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There are outs for both mixer and amp.

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Sounds

Grabbing a Fender Strat (obviously), plugging it into the Experience pedal and then into our faithful Cornford Harlequin (set to a clean, neutral tone), we were instantly impressed by the fine quality of the sounds. Working through the models in order, the first three are simplest, featuring just two settings. For Purple Haze, you get the intro sound, a good fat overdrive, and the solo sound, which incorporates the cutting edge Jimi obtained with Roger Mayer’s Octavio (later Octavia) pedal. Many of Jimi’s tones were notable for being richer and fatter than those used by many Strat players, so it’s good to hear that DigiTech has managed to reflect this in the intro sound here.

Moving right along, model two presents the clean rhythm sound and slightly overdriven solo sound from The Wind Cries Mary. Select the neck pickup and gently stroke those Curtis Mayfield-influenced chiming chords. Model three is rather less subtle, featuring the intro and solo sounds from Foxy Lady. Like the previous model, this one is also based on the sound of a 100-watt Marshall Super Lead head, but with more gain and the addition of the Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face. DigiTech has done a good job of modelling the angry, belching fuzz tone of that classic pedal. Foxy indeedy.

The next four models give a fuller idea of what the Experience pedal can do. For Little Wing, there are still two basic sounds (the clean-ish chords and the warm, overdriven solo) but each comes with a different effect, a digitally modelled rotary speaker for the chords and tape flanging for the solo. In both cases, you can use the expression pedal to vary the amount of effect. For All Along The Watchtower, there are three basic sounds: the acoustic guitar from the introduction (for which the mixer output is more appropriate) and the two solos. The expression pedal adjusts the additional effect for the two solo tones; delay level for the first and wah for the second.

If you’re looking for iconic rock guitar sounds, they don’t get much better than the wah intro to Voodoo Chile (Slight Return). Hitting the toe switch for model six gives you this intro sound, modelled on a Fender Bassman amp and Vox wah pedal. The heel switch cycles through the two solo tones, both adding the Fuzz Face to the basic amp sound, with the second also reintroducing the wah. Finally, the unmistakeable wobble of the Univibe is used on the final model. There are two settings here; the cleaner of the two is based on one of Jimi’s sounds from Machine Gun, while the other adds the Fuzz Face for full-on Star Spangled Banner mayhem.

Concerns

With these artist-specific pedals now available from DigiTech there will, no doubt, be critics who fear for the future of originality. That’s a valid concern, and it’s important that players do have the facilities to discover their own sound, but if you’re going to have products emulating the sounds of famous players (as just about every multi-effects unit already does), then it might not be a bad idea to collect those sounds into highly specialised units. And when the results sound this good, why not go for it?