Rocktron

The Rocktron Intellifex doesn't have many effects and features compared to today's rack units. However, the effects it does have, it absolutely excels at. Housed in a compact 1U rackmounted chassis, the original Intellifex has 8 voice chorus, delay, reverb, pitch and a noise gate. The unit also has full MIDI integration compete with IN, OUT/THRU inputs. A phantom power jack is conveniently located on the unit to power whatever MIDI board you'd like. One feature not usually mentioned about the original Intellifex is that it actually has a jack for bypassing the unit via a footswitch. The Intellifex Online does not have this feature. UTILIZATION The ease of use of the Intellifex is one of its high points. Not only is every menu clearly laid out with logical menu scrolling, but you have physical knobs you can turn for various values. You don't need to be fiddling with one scroll wheel the entire time, nor do you have to go through an elaborate process to edit presets. The original Intellifex manual is actually not available for download. However, the Intellifex Online's manual is. Besides the 1/4'' footswitch bypass jacks in the back, there is no difference between the two in terms of functionality. The manual is clearly written so that anybody who skims it would be able to delve into the unit with no problems at all. In fact, even without reading the menu, the unit is so easy to use that anybody should be able to master it within about 15 minutes of usage. Although it uses set algorithms for presets, the algorithms are clearly laid out and easy to see at the touch of a button. SOUND QUALITY The Intellifex was mainly meant for guitar effects. What's amazing is that the AD/DA converters are extremely transparent. Set to Pre-HUSH, you'll have almost no coloration of your tone. Keep in mind that the Intellifex was meant to be used in a serial loop. In a parallel loop, you might experience some phasing issues due to no kill-dry function, but it'll still be more than usable. If I had to find some real faults with the unit, it would be that the pitch is not intelligent and the noise gate is a bit dated. In the day, the HUSH noise gate was famous for its quality. However, compared to today's gates, when it's activated, the tone degrades a little bit. You can test this yourself by simply pressing the "Bypass" button on front of the unit. Given the price point, the unit does a stellar job. OVERALL OPINION The Rocktron Intellifex is one of the oldschool rack effects units that has withstood the test of time in terms of reliability, ease of use and quality of sound effects. Not only do they go for a great price on the used market (which, unfortunately is the only way you can buy them at the moment), but they effects are of high quality. The 8 voice chorus and reverb are pure 80s goodness. The ducked delays, while not 2290 delays, are superb. Pitch is a bit lack luster, but it delivers that awesome old school unintelligent pitch for those Jason Becker style riffs. The biggest issue would be the tone suckage when the gate is active, but if you set the unit to Pre-HUSH, everything will sound great. I highly recommend this unit to anybody who is looking for a reliable, tour worthy effects unit.

The Super C seems to be designed to specifically to be used in the effects loops of amplifiers and great for rack units effects loops. It is dual mono and can be used to quiet my two Crate Power Blocks effects loop along side a BBE 482 Sonic Maximizer. The only con about this device, is the fact that it has a single light indicator to tell you when it's about to close. Older Hush / Rocktron 2CX's had 5 lights to visually aid you, but the Super C is just as good . So you're going to have to depend on your ears to get this great device to work for you . It's pretty much a super sensitive noise gate, that when properly set up, it will " shut off " the amp when you are not playing . Here is how I set up my Super C ; 1. I get a program in my processor that has a long delay and reverb effects signal . 2. Hit a chord and adjust the the Threshold knob and the Release knob to not close or or open too soon . 3. I repeat the process, until both, the closing and releasing isn't too premature . After, you tightened up the release and closing features, it will work just as hoped and planed. After I was done, I have an expression pedal to losen the noise gate so well, that when I do tight chugging Pantera or Metallica type rhythms, it closes perfectly. Or if I use clean choursly, Flanged out tones, that are reminiscent of Pink Floyd's " Run Like Hell", Eric Johnson's " Trademark " or the Police's "DA Doo Doo Doo, DA Da Da", it releases and closes perfectly, no matter if it's clean or distorted to the maximum. And at rehearsal or gigs, the Super C is perfect to the point that I have no hum or hiss from my amps at all .

