DigiTech Genesis 3

I bought mine in 2004 and like a dumba** I never read the manual. I tried it out at a music store alongside the pod and others. I thought sounds were as good or better than the others and the price was better. I have since discovered that you can really sculpt a sound with it. If there is or was a way to upgrade it I never heard of it. I do think at least some understanding of frequencies and frequency bands helps here, especially when dealing with the cabinet tune feature.

I have recorded and gigged with it. I have found that using it with an amp is like miking an amp and then running that through an amp, maybe a bit better than that. I've had sound guys say they like it running direct and that it sounds fat that way. Through amps, then miked, it sound kind of high end-y in a way that's hard to adjust. As far as the effects, for the price the effects are very cool. As far as artist sounds, I have a tube amp that I have owned for many years and have closely emulated it with the Genesis3. I do have variations, such as a patch with less gain for some songs, etc. It is noisy with higher gain levels, but that is not surprising. The noise gating is great and is big help live.

As I am writing this I can say that I used it at the NAMM show band showcase Jan 17, 2008,Anaheim Hilton without backup and had no problems. I am using it again this Saturday Jan 19,2008 at midnight-once again without a net! It's quick and easy and has everything I need. I gig 6-10 shows a month doing covers, which is 4-5 sets each time. As long as I step on the right switch it kicks butt.

An upgrade would probably be cool, but not especially necessary. No repairs necessary nor contact with company.

I sing and play guitar in different situations. Some stages are small and having this modeler helps in that regard. I play funk and rock, some metal and classic hard rock. Like I mentioned I use a sound close to my own modified tube amp and get satisfactory results using effects, pickup splitting and phasing, and volume control rolloff when needed. I don't have lots of cash to buy things so when I do I have to be smart. This was a very smart purchase for me as I can use it at home, practice studio, or live and get a good result. I am a long time tube amp guy and have a friend who was the first to modify amps in this area ( maybe anywhere!). He clued me in early about tube sound so I'm pretty picky. For years the modelers sounded like crap and as soon as I heard this one when I did I grabbed it. I figured technology would catch up at some point and it seems to be awful close. I had it without the pedalboard for awhile as I wasn't gigging then, but got it so I could use it for that and it works well. I've had problems with some sound guys who look at me funny when I show up with that blue piece of plastic and say I wanna go direct! I do end up showing them that it's cooler than they thought. A friend of mine who goes to LA alot says he's seen a few good bands use only modeling devices and sound great. Push the middle (green/red/warp) knob down for a couple of seconds and tweak the CAB TUN freqs and there's your secret!

It is fairly easy to use but having the manual handy is a must as you just wouldn't find all the features without the manual. Also, figuring out how to edit patches without the manual would be tough. The software is really helpful and makes all the features much more readily accessible. The manual is quite well laid out and easy to follow.

I use this for direct recording using a Les Paul Standard. The sound quality is excellent. I own or have tried several other amp modelling devices (POD, Boss GT-6, Zoom GM200) and they all have strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to replicating the Mesa Boogie Rectifier sound, the Genesis blows them all away. Similarly, some of the Marshall type sounds are awesome compared to some of the other models. If you want to hear what I mean, check the following link. The first song listed uses the Rectifier model. The second song uses a Marshall model. ttp://music.download.com/invasionn/3600-8666_32-101079137.html?tag=MDL_listing_song_artist

One other excellent thing about this unit is the modulation type effects. The Ya Ya and Auto Ya, as well as a couple others are very unique and very useful. The Ya Ya is a combination of flanging and wah-way which gives a very human quality similar to a Talk-Box effect. Quite excellent.

I have had it for about 3 years and no problems. I have never gigged with it though.

Never needed support

I play heavier rock and this fits the bill nice. I would definitely replace it as it has some of the best sounds in my arsenal (again the rectifier sound is awesome IMHO). Blows POD etc out of the water. Boss GT-6 has better cleans though.

Quite easy to use, but has a lot of deep editing features that are really made more accessible through the software.

Sound quality is excellent. I have or have had a number of other amp modellers including POD, Boss GT6, Zoom GM200. All of these devices have there strengths and weaknesses, but for balls to the wall distortion the Genesis3 has it. For example, if you like the Mesa-Boogie Rectifier sound the folks at Digitech have nailed it on the Genesis3. No other modeler does this amp right if you ask me. Genesis is spot on. As well the Marshall amps are awesome. If you would like to hear it in action go to the following link: http://music.download.com/invasionn/3600-8666_32-101079137.html?tag=MDL_listing_song_artist. The first song on the page uses the Rectifier. The second song uses "Brit Stack" which is modeled after one of the Marshall JCM series of amps.

I have had the unit for about 4 years. No problems at all.

Never needed it.

Overall, I love the Genesis3 especially for heavier amp models. However, I can't go higher than an 8 because I feel the Genesis3 lacks when it comes to some of the cleaner stuff .... Fender, Vox etc. The models just don't have the detail and shimmer. For these types of amp models the Boss GT6 is excellent IMHO.

This is a fairly deep unit, so although its quite simple to use off the bat, you can easily go layers and layers deep. Pretty straight forward, no problems really. Use the manual when you get stuck, but it all becomes intuitive quickly.

Very very nice, and until the GNX3000 came along, clearly the most pristine and great sounding, and clean noiseless Digitech product that they ever made. A 102 S/N ration, so quieter than any of the GNX pedals, save the new GNX3000 which is a tad more pristine. The effects are all very nice, especially the delays and modulation effects. The amp and cabinet simulators are very very nice. You can put pedals in front of the thing as well with no problem. I picked up the optional midi foot pedal for next to nothing on ebay, and this adds quite a bit of versatility to it, as well as BYPASS mode 9which the box does NOT have w/o the external foot pedal. It is certainly better than any other desktop box including the POD. When going into an amp, use the DIRECT OUT utility option, otherwise you color the sound in ways you probably don't want to.

As with all Digitech products, crank the gain volume and patch volume ALL THE WAY UP, to minimize any device hiss relative to guitar volume. It will run perfectly quiet this way.

The sampling is 44.1K and its 24bit-- so it sounds GREAT. Very happy with the sound quality-- and at the price you can pick these up on ebay from people who don't know any better-- it is a STEAL.

no problems at all.

never needed.

Nothing can touch it at the price, nothing. A wonderful addition to any guitar collection.

Neil Slade
The AMAZING Brain Music Adventure
www.BrainRadar.com

Do not be fooled, although it looks like a few knobs and buttons there are indeed many different things to learn with this unit. This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the patience of the user and sheer determination. I bought mine used for next to nothing with the Control-X board and was just plain excited to mess with all the features. Editing patches it easy enough to do- but the more you tweek it the better it sounds, so I do recommend downloading the manual from digitech's website if you didn't get one with the purchase.

This is where things get tricky. If you have no patience, and you only had planned on using the presets...well, don't expect much. The more hands on tweeking you do, the better your sound will be. One thing I don't care for about this unit is the major sound difference between recording with it and hooking it into an amp. In some cases what sounds good on your computer might sound terrible through an amp. The noise reduction is a blessing for rehearsal and live events but using too much of it on your patches will make your sustain short lived and fake sounding. I mostly use the rectifier patches and I am very pleased with the quality I can achieve.

I would gig with it, no doubt about it. But, any musician will tell you to never rely on one piece of hardware always have a backup just in case. The problem is with a unit like this if if it dies you will need a whole lot of pedals to fix the mess.

I have never dealt with them. This product is way out of warranty so all I can say is their website directed me to everything I could have needed so for that I give 9.

I play hard rock and metal and this suits me fine. I was actually more impressed with the clean sounds to be honest with everyone. I have been playing for around 11 years and I have had many pedals but this is a lot better for someone like me. If this were stolen I would probably get one of the newer digitech boards because they do a really good job at emulation. I like the flexibility that this product offers but it can be frustrating to find the right sound at times. I wish that they would have built the Control-X into the unit (haha). Overall I reccomend this to anyone with a home studio, patience, and a good vision of what they are trying to accomplish. Lazier audiophiles need look elsewhere.

Some of the utilities aren't as easy to figure out how to tweak but with a little time everything opens up.

This is actually the second time I am reviewing this product. I reviewed it about 3 years ago when I first got it. I was using it as a modeling preamp. I put it away about 8 months ago when I finally got a good tube amp and no longer needed the modeler. I then just started using analog pedals in my effects loop. Missing the versatility I had with my Control X and my Genesis 3 along with the excellent effects that it has, I decided to try it out in my effects loop. After I finally figured out how to turn the modeling off and only use the effects I was very, very impressed with the sounds I was getting, even more impressive than my analog pedals. BTW, to bypass the modeling, you just set the model to Direct and the Cabinet model to Direct. I had also tried out the Lexicon MX200 before I tried my Genesis 3 and it had excellent reverbs but the modulation effects just didn't cut it for guitar. The modulation and delay effects are where the Genesis 3 shines.

Mine has been very dependable. Although I did have a problem with it at a show where we were playing outside in the hot sun and the sound just stopped. I had to turn it off and then back on again and it worked fine the rest of the show. Not quite sure what happened but I assume it had something to do with the heat.

Never needed to contact them.

Overall this is a very good box. I have been very happy with mine. I think I like it more for the effects than for the models but I need to also say that I've used the s/pdif out to record directly to my computer and the sound quality was excellent. Very realistic tube sound. But not quite the same as my mic-ed tube amp. If you can pick one of these up for under 100 bucks, do it. You won't be sorry. One other thing I should mention. If you are planning on using this for live performances, there is a drop out of the sound when you change patches with a midi controller. However, you can control each effect individually per patch so if you just need to turn chorus on or off, there is no drop out. Or if you just want to change from the Green amp to the Red Amp model(both of which can be set to the same model with different gain and volume levels, I use this for lead boosts.), there is no drop out here either. Oh yeah, and if you use it in your effects loop just as an effects processor, you will normally use your amp to switch from distortion to clean so this doesn't effect that either. I just put my patches together so that I don't have to change them in the middle of a song but I can still tweak my sound at key intervals.

Pretty self - explanatory, I'm very experienced with studio and live gear (Degree in Music Tech) , and have been using modelers since the original POD.. easy to tweak, knobs and a few buttons. Nice.

I use the unit only for recording at home, guitars are a Les Paul, jackson DK1, American Floyd Rose Strat, into a FMR Really Nice Compressor, thru a Mackie Onyx Mixer feeding a Presonus FirePod. This all goes to a G5 running Logic with a Waves Platinum suite.. I like the sound quality on this unit a lot more than any of the PODs I've owned (Pod 1.0, 2.0, XT Pro) , and better than the Johnson J-Station I have laying around.. for distorted sounds this works a lot better to me than any of the software amp sims I've tried , but I can get better clean sounds from the computer.

I don't have a manual for the Genesis, I've never actually looked up what the models are supposed to represent, but most of them are very useable with some tweaking. The "Brit Stack" and "Boutique" are probably my two most-used settings. the warp thing is pretty great, you can dial in a lot of unique sounds very easily with it.

There is definately some digital-ness going on with this box, but with some careful processing, mixing, and layering, it can sound 95% like a well-miked tube amp when taken in with the rest of the instruments. It sits well in the mix.

I don't gig with it, I have a Boss GT-8 in my live rig, with a Marshall. It seems sturdy enough, but it's a piece of digital gear. I do bring it with me occasionally for a backup-backup (the GT-8 can go live into the board in a pinch, and it sounds pretty good)

I will say, I've had it for 4 years or so now, and it's made it through several cross country tours, getting thrown around and smushed!!

No idea.

I compose, play, all sorts of music, a lot of metal, punk, electronic mix. I bought this thing at Guitar center in Boston, $75 out the door, so I can't really complain. it's saved my butt on recording sessions a lot of times, and I've scored an entire animated show (22 minutes), using the Genesis for all the guitars, and some drum processing. One of the best value things I've ever had. It's not the best sounding thing out there anymore, but it still holds up pretty well!

Couldn't get simpler than dials in your face!!

