DigiTech GSP-21 Pro

This preamp takes a bit of tinkering to get used to, and you really have to have some knowledge of tones and effects parameters. Also, there is no B/M/T EQ, it's all graphic EQ, so it's not for the unknowledgeable.
If you know a little about what you're doing, it's faily simple after you get the hang of the interface.
Manual is available on digitech.com. I highly recommend reading over it.

It's my main preamp. I have no problems with noise.
Effects sound pretty good to me. As mentioned before, distortions may not be as brutal by themselves as you may want for modern high gain. 2 things to fix this.
First, on the amp, use the speaker sim EQ in the utility mode to program some more low end, and low mids in.
Second, and most importanly, GET AN EQ. I run a simple 7 band EQ pedal between this and my power amp, and it made a huge difference. My amp now sounds brutal as any high gain amp out there.
For my use, I have no complaints about the sound. I love it

Never failed me. Gigged on it marginally so far, and it will be getting a ton more use as my band is reforming.

N/A

I would honestly like to have one for backup, especially if I can get one at a cheap price.
I love the tones I get out of it, fits me perfectly.
I only wish it had a simpler EQ. That's really my only complaint.

Get comfy. It's got a learning curve but it's worth the effort.

The first guitar effects I ever had. I got this back when it was new and it served me well for a long time before it ended up in a box somewhere. I recently put together a new rig for live guitar and backup vocals and was about to throw it away because of all the noise. I gave it a second chance, though, and I'm glad I did. Now it's hard to believe the sounds I can get out of this old bag of tricks.

Distortions still suck. Pedals are better for that anyways. I don't notice the noise gate problems anymore. I just turn it all the way down. I use most all of it's other effects and you can use a lot of them at once. I had to feed it through the effects loop of an old Mackie 1202 and return it on it's own stereo channel. The noise is gone. Every other way I tried to incorporate it into my rig it wasn't worth keeping. I don't know how or why that works. Got to be careful it doesn't get sent to itself.

There's also a tube pre that makes all the difference. I don't play through amps, all I need is a stereo spot on a PA. I can split the vocals if I need to with the alt output on the Mackie. Smooth, warm, delays, chorus, reverbs, and more with a lot of control over parameters.

I created a silent patch so it's easily turned off when I don't need it.

It's getting used all the time again.

The only problem I've ever had with this unit is that the effects loop automatically engages when there's nothing there, and the whole unit is reset.

The connections for the foot controller are fragile. I leave it connected and protected. It controls program changes for two other effects units.

Never dealt with them.

It may take a little work but you can get this old fossil to make some great, pro-quality sounds with a current price that can't be touched by anything that's new.

Despite what other people have said this is very easy to use if you take the time to read the manual.

Lets face it this thing ius a little long in the tooth now but it is still capable of some great sounds if you set your system up properly - I run this out through a sub mixer that has built in DSP effects - I use theat to tweak the equalisation etc. depending whether I'm going into a big PA or into a nice clean channel like my Fender Deluxe. Of course it's pure guitar filth into a Laney LC15:?))

Not had any issues yet.

Never needed them so no opinion

I love this thing - I have the remote pedal board for it which is a god send on stage or when I'm recording - I mainly play 80's style rock music for which it is absolutley ideal however I also play lead / rhtym and noise for an EM band, (who will remain nameless to protect the innocent), and it's done a great job for me. If it ever died I would want another and they are getting harder to find although you can still pick em up 2nd hand for under ??100.00 if you search around.

I do like the sounds it makes; the multitap delays are really nice and the crunch rhthyms are incredible.

For the monet this is a superb addition to my kit.

Yes, I agree that it isn't as easy as tweaking a pot on a stomp box, but you can get more sounds out of this thing than almost any rack mount I've ever used, and I've used A LOT. If you're looking for plug and play, then use one of the presets. I personally got 3 years of use just on that alone. The amp emulator is cool, and if you take the time to read the manual (READ THE FRIGGIN' MANUAL!), you can dial in almost anything you want. Getting into it can be time consuming, and it just isn't for your average ADD guitarist.

This unit has some GREAT settings: 57 Halls of Glass, the Neal Schoan patches, the heavily compressed rhythm sound, the leslie and blues setting, the Zeppelin settings are all actually pretty good. You may have to mess with the Cabinet Emulator to get the sound you want with your rig, but I can do it great. 98 is the PERFECT setting for "Wide Awake in America" by U2 or "Run Like Hell" by Pink Floyd. This is a great rack mound for someone in a cover band, or looking to dial in a heavily processed sound, like 80s and 90s rock.

