Rocktron Chameleon

Just some settings for shredheads using a chameleon:
pre EQ -7 63hz +12 1000HZ BW 1.1
Post EQ -13 239 bw 2.0 -12 625hz 0.9 +4 6143 0.8 -12 7324 2.0 (some settings may be different because i did this out of my head ,if you set the parameters some what the same it will work)
Gain 38 variac -3 Hush 70
Speaker sim Speaker set; Full, mic placement -10 reactance + 8
Settings may variate depending use of gear.
example: to much lows:lower level reactance or post EQ bas level
to much highs: use speaker sim lower mic placement or post EQ presence level: SUCCES !!!

just got it , petty simple layout, figured my way thru menu without owners manual(do guitar players ever feel the need to read em 1st! Na! we plug in and rip, then GO later when we cant figure something out!) Easier than some of the Digitechs (Ive had em all)

Pretty decent,m although I think it sounds pretty transparent!! Maybe one of you SHRED kings can tell me how to fix that!! I have a Marshall valvestate 100 combo, 3 channel that in a side by side comparison, sound quality wise, it smokes this thing, but then again maybe I need a secret from one of ya to remedy this!! ya think!! Oh well, I use an Ibanez prestige 1570 and it sounds real good thru it but doesn't cut thru when im with the band practicing, If you use the Mega channel and dial in too much gain. ya gotta crank up the noise gate on it or the feedback is annoying.Im sending it into a Marshall MOSFET 100 SUPER LEAD and a 2/12 cabinet with celestions each individually jacked by themselves to get it down to 4 ohms

Haven't had it but a week or so but its ROCTRON so no junk here(I HOPE!!)

Haven't had to use em but manual is easily downloaded. pretty cool!

I play mostly 80's style rock and some chunky CHRISTIAN ORIGINAL music with my band Sheperd's Voice, I think once Ive had it a little longer its gonna be a cool toy, but I still prefer a guitar,cord and a MARSHALL no gadgets, just you the guitar and whatever talent you got to offer Up!!

use the manual & you shouldnt go into left field with the unit..
follow instructions & youll be fine...
I use it in my loop via midi switching...
The only thing its missing is a manual bypass jack...
It does have a jack for something like that but its strictly for the delay & not the unit as a whole...(which I find very odd)

this thing is badass...I had no clue till I got one...
I just got rid of a digitech gsp & alesis quadraverb in favor of the rocktron & hey , its like night & day in comparison...Several presets sound good with my jcm 900..
I think anyone who rates this unit as shit either is a moron & has other shitty equipment to begin with , or is a dumbass moron who doesn't know what they're doing with things to begin with...
I think any negative overall review of this unit reflects other shitty equipment being used (including cables) & plain old stupidity..
Same as some dope giving a negative review of a '59 standard...
You just cant argue with excellence

bought it used & its still kickin

? probably some jackfuck automated phone shit to find a human to talk to..I dunno , you call em & tell me about it..

I use it with some rockman modules in my loop section of a jcm900 half stack.
From my guitar , I have a rockman sustainor after my crybaby & a chandler tube driver as well as several graphic eq's , an mxr dist + , ibanez ts9 (more boost) in front of the amp..Rockman modules , a boss rce-10 & the chameleon as well as a parametric in the loop...I just upgraded my sound considerably & by all means the rocktron really adds the color to my tone..so glad I got it..& Id definately replace it if it broke.

I've had mine in my rack for about 8 yrs and would NEVER let it go!!! I have another at home for a back up. This unit is extremely versatile and very easy to use.

I can achieve just about any sound out there.

Very very dependable!!!

Never had to deal with customer support.

I would rate this unit a solid 10+++. Does anyone out there know the diferance between the Voodu Valve and the Voodu Valve Online? Thanks alot!!!

Editing is real easy
Not easy is to adjust the parametric eq.
Its a real powerfull tool:pre eq 2band post eq 4band
You can as easely dial in crap sound as a great sound.

Chameleon is a transistor(digital)preamp it has no tubes but when you
tweak it real well it will sound almost like a tube(pre)amp.
As a fact Chameleon was the first modeling preamp(long before line6 and other modelers)
If you want more tube in your sound(chameleon) try the Voodu Valve(its a chameleon with a tube in front)
For all those who can,t get a good sound out of the chameleon i say
try this: pre eq -4 +12 958 0,9 post eq -7 229 1,0 -12 771 0,9
0 3521 0,9 -7 5569 2,0 Gain 36 variac -6 Hush 66
Speakersim. 12 inch mic pos -15 reactance +6
And don,t forget with passive pickups input dial knob full open.
I use this with Rocktron Velocity poweramp it sounds great.
Of course there is more than only High Gain.
Clean settings are also very nice and crunch(Stevie Ray) for me no problem.
Chameleon sounds are as good as any modeler amp on the market.
And Chameleon versus a real good tubepreamp:
Tubepreamp has more feel an is more organic but has not the wide sonic range the Chameleon has.

Built like a Russian T 34 tank.

