RP Tip #23: Use the Expression Pedal for SOMETHING
This tip’s message is simple. You’ve got an expression pedal. It makes the RP more expressive (as you might expect from a pedal whose name includes the word “expression”). So use it on every patch to express something.
The RP1000 Beta Patch Set is Done–Now For Testing
I’ve completed initial setup of the first set of 50 patches for the Digitech RP1000. My RP500 v17 set is my current benchmark for excellence in RP sounds, and I’m aiming to make the first RP1000 set sound very much the same. The RP1000 has…
Second Impressions on the Digitech RP360/360XP
Digitech has officially released the RP360/RP360XP, and it’s an interesting box. A few highlights:
Bigger, Louder, Deeper: The Mackie Th15A Thump
I was given a Mackie Thump TH15A powered speaker this Christmas, and I’ve replaced my Peavey KB2 with it in my rig. The Mackie is louder, deeper, and lighter-weight than the Peavey. The Mackie has 400 watts divided between the woofer, which is a 15″…
What a Difference a Mic Makes, Part 2 (of 2)
I published samples recently of a set of blues licks played with three different mics–the Shure 545SD, Audix Fireball, and Bottle o’ Blues–through my Digitech RP500 with a patch of mine that models a Gibson GA-40 amp and cabinet. The clear conclusion I came to…
Got Pitch (shifting)?
Harmonica players tend to play traditional roots-based styles (like blues) with traditional equipment, and lots of harmonica players have never tried out the sorts of FX that guitarists have been using with great success for a long, long time. We’re going to talk about one…
What a Difference a Mic Makes, Part 1 (of 2)
I get a lot of requests to make patches sound tougher and more distorted. (Nobody ever says “make something that sounds angelic.” I do it anyway.) Anyway, I realized recently that I’ve been focused on making the patches in the RP tougher, and I haven’t…
Checking out the new amp models in the RP500
I’ve been working on new sounds for the Digitech RP500–no surprise there–and I’m having a lot of fun with the Gibson GA40 and Digitech Blues amp models, neither of which are available on the RP355 and down. The GA40 amp model is a raw-throated kind…
Recording for Lowlands with the RP355
I’ve done a few recordings with the Italian band Lowlands, and a few weeks ago Ed Abbiatti, the leader, sent me some rough mixes for their next record and asked me to lay down some tracks. It was another opportunity to check out the RP355…
How to Set Your RP Up for Multi-Layered Looping
Now that the Huntersounds v17 Patchset for Digitech RP500 is shipping, I’ve started configuring my RP500 for live performance, which means adding in patches that are song-specific and setting up the sequences of patches that I use in my looped performances. Every looped song is…