I own a studio and also have all the toys..PodXt Live, Tonelabs SE, Zoom gr5, Digitech GNX-4...yes, I'm spoiled, but this thing blew me away. Originally, I bought it off ebay to resell. It's been sitting in my "future" selling items, but guess what..this baby's staying here. It took me about 2 minutes of playing it to realize the potential of the Genesis 3. The tones are phenominal unless you don't understand the unit and the warp feature is ultra cool. I disagree totally with the negative reviews..you guys are missing the point of this unit. It is a tremendous studio or live piece of gear. Keyed to professional ears. I used my Gibson LP to test and then the Wolfgang...sweeeeet! Did I mention the warp?..yes I did, but it tweaks the current sound 1 click at a time until you get what you want on that particular sound..it rocks. The effects are clean and modern. I think somewhere somebody forgot to mention that this is one of the studio flagships that Digitech made..designed for studio use mainly but also great for live..how nice to have just a midi pedal and 1 effects unit. Ok, I've been exhaustive in this review but I will give this a 10 because Digitech did such a nice job on the layout and the sound quality. Don't let the size of the unit fool you...this puppy Rocks!

N/A..but Digitech stuff is pretty tough.

I rate this very high but I said most of it in the sound quality section..so I won't bore you with it again.

Like any other effect-box, it takes a while to get used to it.

Take my word for it! I am a professional producer and guitarplayer, and I tell you that I have never stumbled on anything in this category of line-boxes that can ever come close to the sound of this one. It's useless to even compare the POD or the V-AMP with this little purple beauty. I have been looking for a crunchy and evil metal sound for ages, tweeking my fingers bloody with the POD and the likes, but they just can't beat this monster. Sure, many might say that the sound of the clean amp models isn't that convincing or "true", but who cares if you really only are interested in a dirty metal tube sound like the sound of Yngwie Malmsteen's Seventh Sign, or Evanescence's Fallen. This box kicks butt! Seriously. I use it only straight into a mixer and into my studio, and that's it. Lot's of superlatives - I know, but it's the truth.

100% So far. (I've been using it for 2 years now).

I use this unit with my band, BLAMF! I've mostly played it with my Les Paul Smartwood and Les Paul copies, although recently I've started playing more on my Yamaha RGX with an acoustic piezo built in and two humbuckers (I've switched the original Duncans for two gold covered Gibson pups I picked up at a yard sale). Good results with a Strat, too.

Easy to use with the built in presets, just dial through them, hit the button to choose the clean or distorted setting of the preset, hit it again to "warp" the two amps used with the preset. Turn the same button to decide how much of each amp. Turn another dial to switch amps or speakers. Three tone controls. Changing effects, programming presets, and programming new amps by warping amps requires a little more thought and a glance at the manual, but still not bad. The optional Controller X works well for channel switching and turning effects on and off, but the buttons are a little close together for toe tapping if you've got big feet and/or bulky shoes. Most of the time, the Controller X doesn't seem to activate the warp function, so you have to go back and tap on the unit. Once in a while it does activate the warp on certain presets, I have no idea why. What you can do is save your user presets with the warp as the initial setting, so when you go it you are already warped. The next two taps will switch to distortion and clean or vice versa, but the next tap probably won't go back to warp. So just switch to another preset and then switch back, and you're warped again. Or tap on the main unit. A little kludgy, as the computer guys say, but could be worse.

I've programmed my own amps and presets for most of what I do. My thought process is along the lines of "I like the Boogie preset, but it could use some more warmth, so mix in the Vox and save it as my new improved Boogie...", then flip through all the cabinets to get the best sound out of the blend and save the amp, tweak the tone controls and save the whole mess as a preset. I don't remember if it really was the Vox I mixed with the Boogie, but my "Santan" program is a lot more Santana then the factory "Carlos" preset.

For the amount of power that is there, it is really easy to use. That said, you aren't going to get all the power out of it without cracking the manual for at least a few minutes here and there. It's particularly important that you initially set up the unit for the type of amplification you will be playing through (e.g. direct, 1X12, 4X12), which is selected under the hood and is not directly related to the speaker simulations listed on the surface controls.

Let me straight with you. I don't use ANY of the factory presets. They all seem a little muffled or muddy with the exception of some of the sparkly clean Fender sounds. So far I don't do any "straight into the board" stuff either. Nevertheless, I'm giving it a 9 for the sounds you can program yourself. Think carefully what it is you don't like about the presets, combine ("warp") some of the amp simulations, tweak your tone controls, add a little reverb -- most of the sounds you want ARE in this box. My other secret is I am playing it through a real tube amp, a Fender Super 60. The combination of a real tube amp and tube amp emulations, along with your imagination of what it is you want to hear -- this set up gives me some of the best sounds I've ever worked with. And I've spent a lot of time fiddling with my equipment and the finest vintage gear in the music store as well. But you've got to be willing to keep playin' and tweakin'. The cleans can be very warm or very sparkly, and you can get an awesome sustained sound. It truly is like having a truckload of amps in a little box, but that doesn't mean you don't have to know how to use them. There is one thing that I feel is lacking, though, and that is a really good crunch. I've tweaked, I've programmed, I've rolled back my volume knobs, but the crunches all come out a little too "fizzy" in my opinion. My Zoom GM-200 does a great job of turning my 1X12 combo into a 4X12 Marshall stack, but it's not really a sound I need that much in public anyway, so c'est la vie. Genesis still gets a 9 for all it does do.

Come to think of it, the acoustic simulator also sucks, but you can get a very nice sound playing a real acoustic pickup through some of the clean amp simulations.

Something else I've overlooked is the effects. I recently picked up a great sounding, very sparkly DOD chorus pedal at a garage sale. But I'm trying to keep things simple and not add additional pedals, so I attempted to recreate it on the Genesis. Got very close, and I still have this sound attached to one of my presets. One thing that would be nice would if you could save effects tweaks and combinations the same you save warped amps and overall presets, so you could quickly apply your favorite effects settings in a variety of contexts. There are also pickup simulations, delays (with tap tempo), flange, tremolo. Using the Controller X, the wah is also very nice, much like a Crybaby. It's like having hundreds of dollars worth of pedals alongside your tens of thousands of dollars worth of amps!

There's a lot of power here for your money, especially now that this model is out of production and not the latest Digitech thing, so the price is sliding. I predict it will someday be considered a classic unto itself, and the price will go sky high. Although I take off a point because one expects an amp emulator to do every last thing, if it were just a single pedal costing the same amount that enabled me to choose between the clean and supersaturated sounds I can get here -- say it was called the "Sparkle Saturator", and never mind the additional effects -- I'd probably have to give it a 10.

Pretty dependable so far, although obviously it's plastic and you want to pack it nicely and not drop it on a gig. My backup for it is a Tube Screamer and the reverb built into my amp. I'd rather have the Digitech, but I can get by for a gig with just the Tubescreamer. Haven't had to do it yet, though. It's not like some plastic gear, where you have to ask yourself "did I just knock something loose by plugging in too hard"? Also, the Genesis IS my backup for my amp. If the amp goes, I can just plug the G 3 into the board. So as long as everything doesn't go at once, I'm OK. On the other hand, with the software included and the price falling, it shouldn't be too hard to have two identically programmed Genesises (Genesi??) at your beck and call to be totally backed up. But so far I've encountered no problems, and just take off one point cause it ain't made out of metal.

Haven't ever tried to contact them.

Having this unit has really helped me put the brakes on my amp lust. I feel like I've already got whatever I need right here, except that I'll occasionally plug in my other emulator, the GM-200, for my fix of Big Crunch. Also, having an electric guitar with a piezo pickup built-in makes up for the travesty of an acoustic simulation. Since 10 is described in the Harmony-Central overall ratings as "Fantastic Value", I have to give it a 10 overall, although I didn't give perfect 10's in the specific areas and there is room for improvement if you're expecting a do-it-all machine. It would simply take a roomful of amps and pedals to do what this thing does for a couple of hundred bucks. How can I not call this a "Fantastic Value"?

It's ok...needs some work to get it just the way you want, making it work with another midicontroller (read expressionpedal!!) is a pain in the ass. But overal you can get what you want, you just have to take your time.

My setup: Esp viper or epiphone V, both with EMG's, into a morley bad horsy into a/b/y box into either a 5150 2x12 with a rocktron replifex & boss ge-7 in the fxloop or the genisis3 into a poweramp. both lines run into the same 4x12 (behringer...the shit!!!, I split the cab in 2...using 2x12 for the genisis and 2x12 xtra to give me a 4x12 5150. All of this is controlled by a behringer (this company rocks) fcb-1010...
It's not noisy at all plus it has a built-in noise gate, so that wouldn't be a problem. There is no true bypass though, so if you would be wanting to use this pure for the effects, then pass. This unit has got some great distortion in it, and the effects are to die for, way better than all other stuff on the market (pods, vamps etc), the only thing you want to stay away from is the acoustic simulator.

The amp simulations are awsome, not true to the real ones, but who the &*^% cares and the ability to make it sound like you are using 2 amps at the same time is really frickin cool

I bought this thing second hand, and it still works like a charm, I've gigged with it with only an amp after it, and it survived. so yeah..good reliability, and guessing that most of us can't afford to buy everything twice (yeah..not everyone is a pro...just jet) it's gig-able without a backup.
But I've read that some people had some problem with it..so read that.

never had to deal with them

I play metal with influences from metallica to static-x to machinehead to korn. And it fits. You might be wondering, you've got all that other sh*t, and still you have this in your rig, it's flexibel, and it gives me room to get more out of my guitar sound, there is nothing I can't do.

So, if havn't got the awsome budget to buy expensive amps, go for this or the pods (easier to use), if you want to experiment deffinatly take this, if you are recording...BUY IT. If you really really want to sound like everyone else buy the real amps...happy spending

At first it might be a tad puzzling and frustrating so i'd recommend going trough the whole manual, cause once you get the idea of how the beast works it gets kinda easy.

Thats where i say it really excells, im a pro studio recording guitarist and you wont need anything else for recording end of story.

Goodbye all those other gimmicks, finally a "does it all" multi effect box that sounds incredibly great.

I did a couple of gigs with it and it never failed.
It's plastic, so dont drop your amp on it tought.

I wish it would have been made into a solid metal unit and with a direct power cord and internal supply.

My only fear is about this little power supply, it could have been a tad stronger, this little transformer box gets quite hot after a while.

Never had to contact them.

Im 37 and i started playing since i was about 14, all those years i bought analog pedals and other gimmicks, never really satisfied with my sound and now i got this, now i feel i got a music store filled with Amps and effects at the touch of a button...

I also record my own stuff with it and my computer at home, i play from Metal to classic, Blues, Funky, Jazz fusion, medieval anything and i can tune this baby to suit any style and sound.

Simply put i think its the best Guitar effect unit I've ever tried.

I have tried other fancy ones, rackmounts and all but their overkill and you end up spending much more time trying to figure and tweak your sound than actually play, wich is a nonsense from a creative point of view.

IT's a pain in the ass to tweak and use everything.

Great for metal, nu, shred, death, etc.. The guy was right on the money when he said any guitar you plug in will sound the same. Not the distortion, but your guitar reguardless of what pickups you have. With that said I love this thing for metal and constructed my own true bypass box so I can turn it off with the tap of the foot. I don't use this device for anything but distortion. Also, don't try running other pedals straight into the input of this. It craps out! It rapes the tone and sound horrible. Hence another reason for true bypass. This pedal kills the MXR dimebag and Doubleshot for distortion. If the guy wanted analog sound he was apparently too stupid to realize all digital does not equal analog. Duh

plastic, but lasting

excellent customer support.

This is a follow up to my earlier review. After spending some time with this unit. My opinions have changed alot from positive to more negative. The unit is moderately difficult because the smaller buttons and knobs control alot of facets of the FX on this unit. It's not intuitive and u have to remember what sequence of odd buttons u have to press to get to certain features of this unit. Even getting to the tuner is more difficult then the POD XT or V-Amp 2. They only have a single button u have to press to get to it. The Genesis, u have to press like 4 buttons before u can even get to the tuner. But that's just an example of the difficulty with some of the features.

This is where the unit is not so good. At first when i heard this thing, i thought it sounded great but it quickly started to annoy me. The sound is super clean and steril and digital. It's smooth and creamy but has no character or depth. It colors the tone and no matter what guitar u use, it all sounds the same. If you have a crappy guitar, this unit would be good but if u have a great guitar with nice pickups, this thing will make ur guitar sound the same as a $100 guitar. I can't seem to get the natural tone of the guitar nor remove that smooth silky sound to get the raw sound of the guitar through. There is also no true bypass. You can disable the amp and cab and FX but that's the best u can do and u can hear it muddy up the guitar tone. I tried using the unit just for reverb but it would color the tone of the guitar so u can't even make use of the FX alone. It's like looking through a class that always has a haze on it. If you like that synthetic digital sound and u want the same tone whether the volume is 10 or 1, then u'll love this thing. If you like natural guitar tone to come through and u like analog and varying tone based on attack volume and other factors, then u will hate this unit.

it still works and the knobs feel sturdy

no problem

Well, if u r a digital head, then u'll love this thing. If u r analog type, u'll hate this thing. No true bypass is annoying. FX r very cool. Unit does not allow guitar's natural tone to come through. It's like taking a delicious Ben and Jerry's vanilla ice cream and pouring all kinds of junk into like caramel, chocolate, and stirring it all up so it becomes a nasty soup. That's the tone of this thing.

