DigiTech GSP-5

The cryptic messages on the display are a pain and scrolling through all of the parameters to edit a patch is also a bit of a drag but this is probably 20 year old technology so it is what it is. The FS-300 foot controller is only $40 on musician???s friend and that will let you scroll and bypass with your feet.

I have been using this unit for over 15 years and I think there are some FANTASTIC sounds in this unit. I do not use any of the distortions because I find them to be typical of digital distortion ??? kinda yucky ??? but the effects in this unit are very good???.the delays, choruses and reverbs are excellent. I also really like the #3 amp voicing ??? very full sounding. I run a Keeley DS-1 in front of the unit for distortion and I am getting some fantastic sounds out of this unit. My favourite effects chains are #3 (great with the Keeley DS-1), #11 and #12 (nice delays). I recently decided to try and upgrade and go with a floor based multi effect unit so I tried a Boss GT but I quickly went back to the GSP 5 because I liked the voicings and modulation effects better even though editing was much easier on the Boss GT. As far as setting it up goes, I tried the GSP 5 in the effects loop of my amp but I read that you are not supposed to run it in the effects loop so I am running it in front of the amp and it works fine. My set up is like this ??? Strat>Wah>DOD 201 phaser>Keeley DS-1>GSP 5>input of Carvin Legacy. I also run a CE-2 and DD-3 in the effects loop of the Carvin. With this set up I am able to get a huge variety of excellent sounds and I get regular compliments on my tone from people in the audience including other guitar players so I am extremely happy with this set up.

I???ve had it for over 15 years and I use it every week and it still works fine so I have to give it at least a 9 here. One of the parameter buttons got sticky and stopped working but I took it into a local pro audio shop and they fixed it up in a jiffy for less than $40. I wish all of my gear could go for 15 years with only one $40 repair required after a decade and a half.

I called Digitech once about my recently purchased GSP 1101 (I will review that later) and they were helpful so I will give them a 9 here. The person that I spoke with on the phone wasn???t all that friendly but he seemed to know his stuff and he sent me the correct software cd for my new GSP 1101 so I guess it???s all good.

I posted this review because I have seen these units going for next to nothing on the internet so I wanted to let people know that I think these are a steal of a deal because I have really enjoyed this unit for many years. Overall, I think this is an excellent unit. It has become an integral part of my sound over the years and I always seem to go back to it???kinda like that girlfriend you just can???t leave???.there is something special about it???.I think the magic lies in the amp voicings. If I lost it or it was stolen I would have to get another one because it has become such an integral part of my sound over the years. If you are like me you probably won???t like the distortions in the unit but the effects and amp voicings alone make this unit special and well worth the money???especially since you can find some amazing deals on these units ??? I did a google search and saw several for sale for less than $80! You can???t even buy a decent pedal for $80 anymore! ???give this unit a try and I think you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Good sound is all about your taste. If you're into a very classic sound (think 70's), this is for you! By itself, the gain is weak...VERY weak. I've got an EMG-81, 89, 85, and some no-name single-coils in varous guitars. None of these, with just the GSP-5 by ITSELF, can come close to making anything but an "AC/DC" sound, even on max gain. I've been through all 100 patches, and I know.



Editing patches? Without a manual explaining what the cryptic 2-digit acronymns mean, it's really difficult to "guess" what you're actually chagning. Ba, Pd, EC, L, 1F, 2F, 1l, 2l, rL, rd., rE, uo..... those are just a handfull of the cryptic acronymns this thing throws at you. Without the manual, they're just worthless bi-alphanumeric jargon.

Now, if you KNOW what they mean (the above acronymns), editing is a snap. This unit has a suprising ammount of adjustments. Though you cannot select WHAT effects you want (Reverb, chorus, flange, delay 1, delay 2, multitap, Distortion, amp voicing, and EQ), the patches cover most combinations.

This thing uses an eprom firmware that is theoretically upgradable. Mine is a version 1.01 (says on the eprom).

Everything considered, it's easy to use if you've got a manual.

Alright, the bulk of the review nobody is going to read...

My latest-and-greatest guitar is a cheap Ibanez RGT-42FM with an EMG 81 in the bridge (tell someone who cares!), and an 89 in the neck. I always keep a fresh battery in it.