Never had to deal with them

i play (hard)Rock, blues, top 100
This device is made for every style(they didn,t gave it name Chameleon because its changes color)
I own also a Voodu Valve, the Chameleon i use as a backup.
But i don,t mind to gig on it, its sounds almost the same.
Chameleon is a great(modeling)preamp but whit a little more work to get the right settings.

It does not seem as difficult as some say, but the number of options means that if you are building from scratch, it will take a while. If you try to explore everything, set aside an afternoon, at least.

Here I differ from the other users. I spent hours trying to dial in any sort of acceptable overdrive/distortion sound, and found that I could not get anything decent - no matter what combination of distortion models, speakers, mike placements, etc. I tried, it sounded like a buzzy 80s fuzz box. Bzzzzt. Next product.

A 3 for the effects, which are quite good.

No opinion.

No support.

It's on craigslist as I type. I have been playing for 35 years and owned a broad spectrum of gear. I guess I must be critical, because I punted most of it searching for a better approximation of what I wanted, something like the moans of a lovesick T-Rex (the Live in Stockholm version of Robin Trower's Daydream). Not everybody's cup of tea, but there you are.

Anyone who has ever used guitar pre-amps and effects units will glide there way into this unit in seconds. If you are unfamiliar then give yourself a little time to flick through the manual and you will be whiping up your own killer tones with ease.
The manual does give a very comprehensive explanation of all aspects of the unit but you should always leave certain things open to experimentation and Rocktron seem to do this in a very musician friendly way.
There really is nothing confusing about this unit.

I have owned this pre-amp for some years. Other units have come and gone around it. I even bought a Rocktron Prophesy off the back of how I was impressed with the chameleon. The Prophesy got a little tiresome and had to be turned back into cash but the Chameleon lives on as the root of every sound I ever use.
I have used almost every type of guitar through this unit and accepting the obvious need to tweek your input gain and occassionally re EQ slightly, it copes with every guitar and every output option.
The dry pre-amp sounds are uncomplecated and vary a great deal depending on how you tweak the relevant perameters. The effects are full and clear and do not in any way take away from the basic guitar pre-amp sound.
Both in Live and Studio situations, this unit remains my absolute favourite piece of kit.
To put things into perspective, I have worked in guitar shops for 15 years. I have swapped gear like some kind of junky in that time. I have owned units that I have liked for a certain sound or effect and then dumped them because something else came along that did a little more. Getting a good guitar sound is widely understood to be somewhat of a holy grail thing.
I will not! Not ever! Sell my Rocktron Chameleon.
For the price you can pick these things up for, there is literally nothing to compare. You would have to spend 10 times the money, literally.!
I did when I bought the Prophesy. But honestly, for all of its fandangled buttons, it is no better than the Chameleon.

As regards noise. Everything that processes your sound generates noise. The HUSH system that comes built into the unit is the most intuitive and subtle noise gate I have ever heard (or not!)

I can tell you one thing here.

Rocktron should build military hardware. Its about as solid as anything I can imagine ever buying. It is fair to say that they didnt do this with the current Prophesy unit which I had in the rack with the Chameleon for a time.

This is one issue you should just forget. Its a really well built piece of kit. I can imagine even the knobs at the front of the unit would take a whack! Just dont whack mine!

I have only ever contacted Rocktron once. They responded and were helful. I dont think that anyone can ask for more than that on a unit of this age.
The thing to avoid, and this goes for any unit, is asking questions of a manufacturer that you could have had answered through a forum or this type of site.
Thats when you get ignored!

If this unit was stolen, I would pick myself up from the crying mess I would have become and go searching for another one. I would forever be bitter though.
I have recently bought a Rocktron Taboo which is apparently almost a Chameleon in a floor format. I havent done as much with it as the trusty chameleon but may be a consideration for anyone that is only buying rack because its a good sound. (remember you have to get a controller if you want to use the Chameleon live so a taboo may suite you better and seems to be just as capable)

As regards playing style compatibility. I have done almost everything with the Chameleon. An earlier review says something about not sounding like SRV and I agree with him completely. Getting the sound you want is about approach. No unit, current or future, will ever make anyone a better player. But there is a motivating satisfaction to having something that gives enough variables to be versitile and is capable of going to extremes if needed.
I honestly believe after many years of my own personal 'Guitar Tone Holy Grail' that the Rocktron Chameleon is truly deserving of a place in guitar amplifications hall of fame. It is sturdy, stands up to any other unit ive tried in terms of raw sound capability and has a set of functions which work for guitarists.
I would doubt that anyone could ever say "I got a Chameleon and it was crap!"
Ive heard people say this so may times over the years about other units. If you are considering one of these pre-amps and you are genuinely looking for a good basic pallete of real guitar tones and effects, you need look no further.
This really is a guitar tone generator that many other units have claimed to be over the years and failed. The Chameleon delivers. Its not full of fancy silly effects that you play in the shop and are wowed by. Its a guitar pre-amp with all of the sounds built in that you would actually use as a guitar player.
The built in presets are usable, but what you can do beyond those is awesome. If you are country, it will work for you. If you play death Metal, it will work for you. If you plug into heaphones and play along to Rush in you bedroom, it will work for you.

