I've had my RP255 for 4 years now, and I just realized you could download user presets off the Internet.facepalm. Anyway, I got all my stuff set up. Digitech RP500 Review 4.5 Admin 2015-06-11 23:44:38 Over the last few years the DigiTech Company has garnered a reputation for delivering great, value-for-money multi-effects units that cater to what guitarists need; and their second largest pedal in the RP series, the RP500 is no exception. The design philosophy of the RP500 according to DigiTech is to offer players the versatility of a fully.

• Amazon: Digitech RP500 Multi-Effects Pedal

See More Results

Summary

• Pros: Huge array of amps, cabs and effects. Rugged build and sleek design.
• Cons: The lack of a drum machine is a slight drawback.
• Overall: While not a complete replacement for a high-end guitar rig, the RP500 is an excellent choice for guitarists looking for tonal flexibility on a budget.

Full Review

Over the last few years the DigiTech Company has garnered a reputation for delivering great, value-for-money multi-effects units that cater to what guitarists need; and their second largest pedal in the RP series, the RP500 is no exception. The design philosophy of the RP500 according to DigiTech is to offer players the versatility of a fully-fledged switching system in a multi-effects unit that can easily be used along with an array of other pedals. Today we take an in-depth look at the pros and cons of the DigiTech RP500.

Build

DigiTech is known for building pedals that are road-worthy, and the RP500 does not fall short in this regard. The pedal’s outer casing is completely metal and feels like it can take some fairly harsh treatment on the road; which is an absolute necessity for guitarist that tour and gig consistently. The pedal’s nine footswitches are also metal and are able to take some heavy duty stomping.

The only drawback in this regard is that the six control knobs underneath the LED display are made of plastic and look like they could break off if bumped too hard. However, DigiTech’s designers have recessed the LED display and six control knobs so that they are fairly well protected.

In terms of size, the RP500 is not a small pedal by any means. But at just 19.5 inches long and 8.6 inches wide, it’s not a monolith either. And to be honest, for a guitarist that doesn’t have the budget to hire a guitar tech and crew to lug a massive pedal board around, it’s actually quite handy.

Interface

The RP500’s design and interface is sleek and stylish. But more importantly it is simple to use. Even if the RP500 is your first multi-effects unit, the chances are that you’ll be able to plug this pedal in and start playing within a couple of minutes.

The pedal’s interface includes a fairly bright red LED display and a “matrix” display which allows players to easily navigate the various preset editing options. To start off, players can simply use the first two control knobs from the left to browse and select a pre-programmed tone or effect and can then use the remaining four control knobs to adjust various parameters.

Another great feature of the RP500 is that it can be used as a line of stompboxes when in “pedalboard mode”. Switching to “pedalboard mode” is as easy as pressing a tiny button and players can then assign five different effects to the pedal’s five footswitches. This allows players to easily integrate the RP500 to their existing pedalboards and is also great for players that use only a few different effects per song. In “preset mode” players have the option of assigning five different presets to the five footswitches and toggling between various preset banks using the up and down footswitches.

Sound

Like its big brother the RP1000, the RP500 offers players a total of 200 (100 factory built and 100 user-assigned) presets. The various factory built presets are categorized by sound and style and are a great starting point for most beginner guitarists. However, to really get the most out of this pedal, it’s advisable that you spend at least a few weeks experimenting and tweaking your own presets to achieve your own unique sound.

When creating custom presets players have the option of selecting from two dozen classic amp modulations, including those from manufacturers like Marshall, Fender, Mesa-Boogie, Laney and Orange. DigiTech has also thrown in a couple of dozen custom built amp modulations like the Fender Blackface front-end matched with a Tweed back-end. The RP500 also offers players 22 different cabinet models to choose from.

Like the RP1000 the RP500 uses AudioDNA2 processing, so the tonal quality of these amp and cab modulations is quite excellent. However, they’re not 100% accurate tonal representations of these amps and sometimes lack the dynamics and versatility of the originals. So if you do own a solid amp/cab combo, you might be able to create a much better tone by bypassing the pedal’s amp and cab modulations entirely.

DigiTech has also included a whopping 77 effects for players to choose from, including 18 different kinds of distortion, three kinds of wah and a comprehensive array of delays, reverbs, compressors, tremolos and choruses.

Additional Features

As far as connectivity goes, the RP500 comes with an array of options like ¼ inch stereo outputs, two XLR outputs, an auxiliary input, a headphone jack and a USB port which allows for easy direct-to-computer recording and tone editing via DigiTech’s X-Edit software. The pedal also comes with a very handy 20 second looper which can be switched on by holding down the up footswitch. A slight drawback here though is the fact that the RP500 comes sans the drum machine that is included in most of DigiTech’s lower end pedals.

Conclusion

While the RP500 is in no way a complete substitute for a high-end guitar rig, it is a pedal that offers a great deal of versatility and value for money for guitarists on a budget.

Amazon:Digitech RP500 Multi-Effects Pedal

Check Prices:

Amazon:Digitech RP500 Multi-Effects Pedal

Summary

• Pros: Nine rugged, metallic footswitches in total which allow for much greater hands-free control. Plenty of amp models, cabs and effects, with a “matrix” editing system and a user-assignable expression pedal.
• Cons: No drum machine, the expression pedal can be a little stiff and the amp models are noticeably less responsive than the real thing.
• Overall: A mid-sized to large unit that is suitable for extensive gigging. There might be better options in terms of sounds, but they will be more than enough for the majority of players.