Setup is like this: Guitar -> MT2 metalzone -> GSP5 -> Peavey 231FX -> Creative X-FI Platinum. I use a Klipsch 4.1 surround system with a 2x12 fosgate subwoofer setup. I record with Adobe Audition 2.0, Steinberg Wavelab 5, and many many other worthless programs.

Basically, I set my MT-2 metalzone up like this: Level maxed, Trebel @ 3:00, Bass @ 3:00, Distortion at 12:00. I almost always use patch #78 on the GSP5 (good solo reverb). I set the GSP5 @: EC 10, L 8, bA 2, 1F .16, 1L 4, 2F 2.9, 2L 6, rL 0 or 9 (solo or rhythm reverb), rD.50, rE 3, and uo 3.

With it set up like this, I can get a damn good rhythm sound as well as a hot-ass solo sound (change reverb). Like this, sitting in front of a computer monitor, it's LOUD. Move away from the monitor, and it's fairly quiet, tipping the scales at an acceptable (to me) -25db. Sounds like a soft waterfall. It will also pickup local AM radio stations with the correct positioning and maximum gain on a MT-2 and the unit.

By itself, it's actually sort of quiet. When I'm recording, the preamp shows everything from -60db on a dry, raw clean channel to a -20db on a high-gain, effects-laiden channel with my buzzsaw-esque MT-2.

The sound is VERY digital, especially with low-volume sounds. You can actually hear the "digitizing" of the input sound @ around -30db. This is due to the ancient DAC. It should be noted that you CAN adjust certain aspects of the DSP via small potentiometers inside the box. If you're hearing a random "crackle or static," turn the BIAS pot until it stops.

The effects sound decent. A far cry from the warm, natural sounds of todays digital effects processors, but they're still good. The reverb is fantastic and is the ONLY reason I insist on using this unit. That, and the amp models (which don't sound at all like ANY amplifier I've ever played!!!) sound good.

This unit does not like to be beat-up. If you get pissed and whack the top of it, it'll usually make the "up" buttons sticky. Other than that, it's a solid unit and has NEVER failed me. NEVER. Failed.

I do all my own repairs, so I don't call and complain to a company about a 10+ year-old processor.

I play lots of different music. Full-on death metal, black metal, Vai-like solos, and acoustic guitar-like classical. I've been playing for ~7 years now. I wouldn't cry if it got stolen or lost...these things are cheap.

I like that it's survived 5 years of me playing. It sounds decent, and I've grown to like it. On the same note, I totally HATE it's lack of tonal versatility. Everything sounds the same.... there's just more of that sound or less of it, nothing special.

I've played many high-dollar amps/racks, and this thing CAN NOT compare to even a line-6 pod XT. But, for a freebie, it's not bad at all. I'll give this one a 5 because it's so basic and old. Cryptic patching, digital sound, noisy, and fake-sounding.

Not that difficult if you have the user manual and can follow instructions. Very logical to operate once you are used to it.

Awsome sounds from this unit. However if you do not heed the advice in the user manual it will sound crap. That is never ever ever run this unit through an amps FX loop. It was not designed for it, it is a Pre Amp and its output level and impedances are not designed to go through an FX Loop. It may even damage your amp.

Bought second hand on e bay. It is 11 years old and in immaculate condition has not let me down yet.

Good web site you can download manuals and specs etc.

I play mainly rock and blues based music, been playing for 15 years. Currently play a Yamaha RGX820Z through a Peavey Heritage VTX 2 12 Valve hybrid Amp. I plug the GSP straight into the Peaveys pwr Amp, so I effectivley my signal path is PW10 Wha - GSP 5 - 130W valve Pwr Amp. Owned lots of gear over the years and this gives me the sound I have always wanted. I would love to get a Srereo setup running though.

This depends on the person. If you use( or had used ) rack effects a lot it should be no probelm. If you are not used to them then this is not the one to start on. However, you should have no trouble, if you have a manual.

The effects are pretty good. They are very warm for digital.

I got it used, I have had it for about two years without probelm.

Never contacted them.