- Solid-state amp with tube simulation - One input and 2 speaker outputs per channel - 2x150 watts max stereo or 300 watts max mono - One volume and one reactance (tube simulation) control per channel - Bridged mode button (mono or stereo) UTILIZATION Dialing it in is VERY EASY! A volume and reactance control per channel! You connect one or two preamps and your speaker(s) and there's no impedance problems, it's automatic (which is perfect because you don't run the risk of toasting your amp)! CAREFUL: In bridged (mono) mode you shouldn't use a speaker of less than 8 ohms The manual explains very clearly all connection possibilities. The sound? It's easy to make it sound, but it all depends on what you connect into the inputs and outputs. Personally, I use a Mesa Boogie Triaxis and they make a good couple! No presence control, unlike on the newer model, but it's not that bad, you only need to readjust your settings directly on the preamp. SOUNDS I play mainly metal and it's perfect together with the triaxis. It's impressive as soon as you crank the reactance all the way up, it has that smooth "tube" sound, the lows can be sometimes too present and force you to readjust the settings. Nevertheless, the amp remains very neutral. The sound is excellent, it's hard to get a better tube sound at this price point while still having a proper sound at low volumes without the need of a power attenuator. The headroom is large enough! OVERALL OPINION I've been using it since January 2013, bought it secondhand for $300 and I think it's an excellent value for money! Besides, there's no need for maintenance, which my wallet will appreciate! I didn't test any other power amps and I turned towards this one due to my limited budget! I don't regret my choice at all.

The Rocktron Cyborg Reverb is one of the few pedals that Rocktron makes in their "Cyborg" line, which is a little unusual, to say the least. The pedal features 8 digital algorithmic reverbs, 8 preset spots, and it comes with Rocktron's Hush noise-reducing circuitry. It is controllable by midi, via a special connection cable (which comes with the pedal), and it functions off of standard 9 volt DC pedal power. UTILIZATION The Rocktron Cyborg Reverb has 8 programmable preset spots, which are selectable by turning the preset knob, or hitting the store switch. If you had to switch from preset 2 to preset 1, however, you would have to press the preset button 7 times, and that can be annoying and problematic. I imagine most people would often switch between a few presets, and this can be a bit of a problem. SOUND QUALITY There are 8 reverbs: Two plates, two halls, two rooms, a stadium, and an irregular room (called dual). For each reverb, there are only two controllable parameters: decay, and level. Decay usually sets the length of the decay, which is equivalent to room size on some other reverb units. Level sets the overall mix of the reverb, but it is not possible to get a completely wet signal. With the level maxed, the reverb is about 50% of the overall signal. For a reverb unit, this lack of control is surprising. Simplicity is nice, but there is no way to control the EQ of the reverb, for example. I find that some of the reverbs could use more treble, but I cannot adjust that. Compared to Eventide's Space, this pedal doesn't even come close. But it is at nearly half the price of the Eventide pedal. OVERALL OPINION Overall, it's hard to recommend the Rocktron Cyborg Reverb, unless you need 5 or more reverb presets, and want to quickly dial them in. Most guitarists don't have a need for so many preset spots, and would rather have more tonal controls. So it's hard to imagine who exactly needs this pedal. If you can get it cheap, check it out. I got mine on sale for $80.

The Rocktron MultiValve was an evolution of the Replifex, which was the predecessor of the Xpression. Most of the things I'm writing in this review can directly apply to the Replifex and the Xpression. I'll note the differences when necessary. The MultiValve's main job was to recreate famous stomp box sounds in the form of a 1U chassis. This helps reduce clutter, saves money and gives the user one heck of a bang for their buck. The MultiValve came with a plethora of effects: HUSH, Parametric EQ, Flanger, Chorus, Reverb, Compressor, Tremolo, Auto Pan, Delay, Phaser, Pitch Shifter, Speaker Simulator and Rotary. It has the standard inputs, outputs, MIDI IN, MIDI OUT/THRU and phantom power. However, the MultiValve and Replifex have a channel switching function built in. This allows you to effectively MIDI enable most amps. The currently sold Xpression does NOT have this feature. The MultiValve also has a 12AX7 tube which can be selected to add a "tube warmth" to the effects. This is really the only difference between the Replifex and the MultiValve, and why the unit is named what it is. UTILIZATION Like all Rocktron products, the interface is top notch. Nothing is overly complicated, and Rocktron actually made the interface of the MultiValve even easier to use than the Infellifex. You no longer have to deal with tons of algorithms but rather the ability to select whichever effect you'd like in every patch. This opens the door to nearly limitless possibilities. The manual is extremely well written, and it'll help guide you through everything in the process to setting up a tone you're looking for. One interesting feature is that the Bypass is now a selectable MIDI feature on this device. That allows you to completely bypass it from the chain via your MIDI board to ensure absolutely no tone suckage. The menus are clearly written so that even without the manual, anybody can easily delve into this unit without any problem. SOUND QUALITY This is an interesting point because it's where a lot of people start to split. On one hand, the MultiValve delivers an amazing array of effects to satisfy most guitarists out there. On the other hand, it doesn't sound quite as good as the Intellifex does when it comes to delay, chorus, and reverb. The reason is that the MultiValve was set up to emulate the lo-fi stomp boxes instead of the higher end rack effects. The main feature of the MultiValve, the "tube warmth," really falls flat. It's akin to putting an EQ on your effects to give them some less high end. You can pretty much emulate this with the onboard parametric EQ. I always just bypassed the tube, personally. A big highlight of this unit is actually the rotary function. The rotary algorithm is actually a separate algorithm, and you can actually dial in a fairly realistic rotary tone. For that feature alone, I'd say the MultiValve is worth checking out. The other speaker sims are somewhat flat sounding, so I never used them. Aside from those downsides, the rest of the effects are quite good, especially the parametric EQ. An EQ in the loop can truly do wonders to help get the tone you're looking for, and considering the cost of so many famous parametric EQs out there, this is easily worth the used market price. When set to Pre-HUSH, the bypass is nearly completely transparent. OVERALL OPINION Overall, the Rocktron MultiValve is a solid device for those looking for an all-in-one stomp box effects unit in a 1U chassis. While it does not compare to the effects of the Intellifex, it was never meant to directly compete with it. Instead, it was meant to run along side the Intellifex to give you the ultimate flexibility. Reliability is second to none as these units would survive a bomb. They've been proven time and time again as reliable effects processors for the working musician. The biggest reason I actually got this device was to MIDI my Mark III and Two Channel Dual Rectifier. This single device was able to MIDI enable both of these amplifiers with a simple TRS cable, as well as provide quality stomp box effects. For anybody who doesn't want to deal with the hassle of rigging a bunch of pedals in a rack, I highly recommend looking into this device.

