DigiTech RP200

I paid $150 at Guitar Center. I bought it basically because I could save money on this than buy a thousand pedals.

Well the main thing is that it has a LOAD of effects and effect possiblities. It has amp modulation and pickup modulation. And it also has a drum machine in it too.

Well first of all when I bought it i said wow this thing is really cool, but after a few weeks i started to notice it may be cool but it is not at ALL practical. First the major MAJOR problem is that you can't switch to a certain sound quickly. You first must go through all the effects that you need to before you reach that effect. NOT AT ALL FOR PERFORMING!!!!!!! Another thing is that although it may has 150 different presets of sounds you soon discover you don't need 95% of them. so basically i'd just buy the pedals as you need or like. I also discovered that the updated models big and small have basically the same system just with more possibilities.

If I were you i'd forget this thing and buy a pedal that you want to use the most.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I decided to get back into music after a long lay-off. Got my new guitar and amp(Peavey)but didn't have any effects. Thought a multi-effect might be my best bet. After researching the various units, I decided on the Digitech RP-200. Paid $143.00 at my local music shop(Mom and Pop, not super store). I'm amazed at what technology has brought. No more amp/Cry-Baby/MXR-90 Phase and that's it, like the old days! As far as spectrum of different effects offered, if this doesn't have it, you don't need it. As to sound quality, read on.

Reasonable price. Preset patches for generic types of music styles. Matchless amp sim is GREAT! Chorus and flanger are clean and quiet. Echoes are good, but don't have the controlability I'd like for regen and rate. Distortions/cab/amp sims are pretty good. The Marshall is excellent. I still think the best distortion is a good amp set to 11, but these are useable, if a little cold. Expression pedal takes some practice, but works good for volume/effect control. Inputs for CD player let you play along with CDs to learn new stuff. Drum machine is OK for beginners to practice their timing, but that's about it. Headphone out lets you practice without generating divorce proceedings. Noise gate works really well, as does compression.

Setting custom patches is a long, time consuming process. The versatility actually works against you, as there are so many ways to change the sound. Patches can only be accessed by scrolling up/down with the foot switches. Creates time lag that drives me crazy. Very bad for changing sounds in the middle of a solo, etc. Tuner is virtually useless. Tracks all over the place. The wah-wah pedal effect blows. I'm gonna have to get a Cry-Baby re-issue, or something. The auto-ya/talk-ya are gimmicks. No use. Octave is a little muddy. Harmonizer in 5ths is OK but 3rds is atonal and unpleasent.

Construction is good, but I don't think it's road quality. Using this on stage would be about impossible, anyway. Electronics have gone into rectal arrest on me twice. This makes you do a reboot procedure that I find mega annoying. NOTE: If the unit gags, you lose about half of your presets and ALL of your custom patches. Digitech, if you're listening...what the f&*k??!! Again, the thought of using this on stage is enough to give me nightmares.

Well...I'm still fooling with it after 6 months and finding new things to play with. Setting your own patches is the way to most effectively use this. It's time consuming, but really the only way to get EXACTLY what you're after. Good sound CAN be had. The Digitech website is excellent and has forums where other people with more free time than I have share their patches. Kudos to those thoughtful players. For the price, the capabilities are hard to beat. The same versatility in stomp boxes would cost thousands. If you're a live player, though...don't throw away those stomp boxes quite yet!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i got the rp 200 hundred for my birthday when i first started playing the guitar it was like a fucking dream. i had asked for a distortion pedal and dad said screw it ill get him the whole set i guess he paid around 140.

the rp 200 has so many different effects and its a very affordable price for a begginer. you can create your own particular sound something that says your name when people hear it you know your own unique sound or you can try to find the sounds of your favorite artists. it comes with a ryhtm button i guess you could call it and you can change the tempo of the beat which is fuckin awesome for improving your chops for you heavy metal fans im at 170 beats per minute now i know it isnt anything compared to slayers 210 but im workin on it.

it does have many features but, theres always a but, the distortion on it isnt as good where as if you bought a pedal specifically for distortion. same with whammy or wah sounds. and it takes a while to get used to switchin sounds the pedals are really close ill be really into a song and the lead will come up ill go to distortion and end up hittin both pedals at the same time and it goes to bypass so then i get pissed off cause i have to rewind when i was really in a flow.

ive had my unit for around i guess a year and a half now its pretty cool i use it all the time because it has the cool delays and swells and reverbs ive only had one problem with it and thats when the pedal always read that it was up so wahs were impossible but i sent it back and they fixed it and upgraded it all for a simple 10 dollar shpping and handling and a gruelling three week wait. but i really saw how much better distortion sounds coming straight from an amp which will be my next big investment marshalls baby fuck yeah.

for begginers this is very cool i use this so fucking much and now that im getting into the metal scene the beats have improved my chops immensly. this is a really cool gift. but for the more heavier shit like pantera, mettalica, slayer go buy a marshal amp thats your only hope bro. have fun with it if you choose to buy it its very affordable. make your own sounds dude thats what makes it fun be yourself come up with YOUR sound. stay cool and never stop playin.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I picked up my RP-200 at a local music store called Music Music in Bradenton, FL, brand new at a bargin for $125. Being a long time customer and having initially learned to play guitar there was another bonus.

The RP-200 is fantastic as far as amount of effects, clarity of signal, and construction of the unit. Programing takes a little time to learn but once you build a couple of your own for set ones from the DigiTech website, you begin to really get a feel for it. Small and light weight yet sturdy makes it ideal for gigs and practicing, from sitting & picking to being rough and tough on it.

I've read alot of reviews saying the pedals are tooclose together and i never really had a problem with this until i played a club with very little lighting, but that night i had bigger worries than stomping on the wrong button (it was that dark...). my only viable complaint is programming a succession of effects in-line for certain songs as programing can become time consuming.

A steel shell and hard, ABS plastic buttons make the RP-200 a tough little unit. the display and led markers for the effects and modeling is bright and easily trackable to what ever you are doing on stage. The power input is a bit of a worry, but mounted in a stompbox case eliminated that completely (which i highly reccomend anyways).

All in all, the RP-200 is a great unit for gigs where you don't want to lug about a bunch of equipment and can be programed easily for any situation. The espression pedal is a dream and can help make your own unique style and sound, add to that the fact that the factory presets mimic the most popular effect and amp models so begginers can sound like thier idols and thus encourage more practice time and better satisfaction of thier growing ability. For more davanced players this is nearly a neccessary tool for live gigs for ease of use and control of effects and that sound they look for.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com