UI is excellent, especially if you use the Windows-based GenEdit software, it makes setting up the patches and restoring them very easy and straightforward.

Using the unit itself was a bit more complex (not surprising, considering the amount of controls), but acceptable. I reverted to using GenEdit most of the time though.

I use an Ibanex SA series directly into the Genesis 3 directly into M-Audio for direct recording. That's how it's supposed to be used, as a direct recording digital amp.

I play mostly metal, death/doom in particular. I am sorry to say the distorion on the amp models really doesn't cut it for that genre, it was simply weak and unfocused. What was worse was the huge amount of digital artifacts/clipping I often notices when playing lower registers, especially palm muting (sometimes my speakers just farted with some of the amp settings).

Also, the effects sound VERY digital, not warm at all. Worse, they also exhibit a lot of digital artifacts that you'd never get on analog equipment.

In short, the Genesis 3 comes with a LOT of features, amps, effects, etc. The problem is that none of them are particularly good (for metal at least). You end up wishing you spend a bit more $$$ and had gotten something better.

In particular the inability to hook external pedals into it was very lacking. I tried using a Digitech Metal Master as my distortion (since I wasn't happy with the ones Genesis 3) had, but it was SO noisy when fed into the Genesis 3 unit it was unusable (even the built-in noise gate couldn't handle it).

End of story: after 6 months of wrestling with this unit I sold it on Ebay and lost nearly 50% of the money I paid for it. No more Digitech for me, ever.

Had no problems with it.

Never dealt with them.

Bottom line: lots of features, none of them good. Stay away from this unit, save up some extra cash and buy something better.

If you're into metal, stay away from this thing with a 10 foot pole. I tried my friend's Sans Amp GT2 after I sold my Genesis 3 and although it was not perfect for my style, at least it didn't have all the clipping/noise/crappy sound problems I had with the Genesis3.

Cheap product and you get what you paid for. Great if you bought your first guitar and don't want to blow $1000 on an amp...but you'll be looking for something better as soon as you figure out what power chords and palm muting is (2 months? 3 days? depends on your speed).

I purchased this unit brand new in box and it was obvious it was not operating properly from the moment it was powered up.
Unable to edit the effects sections

I was only able to get amp and cabinet sounds, they were very impressive.Unable to try outside of bedroom

Totally unreliable

since I purchased in the USA and I live in the UK my warranty is null and void.Customer support(USA)were speedy in responding but could not give me any help as to the problem.
The UK agent has never seen a genesis 3 but has charged me for a repair(approx $50)I am still awaiting return of the unit

Over the years I have had many stomp boxes and multi effect units and this is certainly the worst I have ever experienced I will never consider another product from Digitech.

There's afew things hidden in menus so it isn't totally intuitive from the front panel. However, it is very good and with the free editing software it is a breeze to edit sounds. Digitech doesn't claim that the tone controls work exactly like the original amp, but they are voiced well for each and are useful. I would like a presence control added, but you can't have everything. A nice touch is that the eq is more like a good mixer in that the mids and treble are semi parametric. The manual is adequite, but could be better. I downloaded the latest firmware and it works well.

In summary this is one of the best modellers available. The amp models are pretty convincing and the cabinet models are really good. I also own products from Line 6, Korg and Behringer. Far better sounding than any of the Line 6 products I've tried. It is more amp like and less artificial feeling. The feel is where this thing excells. I also like the low end of this more than the V-Amp. They are pretty close, but there's something a little better about this. The only modeller that I think sounds better is my Korg PX4, but that can't be controlled for live use easily. I think the Vox amps sound a little more convincing but this does sound good.

I use mainly PRS and a Fender Clapton strat. I'm going direct with it. The effects on this are very good. The reverbs are among the best I've ever heard in a digitech unit. I'm not trying to sound like other people, but you could probably nail most sounds with this.

But is it as good as a nice tube amp? No. I normally use Rivera amps and the feel isn't there yet. Not even close. No amp modeller I've played yet matches a tube amp for quality of sound and feel. But for what it is, this is very nice, especially if you need to cover a lot ground and have good effects. The Phaser and Flanger are right on.

I've owned it a couple months with no issues.

Haven't used it.

I pplay mostly in church and this is a good fit. I wish the tuning option couold be reached from a MIDI pedal other than Digitech's Control X. I think the Vox Tonelab will be superior to this, but at the price this is definitely the best for under $400. I own products from Line 6, Behringer and Korg and this is in the top ratings. Only the Korg PX4 is as good, but doesn't work well live. The Genesis 3 is far better than the PODs. If it were stolen I would probably bite the bullet and get the Vox Tonelab, but otherwise this is the best overall mix of features- especially at the price.

It is pretty easy once you go over the manual

It is quite good.as matter of fact,for practicing,and low volume situation,it does sound fantactic.Under these situations,it sounds better than using analog pedals.So the sound rating is playing at low to moderate volume level.

This is where rating takes a mega nose dive.If I could give it a negative 10,I would!The parameters keeps changing by itself!The delay,modulation rate,seeems to change on it's own.Untill I read the reviews on this site,I thought the problem I am having was an isolated problem.Well, looks like there are enough people with similar problem to start a political party.

I called Digitec,as another reviewer did, and told that it will cost me $80!!! to rectify what seems to be a defective product.What kind of company is this!It is one thing to charge repair cost for a product that was damaged due to wear or abuse,but it is totally wrong to charge repair cost when it is overwheimingly ovious that the problem is caused by some bad soft ware.

It is really to bad,because I do like this unit.I use it(without the effects that are problematic) with the x control remote foot controller.It is light and small,and for gigging,you can have the main unit stored way.I also like the effects in general.I urge other owners of genesis 3 with similar problems to voice thier discont.I have the feeling that there are a lot more than what we are seeing here.

The use of this unit is about as simple/difficult as any multi FX unit with all these features. You do have to read the manual to take full advantage of this unit. Overall tho, u can start using it pretty quickly.

I was surprisingly impressed by this unit's tonal quality and cleaniness. It was very clean and noise free. The clean tone is great and the distortion can generate any type u want from blues light rock to heavy metal and Eric Johnson and it doesn't sound cheap. I find that the tone on this is as good and better in some ways to the V-Amp but definitely better then the POD. I played it through my Crate G60 amp in the line in and it sounded pretty damn good. Recorded to the computer sounded excellent too. I was thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised overall.

I haven't had it long so i can't say.

No problems so far.

Overall, for the money i paid, i'd give it a 9 or 10. Only other one that i know gives as good a tone for this money is Behringer V-Amp 2. If your looking for a tubish clean sound, V-Amp will give u a better tone. For Distortion, this unit seems to have thicker higher gain sound. Overall, both units r good but of course, V-amp cost only like 120 and it comes with a case and a sturdy foot switch. It's tauce up tho. Digitech does have a slightly more synth quality tone but it's not a bad sound at all, it's just different. For more generic tone and live ampish sounding, V-Amp is the better choice.

Ease of use: well, that's kind of a tricky question. I would give this unit about a 7 or 8, because although it sounds great, it can be a little hard to edit it and tweak the effects. Well, that is before i got the USB to MIDI interface. Now, I use the GenEdit software, and editing is simple to get it how i want it to sound.
I have firmware version 1.2. I had it upgraded because i had the problems with it changing parameters on me (more about that later). Manual is good, but it could be more discriptive on the presets (as has been mentioned).
If you have and use GenEdit, very easy to use.

My setup is my current guitar of choice (PRS singlecut, dean EVO 7string, Fender Strat, Ibanez Acoustic/Electric are my favorites), that runs usually into a presonus bluetube (to help it get a little more gain and some of that "real" tube sound, i recomend it), then into the Genesis unit.
from there, i usually run it directly into my recorder using the spdif digital output, and use the analog outputs to go into a pair of studio monitors.
I also have the genesis hooked up to the Control X foot controler, either that or it's hooked up to my computer so i can change or edit patches with genEdit.
The sounds are great. They are so much better for recording then going through the hassle of mic placement and all that. Also, you get the sound of thousands of dollars of amplifiers for a tiny fraction of the price!
Okay, it doesn't sound *exactly* like your classic marshall jcm 800 or you fender twin or whatever amp, but it does pretty good. I would say that unless you art a totall tone guru, you wouldn't notice

It's dependable, but i never take it out of the studio. If i did, i imagine that it is sturdy enough to go gigging with.

I had the problem with the old firmware, but the thing is, i live about 3 miles away from the digitech factory. I just went on inside and asked the secretary for help. They got me fixed up pretty quick. It turns out all I had to do was update the firmware. I never had to call in, but I liked the service I got

In short: it's a great. better then the podXL and beter then te vamp. I would definatly buy this again if some punk stole it. it's probably my favorite piece of gear in the studio.

i only got the 1.0 version of the firmware so far but i will upgrade it via internet if i ever get problems, but being a computer tech i go by the general rule "If it's ok just dont mess with it!".
I think it is generally easy to use considering all it does, it's got loads of possibilities so it is a good idea to look up the user manual at first.
But nobody should need the manual just to try out the presets, plain easy.

Im using it for home studio recording with my computer.
And i practice stuff with headphones, sounds are incredible! really feels like those classic and expensive amps to me! and the effects are great too.
It costs so much less and it makes you feel you have a whole music store in your living room!
I can get this Eric Johnson lead or some Megadeth/Metalica nasty rythm sound without even having to tweak anything!
I have given it a quick try on my Peavy Musician Mark IV amp wich is a rather bad and dull sounding amp by itself, it made magic! altough i prefer the headphone sounds because even with everything at the 12 o clock position an amp will always influence the tone.
This thing is ideal for what i wanted to do, Computer studio recording.

It could be used at gigs but i dunno what i would do if i would have to switch from a clean to a nasty tone? turn the knobs with my toes?
I think this unit was mostly designed with studio/home recording in mind cause of that and the fact that it's plastic case would make me nervous to have someone walk on it by mistake.
add a way to change presets with floor switches and put the thing in a steel casing and this would be the ultimate sin!

i've had the thing for only a month, didnt need any support yet so i wouldnt know.

I play various styles and mostly original compositions, it is a very usefull and inspiring tool for me, i can close my eyes and turn the preset knobs, and try to see what this surprise sound will inspire me, or if i want to really sound like an artist i like, it wont take too much time before i tune it in.
I have been playing guitar since i was a 14 year old kid (36 now), and i have had a lot of stomp pedals and amps... this thing is like heaven sent to me!

If you read the maunal,it is not that hard to work with it.

It sounds pretty good to me at low to mid volume.Anything louder than that,I have found that the distortion sounds gets little unfocused.Maybe you need to amplify it with a very powerful amplifier with little to no distortion to preserve the definition.

Something similar has happend to my unit as some of the reviewers are experiencing,parameters changing on its own.

I did contact Digitec about this problem, but they are charging $80 to rectify what seems to me is a defective product to start with.

If I was not going through this problem,I would probably give this product a very high rating,I did get the external foot control unit(which is not midi),and with it,it can be a highly versatile effect processor.But with this kind of very serious problems,it is all most useless.However,I probably will get this thing sent to Digiech.I will try to post an update later on.

It's a complex peice of gear with lots of effects and parameters to work with and to get the best sounds out of it (which are excellent indeed) there's a wide gammit of tweaking to do. Studying the manual is a must. Not the best choice if your a live performer unless you purchase the midi foot controller, which I didn't because I'm a home studio guy. Could use more user patch storage, you only get 48 and it doesn't seem like enough with all it capabilites. You can transfer and store your patches using the software it comes with on your computer if you run out of room. The manual is good, it has several tutorials you can go through if the machine is just totally alien to you.

