Digitech lives?

Honestly, I didn't know they'd died.
Their development team was disbanded a couple of years ago. That's why they haven't had any new products in a long time, which is a shame because they were on quite a roll with innovative pedals at the time. Anyway, the development team was scooped up by Line6 and they've already made some important contributions there.
 
Their development team was disbanded a couple of years ago. That's why they haven't had any new products in a long time, which is a shame because they were on quite a roll with innovative pedals at the time. Anyway, the development team was scooped up by Line6 and they've already made some important contributions there.
Good on Line6 for siezing the opportunity.
 
Their development team was disbanded a couple of years ago. That's why they haven't had any new products in a long time, which is a shame because they were on quite a roll with innovative pedals at the time. Anyway, the development team was scooped up by Line6 and they've already made some important contributions there.

If I am not mistaken, the head/lead of that team was Tom Cram, who has his own handmade effects pedal brand now.

No affiliation.

https://www.spiralelectricfx.com/pages/about-rose-pedals
 
I still have my old Digitech GSP 2101 Tube Preamp in a rack in my studio. I love that thing. Since I got my FM9 I use it less and less but it was the sh*t back in it's day. I have been slowly but surely going thru it and recreating some of the patches in my FM9. I'm working on one today that was originally called "AirGulls" in the 2101. It is a huge sounding patch - great for both leads and rhythms.

Those guys were awesome - glad they are being rewarded for their contributions to tone!
 
That's interesting. I had a DSP128 waaaaay back in "the day". I might have been the first person in Seattle to take delivery on that unit, as I pre-ordered it right after the product announcement. It wasn't particularly great at anything, but it was a big step forward in terms of versatility and convenience.
 
That's interesting. I had a DSP128 waaaaay back in "the day". I might have been the first person in Seattle to take delivery on that unit, as I pre-ordered it right after the product announcement. It wasn't particularly great at anything, but it was a big step forward in terms of versatility and convenience.
The GSP 2101 was the closest thing to an "Axe-Fx" in it's day (mid 90s to 2000).

gsp2101.jpg


Full bandwidth stereo effects (20-20kHz).

24-bit signal path, 48-bit internal data path.

Any digital effect can appear at any point in any effects chain. This is what really set this apart. Even some of Digitechs own fx untis that cane well after this one constrained you to preset effect order in signal path. You can even create loops in the 2101.

Number of simultaneous effects limited only by available CPU and RAM blocks. Unit Programmable Algorithms allow you to create an unlimited variety of custom effects configurations.

Effects can be repeated in a chain, e.g. EQ + flange + EQ + pitch shift + pitch shift.

Instant Module and Parameter access.

Multiple dynamic effects capability (e.g. chorus + flange+ pitch shift).

Expandable to 2x factory memory and processing with an optional "artist" upgrade.

Balanced, speaker-compensated outputs for running direct to a mixing console.

World-class tube preamp with six distortion types (3 tube, 3 solid state).

DigiTech’s exclusive modulation delays.

Chromatic tuner.

Effects include: Whammy, Chromatic Pitch Shifter, Harmony Intelligent Pitch Shifting, and Programmable Cabinet Emulation.

Built-in tone generator.

Digital and analog EQ.

MIDI input filtering and MIDI Merging.

MIDI program transmit and receive mapping.

All Effects and Parameters available for MIDI continuous control.

Optional Control One foot controller with built-in Expression Pedal for ultimate programmability and control.


Tone:
Powerful amp sims that are enhanced by the use of a 12AX7 tube used to get tube distortion and warmth. Also has option to use digital effects including distortion and overdrive. Sounds amazing when going into a couple of 1x12 circa '94 boogies. That was my light weight live rig back then up to ~2009.

100 user presets and 140 factory presets equals 240 presets in total, some which were created by some very well known artists i.e. Steve Vai, Steve Stevens, George Lynch, Dweezil Zappa, Warren Dimartini among others.

It was awful to program but once you got it down it was amazing. There were some 3rd party software editors that came along and made things a bit easier. But it was/is a great piece of gear from the 90s.
 
The GSP 2101 was the closest thing to an "Axe-Fx" in it's day (mid 90s to 2000).

gsp2101.jpg


Full bandwidth stereo effects (20-20kHz).

24-bit signal path, 48-bit internal data path.

Any digital effect can appear at any point in any effects chain. This is what really set this apart. Even some of Digitechs own fx untis that cane well after this one constrained you to preset effect order in signal path. You can even create loops in the 2101.