If you find one of these for under sixty, get it; I use this a lot. Its fun to fool with, works well with recording. The main feature that I like is: you don't have to buy a midi foot controller. They sell a cheap analog, three switch foot pedal. You can get it at most online music dealers. This will allow you to switch between a few effects. As I said before, its fun to fool with, make strange or goofy noise with. If you are recording, try it on vocals, guitars, bass, anything; hook it up to your phone, call friends, hours of fun.
If it were lost or stolen I would get anouther if it were under sixty. This isn't desireable vintage gear so I wouldnt pay an arm and a leg for it.

even with the manual this unit is a hard one to figure i just use the factory settings and am very pleased with the results

running directly into a 4trak via an Alesis MX8 ,and strapping a Charvel custom axe,(solid body,rare find) its not too noisy for what i use it for,,the sound is out of this world,like joe satch,zappa,page ,just to name a few. some of the effects are not as good as others but i dont care i love this little unit

I havent gigged with it cuz i dont gig much but i would have no problem using it with confidence!

N\A

I play my own music and that ranges from ABBA to Zappa,26 years under my strap,if lost or stolen i would try to buy another one on EBAY which is where i bought this one and actuall ive tried to find another on but havent found one yet,i just love the preset sounds they come in pretty clear through my mixer to my 4 track,i was going to buy a midiverb 4 but this unit was cheaper and im in my 40's and like the older sounding effectsim also in a trial&error phase in my recording so this unit fits the bill for now..ive created some old school leads with it and am very happy with the sound it gives.its simple to use but if you get into the tweaking and pruning parts of it good luck!

This thing is really easy to use (if you have the manual which you can still get from the Digitech website as of this review). The only tricky part is that it uses 13 effect chains and if you don't know what they are, you will have to use trial and error. The display is small, so it only tells you which "EC" you are using at the moment and all the parameters are pretty cryptic unless you have the EC pages which list all the parameter abbreviations. Editing is easy if you know what the abbreviations are. YOu dial up the chain you want, then you just move page by page through them and adjust what you want. One thing to remember is that this machine is ALWAYS in edit mode. There is NO backup of the patch you are working on; what you change is changed, so if you like the patch you are starting with you need to copy it to a spot which has a patch you don't care for BEFORE you start messing with it or the other patch is toast.

I'm running one of several guitars through the GSP-5, then into an Ibanez (I know you laugh, but it is a great pedal) EC-30 compressor with Hush, then into a Digitech GFX-1, then into a Rocktron Intellifex LTD. I have an ART X-11 foot controller which works with either the GFX or the GSP perfectly. Without the Comp/Hush pedal, this unit would be REAL noisy on any of the distortion settings. However, with the Hush in the chain it is very sweet. The GFX-1 doesn't do radical distortions real well and neither does the GSP-5, but when chained this way you can get some amazing stuff out of the combo - they compliment one another VERY well indeed. I'm not really a fan of the death metal sound, so I can't vouch for it for that kind of use, but the tone is excellent for what I'm doing and the variability is also excellent. It creates a really wide range of different tones if used in the right way. The chorus is surprisingly nice. I wasn't buying it for that really, but I've been very surprised at just how good the chorus and delay are. The reverb is nice, too. Really, other than the noisiness, this is a steal. For what I paid it is a joke. Yeah, I'd buy it again for that price in a heartbeat. The delays can be up to 1.8 seconds I think - way more than I need anyway. There is also a 4 tap delay... I don't try to emulate other guitarists. I've been playing for almost 25 years, though not professionally. I mess with Synths a lot these days in my budget home studio, but once in a while I feel like hitting the guitar with some noise (or some nice chorus). So, even though I'm not a great player, I have a pretty good ear for tone. What I hear from this little rack unit is very nice indeed. Combined with the GFX-1 it is REALLY nice. I'm running my signal from my setup to a mixer directly and the sound that comes out the other end is just really, really punchy and defined. For the money it would be impossible not to find something useful in this box. Just have to have the hush pedal - definitely. Also, have noticed that the GSP-5 to GFX-1 tends to feed back with some guitars at volume with some patch combinations. For the money it's probably a 10, but relative to other stuff, it isn't that versatile. If you want the full flexibility of the new pedal boards - don't get this. Still, the tone is really, really nice. It sounds very respectable and professional. The warmth and punch make it stand out real clearly. You do have to set the input and output levels very carefully as this influences the tone a LOT! Same for the GFX. If these are set wrong - you will get mush. Set right they will shred amazingly well. I wouldn't use it as my only effect, but in the chain it is excellent. Very sweet chorus... Lush and warm. I don't use flange much, but it's there.

Don't gig, but it's still working great and it's how old? I don't expect it to live forever, but it's going strong right now and it's seen some road use I suspect.

