MusicRadar

The RP500 is a solidly built unit

View in gallery

Digitech has released the RP500 modelling guitar processor, the latest and greatest in the company’s line of multi-effects units.

The RP500 is an amp, cabinet and effect modeller which features a ‘pedalboard mode’. This allows you to use the unit as a row of stompboxes, switching effects in and out independently.

The pedal, which comprises five footswitches and an expression pedal, features over 50 emulations of famous amps, ranging from vintage Fenders to modern Marshalls. There’s also an impressive selection of overdrives and other effects, again all modelled on famous stompboxes, and the expression pedal can be assigned to a number of parameters such as delay or chorus depth rather than just the usual volume or wah.

For live work, or any other time that a real amp is involved, the bypass mode removes amp and cabinet simulation from all presets so the pedal can be used purely as an effects pedal. For recording, the RP500 functions as a simple audio interface; USB connectivity means you can plug the pedal straight into a computer and record direct to the included copy of Cubase LE4.

The Digitech RP500 is shipping now, at a price of $429.95. There's more information on the Digitech website.