The world of multi-effects processors has taken huge steps forward in recent years. Amplifier and effects pedal modeling technologies now give players creative options that were inconceivable just a few years ago. Not coincidentally, my first two multi-effects processors were both from DigiTech -- the “2101 Artist”, and the “2120 Artist” models. Both of these units were state of the art rack mount processors for their time, and with the “Control 1” it even gave a player some utility in gig situations.

The two biggest limitations that I found with early effects processors was the inability to control individual effects within a given patch, and the overall quality of the effects, especially distortion and compression. That said, most of the time-based effects such as reverb and delay were better sounding, and very usable in most cases.

While the DigiTech RP line has enjoyed much success in recent years, there were still a few unaddressed issues that have now been tackled by the engineers at DigiTech with the release of the RP1000. This new flagship of the RP Series boasts some innovative solutions to old multi-effects problems. It will definitely appeal to the professional players who still yearn for versatility but want to hold onto their individual effects pedal setups. First, let’s take a quick tour the RP1000’s control surfaces, and then I will cover a few of the newer features in a little more detail.

While at first glance the RP1000 may look fairly sophisticated, the simplest way to understand how it works would be to envision it as a self-contained box full of individual effects pedals, guitar amplifiers, and speaker cabinets with a built in fully integrated switching system. In short, the engineers at DigiTech took a stadium full of some of the most coveted vintage and modern guitar equipment and shrunk them down to fit inside a sleek, stylish fully metal constructed chassis.

Most multi-effects units I have used in the past only allow you to change between patches, forcing you to construct a new patch for each desired sound. One of the great features of the RP1000 is the “Pedalboard” mode which allows the bottom row of switches to change between patches, and the top row of switches to turn on and off individual effects within a given patch.

Therefore, unlike old school processors, you do not just get one hundred (plus or minus) patch locations. You actually get one hundred individual fully functioning pedal boards which can be individually configured with your own selection of internal effects, amplifiers, and cabinets. The listing of features and onboard models is impressive to say the least, and far to long to list in this review, so I have put together a separate page with the help of the DigiTech website which you can view HERE.



The RP1000 looks very similar its RP500 predecessor, only slightly larger with the addition of five more heavy-duty metal vacuum foot switches. A closer inspection however will reveal a few new buttons on the center control section including the “Looper” button, and the “Amp Loop” button as well as a “stomp loop LED”. The “Bypass” switch on the left top of the RP500 has been replaced with a “Stomp Loop” switch on the RP1000. We will get to these a little later.

The front control panel is laid out very logically for ease of use, starting with a large, easy to read two part display which serves several functions. In playing mode shows the patch name and number, and in editing mode shows cabinets, amp models, and the effects parameters you are editing. This display is also used for the built in tuner.

Below the display is the well-known DigiTech effects matrix that gives you a snapshot look at the configuration of an individual patch. I really appreciated the bank of edit knobs that allow you to adjust effects and amplifier gain in real time, while giving you the feel of working with the actual effects pedal or an amplifier control panel. The assignable expression pedal rounds out the great look and functionality of the RP1000.




The hook up control panel on the back of the unit is similar to early designs, but does hold a few new gems that take make the RP1000 exceptionally well suited for versatile hookup options. Whether you want to input via amplifier, power amp to speakers, mixing board, or direct to computer, there is a path for you to get there. There is also a switch on the back panel that optimizes the RP1000 for use with an amplifier, or a mixing console when using the ¼” outputs. Since many mixing board based audio systems have full range speaker setups, this switch delivers speaker compensation to keep your sound at its best quality level relative to the application. The RP1000 is ready out of the box for just about any studio or stage configuration you can dream up.



Amp Loop – This function may be a little confusing at first, but once you understand its significance, it really becomes one of the most valuable tools that the RP1000 offers over any other multi-effects product on the market. In essence the amp loop allows you to route effects through your amplifier in the same way you would route individual and rack effects for optimum signal integrity. This feature is crucial for players who have amplifiers that are integral part of their sound. In past products, the effects all entered the amplifier before the preamp. This breaks the common rule that you want to “delay your overdrives, not overdrive your delay”.

The RP1000 actually has the ability to split the effects signal when in the amp loop mode, thereby sending the time based effects to the effects loop (post pre amp) and the distortion and overdrive effects to the front end of the amplifier (pre preamp). When the Amp Loop is engaged, it will bypass all of the RP1000’s internal amplifiers and cabinets. This allows you to maintain the integrity of your individual amplifiers tone while still making use of the effects within the RP1000 in the optimal configuration. Until now, this type of routing option has been unheard of in multi-effects processors.