No idea...

I play a lot of different stuff. Started out with classical as a teenager, now and then I play rock type stuff or just experimental. Depends a lot on my mood. 25 years or so playing... The noise is a nuisance, but the tone is great. Does a really nice crunch with the GFX. It's warm and well defined. Some hiss even on clean settings. Get a Hush pedal. I haven't played tons of gear. I tend to get something I like and stick to it. This was an impulse purchase. The price was something that wouldn't hurt the bank and I wanted to boost the GFX a bit - really nice indeed. For a budget piece - no way to lose. If you are a purist, get something else - this isn't a studio clean perfect state of the art FX box. If it was, at this price you'd never see one for sale. But, for a cover band doing rock - works great. Remember, the input and output settings are critical. If it sounds like crap - those are probably set wrong for what you are doing. I don't know what kind of distortion some of these other reviewers are after, but it seems to work great in my rig. Great variety and very tweakable. If I want pristine sound, I don't use an electric guitar. I use my classical or my synths. For me electric guitars sound best with some character. This box has character. I've heard a LOT worse (Hello Zoom...). The character of your guitar will not get lost in this FX box. It is absolutely clear which guitar I'm using through this machine. I've got an old Harmony Les Paul copy which has a real distinctive tone and it isn't lost here. It still comes out with that special tone. For me, a lot of the newer guitar effects are too sterile. No depth to them. This one isn't like that at all. Warm and a bit rough at the edges. For the price - unbelievable.

The GSP is too easy to get good sounds from.I prefer the sound of tube distortions but that does not mean they are bad {as in UGLY!}.I use it for reverbs and delays mainly though I found the presets a little too wet in most cases.Editing patches is pretty straightforward and the manual is really thorough. Bought it secondhand seven years ago, changed the battery once,had a poke around inside and did not see any repairs or mods.

Use Strats mainly with a few other specimens like a locally made Frying Vee,plugged into a modded Laney GH100 effects loop,not really noisy with a bit of balancing of INs and OUTs,the effects sound smoothest in the loop with it switched to series-parallel to keep that tube warmth,I also use it with other amps as well to similar effect.I like lots of rock blues and metal sounds.Got no complaints,sounds better than me ART racks I have which are newer.

Yep its dependable and always use it without backups,why complicate things more!

Never dealt with the dealers no need!

Play a Rock type thing mainly,this is a good unit which finally replaced a DSP which I wish I still had also. Been playing twenty years or more,if it got ripped off I would keep eyes peeled for another which is unlikely in this corner of the universe.I love it for the fact it takes no thought from this mind.I`ve compared it to heaps of other units but it does what I need!It does help make music and can transform even a shitty amp into something to listen for.One final remark is that I`ve heard pig ignorant Drummers get interesting things happening with this rack and that is saying something!!!

Well, it isn't the easiest thing to use, especially since I don't have a manual, but after owning one for a year I figured some things out on how to use it. The display sucks, and I still don't know what some of the stuff exactly means but I'm sure there is worse out there. If I had a manual I would probably give a better rating.

This thing has some awesome sounds! I use it all the time, for basically everything, although I don't like the distortion all that much so I run my orange Boss through it. It gets noisy on certain settings and combos (especially Flange with Reverb or Delay) but I'm sure a noise gate would fix that. I don't gig right now but I would use it for any gig in the future. There is sounds in this processor I still haven't heard anybody recreate even with the newer "super" processors. It could use a compressor/sustainer, but that's one reason why they make pedals, right? I use it with my cheap Les Paul copy, my Roland Juno-60 keyboard, and I've used it with my Squire 5-string P-Bass before, but it isn't that great with the bass. Right now I'm running it through my Rogue Bass amp, but it sounds good through my Squire practice amp. I use it for playing Slayer and sounds pretty damn good (with seperate distortion of course). You can get an AC/DC type distortion out of it, too.

Well, it is pretty reliable but a couple of times it started to smoke real bad out of the guitar input and the outputs in the back. I got it used so it is probably due to the previous owner not taking good care of it. Anyway it happened because the 1/4" phono sockets were loose from constant inserting and removing. I fixed it by resoldering the contacts and haven't had a problem since. And after all that shorting out it still works great. The battery is even still good.

Never dealt with them but I need to get a manual.

