The first add-on toy

volfan · #1 April 24th, 2007

I've been playing for only a little more than a week, and I feel sort of silly for having done this already, but I went ahead and bought a Digitech RP 150 Modeler. For 100 bucks I got a load of presets, tons of customization ability and a box that will interface with the PC for recording and downloading samples that can be played on the guitar.

I guess when I manage to play a riff correctly, I want it to sound somewhat like the original and let's be honest, fooling around with all the effects is half the fun of learning, right?

eddiez152 · #2 April 24th, 2007

No actually its not. If your trying to dup a riff, you want it to sound the same for good comparison reasons.

X4StringDrive · #3 April 24th, 2007

Volfan, I've got a room full of stuff and not much playing ability to benefit from them, but It does make things interesting enough to keep me practicing...enjoy...thats where my fun in learning comes from

just don't let it get in the way as I have at times.

Andy S · #4 April 24th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by volfan

I've been playing for only a little more than a week, and I feel sort of silly for having done this already, but I went ahead and bought a Digitech RP 150 Modeler. For 100 bucks I got a load of presets, tons of customization ability and a box that will interface with the PC for recording and downloading samples that can be played on the guitar.

I guess when I manage to play a riff correctly, I want it to sound somewhat like the original and let's be honest, fooling around with all the effects is half the fun of learning, right?

Well, To me, it does make it a bit more fun, at times. Like if I've been trying to figure a riff out and it's close but just not quite there....Well, right about then, you pick a good "fun" setting, to match the mood, Heavy distortion, Metal, Blues tones, chicken pluckin'...whatever ...and just play away. Sort of gets the stress level down a bit.

But the real fun comes when you do get that riff just right!! Then you add the effects and ya GO TO TOWN!!!

Enjoy it!!! Have fun!!! That's what it's about!!

Stratrat · #5 April 25th, 2007

The RP150 will be a fun toy for you. You can get a ton of different sounds out of it, plus (if it's like many of the other DigiTech multi-FX pedals), it has a built-in drum machine which will help you develop your timing by playing along with it. The only piece of advice I can offer is to not get so wrapped up in twiddling with the presets that you end up spending more time fooling with the device than actually practicing!

fly135 · #6 April 25th, 2007

I had the RP300A and sold it. But these versions look like they have a nice editor for the computer and the USB connection. It also looks like they categorize the effects with better names. Good decision to start out with a multifx pedal. Like Stratrat sez, it's easy to get caught up twiddling the knobs instead of playing. And don't be surprised if you get a sound you like and then come back and not be able to find it. My advice, which I don't take

is if you get a sound you like, write down the setting on the unit and where your guitar controls are set.

scott58 · #7 April 25th, 2007

+1 on writting down the settings. I have a 300a and although most of the settings have way to much distortion for my ear, there are several that I really like. The drum beat thingy even comes in handy from time to time. I got mine as a gift for xmas. I figure anything that gives you more variety will save you money in the long run. AS you get better at playing you'll be able to take better advantage of whatever gadgets and toys you happen to have laying about.

Dewy · #8 April 25th, 2007

I disagree with the fun part... tweaking settings gives me a headache with most toys/tools. One reason I love my V-Amp... just like dialing in a guitar amp, and has a better memory than I do.

but I admit I have a setting with too much of everything and just let it rip when I get bored or aggravated. Thats fun...

fly135 · #9 April 25th, 2007

My experience was that as a rank beginner playing with the variety of effects was a fun experience for a while. I remember trying to learn the guitar many years ago in one of my failed attempts, I just couldn't understand how artists made their guitars sing where my just went plonk. I didn't understand anything about sustain and distortion. When I first got my hands on a Guitar Port with the FX I was like a kid in a candy shop.

But after a while it gets annoying when you are twiddling knobs all the time. Even more so when you get a nice tone and then go back later and can't find it again.

Stratrat · #10 April 25th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dewy

I disagree with the fun part... tweaking settings gives me a headache with most toys/tools....

My first multi-fx was a DigiTech RP-80, and while it was fun to play with, I didn't take my own advice and spent more time tweaking patches and setting things up than I did playing. I then bought a Boss ME50, which is basically the same as having a bunch of stomp boxes all in one - individual switches, and individual knobs just like you'd find on the separate stomp boxes. Much easier to dial in sounds, and now I spend more time practicing and less time sifting through menus and adjusting parameters looking for "that sound".

With that said, if you can get a set of "patches" that you like on the DigiTech pedals and then just play it, they're great fun.

volfan · #11 April 26th, 2007

Okay, I actually took a day of vacation today so I could stay home and play with this Modeler. *grin*

Wow. Just wow.

I probably played for 2 or 3 hours total today. I don't mean I had the guitar on, I mean that my time actually playing was probably 2-3 hours (with lots of breaks along the way). It's amazing what you can get for 100 bucks these days and I totally agree with whoever it was that said that getting "that" sound made you want to improve a given riff/song that much more.

After almost two weeks, I can feel my fret hand move a little more fluidly and I don't mangle the wrong strings as often. I bet I played the first half of Highway to Hell 100 times today with different effects from the Modeler, using the drum machine on it and sometimes having the actual song playing at the same time.

There's red dust on my axe from the pick, my fingers hurt, my elbow hurts and my neck hurts from looking down at the guitar for so long. (since I can't yet do it by feel)

And I love it.

Dewy · #12 April 26th, 2007

No more stop signs, or speed limits.
Nobody gonna slow you down.

Laney1566 · #13 April 30th, 2007

I learned to play guitar the old fashioned way.......My parents didn't have the money to buy me loads of gear. My first guitar was a $40 pawn shop prize acoustic and for 2 years.......That was it. Believe me...I wish I had better gear when I started. Effects are a big part of certain styles of music. Just make sure your fingers spend more time in contact with the neck of your guitar than with all those cool knobs. It is easy to waste money on things that you later realize you don't like. I have done plenty that even recently. Research what you think you want to buy and don't trust the soundbites on websites claiming to represent the effects sound. Go to a music store and hear it for yourself. If you are not comfortable playing in front of others yet, then get someone in the store to demonstrate it for you. Most music stores will have a guitar player on staff. Try to get as close as possible to your own setup when testing things as well. A $2,000 amp and $3,000 guitar will make many effects sound great, but when you hook it up to your gear..........

You might be in for a rude awakening.
These are just things to consider. I wish I had all the money back that I have wasted on guitar related products that I thought would be good and turned out to really suck!!!
Hope this helps you on your journey.