The sound quality is excellent. If you can afford only one effect system this a good place to start. You'll get every standard effect that you'll need for any type of music. This is something Digitech beats it's competition at, of course the trade off is there's a loss in simplicity of use. I bought it because the price was too good to pass up and I've been pleased with other Digitech products I've used. The presets aren't inspiring but that been true with all the other digital modeling processors on the market(I wish they would all get a clue!). You'll have to tweak it some to match well with your Guitar and Amp-Mixer etc. I found that the best sound were really achieved by using the Warp function, This allows you to create 2 virtual Amplifiers and blend them and this is what makes it so much better that the Pod,V-amp,Korg1500,DG-Stomp. This gives you a near endless amount of creativity because you can blend amplifiers and Cabinets over and over again, your sound can built from 6 different amps if you so desire. The effects are top notch and quiet and can be controlled by the footcontroller(unable to comment on the quality of this function).
CHORUS(excellent)
FLANGER(very good but limited without the computer software)
COMPRESSION(excellent)
PHASER(good)
TREMELO(very good)
VIBRATO(Good)
ENVELOPE FILTER(OK)
HARMONIST(very good)
WHAMMY(hard to tell without the foot controller)
PITCHSHIFTER(excellent, extremely smooth tracking and you can place it anywhere in the stereo field you like.
DELAY(very good, lots of options)
REVERB(hall,plate,church,garage,arena,spring)
NOISE GATE(good, tends to sputter sometimes)
AUTO WAH(ok)
PICKUP SELECTOR(cool idea and it works impressively)
ACOUSTIC SIMULATOR(poor)

I use it with all tube amplifiers Fender, Vox, Carvin and direct to a mixer/portastudio and multitude of guitars, it's compatable with them all. It doesn't work well with stompbox types of effects (which is disappointing, it's been the case with other modeling processors as well, it creates excess noise: unless you like noise).I like creating my own sounds and don't try to mimmick other people's sound because nobody does it better than the original. Having said that this thing will do country, metal, punk, psychedelia, funk, classic rock, be-bop/rockabilly post/punk, new wave, nu metal, jazz/fusion, pop, reggae, the only genre I would exclude is folk music.

I haven't had it long enough to tell. Some people have had problems it seems from some of the other reviews. It looks like some of the earlier models had some bugs. Hopefully these bugs have solved in the later versions.

Never Dealt with them.

This Thing's FUN, FUN, FUN and no one will take my Genesis 3 away.
I play a sort of Psychedelic/Early Punk/Orchestrated Noise kind of stuff. I've been playing and writing songs for 18 years and own quite a bit gear. I embrace vintage sounds of years past and enjoy the new modern digital technology too. I still record in the analog domain but the digital stuff gets better and better all the time and the Genesis 3 is another great advancement in the right direction. I've bought the POD( only used it a few times) Yamaha DG-Stomp(which I would also recommend if you can find one, great sounds but limited effects). I've tried KORG1500(very good as well) and the Behringer V-AMP(Ho-Hum) and the Genesis 3 is the best of these type of Digital Modeling effect processors. The most for your money, hands down. In 1986 when I started playing Guitar and I had one of these things it would of been the best thing to happen to me and my music. Young musicians of today are really lucky to have such creative tools at their disposal.

This is pretty straightforward if you understand effects and EQ. The manual is helpful but I also have a pod 2.0. and their manual is much more informative. Editing the effects and amps is pretty easy. I haven't delved too much into the cabinet tuning but like I said , if you understand eq and what you're looking for, I imagine it's not too hard. By the way, my genesis 3 is version 1.2. I think that they're up to 2.0 now.

With this unit I'm running several different guitars ( including an esp with emg 81's, a stock american series strat, a couple of modded strats with dimarzio super distortions and evolutions) directly into the gen3 into a tascam 4 track . I also purchased korg d1600 recently but haven't tried the genesis into it yet becuase it was gone for awhile ( the genesis, that is - see "reliability"). Anyway, I just use it for recording and have no plans to use it with an amp or PA. To me sound quality can be broken down into two catagories: amps and effects.
First- amps; I think all of the clean and medium gain models sound great, espcially the clean - really nice, smooth, warm and clear and that's even withouth tweaking them alot. The high gain choices I wasn't as happy with. They're ok. I had to tweak them alot and then I was only satisfied with the sound for rythym sounds, for leads I thought it was to harsh and brittle, that goes for all of the high gain moddels on there. I used to play out through a marshall jcm900 half stack with the gain cranked and for leads , I would just kick on a cheap mxr distortion pedal. I was happy with that tone and couldn't really find that in here. Although, I admit , I haven't spent endless hours with the genesis trying to achieve this. I don't have that kind of time. Consequently, I purchased a pod 2.0 and am much happier with that for high gain tones. But for the price and other feature , this thing is still a great buy.
The second area of sound quality for me would be the effects. This is why I LOVE the genesis 3. The effects are awesome sounding and there is alot of them. multiple reverbs , delays, flanges, phasers, chourus, and pitch effects amoung others including a thing called ya-ya which reminds me of Peter frampton playing through a talk box in the 70's. You can buy and expression pedal to control this effect and the famed digi whammy and also wah. I know that there are some severe snobs out there who say that the effects not professional quality but for 2 hundred bucks , they're great. I don't mean to toot my own horn here but I've been playing seriously for about 22 years and think I'm a pretty good judge of sound quality even though I'm not a tech/gear head. Even though I have the pod, the gen 3 will be an important part of my recording process because of its effects. The effects on the pod are not so great and the noise gate is almost non-existant. The noise gate and compressor on the genesis are really not good an easy to use. Again - for the price. I think that's what some of these negative review authors are forgeting about. I even use the compressor for my acoustic guitar and it works very well. I'm going to rate this high becuase of the effects and clean tones.

This is where I need to take away some points.
It's been a month and a half since I've had my gen 3 and I'm currently on my 3rd one !!
The first one: after a couple of weeks it started doing this thing when after being on for awhile, the effects would start to alter themselves. For example reverbs would swell, speeds would increase on the chourus, delay repeats would increase, pitch intervals would change, etc. I bought this from musician's friend , it was ver 1.0. I sent it back and asked if they could send me a more recent model as I don't have a pc at home and can't download upgrades. They sent me a version 1.2. This second one had a problem on the pitch settings - there would be distortion and wobbleing ( sp?) on the tone that was being played back. So that one went back and they have sent me another 1.2 that I just got the other day. Hopefully that one will be ok, I haven't checked it out too much yet. Other than that , as far as reliability, the outer casing of this thing is made of plastic and I'm not sure how well it would hold up if someone was playing out regularly with it.

Ehh - never dealt with them directly but they don't strike me as being so great. I'll explain. The first genesis I had didn't come with the genetix software and made no mention of the cakewalk guitartracks. It did have a card to send in if you wanted the software rather than downloading it so I sent that in right away. Month and half later - no software. The following 2 replacements each came with the disk. Digitech has a website with a message board that is not maintained by them but has some pretty help people who post there regularly. Another thing that was kind of off about digitech was around the end of November, I had sent away for a free GNX 3 demo video and didn't get it until this week (mid March !!) and they sent me 3 of them. Who knows maybe thats not a support issue but a mailroom one. But my guess is that it's probably the same people.

I play a varitey of music but mainly insrumental acoustic, rock, and hard rock pieces.Although, I do like to shred it up once in awhile. Like I mentioned earlier I've been playing for about 22 years. I'm through with playing out in bands and am now just mainly interested in recording my own music by myself in my own little studio. I have a few strats, a yamaha acoustic, an Ibanez bass, an esp EC-1000 ( awesome guitar - incredible for it's price), a yamaha keyboard, a pod 2.0, a tascam 414 and my beautiful new korg d1600. For an amp I just have a little mesa combo as I've traded in my marshall half stack because I have no use for it anymore. I live in a small apartment and do most of my stuff thru headphones as not to disturb my neighbors and/or wife. The genesis 3 makes a really nice addition to my gear as it's my main source of effects besides the ones that are in the d1600. I plan on running the gen 3 into my pod to see if I can get the best of both worlds ( effects & high gain)without too much noise or signal loss. If something happened to it, I would definiely replace it, I missed having one when I had to send it back a couple of times for replacement. I highly recommend this for any one looking for a low price multi effects unit and something to play thru with headphones. If you're just interested in ultra high gain moddleing, get the pod ; but make sure you have an additional noise gate with that sucker.

quite simple.. especially with the genedit software stuff, you can even tune cabinets but that beats me.. I havent gone in deep the parameters deep but it is really quite easy to edit; i can dial up tones during live performances, depending on the PA..

A mexican fender strat (I think its a cheap richie sambora model)-with a dimarzio humbucker in the bridge and a seymour duncan vintage rails pickup>>>>cry baby>>>sans-amp gt-2>>>>genesis>>>PA.. No noise, even with my sans-amp on. The modulation effects are great, I love the phaser and flanger. The one reason I bought it that it has really good effects. The amp settings.. well I guess theyre quite ok, but you really got to dial up to get a really good distortion tone, I mean it takes some time to dial up a distortion tone that sounds like the gt-2, and i can get a good distortion sound from the gt-2 in seconds.. but since there is the warp function, you can find your way.. there are some uploaded patches on the net, for example I've found some nice dist settings such as the ts-9 and DS-1.. What I love most is the compressor.. it is just like the Boss Cs-3, it beefs up the sound and doesnt suck up the harmony of the chord/melody you're playing.. the cleans are much better han the v-amp and the pod 2.0, I personally use 3 settings of clean tones; a regular clean, one with some flanger and a dynamic clean solo tone, then a use the gt-2 when I need distortion... I dont use a midi controller since I have problems with the device which I will explain later on... I use it primarily at gigs (although its no designed to go on road) and sometimes at home for recording.. the recording features are quite good, ive done a couple of songs, they sound quite fine and its quite quiet even in front of the computer.. the gate sure works fine...

This is where it sucks.. In my country (Turkey) the voltage is 220 DC and this device simply goes nuts when there is a voltage decrease and it starts to change the parametres on its own; it turns on the chorus and it makes totally unusable sounds; imagine that happening during a gig.. I have to buy UPS and carry that around now how lame is that.. I contacted digitech support and they told me to buy a rack mounted power supply, I bought the device for 300$, whats the logic in buying a 450 dollar rack mounted power supply??? well I use the device in gigs but I make sure that the power is regulated and always carry a backup (which I never do). this elecricity stuff is really bad though...

I've sent them an e-mail and they responded fast, but not with a feasible answer, I sent one more, same attitude, one more the sam attitude, they sure are fast but show little interest for my problem, and this problem is a known problem for my country and I have a friend who cant take out his GSP 2101 out because of this electricty problems. I give a 5 for fast response

I play for a local rock singer who has released his first album recently and the songs are clean tone rock, seldom distortions except solos; and cover stuff like REM, cure, U2, etc. I've been playing for 10 years now and have always used multi effects because they are easy to use during gigs and really few people can tell the difference.. the bad thing is that you have to buy a foot controller; the control X is ridicously expensive, I think I will go for the behringer FCB1010 IF I can solve the eletrical problem.. I like the sounds, I like its easiness, I like that it has a small screen that shows the name of the patch (unlike the pod or Vamp) nice green and red lights which I can see in dark situations (I usuallly wear sunglasses on stage :)) I like the compressor, amps, especially effects, delays and reverbs are cool.. I wish it had a leslie on it though, the pod has lesli on it and its swell..
If it was stolen I'm not sure that I would buy another one because it caused a lot of pain because it has the probability of going nuts during a gig and thats not something I'd like to experience... I sure does sound good, and I did not like digitech (or DOD) stuff before but this one is quite cool.. I give it an 8 because it sounds good, looks good feels good but is not dependable for gigs but thats not it was designed for...

Quite hard if you want to go deep, If you just wanna get started it's really easy but there is no magic that way..
Everything is very logical though, but you do need to understand an eq properly, what all parameters mean in an effect and how a compressor work, eq being the most important thing.

Extremely good, why not everyone has one of these and dumps all other equipment they have is a mystery. Only way I can explain it is, a big stack looks more impressive..
This thing kicks ass!!!!

I hope so

Don't know

This is a miracle machine. All amps sound good, effects are amazing. But it is in the tuning of the cabinet and the ability to change the eq-s centre freq that makes this thing completly remarkeble.
Making a good electric guitar sound is easy, find an amp that you like, get a cabinet you like for the sound you're looking for, listen for what is missing, change channel to red, do something similar and then warp them, save it as a new amp. Love your new sound.

But that's not why I love it.

For 5 years I have invested thousends of dollars in getting a good sound on my acoustic guitar. I have the best magnetic pickup, the best under saddle pickup and condenser mic, One of the best blenders on the market, reverb, tube compressor, top end steel string guitar. I mean I got the works. I can eq the mics seperatly, I can do anything to make my guitar sound as a guitar through vertily any PA system. On my way of doing this I have bought and sold many many products and learnt everything there is to know about this.

