DigiTech GSP-21 Legend

As with all MIDI devices, especially without prior experience with MIDI, it does take some time to learn how to get this unit to do what you want it to do. Here's where the manual is absolutely invaluable. To write your own patches, the unit requires the user to start with a preset configuration pre-located in the "user-definable" section. You can turn off any effect you don't want in the new configuration, and then go into each remaining effect and edit them to sound the way you want them to. When you're done, you can give the new patch a name. I find that many of the factory presets are okay "as is". But I do often go into distortion programs and pull the mids out of them for a more "up-to-date" sound. The laminated "quick-reference" card that came with the unit is all a user needs to do this, because it tells you how to navigate to the parameter you want to change. Never go on a job without that card! On stage, the 21 Legend is a terrific tool. You can program the foot controller to function either as an on/off for five of your favorite patches, or as an on/off for ten patches with the sacrifice of being able to turn their effects on and off. I always go with the five patches with effects control capability. I can always change this "set" to another set of five patches during the band's first break, giving me the specific sounds I may need for the next set of songs. The front panel lets me adjust my volume globally. But if there's a significant volume difference between programs I may be using during a particular set, I must go into the actual programs and adjust their volumes within the volume parameter located just after each programs 7 band graphic EQ section. Sounds involved, but it's not that bad - once you're familiar with the units "flow chart", for lack of better words.

I have to rate the 21 Legends sound very high. I use it as my only preamp, running its left and right outputs directly into a stereo power amp. In this stereo mode, its choruses, flangers, and delays are outstanding... really spatial, and really "watery" in some of its programs like "Canyon Chorus". Its modulation effects were designed with input from Steve Morse, I believe, and has a sort of random sweep rate, which gives them a more "organic" quality. They really shimmer. Some users have complained about its distortions but, like I said before, you can always go into the EQ sections and adjust the mids to get close to what you're after. In addition, the unit gives the user four different "types" of distortions to choose from: Overdrive, Tube, Heavy Sustain, and Metal Tube, if I remember correctly. Therefore, a user should try all of these in every distortion-based configuration before giving up. I like hi-gain sounds so that I can get lots of pinched harmonics. This unit accomodates this technique nicely.

It's never let me down in over ten years. I always use it without a backup - maybe that's a bad idea, but I really take care of the unit and it stays mounted in my rack. I did replace the battery in it about two years ago - not because it died, but because I'm just sort of anal with things like that. The battery is difficult to find, but a user can special order one from a battery store like "Batteries Plus". That's what I had to do. It was about $15.00, but is worth it when you consider you'll get at least 6 or 7 years from it.

I should mention that I would not hesitate to use this unit in a studio situation. It's effects are high quality, and everything you may need is in there, with the exception of a wah wah. But the unit does have an effects loop that you can run a wah pedal through. I do this sometimes and it works well. But I have noticed, when I engage the wah, the tone gets a little thinner.

I have never needed customer support with my 21 Legend (bought new in '92), but I want to mention that, at the time I purchased the unit, I also bought a Digitech made-by-Hafler stereo power amp to power it with. Somewhere during the first month, I overheated it, which caused it to shut down. I let it cool for a while and started it up again, but it shut down after only a minute or two. This is the way it was everytime thereafter. So I sent it back to Digitech in Utah, and they sent me a new one with no questions asked. The new power amp has never shut off on me. So with this kind of service I receieved on my power amp, I have no reason to believe there would be any kind of problem in getting good customer service for my 21 Legend if I should ever need it.

I play all styles of guitar and this is where the unit really shines, because I can find 5 patches for whatever band I am in at that time and assign them to a set, and it will be there the next time I'm with that band no matter how many other bands I've been with since. I've played guitar over 25 years. I use Marshall 4 x 10 cabinets (because they're easier to transport than the 4 x 12s) and basically just the Digitech 21 Legend and stereo power amp. I look for another Legend if this one "disappeared" because it's grown with me, and has been so adaptable with every style of band I been in, which include eighties and nineties metal bands, alternative rock and country bands, who knows what may be next?
I bought the unit because it was the best deal of the day, due to the foot controller being included with the price. But I did check out other similar units and found this one to be the best (in my opinion, of course!) Overall, it's the perfect tool for me to create new music and to cover other artists' music and sounds.