Also, in the past, if you wanted to use an amplifier model, you would need to run it through the front end of your amplifier (before the preamp). Even though a given model might closely resemble the original, this configuration also picks up the individual characteristics of your actual amplifier. When the Amp Loop is hooked up, and you elect to not bypass the RP1000’s internal amp and cabinet models, it sends the signal post preamp to the effects loop and only utilizes the power amp section. Not only does the Amp Loop preserve the tone of your actual preamp when needed, it also preserves the tone of the internal virtualization when that is what you want. All of this ultimately results in the closest approximation of modeled amp and effects tones possible with today’s technology. You will still be dealing with your real cabinet and speaker’s (or PA for that matter) characteristics, so it is important to consider where the final output will be routed.

The “Amp Loop” function can be assigned to any of the numbers 6-10 switches in the pedal board section for easy on/off switching with the tap of a foot. I would also like to mention that the “Amp Loop” will bypass internal amplifiers if the “Amp Bypass” button is engaged. The “Amp Bypass” button is more for players who do not wish to use the “Amp Loop” features but still want to keep the internal amplifiers and cabinets bypassed.

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Gear Guy Tip: You will need three cables to hook up in the amp loop configuration (four if running stereo). I would recommend the use of a product like the PedalSnake to reduce the trip hazard of multiple cables underfoot, or even just for the ease of quick setup and tear down time.

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Stomp Loop – If by chance, you look through the truckload of pedals available in the RP1000, and you just can’t find anything that compares to your favorite reverb, overdrive, or other single effects pedal in your collection, do not despair. Just plug your favorite pedal into the stomp loop, and it becomes a part of the RP1000 signal chain. You can even chain multiple pedals together and put them in the loop giving you an endless palette of effects suited to your individual taste. I find this to be invaluable since I always use a Sonic Stomp in my effects chain, as well as various other pedals I like to use for specific applications as part of my own “special sauce”.

The Stomp Loop function has a dedicated footswitch as mentioned earlier. When the loop is engaged, you can turn on and off your individual pedals as you normally would. It does bear mentioning that you cannot control these external effects individually directly from the RP1000 (obviously, you’ll need to use the native controls on each external pedal), however you can turn them all on and off at once by using the RP100’s dedicated “Stomp Loop” switch.

The Stomp Loop can also be assigned to go into your amplifier either pre or post preamplifier. This makes it very versatile for the type of effects you will plug into it. However, you will need to choose one or the other since it does not have the ability to split your stomp loop signal for a distortion pedal to post and a delay to pre. This function is only available with the internal effects pedals with the “Amp Loop” function.

USB Port - The RP1000 also has a built in USB port provides 2x2 audio streaming for sending your signal directly to you digital audio workstation. This turns the RP1000 into a direct audio interface for recording. Included in the RP1000 package is Cubase® LE4 recording software.



The USB port can also be used to communicate between the RP1000 and the X-Edit editor librarian software. The X-Edit software can be downloaded from the DigiTech website (www.digitech.com) and can be used for real time editing of patches in the RP1000. The intuitive design allows you to get a broader picture of a patch, and gives you the ability to build, edit, and save new patches from your computer screen. I can tell you that once you have tried this convenient utility, you will never want to program another patch from the effects unit itself.

Looper – The looping function gives you 20 seconds of looping for use in practice, or for soloing over a short guitar phrase. This can be turned on and off via a footswitch on the control panel once you have engaged the loop button. While I did find this to be a valuable addition to the RP1000 for most players, I find that 20 seconds is the minimum amount that I would recommend, but in some instances that time limit is just not quite enough.

Features at a Glance:
• Effect switching system offers control over external & internal stompboxes and effects
• Exclusive Pedalboard Mode provides on/off and real-time control to any five RP1000 effects or parameters
• Amp/Cabinet Bypass defeats internal amplifiers and cabinets in all presets
• Built-in Phrase Looper
• Built-in expression pedal controls the RP1000’s Whammy™, wahs, volume, and other parameters
• Built-in chromatic Tuner
• Switchable Stompbox Loop for effects switcher control of external stompboxes and effects
• Switchable Amp Loop to retain your amp’s tone
• 40 Tone and 40 Effects Libraries
• 200 presets (100 factory, 100 user)
• Over 160 effects including stompboxes, choruses, delays, amps and cabinets
• Up to 5 seconds of delay time
• 24-bit 44.1kHz sample rate
• All metal construction
• Heavy-duty metal switches for stompbox response
• Bright LEDs display program status and effect on / off
• Large 10 character LED display for preset name, bank name and tuner
• Independent 1/4" Left and Right Outputs
• Independent XLR Left and Right Outputs with ground lift
• Amp / Mixer switch optimizes 1/4" outputs for amp or direct to mixer connections
• Stereo 1/8" headphone output
• Cubase LE4 Music Production Software included
• Downloadable X-Edit Librarian Software
• 2 x 2 USB audio streaming
• Power supply included



Before I started my testing, I had a preconception about multi effects units and their presets. With almost all other products I have tried, I have found that the majority of the factory presets are not very usable in their current configuration, and editing is a mandatory requirement, which can be daunting with all the features available. Many of the patches I’ve heard are often a manufacturer’s way of showing just how versatile a product is by demonstrating the widest variety of possible sounds. I will admit that some of these settings can be useful for textural fills, but not so much for everyday playing.