So what's the problem? Well I ended up with a million cables and something always broke down, but most imprtant, it took a while to dial the sound in and when I had, I had one sound. But playing with your fingers, playing with a pick, on your own or with a drummer. All those things require different sounds, I could get all of them, but I could only get one at a time, or, one per night. That basicly sucks.

This unit makes all those problems go away. It took me about 20 hours and I have a couple of years doing research for this so I know frequenzies and all that shit in my sleep, but the result.. One cord from my guitar, only the magnetic, reliable no battery pickup in to genesis 3 and I'm done. Patch 1 Big strum normal sound, red channel a bit louder
Patch 2 less bass red channel a bit more volume
patch 3, with a chorus

etc etc etc

Oh man, I am the happiest guy in the world, no more worries.

Thank you genesis 3.

If you take a patch, put the same amp on both channels, enter the cabtune mode, you have 6-band semiparamtric eq, now who can beat that?
When they put out the software that can change the q-value as well, I might start humping this thing..

Fairly easy to use. The manual is a must in order to get good tones out of this. You have to set up the target system in order to make this sound good. I originally put it in my effects loop and had the target system set up to go into the FX return on a 4x12 combo but I just couldn't get any good sounds. I then plugged directly into my amp's input and changed the target system to IN4x12 and BINGO. Awesome tones. You should definitely play around with these to find what sounds right for your setup.

I have run either a Ibanez RGT42, ESP MH200, or an Ibanez RG770 into a Morley Wah->Genesis3->Crate GX900->Fender 4x12 cabinet.

The unit appears to be reasonably quiet(except for the accoustic simulator). The noise gate works extremely well.

Most of the presets are a bit overprocessed for me so I took a couple and stripped all of the effects off and built them from scratch. This is what I recommend that you do because once you get rid of all of the effects, you really get a good feel for the amp model and can build your tone from there. I haven't really built any Hypermodels yet because there is so many different tones available in the 16 models that I haven't had a need for anything else yet.

The accoustic simulator is the only thing that didn't impress me much. It actually sounds OK but it is just too noisy for any practical applications.

I play out quite a bit and I am definitely going to use this thing live as soon as I get my Control X. It's not like the old fuzzy digitech junk. I used to own an RP7 and a 2101 and this thing is hands down better than either of those units.

Seems to be pretty solid. But only time will tell.

Haven't had to contact them yet.

Digitech has really put out a good unit with this one. The distortions sound like real tube distortions and not like the fuzzy solid state stuff you find in older products. And the cleans are equally nice. The effects are great too. The tuner kind of sucks, I'm hoping that the Control X has a better display for the tuner. I also don't like the fact that you HAVE to have the Control x to bypass the unit easily, but oh well I'm buying that too. This seems like a marketing ploy by Digitech to get you to buy the Control X instead of another midi controller. All in all, I would definitely get this unit again if it were lost or stolen. It's quickly becoming an integral part of my sound.I've been playing for 15 years(professionally for about 10). I know good tone and this unit definitely has it. It's obviously not the same as having the actual amps that are modeled but it comes very close and when you think about comparing the cost of all of those amps to the cost of this little unit then it becomes a no-brainer, this thing is a great value. Definitely a keeper.

I know alot of people are into the "amp modeling" thing and try to find out which unit is the best, so I will use the LINE 6 POD and Behringer V-AMP 2 as references when comparing features, etc. I currently own a Behringer V-AMP 2 and previously owned a POD. (I tried out the PODXT, but something just didn't sit right with me when I played it).

When I first bought the unit, I thought that editing functions, etc. would be difficult but that is definitely not the case. It is a piece of cake editing on this thing. It is basically setup like the POD and V-AMP where you turn the knob to the different amps and cabinets. The gain, bass, treble, mid and amp level knobs are clearly labeled and can easily be accessed.

The manual is very easy to follow. You really only need it for key things. Once you have messed around with the unit a bit, you probably won't go back to the manual. I have not messed with the online functions, but I have seen the site and know that there are plenty of patches, etc. available. Also, a copy of GUITAR TRACKS 2 by Cakewalk and the twin program (for a MAC computer) come included with the unit.

One thing I noticed that I didn't like is that when you tweak the bass, treble, etc. settings, you have to turn the knob almost a full turn and then you go into an "edit" mode when you can change the level. I wish it instantly started changing immediately upon touching a knob. Just a picky thing.

I can't really complain about ease of use. I wish there were more amps already available so you didn't have to build and save your own.

I am running a Gibson Gothic Explorer into this thing and then into my computer for recordings. This thing is WAY quieter than my V-AMP 2. I get no noise, even with my computer monitor right in front of me.

EFFECTS- I think that the effects on this unit are outstanding and smoke all of the other amp modelers out there. The effects sound "in your face" and ambient. There are alot of useful effects. The downtune is really cool and I even like the acoustic simulator, which I thought I would hate.

HIGH GAIN- This is a hard area for me. As much as I want to complain about there only being 16 different amp types, the WARP function allows you to build an endless supply of amps. The only problem is that I don't really know what I am trying to emulate by mixing a tweed with a brit stack, etc. The sounds I am getting are very cool, and maybe that is ok. The heavier amps are rectified and high gain. Modern gain and Hot Rod sound great also, but they are not as saturated as I would have expected. The clean and medium gain amps sound great.

CABS- The cabs sound good, but this is probably an area where LINE 6 did a better job. Don't get me wrong, they sound good but a few of them are just a bit off. There is a cabinet pitch function which I have not tried yet. That might add some cool things to the mix.

The WARP thing sounds really cool when you mix two amps. I have not delved into this enough yet to know what sounds I want, but you can really go bananas with this thing. It is really great being able to mix and match two amps for a really unique sound.

Digitech seems to make solid stuff. I have never had a problem with any of their products.

I like playing with alot of gain. The rectifier, high gain, etc. settings alone will give me the sound I like, but I wish there were more choices. The POD and V-AMP 2 offer 32 amps out of the box, but I guess they don't have the WARP function.

The clean on this thing beats the POD hands down and is probably equal with the cleans on the V-AMP 2.

I was planning on buying another POD, but since the price dropped on this ($199) I picked it up. If you like creating new sounds, etc. then the Digitech would be right for you. If you want patches identical to certain players, etc. then I think the POD is a better choice.

Between the three units, I think that the POD wins for high gain abilities since it has the Insane setting and the Soldano amp, etc. For cleans and effects, the Digitech sounds outstanding. The Digitech also wins based on how noise free the unit is. The Genesis 3 is right up there with the big boys. It is hard to compare the three, so I recommend trying one in person.

It's easy enough

Sound quality is not bad for some applications (modern hi-gain sound and sparkling clean being most notable), but I have a few major problems with the Genesis 3. I would highly recommend that no one buy this unit. Read on, I'll explain. First, let's look at what the Genesis 3 is: This unit was designed by DigiTech as a second version of it's failed Genesis 1 processor, both the Genesis 1 and the Genesis 3 are direct competitors to the mega successful Line6 POD 2 direct box, the problem is, for the price you pay, the Genesis 3 is a not a value at all. It, like the recent RP50 is a disgrace to the DigiTech name, a name that once stood for quality, but is quickly becoming known for poor, overpriced products.

The Genesis 3 features 16 amp models, but the tube simulation is quite horrible, try to dial up a vintage Fender amp here and you'll get a novelty sound that only a fool would record with. If you look at competing products such as the POD 2, J-Station (also made by DigiTech) and V-Amp 2. It's clear the J-Staton and Genesis 3 have the poorest sound quality (note: the Rectifier model on the J-Station is actually better than the one on the Genesis 3, go figure that one). So as an amp modeler (which is what this thing is marketed to be) I'd give the Genesis 3 two stars! Out of it's limited selection of (16) amp models only four or five of them sound professional grade.

Moving on to effects, the unit has plenty to pick from here, but they are average at best. The DigiTech RP100/RP200 effects and amp models sound identical (I came to this conclusion after spending about an hour comparing the RP100 and Genesis 3 side by side), DigiTech is charging you the extra hundred for the MIDI input and S/PDIF digital out option (which they took from their failied J-Station product), if you do not need this options (few of us do) then pay $100 less and buy the RP100. Or, if you need quality amp models and fewer effects then buy a Behringer V-Amp 2. The V-Amp 2 is probably the best value in the guitar effects market, because it sounds identical to a POD 2, but cost hundreds less, unlike the overpriced Genesis 3, the V-Amp 2 does almost do it all, like the POD 2 it can come very close to reprodicing that real tube amp sound, it's amp models sound real and almost all of them are useful, plus you get 32 models with the V-Amp 2 (sorry I didn't mean to make this a plug for the V-Amp 2, but I'm just disgusted with DigiTech for trying to sell the Genesis 3 for $70 more than the high quality Behringer product, yet provide less features guitarist need).

No clue.

No clue.

If you must buy one, I suggest buying from a return/exchange friendly chain of music stores and if possible take the Genesis 3 home along with the Behringer V-Amp 2 or the DigiTech RP100. Both of the later products are priced appropriately for what they are (the V-Amp 2 is actually a steal for what it is). Once you open the Genesis 3, keep eveything togeather because this is the one you'll be taking back.

The Genesis 3 definately has usable sounds right out of the box, and that is a really good thing because the user interface is a little less than intuitive. I used to live in Utah and I swear this is what we used to call Utah Logic. But regardless of what the last reviewer said Utah is pretty cool. Anyway, the interface is great once you learn it and it is easy to get excellent sounds tones very quickly.

Here is where the G3 shines. It sounds truly great. I owned a POD 2 since 2000 and sold it because I just could not take the boomy bass and the far away sound any longer. The G3 fit right into a mix and easily puts you over the top without turning up the volume. I also had a V-Amp which I really liked also. But of the three I like the G3 the best. Most of its amp models are generically named which when you think about it is really appropraite. I never really believed all this crap about R&D associated with amp modelling. It is all about tone (not marketing) and the G3 has loads of it. And the morph thing is loads of fun. At first I thought it was just mick but it is one great sounding gimmick.

Its made of plastic and I would never gig with an amp modeller. I have been playing for a long time (37 years)and play out on a regular basis. I use a 66 Fender Deluxe for medium gigs (bars) and come to think about it thats the only place I play.

Don't know but there is a guy who works there who used to work on my guitars at Wagstaffs Music and he was gifted in terms of technical ability.

Yes I'd buy it again and am very happy with my purchase. It is hard to keep away from it because the tone is that good. It is really inspiring. Its also makes a nice sonic distinction between single coils and humbuckers.

n/a

Considering how technology has evolved so rapidly over the last several years, you would expect a unit like the Digitech Genesis 3 to have broken new ground by providing a professional effects processor for relatively cheap. You expect to rip open the package and start hearing these subtle tube-like distortions and shimering chorus effects or professional reverbs that will take your music to a new level. They talk a lot about organic sounds and being able to morph your amps and a lot of other cool things. You start to develop this urgent feeling that if you're not playing through one of these units then you're falling far behind the times, like someone who hasn't learned how to use the internet yet.

In reality, this unit is anything but innovative. It reminds me of the cheap effects of the early 90's. The problem here is that the genesis and gnx products were engineered quickly to compete with the Line6 products which were rapidly controlling the marketplace. Genesis 3 (gnx) is really the result of losing out on the market share and the fear of falling stock value. In fact, Digitech has been unable to innovate anything even remotely interesting for at least 12 years. The last important product they developed for guitar was the 2101 (two space rack unit with two 12x7 tubes in the preamp section) which quickly became the 2112 with a better user interface and a nicer look. They finally ended production with the 2120 SGS artist in early 2000. It's street price was around $899 and the sound quality was only "ok".

Since then they have probably been scratching their heads wondering what to do next. So they try and follow in the steps
of line 6 amp modeling but they don't put any work into research and development. Instead they simply recycle old ideas
into smaller cheaper marketable products and pretend as though it's new. It's probably Digitech having too many uptight brainwashed employees in suits driving away the talented in favor of dull conformists who know how to do good market research. Good Utah employees who know how to push buttons! As a result, Digitech has lost all connection to music (did they actually have any to begin with?) and as a result their products sound empty and hollow.

I guess the thing that bothers me the most is that a lot of naive young guitar players will fall victim to the Digitech hype and then wonder why musical development is so hard. I really believe that badly engineered products like this actually stunt musical growth. Lets face it, most people who learn guitar do so without much instruction or help from a professional. A lot of time is spent sitting by yourself plucking away trying to figure out exactly what music is and how you create it. If you're limited to these kinds of products, you stand a good chance of giving up playing all together.