I noticed some people mention having a problem getting good sound out of this unit. I would suggest you look at your whole setup: This is a solid state unit, if you are playing it through a solid state amp, well duh, it's going to lack punch and sound "clinical". Personally, get rid of the amp, solid state sucks. You gotta have some tubes in your path, brother! I play this through 2 Mesa Boogie SOBs (rigged for stereo), using a Strat, Ibanez Satchmo style, and an old Yamaha workhorse. The stereo effects kick ass on stage, people are impressed with the sound I produce. I can get great sound out of all three, punch and roadhouse loud with the Strat, overdriven with the Ibanez (cause them pickups is HIGH gain) and warm and buttery with the Yamaha as the pickups are slowly demagnitizing. If you are a metal head, this rack is a GREAT VALUE purchase. I agree that the Delays, Modulations (Chorus, Leslie, Phaser) and Reverbs are the best this unit has to offer, but that is significant. You would need about 10 stomp delays, choruses, etc to give you this kind of versatility. The only addition I have to my gear is a Wah, and Ernie Ball stereo volume, and a MXR EQ.

Never had one damn problem with it. Best piece of effects gear I've ever owned, frankly.

Wouldn't know, you'd have to have a problem with the unit to know this.

Again, if you lack the gumption to buy or read a manual (put down the bong), and are looking for tone like Stevie Ray, Santana, or some other Tone God, well, keep walking. You need a TS9, or a $4,000 PRS, or some other combination of talent and gear you may never have. This is a great little unit, that you can pick up cheap and have lots of fun dialing in the Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, the Cult, RHCP, to Dokken, Tesla, Ozzy, etc. So no, I don't think the distortions are bad, you just need to learn how to use it.

I'm a guitar player, NOT an engineer. I'm interested in making music, not programming effects units. I'd rather spend the time plugging in multiple stomp boxes. At least I know for sure what I have at any given moment.

This thing has a noise gate on that literally chokes the sound out of any rig you put it thru. I bought this trying to stay away from multiple stomp boxes. I was sorely disappointed. The presets are all set to show the extreme capabilities of the included effects. That's nice, but doesn't help me out when trying to find a usable sound. I found the effects to be very sterile sounding. Most of the distortion/overdrives were not practical or usable. Maybe it would sound better with a tube amp. I even tried putting separate distortion pedals in the effects loop. I simply could not get a usable sound out of this thing.

I turned it on and it worked. Every time. Never had a glitch. I had backups, but for sound quality issues. I doubt it would survive dropping, but I never tried it.

Easily downloaded a manual from the Digitech web site

Lots of flexibility, but very little practicality. The best equipment is that which you use. This ain't it. There seemed to be VERY inconsistent and differing volume levels for every setting. I spent the 6 mos I had it tweaking instead of playing. I don't mind having to dial in a sound, but I at least want it to deliver something I can use. A unit with this much stuff on it should be easily adaptable to any style of playing. I've been playing for 20+ years and this unit gets a big fat "F" in that regard. I find it takes me less time to hook up 6 or more pedals, and then find a good sound, than to tweak this unit while trying to find a sound to fit a given situation. I got my $$ back out of it on E-Bay, and I've never regretted letting it go. Sorry Digitech, but this was not one of your better moments.

A fun toy that requires a little bit of time to get set up right. Defineitely get a hold of a manual for reference, although if you push buttons long enough youll figure it out. I believe mine is a 1.1 built in 91, and like all effects processors this comes with a ton of goofy sounds you will never use.

ESP & Jackson neck through strats w/ emg 81's to Marshall 100w Valvestate heads/cabs. This unit is a little noisy and the Distortions suck. However I like the other effects just fine. If used for subtle effects its cool but get your overall sound from your amp.

I feel its pretty dependable.

Im trying to get an upgrade right now, they have answered my calls quickly and their website has a good discussion forum w/ q and a.

I play metal and butt-rock very poorly for the past 15 years, and prevoiusly had a gsp2101 legend. The footcontrol is a very nice feature and the main reason I bought it. Dont pay too much for it but if you are like me and are a huge Winger and Lamb of God/ Morbid Angel/ back street boys/ oZZy fan- git 1. Ps. Im joking about Back Street and Winger.PSS. I had today off work and this is what I chose to do??

IT IS NOY EASY TO MASTER. FAIRLY EASY TO USE, BUT REALLY GETTING TO KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND ALL OF THE PARAMETERS WILL TAKE YOUR AVERAGE ROCK GUITAR WANNA-BE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MONTHS OF TWEAKING TO FIND HALF OF THE FUNCTIONS

THROW AWAY THE DISTORTIONS, THEY ARE NOT THAT BAD BUT ARE NOT THAT GOOD EITHER. THE REVERBS WITH SOME COMPRESSION AND A LITTLE DELAY CAN BE VERY PLEASING!!! A LOT OF MY PALS HAVE BEEN BLOW AWAY BY SOME OF THE SUPER COOL STUDIO SOUNDS AND THE SOFTER LUSH TONE THIS CHEAPO RACK UNIT CAN ACHEVE.

