All user reviews for the DigiTech RP300A

I got this for Father's Day from Mucisian's Friend via the internet for $200. I needed an effects pedal to complete my sound set up that I wanted to be able to play the songs I am learning/like.

This unit is very sturdy and easy to use. It comes with a ton of presets. The built in drum machine is great to play along with and helps me improve my timing. I haven't used the sampling feature yet that allows playback of sampled songs at 1/4 speed but I like the fact that it's there if I can't figure a song out. I also like the built in tuner and it works very well.

I honestly haven't found anything I dislike about this effects pedal. It does take a little reading of the manual to figure out how to fully utilize the controls/capabilities of this pedal but once you get over the learning curve you can't stop trying out all the different effects.

I was surprized how tough this bad boy is. I'm pretty big (6'5" and 240 lbs) and my size 14 foot has no trouble stomping on this pedal and it takes the abuse.

I like this pedal alot. I did tons of research before I bought it so I could bet the best pedal for my money and this baby surpassed my expectation. You can't beat it for quality, affordability and capability.

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

I bought this off of musiciansfriend.com in hopes of getting a reliable pedal with all the effects you could think of without burining a hole in my pocket. I payed $200 for it, which isn't too bad.

It has pretty much every effect you could want to use, plus other things like 2 different amp channels. The effects can be modified A LOT so you can get a pretty good sound, but nothing like what you can get out of a regular single effects pedal. I like the compressor - no buzz.

You can't turn effects on and off as you would expect. You have to manually go through each and every effect out of the very many there are (I think a total of 120). So when switching, you need to scroll through through unwanted effects. And don't believe their little "11 effects at once!" Yeah right. You can only use one, and that one can have only distortion (which isn't that great) and you can use the wah. What they mean is there are 11 parameters you can modify (which is good, but outweighed by other things) for each SINGLE effect. The best effect on there is the built in wah foot pedal. But still, regular wah pedals are better.

The most important thing of all....make sure you send in the warranty or get extra coverage when you buy it. Mine broke within less than 2 months' use. It turns on and all, and you can go through the effects, but no sound, which kinda defeats the purpose, ya know? It's metal, but not all that sturdy. I haven't taken it appart or anything, but it feels and sounds hollow when you knock on it.

It's alright if you don't want the top-of-the-line effects like in a single effect BOSS pedal (they're good and will last you), for example. But if you're gonna buy it for live performances, no, don't. It's not made for that....apparently for practicing in your room, which is what I mainly used it for and it didn't even take that without breaking. But if it lasts you (all of my friends had this or other RPs and they all broke too), it'll be a good practice unit......no more.

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

A variety of effects (flanger, compressor, chorus, delay and ....) 12 amp simulations, 24-bit technology, a 3.5 jack to record music clips (10 seconds) that can slow will a 3.5 to a headphone, between left and froite to connect an amp or sound system, between guitar.
40 sound artists orientsmtal (maiden, megadeth ....), these artists have recorded "their" specially for the Digitech.

UTILIZATION

Trs rgler simple, it's a big positive. The manual is almost useless, it's so rare on the multi-effects.
The case is mtal the pedals of expression is very easy rgler progressive and trs.
On a same preset, 2 channels were (A and B) that allow for example to go from clean to crunch to an amp or distortion, trs cool.

SOUND QUALITY

The effects are of good quality trs trs. This is still pdalier east rock, hard rock and metal. For fans of sounds clear even when there is possibility to find happiness in a little fiddling.
Trs is complete, the plant benefits are nice but they are editing. The presets "artists" are gnralement super well made, but watch it for the big sound.
9 / 10 for sound because it still lacks a little something, I do not know what, but it's still the problem of guitarists, never satisfied 100%.
The sounds are not mtalliques or cold, it stressed.

OVERALL OPINION

I've had four months. A good product that will make it happy.
Yes it can replace the pedals, I did it and so far no regrets, it's so simple plug.
The +: box rhythms (40 patterns, blues, rock, funk .....) IDAL to train in rhythm.
For the price, it's a good product trs, I do not compare with other brands such as ZOOM, because each brand has its own colors and sounds and colors ..... gots
More opportunity, we begin to find a lot, then go for it.

See website for complete specifications (or download the leaflet. For me to read the manual before acheterest a great way to see if the device that you will buy will suit us or not). Basically: preamp, amp simulator (no distortion, they are emulations of amps distortion), compressor, eq 3bandes semiparametric, noise gate, wah-wah, microphone simulator, various modulation effects (chorus, flanger , whammy, pitch, detune, etc..) several delays, reverbs multiple, assignable expression pedal, three knobs (bank up, bank down, channel select), plus a button to save the presets, one to select the effect and one for the drum (40 paterns, tempo and volume adjustable independently), 5 knobs for the settings.

