommend since it seems to make everything sound the same. For example, my Tele and Les Paul did not sound that much different using this device. The Line 6 POD XT Live sound more like an amp and brought out the natural tendencies of both rather than quashing their sounds in to the same shape. There are some bright spots with this pedal, such as the clean sounds and several of the effects. If they could isolate those and sell a pedal for 1/3 the price it might be worth buying then. As is stands now, I can not recommend this device at this time. If you want really good amp sounds, go with the POD XT or Guitar Rig. They seem to have the amp modeling down better than Digitech at this point in time.