I would recommend that you save your money and buy a good used tube amp. Don't buy anything which claims to model tubes or sound like tubes. Make sure the tube amp you buy is suited to the kind of music you like. Then invest in a couple of good used effect pedals. These are easy to replace with new ones when you want to experiment with a new sound. I'd also suggest a good used rack dedicated to reverb. This is the only way to get good sound that will allow you to develop into a musician. Avoid the hype from companies like Digitech that care more about your money than your music. I learned the hard way by waisting a lot of time and money with these new digital amp emulators and I can honestly tell you that it will take you no where fast!

If you don't take my word for it, go to digitech website linked below. You can hear samples for yourself. After listening, you'll see that no one in their right mind would play one of these things. No wonder Digitech suddenly slashed the price on this thing. About 3 months ago they were close to $400 each. Now it's down to $199. Two more months it will be $139. These units are desti

Its made from cheap plastic. It's not designed for anything other than sitting on your desk top. if it doesn't leave your bedroom, you have a good chance of having it around for a while without problems. someday it will make a good door stop.

Never dealt with digitech. I owned the Digitech 2120 back in the 90's and had a lot of communication problems with them. I'm not sure if they are more up to date with customer relations these days. Check other reviews.

My final word on this is. Don't buy one. They have a horrible tone and sound terrible. Nothing musical here at all.

This is a follow-up from an earlier post. I think that it is valuable to review gear after the "I just bought the thing" stage.

I've decided that I like the warp control. It is really helpful for taking the edginess out of some of the presets, or just cleaning them up a bit.
I've been too lazy to hook it up to the computer, so I have not dumped the patches that I have set up. But I like this feature (in theory).
The tuner still sucks - it will never be my primary tuner.

I'm still quite happy with the sound quality. I have two different setups that I use it with - little PA at home with the mains as my primary monitor source, and big PA/little amp at gigs with the little amp as my primary monitor source. This has caused some problems because I set up patches based on my "PA" sound and they sound brittle through the amp. I need to figure out how to EQ the amp to more closely match the sounds from the PA.
I'm particularly happy with some of te more subtle amp sounds. I hardly ever use the Rectified patch - it is just to irritating to me.

I have now been gigging with this for a while. I had initial plans to buy a midi pedalboard, but I haven't done that. I just set the thing on a stool with te left channel going to PA and the right going to amp. No problems. I don't spill on it and I don't yank it off the stool, so I am not too worried about it breaking. I DO hate those stupid little power supplies, though.

Never needed them. Their web site sucks.

The stuff I play changes nearly every gig, and so do the patches. Thus, usability is a big factor for me. Bottom line: it has been a benefit as a creative tool and not a detractor. It is a keeper.

A good thing about the Genesis3 is that it sounds great right out of the box. The factory patches contain pretty much everything from squeaky clean to dirty as hell! Playing with the amp and cab models is very easy when you start to understand that you've got 2 amps and you can switch back and forth. The effects are a little more difficult to get to with the small buttons. Personally, my Genesis3 is rigged up to a computer so I can use the GenEdit software, it makes editing patches a whole lot easier.

Before buying the Genesis3, I had tried the Line 6 POD Pro and the Behringer V-Amp 2. The sound quality of the Genesis3 was far superior than the V-Amp, I would say it was equal to the POD Pro.
I'm using the noise gate a lot in the heavier patches to reduce noise when I'm not playing. The cabinet tuning great for getting excatly the tone you're after.

I've only had it for a few days, but it looks like something that would need to be handled with care. If I was to gig extensively with it, I would probably buy a backup unit.

Didn't have to deal with customer support, but I did go download a new firmware version and everything went very smoothly.

This device is perfect for me. I use it for PC recording in conjunction with Cubase SX and Reason 2.0. It gives me excellent guitar tone without having to mike any amps. I use it mostly for it's Mesa-Boogie Rectifier sound. I was using a Boss Metal Zone and this thing is even more versatile and powerful distortion-wise.
To me, this device is just as good as the POD Pro except it's 1/3 the price. Great Value! Highly recommended!

Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to get around. However, it takes a few hours (at least!) to get there. I was intimidated at first - and not to mention confused! Don't throw away the manual! I found myself referencing it a lot in the beginning.

I play a Gibson Explorer and BC Rich Mockingbird through a Mesa Rectoverb and Marshall TSL60. I quickly found hard-rockin' sounds I was happy with through the G3 (which I run through my PC speakers when using Cakewalk, or plug my headphones straight into). I think the effects are all top-notch as well - the flanger especially. I've read users complain about the G3 being "muddy" or "distant". If you don't re-adjust the equalization and presence knobs each time you change models, this happens (which is a minor pain). So, just re-adjust the knobs and you'll find your sound.

It seems reliable and durable, but it just stays in my apartment - so I haven't really put it to the test. I don't gig with it, or even travel with it for that matter.

I play original music heavily influenced by lots of rock - from Aerosmith to Motley Crue to Fu-Manchu to Dynamite Hack. I've been playing for about ten years. Although I gig with a "real" rig (Marshall and Mesa amps), the G3 is a great way for me to experiment with new song ideas and record them onto my PC (using Cakewalk's Gutiar Track Pro). Between all the amp models, speaker cabs, and effects, I often times can't put this thing away (even though I have to get up for work in only a few hours). The "morphing" feature is really cool. It's already been described in other reviews, so I'll just spare the description of what it is and say its "awesome." I'm not familiar enough with Line 6 to really give a fair comparison, but I know I was drawn to the G3 because it was significanly cheaper. All in all, for the money, this is one of the best toys a guitarist can buy!

It's easy to use and very logical. The instructions are right on. The only difficulty I've had is being able to match sounds I hear on my CDs exactly, but I think that's because I haven't spent enough time with it. When I get the patch editing software from digitech, it should be easier. I managed to get very, very close to the effects from Rush-Roll the Bones, so it seems like the sounds are there to be found.

Everything is quite good, good, not great. Like others have said, this unit kills similar priced practice amps. I have a Crate GFX-120, I think that's the correct prefix, and the Gen 3 is much better. It's a great practicing tool and it highly useable for live performance, but I want better. So I got the Digitech 2120. There's no substitute for tubes.

Very Good. No problems.

Don't know yet. I'll be contacting them soon.

At $199 on musiciansfriend.com, similiar modelers (line 6, VMP 2, Johnson Amp) aren't as good. You might try out the Yamaha Stomp. I never tried that one. Also, there are many digital rack units that I've never heard that might be better. If it were stolen I wouldn't replace it. I'm moving on to tube preamps and tube amplifiers. Sometimes the wave of the future is the past.

This is my first Digitech product, and I have heard mixed reviews, but it has been very easy to use. It is easy to spend lots of time piddling around with it, just because it can do alot. I like the way you edit patches on here better than on the POD (I have a bass POD). When you turn the knobs on this thing, you can see the value that you are starting from. I find that helpful. The manual is fine, but not very interesting (I think Line6 does a better job here talking about the original sources and what the patches are intended to be). Complaints: the tuner sucks - too jittery.

I use this unit with a Schecter PT-elite and have been getting very nice results. There is always the "this doesn't sound exactly like my tube amp" comment, but it sounds pretty darn good. The presets are a little over the top, but once you tone them down I realy like the sound. Most of the effects are pretty good. Unlike the POD, you can access all of the parameters without heading for the software (with only very few exceptions). This is, in my opinion, well done. The amp models are fine. I can get a nice, crunchy, drunk Joe Walsh sound. I also like the blackface. It can be very clean, but you have to be careful not to overdrive it.
I plug directly into the Genesis and send the stereo outs to the mixer. I have a Laney LC50 and a Fender Deluxe Reverb (mid 70's) that are both collecting dust while I noodle with this thing. I have to turn the Fender up too loud to get the sounds I want. The Laney is very nice at reasonable volumes, but not very versatile. I play in settings where I need to be able to produce a very wide variety of tones, this is fitting the bill quite nicely.
I should mention that I am stomp-box challenged, which is why I was looking for something with decent effects. I like the unit.

So far I am pretty happy with the reliability, but I have yet top really press it. It mostly sits in my little studio/rehearsal room. I really like the portability. I will be getting a MIDI foot controller, so I don't expect that it will get kicked around much.

Sorry, no experience with them. Passable web site. I've seen much better.

I'm all over the board stylistically, from fingerpicking acoustic to jock-rattling rock. I have to say that I hate the acoustic sound, but I'm REALLY picky about acoustics.
If I lost it (or my wife found it and threw it out ;-) ) I would hem and haw about a POD then come to my senses and buy another one of these. I looked at PODs, J-Station (same thing really), Korg stuff, even pedal boards (Korg, Zoom, Digitech, Boss). I guess I just like the sounds and the format. I like being able to have it on my desk, or on a stand-shelf. I like the MIDI interface. I like pretending I'm a rock star playing a screaming solo (at night, in the basement, without waking the kids!). I'm happy.

Sounds great! This unit was not as easy to operate "on the fly" as the POD or V-Amp but once I read the manual I found the learning process went smoothly without much frustration. I'm glad I was patient because during "side by side" comparison testing with the POD and V-amp I was at first leaning towards purchasing the V-amp because I found it easier to navigate and it sounded great (I still a fan of the the V-AMP and I have recomended the V-AMP2 to many friends) but I ultimatly decided the sound and effects quality superior on the Genesis 3. This unit is "cool" folks. Especially if you like to play around with presets and experiment with new or vintage sounds. I seem to find a new sound or application everyday. Need to get out of a sound or style rut? Just plug into the Genesis 3(just be prepared to spend WAY to much time on this machine-and remember to get at least a few hours sleep each night!).

I am currently playing a Dean EVO FT (solid mahogony body w/maple top) with 2 Humbuckers. The bridge pickup has a coil splitter tap. One thing that impressed me was I could hear a clear difference in sound when I split the coil(I had not previously noticed this during my in store testing so I can't compare this with the other units). Excess noise was not a problem and the built in noise gate seems to work fine with plenty of range. I found the amp simulations as good or better than the POD or V-amp. I love the vintage Marshall,Mesa Boogie and Matchless sounds but of course that's always a personal thing. I find that with some "tweeking" any amp simulation can be changed to accuratly copy a vintage tone or more impressivly get at least close to a particular artists tone. For instance a more unique Brian May or Tom Sholz type sound is achievable with a little knowledge of their amp set up and original effects use. I'm currenty working on both these sounds-both seem to require use octave/harminizor effect offered on this unit. I am also working on recreating the Peter Frampton Marshall/Leslie speaker sound by using the rotary speaker effect. I mention these 3 examples to illustrate once again the fun to be had with this unit if you are patient and enjoy the challenge. The effects offered on this unit are by themselves impressive enough to have been offered as a stand alone unit. While of course each effect probably has a more impressive "stomp box" version on the market (some of which are made by Digitech by the way) keep in mind that you could never buy this many effects for the price of this one unit. That coupled with the fact that you can combine multiple effects and store them as part of a preset makes this a dream come true for someone like me who as a kid owned a few effect pedals but had a "wish list" of effects pedals a mile long! The genesis 3 even lets you combine 2 amps sound into 1 new "warped" amp sound (even amps presets you have customized or created yourself). Visit the Digitech web site or visit your local music store to see/hear the various effects offered - To many to list hear but I will mention I found the basic effects work fine and the delay and pitch shift effects were more usefull that I first imagined they would be. I recomend using headphones the majority of the time. The CD input "play along" feature works great. It's very easy to balance and blend levels. If you do use with an amplifier you MUST change the signal output. This unit has multiple settings for various amp/speaker combinations ( I recomend reading the manual for this one). I have not yet direct recorded anything with this unit but I imagine the digital out feature will make for great sounds. The supplied software appears basic but usable. It is possible this is a strong feature of this unit but I have yet to try it (still stuck in an "analog" state of mind I guess)

No problems after 4 months. I play for many hours straight and this unit has shown no problems at all. I recomend checking this catagory under the 'Johnson J-Station' as the Genesis 3 is basically an upraded version of the same product. The plastic case and the fact that it is basically just a circuit board wrapped in plastic will keep this unit at home and away from the kids! If guarded closely it could probably work at live gigs. I don't personally think they were designed for that application. I might be tempted to use the effects section only (no dedicated bypass channel but can be done from what I have read).

