DigiTech RP500

The number of choices is at first overwhelming, but with time, the logic of the user interface on the pedal board becomes more clear. The X-edit interface on the computer (through the USB) was much easier to understand and helped me figure out the pedal board interface. The manual is adequate, but it took some internet searching to better understand some of the parameters for some of the effects, like the noise gate settings, etc.... The learning curve was steep, but once over the threshold, things came easier.

I am using this board with a Guild Starfire IV (humbuckers) and a Mesa Boogie Lonestar Express, which I use for jazz, blues and roots rock. I plug into the board and run the wet signal through the front inputs on Channel 1 with low gain and flat eq settings. I haven't tried using the board on the effects loop.

The overdrive sustain on the board cannot match the overdrive on the amp, but the control and variety of tones is spectacular, making it worth the small sacrifice. I'm not big on pedals, but I am a Steely Dan head (pun intended) and I bought this to emulate the various studio sounds for a combo I play with. I love being able to set a nice clean Fender Twin Reverb sound with spring reverb for funky passages, a Fender Deluxe with MXR OD for the Carlton blues growl and the phaser with slap back or chorus for smooth jazz tones. With a kick of a switch, I have it locked in. I could never duplicate these sounds with my guitar and amp alone.

The board is nicely sensitive to pick touch and volume and tone settings on the guitar. The overdrive grind really kicks in with the volume set to ten on the bridge pickups, but mellows on the neck with volume set at 6. Very nice for some cat in heat, Roy Buchanan crying.

I haven't run the device straight to a PA yet, but will. Through the headphones it sounds great, but obviously can't emulate the sweet feedback it gets through my guitar and amp.

I have also run the board through a Twin Reverb. The Twin is just too powerful for the smaller venues I play. It is hard to set all of the volumes on the Guitar, board and amp just right for this level of power. I prefer the board through smaller amps.

Getting the output signal to a consistent level is a bit of a challenge. It is much stronger than my guitar alone and can cause some unwanted LOUD surprises. The manual instructions are right; when plugging in, set the master volume immediately to 0, before bringing it up slowly. I find it necessary to strike a balance between modeled amp gain and the individual output levels on all of the effects. Output signal strength seems to vary widely and has to be tweaked to get consistent volume level between patches. I'm surprised the signal isn't better calibrated accross all of the effects. Maybe I'm still not using everything correctly. Frankly, this is a bit confusing. My advice - test all your patches and their output volumes before, not during a gig.

As I said, I am not a pedal lover, so I am a ignorant, but compared to what I hear on recordings, I am very pleased with all of the effects and the amp and cabinet emulations. It works well for me.

Seems very well built, but I haven't had it long enough to rate reliability.

No experience.

If stolen, I would buy this again. It has more effects and emulations than I will ever be able to fully use. All the ones I have tried seem very musical when played through my tube amp, which granted, may reduce the digital edge with the tube warmth. I looked at other Digitech, Boss and Pod pedals. This one had the effects and stage readiness I was looking for (aluminum housing, great switches, big display). So far no regrets.

i'm afraid i didn't really get on with this fx modeller at all...even after 3 days it just wasn't happening for me....

i used it with a 1984 strat and a fender amp.....didn't find the presets very inspiring ....i thought the reverb was pretty poor.... it just tailed off with a kind of digital whimper and the switches made a crackling sound just before you stomped on them....

seemed a bit plasticky to me ...i was looking for something to play live with but would just find this a bit too tricky

never used them

sorry to say this just wasn't for me ....i really wanted to like it...... but i'm just gonna stick wth my pedals.....i have other digitech pedals that i love .....but i never really knew where i was with the rp500.....the sounds just didn't seem to have much personality i've sent it back

There are some pre-set amps and cabs that sound great as-is, but I'm a tweeker and looking for "My" signature sound. The RP500 makes it easy although I've been using Digitech equipment since the '80's. Some newbee's might take a little longer to get the sound they are looking for.
Editing the patches is very visual and easy and straight forward. Assigning the expression pedal might take some knowledge of the order of the parameters it can change so be aware of the terminology Digitech uses. The RP500 has some fantastic sounding new amps and speaker simulations.