All treatments are digital. In this version of the pedals, they can be edited by the buttons over there. It was only later that the pedals in this series have had USB ports (RP 400 for example).

Connections:
- 6.35 1xIn HiZ jack mono
- 2xOut 6.35 mono jack (stereo output for convoluted reverb type effects or ping-pong delay, auto-pan)
- In jack 3.5 stereo to play playback on an external source (discman, stereo, PC, etc.).
- Headphone Out jack 3.5 stereo
No MIDI.

Various: good sturdy metal housing, power supply provided (!!!!!), ability to record phrases from the auxiliary input and slow (time stretching) to work pieces.

UTILIZATION

Attention is a bit of a gas plant. The interface is very long to master. In fact, it works on the principle of a matrix: we select one of the floors, and the parameter on which the act was amended five pots to match. When no is selected, it works like a normal amp (gain, treble, middle, bass, volume).
For wahwah / pickup:
- On / off
- Type of wah (cry baby, shop "ideal" that is, S does not change depending on the position of the knob ... it's actually a bandpass filter ideal Frequency converter adjustable center .. what .)
- Minimum value of the pedal
- Max
- Emulation micro off/SC-> HB/HB-> SC
Amplifier is chosen for the type, gain, baffle, etc..
etc..
It takes practice to change that live, but it limits the number of buttons on the front. So there is no footswitch for each section, for example, it is not possible to disable the modulation or delay independently of the rest, you have to preset the same without delay for that. It is a choice. For example, the Boss ME50 works completely the opposite: full of buttons simultaneously accessible and you can turn off sections as you want ...

Where: edit sounds is quite difficult, it is easily lost, although we do not know what is saved, what is not saved, what you are currently editing. .. That pest, but it is common to all multi-effects (I try ME50, a Tonelab is the same brothel).

There are factory presets which show the capabilities of the beast. on the other hand, presets "artist" are well crados, they all look alike and are very typical metal. Indeed, it is the original use of this thing. 40 user memories seem more than enough, unless you have lots of groups with lots of different sounds, but you really want to just fill. In addition, there is, for each memory both channels amp, with independent settings of the amplifier section. It allows for a clear sound and a lead sound in the same preset. It's a good idea, it catches up with the lack of footswitch.

The manual is paper and very well done, he explains everything very clearly.

SOUND QUALITY

Effects. It's to be effective, they are effective! The vibrato gives seasick, flange beyond 10/50 is so profound that does not recognize the note played, same for the chorus and phasing. It leaves a great variety of sounds out the same. The whammy is nice, the detune anecdotal. The wahwah are unconvincing, but pretty good walk. Emulations of microphones are not miraculous, but can save a guitar sound too crystalline or too dark, or on the contrary dégeulasser sound even more, for lovers ... the delay and reverb are very good, efficient equalizer, the rotary speaker useless in mono.

The biggest advantage, the one who pushed me to buy, it can assign the pedal to almost any parameter adjustment. For example: damping of delay, reverb level, pitch shifter height, speed or depth or rate mix of the chorus, volume pre / post / mid-chain effects, or voulme gain of the amp ... So far I have not found any multi-effect of this price range (and far above) that allows that. It provides editing capabilities phenomenal!

What disappointed me most, it is the amp emulations.

Whether one is clear: I bought this thing when I was young and naive, and I thought it was the digital emulation must. Well now I'm vaccinated!

The distortion is most hideous. But perhaps parceque'elles are faithful to the originals? The correct and marshall are atrocious, the fuzz inaudible, the shop ... argh! I'd rather not talk about it. The tweed is not like a tube amp, at least to the idea that I did. I compared with a true, not dreaming. For a tube amp sound, you need a tube amp, period. For cons, the cleans are interesting, the more distinctive crunch "lamp" as tweed (my opinion) and the simulation of the Boogie gives a slobbering going very well for the blues cradingue as I like.

So, about a dozen amp simulations, only four are really interesting. As for the simulation of acoustic guitar ... it is not credible, and I can not get sound convincing, even by grinding all the possible settings. I guitars of shit, but still ...

I played with a live mixing desk, with a Roland Jazz 120, 20R Custom Epiphone SG Special with Squier Start and Affinity. Oh yes, indeed, sounds shitty it may have come from there. Though! I bought a Hagstrom Sweden to € 600, and I have not the same sounds terrible, when plugged directly into the amp, the difference with my old guitars is staggering! I made the rock of families (ledzep 70's and stuff in this taste), blues-rock to the White Stripes / Black Keys, funk, and jazz. In the latter case, I would not even considering the possibility to use it. The guitar direct into the amp end!