I have had no direct contact with Digitech. The Digitech web site is nice and the user group section is starting to offer more and more user submitted downloads. User discussion forum seems usable although I would have liked to see more interaction from a Digitech rep. (may questions appear left unanswered).

Overall rating...lets just say that for me, a 40 year old father of 2 who decided to revive a favorite part of his past -guitar playing- and who wanted to get the most out of his now rare leisure time, the Genesis 3 has provided me with hours of fun, challenge and inspiration. Inspiration? A strong word but probably the one word that describes the feeling I get each time I plug into this unit. I can not recomend strongly enough how usefull a creative tool these amp simulators are and so easy to use! Their great for casual playing, recording, songwriting and all at arms reach in the comfort of your home! Can you get the same feeling with other units like the POD or Vamp? Yes, I'm sure you can. I personally feel the Genesis 3 is the best desktop unit available at the moment but if money is an issue(it should always be a consideration) then I recomend the Vamp2. It sounds great and offers many of the same features at less than half the price of the Genesis 3. The Genesis 1 (also from Digitech) also seems to be a great deat at under $100.00. Do these units sound like a real tube amp? That was once a concern of mine and I have now realized that unless I'm recording direct I really don't think I need 100% accuracy. Ideally I will own a tube amp of choice
but I will also always own a machine like this one.

This product was definitely quite easy to use right out of the box. The only thing that wasnt easy out of the box was the ability to create your own amp models.For that you need the manual , but this is to be expected.Starting with a factory preset , it was quite easy to adjust the different effects and settings.

I plugged into the Genesis with an entry level Ibanez guitar... not sure of the model though.What I can say that is the sounds this unit provide sound more "real" and organic than the POD.When deciding on whether I should purchase the Genesis or the POD , I was almost swayed by the POD having more amp models... upon listening to both , in my opinion the Genesis blows away the POD

Cant commment on this so far as I just bought the unit.My only concern would be that the case is plastic rather than metal.

Havent had to deal with customer support yet

This is very tweakable unit with some great sounds in it. I haven't got into editing the patches yet but looking over the manual it seems very straight forward. I had troubles getting the software installed on my system and have yet to get it to run correctly. The manual was well written and easy to understand. Firmware version #1.0

Steinberger, Fender Strat and Tele etc.. sounds better with humbuckers but thats my own taste. Low noise and effects sound good. I just sold my Marshall JCM 900 Highgain head and this unit can match that and MANY other amp combinations! DEAD ON!
I wish Digitech would have put in a better screen. With todays technology why do I have to abbreviate a few words and decifer it later because the screen is chinsy?

I would depend on it. Would gig without a backup

Never needed it.

JAZZ-BLUES-POP-ROCK-ALTERNATIVE ETC>>>It will do it all!
I would replace it if lost or stolen. I have had other Digitech products ala GSP21 Pro and this is by far better unit with little to no noise and FAST program changes. Would like to see it come with the optional X Control MIDI foot pedal!

I use the Genesis 3 with the Control X pedal board, usually live. I put the desktop unit on an accessory tray that mounts on a microphone stand (usually sold in the drum section). I much prefer this setup to the previous pedalboards, multi-effect units, rack mounts, and stomp boxes that I have used before. When I need to change a parameter on the fly, like the warp feature, I just reach out and spin the knob(s). For this reason I prefer the Genesis3 to the other Genesis versions that are totally on the floor.

I do not like to spend what little free time I have re-programming the outrageous garbage that a lot of these types of units use as standard presets (Digitech included). This unit has presets that are actually useable! And I have experience with thousands of dollars of disappointments that did not sound as good or were as user friendly.

The manual is OK, but really needs to describe the presets; what the name is supposed to imply and what the parameter values are.

The tuner is very nervous. Much prefer the Boss TU-12(?). You can even see it in the daylight, unlike the Genesis display.

I go direct to the snake, into the mixer and out to some Mackie 1530s. The output can be tweaked for specific interfaces which is an improvement long overdue. This thing is Quiet when set up correctly. Through the Mackies this thing can move a lot of air. But I know what some of the other reviewers mean when they say it isn't totally the same. There is nothing like standing by a big Boogie amp and feeling your pant legs wave in the breeze. But a Boogie head in a road case weighs about 100 pounds and this thing weighs maybe ten with the cables, direct boxes, pedal board and everything. Something to consider when you are playing a couple hundred gigs a year like I do.

I use minimal effects so I cannot really comment on them. I play lead in a band that does R&B, Country, Southern Rock, whatever. I get very good Santana-like sounds from a couple of the presets.

Only time the sound really sucked was when I went into the wrong channel on the board which had some funny EQing on it.

I am nervous about the plastic case. I asked Digitech if they were going to make a padded gig bag for it, and they have not responded in a couple of months now. I do use it without backups. I feel sorry for my wife if she has to lug one of my Mark IVs to a gig because this thing got toasted.

Outdoors, direct sunlight or not, the displays on the desktop unit and pedal board are impossible to see.

Had a problem at one gig where the voltage was probably low (108VAC at the power conditioner) because of the line loss. The unit would just quit and then come back online. Tube amps are a little more tolerant of voltage variations in my experience.

Customer support seems OK. They got back to me on the voltage problem, but did not have a definite diagnosis or advise me what the voltage limits were for this unit. Still waiting to hear about that gig bag.....

I play lead and rhythm in a band that does R&B, oldies, Southern Rock, old and new style Country, and anything else that strikes our fancy. Venues range from back yards to stadiums and hotels.

I have been playing for over twenty years. I own a Les Paul, ES335, Heritage 555 (don't remember their model number), G&L ASAT and S-500, Ovation nylon job, Taylor 614CE, and some other stuff. I have a couple Mark IV Boogies, a 65 Twin Reverb, a small acoustic/PA amp, Fender Blues Deluxe, and some other stuff. Lots of pedals, multi-effect units, boards, etc. I don't buy or keep junk.

I love this unit. If something happened to it, I would get another. I am thinking about buying a backup unit anyway. I really love being able to access channels with my feet and parameters with my hands. Being able to tailor the output to the target amplification system is very very nice!

I wish it had a better tuner and a display that can be seen during the day. Would feel more confident if I knew it had been ruggedized a little bit. XLR outs would be nice too, but it is getting a little crowded on the back panel already.

Totally fun, that's right, fun to use and tweak. The only bummer is you have to move the knobs to see where you're at. A knob may be fully cranked but internally it's at half. You have to move the knob back to half and then values start to change. Other than that, it's easy.

I have a custom built PRS which goes into the Genesis and then out to a BR-8 digital track recorder with the effects off obviously. This thing sounds great, it's quiet and the presets are very useable right out of the box and even better with a little work. Of course the coolest thing is the warp button which lets you build 2 different amp and cab combos and then blend them together to make your own sound. Then you can save that amp and blend it with yet another and another into infinity. Could the distortions be a little creamier? Of course there is no tube inside. But I like the way it sounds over the POD and anythging else I've tried. The acoustic simulator isn't great but why would you use it anyway? Just play your acoustic.

Wish it wasn't plastic, but it never leaves my studio. I wouldn't really gig with it cuz I'd just use a real amp...this is an amp simulator!

so far so good

I play pop rock/ acoustic rock and make electronic music and have been playing for many years. I used to hate digitech I thought their stuff sounded cold, but they changed my mind with this baby. I consider this an all purpose tool to get great direct guitar sounds into my track recorder. And a quick easy way to invent new sounds rather than the typical ones you hear all the time. I researched a lot of other boxes and this is the best one. FORGET THE POD and the J station is made by didgitech so save your money and get this next level up!

Some of the presets are actually useable. Really.
Editing is easy compared to POD, J, etc. because of the display.
Anyway, using a computer is much more comfortable of course.
The display is ok but I would expect a large, backlit LCD.
It still is tricky sometimes to find the right parameter when editing effects.
The manual is ok but a little more of it would be nice.
I use the 1.2 OS version.
It's easy to use, just like all other amp simulators.
When you plan to use it live, you do not necessarily need the Digitech floorboard. (ControlX)
I use a Roland FC200 MIDI controller with it and it works ok.
The only feature that's missing (aside from the crappy tuner display) is the expression pedal.
The ControlX exp. pedal does NOT send MIDI CC#s, it's a proprietary signal.
You can assign the pedal to different parameters in different patches.
When using a standard MIDI expression pedal (like on the FC200) you can assign it to one parameter only.
That means you can't for example use the pedal for wah control in one patch and whammy control in another.
I can live with that and I will certainly not buy a seperate MIDI controller for a single device.

The amp and cabinet simulations are as good as it gets today.
Still nothing like real tubes and real moved air but very useful.
I plug the Genesis directly into my mixer via S/PDIF.
Sometimes I even go directly into a PC.
It's extremely quite, even at relatively high gain settings.
The effects are surprisingly good (well, it's by Digitech after all).
Pitch shifting is exceptional, way better than on my TC G-Force.
I haven't tried all of the fx anyway.
I bought this unit mainly for recording but I also use it for (very) small club gigs and sessions, where I plug it into the PA directly.
I give it a 10 for "amp simulation sound" compared to it's competition.
Compared to a real miked amp it would probably be an 8.

Well, it's plastic.
This is where I don't understand Digitech.
They sold the J-Station with a rugged metal housing, a really dependable device.
Now they sell the Genesis 3 for twice the price and it looks and feels like a toy.
It's just ridiculous.
I handle the unit very carefully and don't expect it fo fail anytime soon but I'd never use it for an important gig.

I haven't dealt with their customer support.

First of all, the Genesis 3 is a good device.
It does what it's supposed to do, emulating amplifiers and cabinets.
You can get a nice sound to tape or disk in a matter of minutes.
It still takes a tube amp, cab, great mike, engineer and good sounding room to get THE sound but that's not always necessary.
I compared it with the J-Station, POD2, V-Amp, Genesis1 and DG-Stomp before buying.
None of them sounded really bad, you really have to play all that stuff to find what's best for you.
I always found the POD to sound a little muddy on certain settings and preferred the J-Station, which sounds somewhat harsh on the other hand.
The Genesis 3 does sound a little better than the J but the tonal difference is minimal.
I chose it because it was the best compromise for me:
More amp and cab models than the J, digital out, display (still too small but better than all others), powerful and fresh sound.
I recommend getting some kind of amp sim device to anyone, it really helps your creativity.
For example, when I first turned on the G3 at home I plugged it into my computer and 15 minutes later had base tracks for two new songs.
The idea behind POD and similar devices is good and it really works.
You can save your ideas anywhere, anytime, and with a decent sound.
The Genesis 3 is one of the best amp modellers but at the moment it's a little too expensive

Relatively easy to use. Sounds OK without having to do too much, but it never sounds really good even with lots of tweaking.

This unit sounds very bland. The unit lacks any presence at all and sounds like you are hearing the guitar from a quarter mile away. The effects are weak.

It seems like in order to get smooth sounding distortion they took away any top end presence or shimmer.

I tried using this unit direct for recording, and it was wholly uninspiring.

It sounds like they have one basic distortion model and everything is a variation on that. The distortion is washed out. It sounds very processed and has no dynamics or subtlety. Very one dimensional. It just does not sound good.

In contrast: I have a Roland VG8-ex and that unit sounds incredibly good. The VG8-ex is very organic and musical and has great presence. You can even add in another pre-amp in the effects loop to layer your distortion if you like. The VG8-ex just plain sounds good on almost every setting,and there are tons of settings.

The Digitech Genesis 3 only sounds OK at best and there are not very many good or useable settings.

I don't know. It sounded so anemic I boxed it up and set it back after 15 minutes of trying it.

Don't know.

I play hard rock music. I thought this unit would provide good distortions. That was all I got it for, good distortions and some digital effects. I was very disappointed in the unit all the way around. It went back the the store immediately. I bought a Marshall DRP-1 for $50.00 used and it has better distortion sounds than the Digitech. Put the Marshall DRP-1 in front of a digital effects rack unit and you have a much better setup than the Genesis for about the same price. And if you really want truly good sound, the VG8-ex is absolutely incredible.

I would give the Genesis 3 a "2" rating, but I suppose it does sound better than an equivalently priced practice amp, so it may have some place in the world. So it gets a "4", but a reluctant four.

Just turn it on and plug it in. Would have a hard time believing you were able to get a bad sound out of it.