I just bought a Rocktron Midi Mate, had it shipped from the USA, plugged it into my Triaxis using a Rocktron 7-pin Midi cable and supplied phantom power (9VAC) using a Pedal Power AC into the Triaxis. Turned it on and everything just worked! Awesome unit that is perfect for my needs. BUT part of the LED display doesn't work properly (out of the box) which definitely took away the buzz of buying a new unit. Now I need to shell out $60 to mail the unit back for a replacement, or put up with a faulty display. There was nothing wrong with the packaging (padded boxes inside padded boxes) so I can only suspect the unit probably wasn't properly factory tested on the production line in China. First Rocktron product I have ever bought. What's the quality generally like? I searched the net and couldn't find much in the way of problems.

Rocktron is really well known for their midi foot controllers that allow you to select rack unit effects or pedals without having to do a dance on your pedal board. They are also well known for their preamps and effects processors much like TC Eletronics processors. They're not as well-known for their foot pedals but they should be because they make good quality foot pedals at reasonable budget friendly prices. UTILIZATION Features Designed to give you 75dB of raging gain A scoop control lets you cut mids up to 30dB Amazingly little noise Sustain knob for feedback effects SOUND QUALITY The RT rampage distortion pedal is a nice high gain distortion pedal with quite a few features for the high gain guitar player in mind. You have a bass control knob a scoop, trebel, level, and sustain control knob. This is pretty much everything you would want any high gain distortion pedal. So many pedals lack girth or depth or sustain, but this pedal really tackles all of those issues that you would find in many boss distortion pedals or any other competitor. One cool thing is the scoop control knob which allows you to scoop the mid section to really give you that new modern metal sound. You have a trebel control which is nice too because the more you increase trebel the more you increase the distortion. In addition you have a sustained control knob which anyone is ever played the distortion pedal or distortion/ distorted amplifier knows how much sustain is important in your overall sound. OVERALL OPINION At new you can find these pedals for right around $70 which is a great price for this very versatile pedal. You will get everything you want and it's extremely friendly to a novice or a beginner. I recommend this to anyone looking for a good solid pedal for under $100.

For those of you who are touring musicians and use rack or midi equipment, I don't even need to say it. Midi controllers are our everything. That's right. We are guitarists/whatever who pay cold hard cash for devices that don't even make sound. That's got to mean something. The bottom line is we need a midi controller that does 2 things. 1. Functions properly for what we need. 2. Doesn't break. Hey, I can't afford a backup for things like this, but unfortunately if I'm on tour and my controller goes down I am basically out of commission. For years I used a Ground Control Pro. Great unit by the way and probably the best value you will find out there for a midi unit. I finally switched to the all access for 2 reason. Even though my GCP had never broken, I felt like it might eventually because of the construction. The All Access felt a bit more sturdy. Also, I needed more presets and IA switches. The all access is indeed very sturdy. It might be the most rock solid controller I've had. I've had some good ones too. The editing isn't too complicated. There's a lot of functionality too. It isn't as functional as some custom options like the Liquid Foot or CAE controller but for most guys it's enough. All I really ask of it is patch and cc changes. Nothing special. This isn't a cheap unit. Definitely not for the budget minded guys. I have had more expensive and nicer units. This one holds its own in quality but not so much in features. I still like the all access though. It's a good touring unit. If you're just playing at home or locally I would get a GCP and save the money. I personally think the quality and extra functionality is worth it for certain breeds of guitarists. It fits that niche. Also I think the menu in the All Access is one of the better ones. Some of these units can be uber confusing, so that's a nice feature to have for guys who aren't super midi savvy.

