DigiTech RP500 Integrated-Effects Switching System

This pedalboard is AMUSING, it has everything and more, I completly love it, it's portable, its tweak able to anything you want, the 24 bit AD/DA converters provide 16.777.216 samples at 44 khz wich means the signal reproduced by the processor it's exactly the same signal as the analog, to picture this better imagine a time line of 1 second then divide that time line in 1000 pieces, each little piece represents a millisecond, well this machine takes 16,7 millions samples of the analog signal in 2 milliseconds, there is no way possible not even for the most experienced person to find a difference between the sound produced by an analog pedal or this machine, so for those whom says "THEY DONT LIKE DIGITECH OR DIGITAL PEDALBOARDS BECAUSE THE SOUND ITS DIGITALIZED", well they are wrong, they need to accept the technology evolution, you can not compare in any way an old analog full of noise, wires, and poor sounding single array of stompboxes with this kind of technology, it's like comparing an old corvette from the 70s with a 2010 corvette.Also you can connect your SOUND MACHINE like I call it, to your computer and then upgrade it to the last fimware or download over 400 patches [...]or simply create via X-edit your own patch and download it to the pedalboard, very easy to use, it will takes you from 30 mins to 1 hour to be able to use it to the max capabilities, you can record direct to the pc because it's a high end sound card and you can use either the cubase LE 4 software provided with it or any other "studio like" software wich support ASIO drivers.So you got no limit on what you can do with this machine, I know you may say what about my suppa duppa tube 8500 us$ amp sound?... ok you can choose either going on stompbox/bypass mode and use the REAL sounding individual effects on each pedal meaning distortion/chorus/reverb/compressor etc, or simple improve and get a rich non boring sound with the presets/patch mode.The built-in expression pedal it's great you can also tweak the sensitivity to what ever you like, easy to create your own patch or set up any effect on the fly with the simple knobs.Several outputs for mixer/PAs/amps/loop connections capable/mp3 imputs/ noise gate,etc.. it comes otb with the fimware version 1.2 but you MUST upgrade to the 2.0 because they fixed several bugs and added a great and adictive 20 seconds Looper easy to use as well.The rp500 manual it's kinda simple but go ahead and download the rp1000 manual and read all the presets description and several other things wich are the same as the rp500 but explained deeply.The tuner it's very accurate, I compared the tune with any other recognized tuner like the Korg CA-30 Chromatic Tuner and it's the same, no flats or sharp notes.Some people say the distortions are not good yada yada... that's completly not true, if you don't like the presets you can always tweak any effect to what you desire... I could say the people whom say that, its just lazy people who wants everything done otb(out of the box) wich does not makes any sence for a musician.Overall this machine opened the pandora (of the guitar fx) box and puts in the hands of every young or experienced musician a very powerfull tool with limitless capabilities.I wish I could rate 10 stars.. if you buy this you are buying a world of godly sounding machine you won't ever regret and I bet you will replace all your old stuff with this only tool. Thanks for reading.

This is my fifth full size multi effects board. I owned the Boss ME-50 and then the ME-70. They were pretty good but I sing lead and play lead, and my big problem with those and the Zoom G5, which followed, is if you accidentally step on two footswitches at once while trying to go from a rhythm sound to a lead sound, you start wailing away but you might now be in tuner mode or some other bank with the wrong sound! I then tried the Line 6 Pod HD 300, and it sounded pretty good, but the learning curve was a little steep, and was almost $100 more than the RP500.I then remembered that the RP 255 that I once had was easy to tweak, although it didn't sound that great. I now realize that to get a real good sound from a digital modeler, you really should play it through a quality PA system, not the cheap combo amp that I had been using. I decided to try the RP500 because it doesn't have the "step on two switches at once for tuner mode" feature. The other reviews touted it's good sound so I bought one. It really does sound better than I expected. Don't get hung up on big name amp models and try some of the DigiTech original sounds. I don't remember the name, but one of them gives a very warm clean sound, and DigiSolo is a nice lead sound. For lead, I like the 808 tubescreamer model into the Fender Deluxe Reverb model with the gain dimed. There are an abundance of great delays, reverbs and choruses as expected.The one feature that is such a simple idea that I can't believe no one else uses it is that if you step on your lead patch and play your solo, to go back to rhythm, you step on the lead button again, and it toggles back to rhythm. No need to look down and find the rhythm button. If you're singing lead and playing fills, this comes in VERY handy!Overall a well thought out design, built ruggedly and MADE IN THE USA!

I had to replace a korg A4 guitar processor that I had for years and the RP-500 caught my eye. I saved close to $50 buying it through Amazon so that was a plus. As far as the pedal, it's not an A4, but it comes close to simulating one, at least as far as I'm concerned.It's built like a tank. Metal cabinet, metal switches, so maybe it'll last s long as my A4 did.99 presets, user and factory. More than I'll ever need.One thing I didn't like about it is that you can't go from stomp box to user preset mode without pressing a button with your finger. Something I have a hard time doing when I'm gigging. But the two modes are similar to the A4. With the A4, you could select a bank, select a preset, then open up that preset to turn the individual effects on and off. With the RP500, you can go up and down banks, change presets, but once you're in a preset, you can't access the individual effects without the press of a button with you finger. I can't wait until the warrantee is expired so I can turn the tap delay button into a stomp box/preset button.But, in stomp box mode, you can scroll through all of the presets. Only thing is, as you scroll through each position, that position is activated. But that's a small price to pay considering the advantages of the pedal.The individual effects are good. Everything I had and then some. The expression pedal can be used as a volume pedal, wah wah, or to control any programmable parameter. You chould change your chorus' speed, or mix level of your delay or reverb, etc.The unit has a usb port so you can work on your presets on your computer, and back them up. I only wish the software would run without the device connected. Maybe a software upgrade?As with any complex unit, there is a learning curve. I was able to use it the night I got it but have been tweaking it ever since. Then again, I was tweaking my A4 the entire time I owned it. Guitar players are never satisfied... Except in this case.Overall, I have to say I'm very satisfied with this pedal.