Find one. Have a play. But be sure to take some cash!

This unit is very easy to use. It might be difficult for those who have never owned a similar product, but most people should not have any problems with it
The manual is ok, again, Rocktron knew that morons were not going to use it anyway, so they wrote a decent manual that explains everything the unit does in a very precise manner

I have read almost all reviews on this site for this beast, and I still don't get it why people keep referring to tube amps, stomp boxes etc.
This is a digital processing unit, and has all the advantages of the technology
I love the sound of it. Of course you have to tweak it, Rocktron cannot think of your guitar, your power amp and your speaker cabinet, so you have to tweak it to match the characteristics of the rest of your gear
Yes, it is true that you cannot get an exact replica of SRV tone, but try 0.13 strings and you might be closer
All in all, I believe that 90% of the sound comes from the fingers, not the gear
After all, why the fuck would you want to sound like someone else anyway?

I bought this unit second hand. Actually I swapped it for my shitty Boss GT-6 and I never looked back. GT-6 was the last Boss product I have ever bought. They are amateurs compared to Rocktron
I would definitely use it without backup, and I have already done so

I have dealt with the customer support once, I wanted to know if it was possible to dump MIDI from the Chameleon to the MIDI Mate...I got a quick response..it is not possible, just in case you might need this piece of information

I play heavy stuff, but I can play soft as well, and this unit is a very good match. I have been playing for 10 years. I own an Ibanez RG350ex-bk with a Seymour Duncan SH-4 Jeff Beck model humbucker.
I would definitely buy it again if it got stolen or lost, especially because you can buy them pretty cheap today
All in all, an amazing piece of equipment
Definitely pro, compared to ZOOM, Boss and some cheaper Digitech stuff

OK, first of all your sound is as good as the weakest link of your equipment.My setup is a Prestige Ibanez rg with Di Marzio Evolutions,
a Rocktron chameleon, a bbe sonic maximizer 482i and a Mesa 2:90 in a 4u rackbox, and a midi controller + 2 Mesa cabs.I have never heard better gitar sounds in my entire life, granted, that the bbe adds a crystal clarity, definition and a tremendous bite, the 2:90 brings the rig "alive" with it`s
superb tube magic and tonality, and the Black shadow speakers in the cabs finish up the sound.So everything relates to each other,
but once you get your Chameleon in a proper setup, trust me, the souns are phenomenal and awe inspiring.

Rocktron chameleon version 1.4, USA. This is a very versatile preamp.You can get a vast amount of professional quality sounds from it,it is a professional quality preamp you know, check the manual.
it needs to be studied well though.Some people underrate it, because they
dont know how to use it.It is a matter of finesse, when it comes to
sound creation with this thing.I mean thre are SO many parameters
here, that all interact together, that it is very hard to get the most out of it, if you dont know what you are doing.....
How do you rate this? The features are very good, but very hard to get familiar with.

It is operationally perfectly reliable and it stays in a rack.

I have no experience about that.

I have been playing for 23 years now, I`ve owned a load of gear, Fender, Marshall, Carvin, Mesa/boogie amps + all the other equipment and instruments, but I have ended up with this setup.
It is my dream sound come true, you know the one you hear in your
head.....

This is basic ,Just turn the knobs and its so easy.If your mentally deficiant you might stuggle.(drummers!!)

I've read the above reviews and dont understand when people say "it sounds crap "This unit is incredible.I bought this new 10 years ago and have never looked back.You can mimic any thing.You can go from a absolute dirty distortion to a crystal clean chorus to a u2 delay to a satriani mega reverb lead tone, just by stomping your foot switch.Like previous reviews I've owned lots of gear (marshalls,peaveys,fender,zoom,boss etc..).Now this is my final set up.I usea charvel custom (active pickups) rocktron chameleon and a peavey 80s Duece VT valve combo.Thats it! From this setup I can play any style, soft or ear piercing.To switch presets i use a GMC ground control.If you want a valve sound use a valve power amp or a valve combo like I have done ,its sounds as good as any of my marshalls ,all with that valve warmth.To get the sound you like just go through the 128 presets and find something you like or is similar to what your after and tweak it to make it your own!!You can store 128 presets ,I have about 15.Now this is the part I dont understand on previous reviews about getting tone.You have to play with the EQ.You can adjust every single thing to a whisker.Take time play with it and learn.The hush feature is amazing .IT makes no noise or hum at all.You will be satisfied

Used it for 10 years never had a problem,Replaced memory battery only now.

never needed it

My band "Tashez inc." Plays all differt styles in one song sometimes.From dirty to super clean to that old bluesy stlye and the chameleon makes it effortlessly.I cant recall how many times other bands have commented on our fat sound considering were a three piece and we've blown 5 pieces away.This unit with a good amp ROCKS!!If I lost this Unit I would be devastated.I love every thing about it.I'd seach hell and High water for another!!