This is primarily a vibe/modulation effect. I have however been able to create some great sounding "Chorus" effects out of this guy as well as some phaser effects too. This is a straight up analog effect. The only connections on it are 1/4" audio in and out and of course the Wallwart plug jack. No, this cannot be edited via a computer, just the knobs on the face of the stomp box. This is an analog effect. UTILIZATION There are only four knobs and two switches (well, one knob is also a switch too so technically three switches) on this guy so the editing is very simple. You get a "rate, depth, and level" knob to control the Modulation and a Vibe knob/switch to fine tune the rate and engage the "leslie" effect. You also have the "active" switch which engages the whole effect in your effects chain and a "fast/slow" switch for traditional style Leslie vibe control. These options shouldn't confuse anyone who is familiar with the basic concepts of a "Leslie" effects box. The manual is not necessary, in fact, I looked at one point and couldn't even find one. SOUND QUALITY I use this primarily with my Guitar rig (Parker fly into Fender Twin) and is sounds great. I haven't actually done an A/B with this pedal to see if it sucks any tone but I use my rig often enough, and when I through this into the mix, I didn't notice any change. I do believe it does a good enough job for live performance of reproducing the sound of my guitar. I haven't tried it in the studio yet. I did run my rhodes through this and it also sounded good but I prefer to use my guitar with it. OVERALL OPINION What I like most about it is the ability to fine tune the "leslie effect." With a real leslie, you get the option of fast or slow, which Rocktron also put on this pedal (very nice) but if you want to find a Vibe somewhere in between that, you can engage the "vibe mode" switch and adjust the dial to your liking. This was a very cool addition to the pedal and is the reason I picked this one up. The only thing I don't like about this pedal is they put the Wall Wart adapter plug right next to the input jack. I use "right angle" effects cables on my board so when the wall wart is plugged in, it gets right in the way of the audio plug. I don't know why they didn't put it on the back, there is a lot of unused room back there. I paid $30 for this used at a pawn shop and I am very happy about that. It seems to be going on ebay for around $50 to $60. I give it a 10 out of 10 for precision and quality of the sound in a live situation. I use a lot of high end boutique pedals that have Tru Bypass on them and when this pedal joined there ranks, I notice no tone degradation. Yes, for that price, I would buy two.

I play everything, man. Metal, Blues, Classic-Rock, Modern-Rock, pretty much everything. I don't really have a band, but I like jaming with my friends just about every weekend and it would be cool if we got a recording unit... but we don't I bought this pedal from Musicians-Friend, and I paid $70 plus tax and shipping charges. I like the 4 band EQ a lot. You can use it for any kinda style that calls for distortion. The bright blue LED looks cool. Pro quality distortion. And built liek a tank, man. It's KINDA bulky. And theres no included AC adaptor, but it comes with a 9 VOLT battery so I geuss its ok. Built like a tank, man! And not a crappy Korean one! HAHA! If you like pro distortion that can get from bluesy sounds to insanely distorted death metal and everything in between, than this thing is for you! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I paid $695 through Musician's Friend. Read several user reviews on the best overall processor for the bucks and I kept turning up Voodoo Valve. The unit right out of the box sports a very pro look. Incorporates a real 12AX7 tube in the preamp stage that really works. The 247 presets are good enough alone, but as you tweak the unit you discover a whole pallette of tweakable sonic landscapes. Loud output. Plenty of headroom. I cannot say anything I don't like about the unit. I would like to have seen a tuner built in and a footswitch come with the unit,(there is one availabel for very reasonable price @ Musicians Friend called "midi-mate". Very excellent quality and unmatchable sound. Should last for a decade or two. Rocktron has really turned out pro stuff in the past. Remember these guys once only sold to the big time pros, yet in the 90's began to offer their same dsp technology to the average consumer. While their gear is a little "pricy" for the average joe, remember you really do get what you pay for a Rocktron delivers! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

i bought this through drumcityguitarland,300 w/ship its a great upgrade from the intelliflex online,has an eq,spk siml,nice rich choruses,as well as a bunch of the classic effects,it has some really good programs from factory,tweak the eq to match your amp...but clean and quiet i wish they put the adsr in it like the prophecy unit... simple to use built well,simple to edit rocktron has great sounds for afforable prices,i have other processors as well,some way more expensive,but a pain in the ...to use.i play old school metal/hard rock with modern edge,and this product works great for meits a great way to get over your xpression.... This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com