With this in mind, I hooked up using the “Amp Loop” configuration using a Crate Palomino tube amplifier. Two things stood out to me immediately as I started working my way through the preset patches of the RP1000. First, the majority of presets are pretty good right out of the box. So good in fact that I believe this is the first multi effects processor that I could buy the night of a gig, and be able to play my way through without hours of programming my sound. I say this somewhat lightly since there is going to be some editing to tailor patches to each players ear for tone and various song sets, but I bet I could find something at least workable for almost any style in this standard group. Second, editing a patch to your desired tone and effects configuration is fairly easy compared to the banks of menus and screens that I have become uneasily accustomed to with older style processors.

The quality of the modeled effects and amplifiers is second to none, and I really enjoyed having the option of selecting a preset and then quickly scrolling through the different amplifier models and cabinets. Just this simple edit made significant changes to the overall sound of the patch, greatly increasing the array of sounds that can be achieved.

I found myself immediately gravitating to some of my personal favorites such as the infamous ‘63 VOX® AC30 Top Boost and the early Fender® Tweed and Blackface models with most of the clean or smooth overdriven patches. Also, I love the modern rock feel of the Marshall® JCM800, and Hiwatt® Custom 100 DR103 models. Just imagine playing that 80’s cover tune through a ’84 Roland® JC-120, and then on the next song switching to an ’01 Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier to tear it up with a progressive metal jam! All this and you can custom create the ultimate pedal board of effects from a “hall-of-fame” listing of the guitar effects. The amp loop function really nails the sounds of the modeled amplifiers and cabinets with the very transparent signal especially when bypassing the slave amplifier preamp.

I added a BBE Sonic Stomp, and a DigiTech Hardwire RV-7 Stereo Reverb to the “Stomp Loop” back panel hook ups. With the Stomp Loop engaged, I was able to pull off some extremely full, lush, thick sounds by utilizing not only the RV-7, but also the internal reverb model at the same time. Of course, effects can easily be overdone, especially when other instruments are added to the mix, but having the ability to add my own effects gives me an unexpected level of versatility.

For my next test, I plugged the RP1000 into my Ampeg J-20 hand wired tube amplifier. Since this amplifier does not have an effects loop, it was not going to be possible to hook up the “Amp Loop” so I went with the more traditional direct amp input connection. The Ampeg is a pretty clean amp, so even with all effects being routed before the preamp the RP1000 delivered great tone, although as expected I did note some coloration of the amplifier models with Ampeg characteristics. In other words, the VOX AC30 model sounded more like a VOX AC30 played through an Ampeg J-20, instead of just a VOX AC30. The only way I have found to really gain the closest approximation to modelled tone is to run the multi-effects through a clean PA system.


Grade – A
Pro’s – Excellent models sound, Easy to edit, Easy to use, Extensive hookup capabilities
Con’s – No modeled microphones, Only 20 seconds of looping
Street Price - $499.95



The RP1000 virtually breaks down every barrier that has held me back from all-in-one processors for many years. The modeling technology used today is really quite good, and has shown major advancements, especially in the quality of the distortion and compression effects. The option of controlling individual effects within a single patch is both useful and inspiring, and the ability to add my favorite individual stompboxes into the effects loop is a bonus of which I will definitely take advantage.

Too be honest, I don’t believe that any single player would or could ever use all of the functions and options in a lifetime of gigs, but every player will find a lifetime of functionality. As an aside, with the progress I’ve seen in the power of multi-effects I would not be surprised to see microphone modeling for cabinets and realistic guitar modeling as the power of these kinds of devices evolves.

As a “gearhead”, I really enjoy having the entire list of effects, amplifiers, and cabinet sounds at my disposal. Hey of course, like most people, I would rather have the real thing, but not many people could afford a collection like this, nor have room to store them all. It opens up a whole new world for most players. This is sure to be a product that can and will be used by even the most tone discerning guitar players, and as such I have no problem giving the RP1000 the 2009 Rig Ready Award. As always, I am looking forward to seeing what DigiTech will come up with next!



Gary Allen

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