Full Review

The Digitech RP500 is the second-largest member of the RP series, making it a definite option for players looking for something to use as a gigging companion. Digitech’s smaller units generally fall a little short of being up to the task, but they get pretty much everything else right. The extra size looks set to be the RP500’s savior, allowing it to offer everything on the smaller units with the added bonus of genuine hands-free capabilities. But does it deliver?

Full-Sized Features

Depending on your outlook, the fact that the Digitech RP-500 includes the same features as the smaller units such as the RP355 is either a great thing or it means you’re parting with extra cash just for the luxury of a bigger box to fit everything in. You do get more preset locations, with 100 user slots and 100 factory ones, as well as 53 amps, 22 cabs and 72 effects – more than on any of the smaller units. Aside from a handful of extra amps, cabs and effects, you get pretty much everything you do on the biggest unit in the series, the RP1000.

The rigid, metallic construction and the size of the unit are the first things you’ll notice out of the box. The Digitech RP500 is almost 20 inches long, which gives it plenty of room to house five main footswitches along the bottom row, two at either side of the display and a large expression pedal on the right hand side. The construction quality of the footswitches is much better than on the smaller units because the shallow buttons are replaced with rugged metallic versions which are evenly spaced apart. You’re much less likely to hit one accidentally thanks to the extra room on the pedal.

[tabs][tab title=”Pic 1″][/tab][tab title=”Pic 2″][/tab][tab title=”Pic 3″][/tab][/tabs]

There are a total of 55 amp models included on the Digitech RP500, with extras like the Dreadnought and Jumbo Acoustic taking the total higher than on the 355 (which “only” includes 32). Along with a whole host of Digitech amp models, you also get versions of classics like the ’74 Orange OR 120, Mesa Boogie’s Dual and Triple Rectifiers, the Marshall JCM200, Fender’s vintage Tweed, Blackface and Brownface amps and others like the ’96 Matchless HC30. They all use the Digitech AudioDNA2 processing, allowing for accurate representation of the original amp sounds. Although you’ll still be acutely aware that you’re hearing a replication, unless you happen to have 55 classic amps in your basement the amp models are invaluable. The 22 cabs are matched up to the amps automatically, but you can make up your own combinations too.

You also get 72 cool effects on the Digitech RP500, and these are also modeled on classics from throughout electric guitar history. There are plenty of options for compressors, wahs, distortions, flangers, choruses, phasers, delays, reverbs, envelopes, tremolos, vibratos and pitch-shifters, as well as a 3 band EQ. This is a veritable catalogue of legendary sounds, from the pitch-shifting fun of the Boss OC-2 Octaver to the Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phaser and the DOD Classic Fuzz distortion pedal. Plus, there are plenty of Digitech effects scattered across the different groups.

Digitech GSP1101 | The Gear Page

When the Digitech RP500 was originally released there was no in-built looper, but a firmware update changed that. You now get a 20 second looper with the unit, and it’s actually arranged in a much more standardized fashion than it is on the smaller unit. There aren’t dedicated switches, so you have to use the “Up” and “Down” footswitches (which usually allow you to change presets) to control it. Holding the “Up” switch for a couple of seconds activates the looper, and the “Down” switch is used for recording, playing back and overdubbing. Unlike on the smaller units, you don’t have to hold a switch down when you’re overdubbing, making the operation of the looper much simpler.

You also get plenty of options for connectivity with the Digitech RP500. The back panel includes stereo 1/4 inch outs, a pair of XLR outs (with a switch to minimize hum from ground loops), a headphone jack, an auxiliary input, a 1/4 inch input and a USB port. You can use the USB port to alter your sounds using the included X-Edit software and to backup your presets. The pedal also comes with Cubase LE4 in case you want to do some recording.

In Use

There are two basic modes you can use with the Digitech RP500, and the default one means the footswitches work just like individual stomp-boxes. In Pedalboard mode, from left to right you can activate or deactivate the compressor, distortion, chorus/FX, delay and reverb effects with a simple tap of a switch. The “Up” and “Down” switches choose a preset in this mode. In Preset mode, the five main footswitches choose a preset and the “Up” and “Down” ones are used to select a bank of five presets.

The “matrix” display in the center of the unit is used for editing the preset sounds. For basic customization, you can simply adjust the two left-most dials to browse the pre-programmed tone and effects libraries (which each include 40 style-specific configurations). If you want to get more technical, the up and down “Edit” buttons are used to select a row on the matrix, and then the first knob selects a specific effect from within that group. Pressing the knob in activates the effect, and fine changes to parameters are made with the remaining dials. The parameters are detailed above the dials, so it’s really easy to use. If you’re new to multi-effects, reading the manual is advised though.

Digitech Rp500 Update

There are a couple of minor issues with the Digitech RP500. Firstly, there is no drum machine. As this is included on the smaller units, the fact that you don’t get one when you spend more money seems to betray common sense. It isn’t the biggest issue, but it’s one that wouldn’t have been much hassle to get right. The sounds are also notably less responsive than the real things, and although this is to be expected to a certain degree, other modelers such as Line 6’s POD HD series do a better job. Finally, the expression pedal can also be a little stiff, and doesn’t have much room for parameter adjustment because of its small size.

Overall

The Digitech RP500, when set up correctly, can be used effectively in a live setting. You get all of the benefits of the smaller units with additional sounds and heavy-duty pedals. This makes switching between presets and adjusting the components to your sound much easier during a gig. There may be a few minor issues, but overall it offers all of the plus-points of the RP series without the fiddling and accidental-pressing that is common with the smaller units. If you’re a serious gigging musician, this is the smallest RP pedal you should consider, but for bedroom players there are cheaper options that are more than suitable.

Buy on Amazon:Digitech RP500 Multi-Effects Pedal