I've been playing for over twenty years. Played thru a lot of the equipment that the new modeling effects try to match. I was a Line6 man for amp sounds, not their effects. Digitech aced Line6 with Amp models, effects, and ALSO speaker modeling. I use a Roland KC100 keyboard amp, the Genesis sounds fantastic thru it. Much better than the POD2 I traded in for it. Play on a contemporary Christian Worship team. Play everything from crystal clean to heavy metal. This unit covers all. My inspirations, before coming to know Christ, are Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eddie VH, Alix Lifeson (RUSH), Randy Rhoads, Tony MacAlpine & Yngwie Malmsteen. This unit can get all of the required sounds.

Can't say, havn't had it long.

Don't know, havn't worked with them

This is currently, as of 11/6/2001, the best single guitar effects unit on the market. If it were lost or stolen would replace it immediatley.

The G3 is pretty easy to use but I had an RP100 for a year and am used to it's control parameters. It has decent sounds OOTB that can be tweaked to fit whatever sound you're looking for. The manual is absolutely necessary if you want to get deeper into the sound-shaping aspects.

For my purposes, the G3 works great! I'm running the G3 directly into my PC using the SPDIF into an M Audio 2496 audiophile sound card for personal music projects that range from Funk/Rock to Latin/Salsa/Jazz/Rock to Metal. The axes I'm using are a Kramer Focus 2000 - don't laugh, it rocks.., Fender Telecaster, Gibson Les Paul Jr. and an Ibanez MIDI guitar. The Les Paul Jr. has the soapbar pickups and is really noisy but that's the pickups and not the G3.
I'm using the G3 to create my own sounds so I can't say if it gets the sound of my favorite artists - unless I include myself to which the answer is yes. ;)
The distortions are great, the chorus and flanger are thick, stereo and have lots of editing options, the delay is pretty decent but the reverb isn't stereo and doesn't widen the sound.

Um, I only use it in a home studio so I guess I could depend on it. As for gigs, I haven't done a gig in a long, long time. ;)

I've never had to use customer support from Digitech.

For my personal music projects, the G3 rocks. It's very cool to get a hybrid amp sound that's kind'a Marshall Stack, kind'a Rectifier. I've been playing Bass, rhythm and lead guitar for 27 years, along with barely enough keyboards to get by. Other gear I own at the moment include a Rickenbacker 4001 Bass, a fretless Fender P Bass, a rare Kramer Flying V Bass and a Gibson G3 Bass.
If it were stolen, then I would get another.
What I love about it is the warp feature - being able to combine the characteristics of two different Amps and being able to tune the cabinets and the SPDIF output. The thing I dislike the most is the reverb.
I compared it to a Behringer V-Amp. I chose the G3 because it has the warp feature and SPDIF output.

Very easy to use, right out of the box. Doesnt take much reading in the manual to get you going. its version 1.0. I got it about 2 weeks ago. I like it alot. the patch editing is straight ahead easy. The manual if way the hell better than ANY of Digitech's other stuff. Normally Digitech's(and most everybodys) manauls arent very helpful. Usually written by computer geeks that speak in binary rather than english. good presets too.

I am using varius Jackson USA Soloists with it, I have plugged it into my home PA and also with headphones and both sound very well. which is cool. The preset patches are actually useful!!! Imagine that! Usually Processors have goofy patches that impress you in the music store so you buy it but they really have no practical applications in real music. This one does well. The amp models are true to form. They are very close to the real thing, In fact for $350 its almost too close. Its amazing the can put this product out for that price. I have a friend with a 79 marshall like the one they copied and we compared the old marshall with the Genesis 3's Marshall model and its very close. with a little tweaking it would be REAL close. The best part about the Genesis 3's amp modeling is that it "feels" like an amp, more so than any other non tube processor Ive played. I have a Digitech 2120 also and that has more of an amp feel but it has 12SAX7 preamp tubes in it. the acoustic simulator could use a little more work though its a little cheesey. But hey not bad for the price and all the other stuff you get. The Boogie model is cool, I really like the amp "warping" feature this is cool. I hope they put this unit out in a rack mountable version with 12ax7 tubes. Tha would be IT!!!!I rate it a 9 because of the acoustic simulator. Great effects.

Seems to be built well. I would never gig anywhere without a backup of somekind. too risky.

I have dealt with Digitech's customer support in the past and they have been terrific. I had a 2112 that had problems and they were great with helping me. I like that. Good service, good people. Very fair with service prices too.

I primarily play 80's rock/metal and it works well with that, the jam along feature is cool. plug in your cd player and jam with your favorite guitar god. I really like the headphones thing too. I like to be able to go places and play guitar and not disturb anyone. Overall I think this product is a winner, especially for the price, Good job Digitech!!! If they got that acoustic simulator a little better this thing would be perfect. If it got stolen I would definetly replace it. It has become a staple in my home studio now. I wish they had something like this 14 years ago when I started playing. I was also considering the line 6 POD but I read some not too favorable reviews on it and I have had good luck and tone with Digitech products so I stuck with them.

It will take a little bit of time in the manual as this unit can be pretty deep. But you can get very good sounds out if it pretty quickly. But to really nail the sound your after will take some patience. But I bet its in here. you really have to know how to warp the amps and cabs together to find its true potential, so don't expect to be writing great reviews if you have only been sitting in a loud music store for a few minutes. you need to take this thing home for a couple of weeks, as with any decent unit. you wont figure out the cab and amp morphing, or the cabinet resonance feature as they are a little hidden, and these will need to be tweaked to get the sound your after, so for ease of use ill have to give it a lower number than some other units I've had. But let me say that once you have the basic idea of how this thing works its very easy.

I am using this unit direct through my computers sound card and out to my power amp straight into my monitors. I also use some very good yorkville pulse 12 stage monitors. They are just like very good full range pa speakers. I bought the unit to record direct and it smokes for that, but it also sounds great live. I use the very same settings live that I do direct(with a little eq change) and use my yorkville monitors live. The sound I was after is the sustaining brilliant but ripping tube tone of a modded marshall cranked. I finally got it from this unit. I've had every other unit. I mean every other one. Without exception they have all sounded fake and harsh direct. Through my pa speakers I am blown away as it completely hits the heavy modded marshall sound with a vintage 4-12 cabinet. This thing has so much of that real 4-12 cab feel that I find myself trying to tune some of it out. As far as noise goes its not bad at all. If you try to run the gain and the compressor at there maximum you will definitely find some. The trick is to know how to setup the compressor so that you don't need much gain. The notes ring through clearly with punch to boot. and sustain for days. All of this with that real marshall feel. You get it direct to tape, or live if you have a clear flat eq power amp, and full range speakers. A lot of the amp models I'm not into, but what's so cool about this thing is that you can mix them to come up with different percentages of each. And the tonal possibilities are endless. I use mostly the rectifier amp model, but mix it with many other amp types to come up with new amp tones. The effects are decent. Id even say they are pretty good with comparison to a lexicon for example. I don't use heavy effects in any setting so I may not be the best to ask about the effects. But I will say that for what I need, ie. a little reverb, delay, and sometimes chorus, the unit does it just fine. Its always been my opinion that effects help your tone hide, and I want my tone to be up front and in your face, so I try to use as little of the effects as possible to get a slightly fuller sound. I also use the pickup simulator which is probably just some pre eq, but this can change the tone quite a bit. I like to use my hummers, (duncan jb,s) but set the unit with the single coil pickup sim on. it gives a little more bite and its a little less smooth in the heavy stuff. As for the cleans, they are in there, but also take a little tweaking. I like the cleans, they are usable. The acoustic sim could have been better. I wish it was!! The boss vf-1 has a very nice sounding acoustic sim, but the heavies were lacking any real amp feel. This genesis3 has to much amp feel. I love that. Its the first unit I've had that has a lot of that feel. But worth mentioning is the oberheim gm 1000. That is an incredible unit. I will get another someday soon. They are hard to find as musicyo.com quit selling them. Bummer!! I gave this unit a 10 for sound quality because I cant imagine it getting any better in the heavy amp tones direct. I've read a lot of reviews saying that this or that unit beats the pod pro, but I can honestly say that after having both for quite sometime, this is the easy winner. And my ears have been listening and playing guitar for over 30 years. Its just my opinion and yours may be different, but besides the oberheim gm100 this is the only unit worth writing a review. Ima not putting any other unit down, I'm just saying it impresses me a lot. And I'm pretty picky.

I've only had it for a few weeks, so I don't really know. its been perfect so far. but it is plastic, and would not like being dropped a bunch of times. or so I am guessing. but I am not an acrobat, I'm a player, so I shouldn't have any problems.

So far they have been great. any question I had, a man named dean has been more than willing to help. it seems they are great in this area.
But I have never had any digitech unit before. mostly because they sounded terrible. This one has changed my mind on this company. and worth mentioning is the fact that I didn't have to go through years of waiting on the phone to get to the tech guys!! I hated that from several other companies!!

Ill have to give it a 9 because the acoustic sim isnt to useful. The rest of the sounds almost prompted me to put a 10 anyways. But i am supposed to be real here. It suites my playing perfectly. My tastes and style are melodic lead guitar. progressive rock is probably the best way to describe my sounds. I suggest you get one of these units and dont give up on it in a few minutes. Read the manual and take the time to shape it to what you need. It will be worth it.
Anyone that wants to email with ideas or questions feel free to. Id love to get a database of presets going on this one. ITS A KILLER!!!

It's too easy. Just read the manual. Explains everything pretty thoroughly. Everything's in there!

I use a custom made Fender Strat with 2 Humbuckers (DiMarzio Super Distortion / DiMarzio PAF) right into the unit and since I don't have an amp into my Computer (via S/PDIF digital out) and out of the great 5.1 Dolby System Speakers. Thanks to the target system of the Genesis 3, this works great and I get a really clean sound. The amp models are
great. I also own a Zoom GFX-8 and a POD2. And I can honestly say that the Genesis3 is going to replace both of these units. The POD is good but the effects of the POD are crap compared to the Genesis3. And many models sound way better on the Genesis3 (i.e. Rectifier and Marshall Stacks). The Zoom unit has good and clean effects but the distortions are not good at all. So the Genesis3 will replace both of my old units. Also, at last I have a S/PDIF out for digital recording which is very important for me since I do a lot of HardDisk recordings.
I love the Genesis3 distortions and it has some very good clean sounds (some are warm others are bright. You choose!) . I don't care much about medium gain sounds since I always play with high-gain or ultra clean so I'm not going to say anything about those models.
The effects are really great too. The Compressor is great. Very clean and very versatile. Chorus, Flangers, Phasers and other modulation effects are of great quality. The unit has OUTSTANDING reverbs! I love them. And 4 good delays although I only use 2 of them. Pitch Shifting effects are also very good if you stay in reasonable fields.
The bottom line is, this unit rocks!

It's a desktop unit! You can't step on it. If you treat it respectfully it will be reliable. So I'm not gonna give it a rating.

The best! I have sent dozens of e-mails which were answered in 1 day max. Great! Dean Athens answered most of my mails. Great guy. Always helped out and knew everything about anything.

I play almost exclusively Hard Rock / Metal and that sort of music. Iron Maiden, Malmsteen, Dream Theater, AC/DC and Metallica to name only a few. I can come very close to the various artists sound. No one can get the SAME sound except the artist himself. But I'm really impressed by the unit because I can get any sound I want. Also, the Warping feature broadens the sound spectrum and gives you more flexibility than any other sound unit. And it comes up with very usable sounds. Thanks Digitech. Well worth the price!
I would definitely buy it again!

Very easy. Especially if you use the editor software. Even without the software, it is easy to use. It isn't cryptic like the pod. The knobs are all handy and the large display tells you exactly what's going on.

I'm dying to try out the digital output, but I don't have any other digital equipment. The analog outs are good and clean. Mostly I use this one with headphones at home. I did try it with my amp and it seems to sound great there, too. It has the target-system thing which lets you choose what type of signal to send out. (You can choose to go to an amp, an fx loop, direct, and so on). If you haven't tried the amp warping yet, you should. It is cool.

Seems totally reliable. I haven't had any problems with it. Even if something were to go wrong, i have all my patches saved on the computer because they give you an editor software. So, I could just restore my settings if anything ever happened. That is pretty cool.

I actually haven't had to deal with them on this one, but they've always been good to me in the past.

Everyone knows I'm a die-hard Digitech fan. I have the GNX1 and love it. Since I play out with my band a lot, I decided to get the Genesis 3 to stay at home. The cool thing is that these two are totally compatible. I use the Genesis to create new amp models at home. Then I can just dump the settings into my GNX1 if I find a sound I like. Or, I can use the editor software to save off amp models and import them into a patch for either model.