I need a processor I can use both live and in the recording studio. Here's where the RP500 really shines. We play contemporary Rock and need raging distortion, crunch and clean tones all within one song at times and the RP500's sophisticated switching makes it easy. There is virtually no silence or pause between switching presets. For example I can have an extreme distortion setting on footswitch one, A louder setting for solos on two, A Crunch with reverb on three and a clean Twin amp on four.
I use Les Pauls, Strats and Teles and set up my 100w Kustom Quad heads for clean undistorted sound with all of the tone controls up half way and plug the output of the RP500 directly into the input with the push button on the back of the pedal pushed in to the mixer setting. This gives me a warm tube amp sound and I'm enables me to make quick tone changes on the amp on stage if needed.
The Clyde Wah is amazing and accurate, The Univibe in the "Pre" setting sounds and throbs just like my original (Hendrix at Woodstock). Dont' forget about the Whammy pedal settings especially when using a Les Paul. The IPS diatonic harmonizer has all the modal harmony settings instead of just major and minor. The Echoplex and tape echo's are amazing as well.
In the studio Digitech has always been the best sounding for direct recording although Line6's Pod XT is a close second but the Pod doesn't have a harmonizer.
I can take the RP500 to any studio and get my Signature sound without hauling my amps around.
It sounds as real as any miced amp Ive ever heard in any of the studios I've recorded in.

I've never had a problem with any of the dozens of Digitech pedals and processors I've had. They're built to last in the U.S.A. No NAFTA junk here!

Never had to use them but they have a Helpful Website.

For this price point the RP500 is an unbbelievable value. I've had almost every amp modeler made go through my studio (Boss GT6, Gt8, ME50. Zoom G7, Korg, Line6 Pod, Yamaha, Vox, Koch, Behringer, Rocktron and many others) and always end up using My Digitech stuff. Ive used my beloved GNX2 for years now and will never part from it. Now that the RP500 has all these new amps and wahs it will give my GNX2 a well deserved break.
The only thing i wish the RP500 had is a footswitch not a button to go from pedal to preset mode. Maybe swap the tap footswitch for it.
Digitech will you offer a mod for this???
I plan on buying another one with my tax stimulist check for on stage use. It's Made in the U.S.A.

First off let me say that I am not anti-DigiTech. I own a Jam Man looper, a Vocalist Live 2, and a RP300 which I have had for about 6 years and it has been flawless. The ease of use on the RP500 is the same as their other guitar modelers. It is easy to dial in a tone and most of the tones are decent. So if you can edit a patch on the other RP series you'll be good to go here too. Manual is pretty clear even thought I really didn't use it. I also did not try the computer program.

Sound quality is again like the other RP's. I tried this through both a Carvin PA and ran it through my Peavey Valve King and Traynor YCV40 as well as my Peavey 30 Classic. Bottom line, it dont sound good through and amp. I tried it through a loop and front of the amps but I just wasn't crazy about the sound. My guitars I tried were a Carvin TL60 with humbuckers, a Epi Les Paul, and a Fender VG Strat. It just had a real tinty sound and even with an EQ adjustment it was still there. The distortions sounded hollow, the Chorus rocks, and the delay was a bit hollow sounding too.

This is the one thing I might disagree with other reviewers. Others feel it is built like a tank. I have a studio with wood flooring and when I sat this down on the floor it sounded like the bottom was going to come off, like the lower plate was loose. I have a Boss GT6 and when you set that down it don't make that noise. The Boss GT is way more solid that the RP500. I know the Boss GT 8 is $150.00 more than the RP500, but hey, you can tell DigiTech left out that $150.00 too. I used it through two band practices and the guys asked me to hook up the GT6 again. I also have a Boss ME20 and it totally smokes the RP500. I will say this about DigiTech equipment. I have never had a piece of their equipment break down on me, but their sound does not match Boss products.

In the past when I have called them, they are there for you and they E-mail you pretty quick.

I play in a popular classic rock band and I play about 30 gigs a year. I have been playing for 40 years. I don't try to copy anyones sound or style, I want my own sound. But this RP500 just don't cut it for me and it is getting sent back. I think that DigiTech is trying to keep up with Boss GT series but I still think they are lacking somewhat. Dont get me wrong, DigiTech does have some great products and I will continue to look at their products in the future.