Number of simultaneous effects limited only by available CPU and RAM blocks. Unit Programmable Algorithms allow you to create an unlimited variety of custom effects configurations.

Effects can be repeated in a chain, e.g. EQ + flange + EQ + pitch shift + pitch shift.

Instant Module and Parameter access.

Multiple dynamic effects capability (e.g. chorus + flange+ pitch shift).

Expandable to 2x factory memory and processing with an optional "artist" upgrade.

Balanced, speaker-compensated outputs for running direct to a mixing console.

World-class tube preamp with six distortion types (3 tube, 3 solid state).

DigiTech’s exclusive modulation delays.

Chromatic tuner.

Effects include: Whammy, Chromatic Pitch Shifter, Harmony Intelligent Pitch Shifting, and Programmable Cabinet Emulation.

Built-in tone generator.

Digital and analog EQ.

MIDI input filtering and MIDI Merging.

MIDI program transmit and receive mapping.

All Effects and Parameters available for MIDI continuous control.

Optional Control One foot controller with built-in Expression Pedal for ultimate programmability and control.


Tone:
Powerful amp sims that are enhanced by the use of a 12AX7 tube used to get tube distortion and warmth. Also has option to use digital effects including distortion and overdrive. Sounds amazing when going into a couple of 1x12 circa '94 boogies. That was my light weight live rig back then up to ~2009.

100 user presets and 140 factory presets equals 240 presets in total, some which were created by some very well known artists i.e. Steve Vai, Steve Stevens, George Lynch, Dweezil Zappa, Warren Dimartini among others.

It was awful to program but once you got it down it was amazing. There were some 3rd party software editors that came along and made things a bit easier. But it was/is a great piece of gear from the 90s.
The GSP-2101 was a nice piece of kit, but I think this gave it a run for its money...

1685235276446.jpeg
 
The GSP-2101 was a nice piece of kit, but I think this gave it a run for its money...

View attachment 121472
I heard good things from friends but never got to try one myself. I do have a Roland VG-88 and a GR-55 that I used a while back with my GK enabled guitars. They have Roland's COSM modeling which was OK. But I never used them for amp modeling.

For a preamp nothing bested a real 12AX7 inside for realistic tube tone in those days for me. Especially when combined with my twin boogies. But as strictly an effects processor I'm sure the GP-100 was great.
 
I heard good things from friends but never got to try one myself. I do have a Roland VG-88 and a GR-55 that I used a while back with my GK enabled guitars. They have Roland's COSM modeling which was OK. But I never used them for amp modeling.

For a preamp nothing bested a real 12AX7 inside for realistic tube tone in those days for me. Especially when combined with my twin boogies. But as strictly an effects processor I'm sure the GP-100 was great.
The GP-100's modeling was good for its day. The effects were great for its day (it modeled just about every major Boss pedal), and they did uber-flexibility before uber-flexibility was a thing. You could attach a modifier to literally any parameter. I once had an expression pedal sweeping through all the amp models. :cool:
 
I still have my old Digitech GSP 2101 Tube Preamp in a rack in my studio. . I'm working on one today that was originally called "AirGulls" in the 2101. It is a huge sounding patch - great for both leads and rhythms.
I had one of those also. I'd love to see/hear if you can recreate some of those 2102 patches in the Fractal devices.
 
I had a Digitech Jam man I bought in the mid 2000’s. It developed some bad connections, they fixed it but died again after the warranty expired. Seemed like they were doing well but then they weren’t.
 
The 2120 was fun, especially the 8 voice chorus.



Roland got a lot right with the GP-100 straight out of the gate.



IMO it's pretty amazing to think the first Axe-Fx only came out 10 years after these and how it's defined the modeling paradigm since.
 
The 2120 was fun, especially the 8 voice chorus.
Roland got a lot right with the GP-100 straight out of the gate.

IMO it's pretty amazing to think the first Axe-Fx only came out 10 years after these and how it's defined the modeling paradigm since.
Indeed. I enjoyed your videos, especially the 2120, as I remember how much I marveled at the various Digitech models I owned back in the 90's.
 
Just before I discovered Fractal ...maybe around 2011 I was using digitech GSP1101 with mesa simul 290 and two mesa cabs. I loved it...sounded great especially with some of the 3rd party beta FW at the time. I decided to try out the 2101 for a short time that I bought of fleabay for fun. I got one really cheap but couldn't be bothered programming it. Ironic, how these days people gripe about programming Axe Fx via front panel. That's a total breeze compared the old rack units that existed back then
 
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