Regarding the amps, if you have such a monster stack at € 3,000 lamps, a priori it seems silly to stick to an amp simulator, while the sound of the stack is sufficient unto itself. In fact, for me, the interest of such devices is to improve the sound of a transistor amp, or live mixing desk. If you already have a amp with good sound egg, why all dégeulasser bof with emulation? I already try, therefore, a ToneLab with a stratum and a marshall MG100, or UX2. It's fun, nothing more! For me it's the gadget, as fully below what can the "real thing", the amplifier in real life. For cons, the effects section is quite good, and seems to me more interesting than on other models equivalent in the competitors.

OVERALL OPINION

I have 3 years.

Assets:
+ Full of effects in one box (the principle)
+ Effects with a good range of adjustments
+ Expression pedal assignable to any parameter. Believe me, that changes everything!
+ 2 channels per preset (it is often useful)
+ Recorder sentences efficient and time stretching makes a lot of services
+ Ultra strong metal case
+ Power supply provided (that is not true of all brands, is it Boss?)
Ds + sound quality not disappointing, we'll say.

Cons:
- Presets "artist", supposed to provide "more" cans are completely unless it is metal (not me)
- The terrible distos
- Feedback very easily
- Infernal to master interface
- Drum gadget
- Type metal and sounds of all kinds of pork

I would do this choice? Until recently, no. And recently, I tried for the trip, to amplify my tropette with a preamp and paste the Digitech. And then I thanked God for being so dumb to buy this stuff! The amp simus rajoutent a really interesting color, and effects chelou, I love, I do improv sessions with trumpet pitch + or + flanger thoroughly delay + reverb, it's huge! In this use there, it's worth it. As the price almost halved within a year after its release (Grrr. .. is that the pigeon who bought it at full price?), 200 €, just for the effects and capacity settings it seems to me a good deal, but experimentation is a good Swiss Army knife. As for cons of real sounds ... ben ... you buy an Orange amp.

Digitech's RP line are computer chip driven multi-effects floor units boasting effects like flanger, phaser, rotary speaker, tremolo, envelope filter, chorus, delay, and reverb along with amp simulations of popular amps. Some have an expression pedal for assigning an effect to like the RP300A.
The RP300A features 1/4" input and stereo output jacks, headphone output, jam-along 1/8" input, and it includes an AC adapter to power it.

UTILIZATION

Let me just say, the presets might impress you in the store, but when you get home and really start playing you will want to start creating your own presets, which is fairly easy. Don't be deceived by the advertising, you can only use one effect at a time and not 12, but fortunately the effects are seperate from the compressor, delay, and reverb; so for example you can dial in your compressor settings, then your amp model, your effect like chorus for instance, then your delay settings, and then finally your reverb. But using chorus and phaser at the same time; you can't do that.

SOUND QUALITY

The effects are fairly good, maybe not as realistic as if you had individual stompboxes from Boss or DigiTech for each effect, but they certainly aren't junk by any means. They are quite usable, and they have up to 4 parameters to edit for each effect, which can be tedious but gives you more control. If you want LESS paremeters to edit and more simplicity then maybe the RP200 or 150 is for you.
I played a handful of instruments through this, mostly a Fernandes LP Junior style guitar and a custom Telecaster. I dug the clean sounds of the Blackface model with my Tele, and the Rectified model for distortion. I soon became addicted to swirling delays and whooshing flanger and phaser effects, and the spacey vintage vibe of the rotary effect. I was on an effects high for weeks. The compressor definitely comes in handy for getting even sustain as long as you arent heavy handed with it.
Ultimately, the amp models can sound a bit synthetic, and the effects don't sound analog, they are fairly obviously digital, but I think running into a good tube amp would greatly improve the sound from what I was playing it through: my old solid state Peavey combo.

I would imagine the speaker cabinet models would help in making this sound better for going direct into a PA system, but I still wouldnt want to unless I had to. Some comment it becomes thin.

OVERALL OPINION

I had mine for a couple years.
There are a lot of handy features I love like the headphone jack that let me practice or rock out at night with the wife and kid asleep, and the built in drum machine is cool even though half the beats are just too cheesy to be useful. The built in tuner is accurate and handy.
My least favorite feature is that some effects are just too complex. I wouldnt prefer NOT to have 4 parameters to edit to tweak my reverb for example, its just TOO much control. 4 parameters is nessesary for a complex effect like flanger though.
I owned an RP150 before this, the sound is comparable but the 150 was simpler. I don't use the expression pedal as much as I thought I would.
If you can pick one of these up used for well under 100 bucks, it is worth it. If you are going to spend 200 bucks for one new..... then I would buy a Line6 POD which has superior amp models.