15 YEARS AGO I BOUGHT IT, STILL WORKS LIKE NEW

NEVER NEEDED

AGAIN THROW AWAY THE DISTORTIONS, I HATE THE FRIGGIN NOISE GATE THAT WON'T SHUT OFF (YOU HAVE TO DIAL IT DOWN LOW ON ALL OF YOUR PATCHES)...THAT SAID... THE GSP PRO21 CAN GET REALLY NICE SOFT LUSH SOUNDS

It's easy to use if you are familiar with keywords within editing mode. No fuzz, just navigate through the diffrent effects and choose...

Acually it sounds really BAD. I bought it in the early 90s because a friend of mine owned one and was happy with it. The thing is, that the distorsion sounds, sound really unnatural and "plastic". Poor dynamics and the noisegate has a strange behavor.

I got use for it later on, as a bought a marshall 8240 and used the gsp21pro as a reverb/delay-unit. I managed to sell it after a few years and used the money for something useful.

In the Reliability perspective it's ok. Never had any problem with that.

Never had to contact them

If you get a hold of one really cheap, then by it. But don't pay over 100$ for it. It has a remote control that can be useful with other products, men as a guitar preamp? NO No No...

That depends on whether you want to master it, or take advantage of the presets. It's very powerful and if you would actually try to create effects from scratch you could be working pretty hard to work everything out. Having said that, the options are very typical compared to other racks which have the same "detail" so it's just a learning experience. Personally, I just take a preset and modify it to what I want.

ESP guitars with Screamin Demons through Boss Compressor, Mesaboogie Vtwin ( clean channel ) into 5150 combo with GSP21 in effects loop.

Slightly disappointing in terms of:

- Noise. It has a noise gate, and it's necessary. Playing through the clean amp channel the hiss is noticable.
- Affect on tone. When I use this there is an impact on the tone which I notice... It just takes the edge off it somehow.

In terms of general sounds and features I don't use it to the max so it's hard to judge. I'm using this in the amps effect loop ( ie after amp distortion ) so first thing I do is take out the compression and distortion from the rack sound. The chorus and flange effects are good. Delay is good, and reverb is actually very good.

I don't think I'm anywhere near getting the best out of this unit because I actually find my much more primitive ART DST4 to be better in terms of tone and noise levels so the GSP21 will be for when I want really long delays or various specific uses.

Having said that, when I went through the presets and played some of the distortion sounds I was pretty impressed. If I ever want to emulate a different amp then this is the equipment that I would use from my current arsenal.

It's old and it works.

Phoned and they answered. Manual downloadable.

Worth having. I'm a believer in buying old stuff that was good back then rather than buying new stuff for the same price. I don't like new digitech stuff ( like the GNX range ) at ALL but I like this rack. Unless I'm missing something through it does affect my sound adversely when I just use it for modulation or delay.

Pretty easy to use and program if you have the manual (available for free from the Digitech website). It takes some time, though to get the actual sounds you want.

I bought this unit originally in 1991, and used it with a Mosvalve stereo power amp and two ADA 2-12 cabs, along with a Charvel Model 4 and Crybaby wah. At the time, it was one of the best processors out there if you wanted a good stereo sound. As time goes by though, the digital processors get much better. In 1991, I would have given this unit a solid 9 for distortion as well as clean sounds. You really have to use this unit in stereo to get the full effect (as well as using a transparent power amp). But recently my brother got a new GNX1, and it blows my GSP21 out of the water. The only thing I still like about it compared to the newer processors is the AWESOME foot controller. To be able to use 5 patches as well as having the ability to turn individual effects on/off is wonderful. Why do none of the newer floorboards do this?

Sound quality compared to the newer Digitech/Boss/POD stuff is now MAYBE a 6.

I bought this USED in '91, have gigged with it, dropped it, spilled stuff on it, taken it apart, and it's only failed me once (at a gig just last week!). One of the presets decided to make a horrible feedback noise all night. None of the other presets did this. It's been pretty reliable, but it's going on ebay next week. Time for a Boss GT-6!

I only dealt with the company via thier website, to get another copy of the manual.

I have been playing off and on for 25 years. Cover bands, original bands, mixture of both. This unit has served me well over the past 11 years, but it's time for me to send it on its way. I'm quite sure it would be great for a newbie or someone who doesn't gig (and doesn't record). And you can get one for about $150 at MusicGoRound. Pretty good deal, I think. For what it does, and how OLD it is, it's pretty damn good. And for 150 bones, a good value.