Well being the fact that the manual and the original box came with the unit everything was all good and inronically this was a birthday gift and it was manufactured the same month as my birthday aug 91 was the manufactured date, anyway the manual was pretty easy to comprehend espically if you have been playing for 12 years plus and i have the upgraded version of the model. Editing patches for me was very wierd at first but within the first 20 minutes it was all good. The all of the effects were kick ass and i have been reading that a lot of people have issues with the distortion, not me these kind of units takes time to every sound in your head into the Gsp 21 pro so if you dont have the time to shape and mold the distortion with maybe some chorus, compression, and modulation then you just might get something but to each his/her own as far as sound goes but overall all of the effects are great.

Im a very vintage type of guy and i like to play out of old pieces of used shit and make them sound good but i also like to play out of new as well but i am using a fender m-80 half stack 4x12 with a gibson les paul studio and i play modern metal with melodic vocals. Well there is one thing i noticed when i go clean and that is the a tint of gain under the clean even when i bypass but that is only when i am through headphones with just my head and the unit not through the speakers. Every effect sounds great in my opinion but like i said you have to know exactly what you want sound wise and you gotta know how to contour the eq mixed in with distortion, compresson, modulation, and the enhancer to get everything right with the right amount of unit volume. Right now i have achieved the sound of bands like Chevelle, Snot, Deftones, Metallica, Black Sabbath. The only thing i dont like about it are the presets there all krapp but if you punch one in and fuck with it yourself then it can get a bit good except for the B.B.clean tone much respect to B.B. thats the best clean tone on there in my opinion and i dont even use it.

So far it has been very reliable, i got it off of ebay and the unit is 12 almost 13 years old and it still looks great and i would always use a backup no matter what you never know man.

Well i was told by many that since this unit is discontinued throught Digitech you can get a free manual and if the battery for memory goes out they will give you a free one since their so hard to find i have a lot of respect for Digitech.

My overall rating is a 9.5, it would be a solid 10 but because some of the shitty presets it does not get that but its all good its still a kick ass unit and great for someont who is stepping into the world of signal processors.

Traded my GSP 5 in for the GSP 21 Legend back 1994. Stupid me, the GSP 2101 came out a month later. it took me a while to learn how to program it. It was easier to edit that the GSP 5, but with more detail. The manual is a must have. I would like to know more about the upgrades for this unit if they are still available today.

Setup (Guitar with Active EMG's) to (GSP 21) to (Alesis 230EQ) To (QSC dual channel 150watt per side power amp) to (2 ADA 2x12 stereo cabs) I know the distortion patch could be better, but I use Active EMG's that make up for the distortion short comings. The Chorus, delays and reverbs can't be beat. endless options. The first unit I recieved had a strange hist as the sustain subsided in all effects with or without distortion. although it couldn't be heard if playing volume up a little. I sent it back to Digtech and they sent me back a brand new unit. However it did the same thing, I guess it was a design problem. I would recommend using your tube amps distortion along with the other effect the legend. The one thing I hate about the Legend is the nano second of signal delay when changing patches!!! If play live, you have to be very creative to hide this flaw....

I was once playing a outdoor festival in August the temp was about 100. The unit shut down completely, I think from over heating. After the gig I got it home and plugged it in and it has worked fine ever since. This is every lead guitar player nightmare, I recommend having a stomp box back up if you are gigging with mulit-effect processors. I've actually seen GSP 21's on EBAY for less than a 100 bucks. You could affordably have two of these units, one as back up.

Hey, they gave me a new unit no questions asked when I had a problem. Took about 2 weeks to get the new one back.

When I first purchased the Lengend I played in cover bands. I am now myself a recording artist and still using the Legend. If it was stolen, I would purchase a GSP 2101,2112 or 2120, I'm considering buying one of those units now. After reading some it looks like the old GSP 2101 is the best sounding unit Digtech has ever made. If any of you could comment on the 2101 verses the 2112 or 2120 please email me with your comments. I want seamless patch changes!!!!!!!!

It would be better if it had a rotating knob.

I don't like the sound of the distortion. I prefer to use the distortion from my amp. The chorus and the reverb sounds good. The delay is great to get a wide variety of sounds.

I use this processor to get guitar sounds from my favourite bands: Pink Floyd, Genesis, etc. when I play with my band. It takes time to get these sounds but I'm really satisfied when I achieve them.