Well, I play just about any form of rock and roll and it works great for me. If it got stolen or lost, I would definately search for another. I like the sounds, I hate the display, and the sound is the best feature. The only thing it really needs is noise surpression, compression/sustain, and better distortion. I've already recorded with it and sounds good on the mixdown. So if anyone runs into one in a pawn shop, buy it up, you won't be dissapointed, unless you payed more than $100. But even then, if you consider when it was made, it still sounds awesome for today and would probably be worth it.

Having brought my GSP 5 secondhand i have no manual and finding anything out about it on the internet etc has not been a great success and if anyone could e-mail me a copy of the manual i would be most greatfull, Even though i dont have the manual some of the factory preset sounds are very good and i can not wait to use the unit for gigging.

I play a solid body,humbucker pickup guitar through a marshall 8004 stereo amp and a 9000 series pre amp with the GSP 5 on the effects loop and the sound is fantastic, but sometimes abit noisey, i never really like all in one units distortions but combined with the 9000 it can have a fat crunchy sound which i like alot, you do have to play around with the sound alot but it is worth it the reverb is very good on about 93-93 and some of the chorus settings are very good too.

The unit is 11 years old i have only had it for one year but use it quite alot, sometimes second hand equipement can suck but i think that the quality of this unit shines through and in the future i will be using it with out a backup

If any one can help me find support in Birmingham England i would be most happy, thank you.

I play heavy / mellow rock and find that alot of the sounds can be used in one way or another it is a good match i'd say, i have been playing for around 7 years if it was lost or stolen i would cry! but try to get another one it can help make music but to manny effects can over do it and muddy the sound so be carefull

Once you figure this thing out, it's really not that hard to use. The best thing to do is scroll through the factory presets to find the sounds you like the best and just tweak the "level" and the "balls" (=distorion)and the EQ. Use the parametric, not the 5-band. Enhance the low-end and especially the 4.4 khz frequencies to get a great sound with enough low and hhigh-mid to cut through the mix. An easy feature is that once you change a parameter, it automatically saves it. The only drawback of that is: remember the original setting and if you don't like the sound put it back where it was before you forget! The manual is very easy to use, very straightforward.

I'm using this with a Marshall rack mount stereo amp (if you've heard what the GSP 5 sounds like in stereo, you'll never go back to mono again) and two ADA speaker cabs. The sounds are absolutely awesome. I've been playing for almost 30 years and I've never heard anything like this thing. Last year I thought with the new technology I would be able to get something better so I tried out a bunch of different processors like for example an RP7 which I spent weeks tweaking and programming but nothing can still touch the sound I get out of the GSP 5. When I play live gigs I always get other guitar players come and ask me how on earth I get such a great sound (even guys that own GSP 2112's and Mesa Boogies!). There are two major drawbacks with this processor, otherwise it would be absolutely perfect. First: when playing with distortion and certain chorus effects, it is extremely NOISY. I had to get an Alesis noise-gate to deal with that. Second: The sound level (volume) for a program goes up or down in STEPS. That means a lot of times it is either too loud or too soft, unless you tweak the master volume. The distortion sounds are excellent for being digital, I son't care what anybody else says. I get a powerful, crunchy distortion for rythm sounds (I play mostly Rock and Blues)as well as some great lead sounds (my favorites are the 'Lukather Grease' preset as well as a gated-reverb sound that, with maximum distortion, makes the guitar sing like Santana's. Come to think of it, maybe ther's a third shortcoming: no compression/sustain. I don't need one for the distorted sounds (just turn op the amount af distortion), but for the clean sounds I've had to add a sustain pedal.

Bought it new, had it for 10 years, never had a problem (even still has the original battery). Used it for 10 years without a backup, trust it completely.

Only dealt with them once when I lost my manual. Went fine. Went straight to the factory in Salt Lake City while I was there and they photocopied a new manual for me for 5 bucks.

I play Classic rock and Blues, and this is perfect for me, only wish it was less noisy and had 'stepless' volume control for program sounds. I've been playing guitar for 30 years. I own a Mexican Strat with Seymour Duncan hotrails in the bridge position and a Squier fat strat. If it were stolen, I'd probably get another one. I love its sound, I hate the noise + the irritating volume programming. I actually chose this processor in '91 because it was the cheapest one I could get, although even then I thought it sounded better than anything else out there, and it still does.