The ease of use has to be about an 8. To actually select sounds I will give it a ten. The footboard allows users to easily select a sound or program a slot. On the other hand, this unit requires a lot of getting use too. You have to program save and the parameters are real touchy.

The sound on this unit is outstanding. If you want to get a kickass blues or grunge sound, this unit is just for you. The distortion could use a lot of work. Nno matter how many times I adjusted, I can never get the distortion sound that I wanted.

The Legend is very dependable. It hasen't let me down yet. I do wish that the foot control port was a little deeper.

They service from Digitech is outstanding. If I can't find it on their web-site, I can call am they will hook me up. Also, if you lose or damage a foot controller, you can still buy them from Digitech.

Overall I give this thing a ten. It rocks. the sound for clean and delay can't be beat be anything made today. It would be nice if it had an expression pedal, but I can live without it. Crystal ehoes has fgot to be one of the warmest Free-Bird style effects I have ever heard. Of course not everyone has a 78' Les Paul to play through like me. I also use a Fender Hot Rod Deville. This combination can't be beat. For clean and rythm that is.

It takes a bit of fooling with to get the sound you want because there are so many buttons to push to do the programing. Mine was originaly aPro but I installed the upgrade myself. Sometimes I think the Pro chip is better. Two problems I have with it: 1)it seems to take forever from the time the pedal is selected til the time the machine actualy changes patches. Not fun for the gig, 2)the processor has so many volume tweaks that it is very hard to get the patches balanced out evenly. I wrote one patch where the volume was set all the way down all through the effects chain and it was still so loud that I eventualy deleted it ! Also, the manual shows a "studio controller" that I found out from Digitech that was never made for production. It would have been great because I only use it in the studio.

I was using a Fender Strat (one of those goofy pointy-head Floyd Rose S-S-H things)when I first got it, and I didn't have an amp at the time...just used headphones. I never had any trouble with the sound of it, although it could be a little noisy at times with the distortions. Modulation, EQ, and 'verbs were fine for studio use, but I always use the amps 'verb instead of the processors when possible.

I once had a problem with the pedal cord or the jack on the pedal. Digitech fixed it in a jiffy and I have never had any other problem with it. I wouldn't use it on stage because of the pedal-patch delay thing. I use it strickly in the studio.

Good company to deal with and repairs seem to be done quickly.

This processor does a pretty good job for me as I don't have much need for the big heavy distortions. I have been playing for over 30 years and this was my very first multi-effects processor. I also have a pedal board with a couple of stompers in it, and I just got a Zoom 505II. The Zoom is much better suited for gigs, the stompers are even faster. If my Legend were stolen I wouldn't try and find another one. But I really wish Digitech had made that "studio controller". Bummer !!

Very easy - But hard to get to sound "just right"

Good for 80's rock, with complex guitar sounds, and large room effects. Very shallow distortion, but great for coloring a tube-preamp

Never had any problems

Mailed the company, and recieved a manual 8 days later - free of course.

As said before - A quite shallow machine. It can do everything, but has its best features in its reverbs and delays - The Flanger is terrible, but the chorus is very warm and muddy - Great for 80's and 60's Rock. For new-age music, a TubePreamp and GSP-21 is the perfect match.

It`s kinda hard to use at first, but when you first get the hang of it its great.

I`m using this with an old Peavy Renown with just a Boss Metal-Zone as distortion. (The distortion on this thing sucks). But with an other effectbox or something similar its great. The delay is GREAT, so for all the other effects, actually. I give it a nine because of it`s crappy distortion.

I`ve never had a problem with it. Its been great.

Its a great gadget to use as an effectprocessor but the distortion is so bad that you can`t use only this if you want good distortion sounds...

Had it since the week it came out no problems

To begin with, I use a strat with emg pickups and am currently running the preamp through through my Marshall VS100R.I am planning to get a power amp soon. At first I loved the clean sounds and tweed sounds but was really disapointed in the distortions. Though there was some good blues sounds, I couldn't find a good metal sound(Slipknot, slayer ect.)there just wasn't enough gain. But after some tweaking I have a awsome thrash/metal sound. I just needed to set the compression, eq, and enhancement right. Other guitarists ask me how I get my sound. I probably give it a 10 when I get my power amp.