So I got a Digitech DHP-33 and a DHP-55

[guitarman967]

I've been comparing them a bit and Honestly I'm not sure why I often hear that the 33 is the better unit. It's obviously more limited in what it can do but I heard the Tone was better.

For anyone that has experience with these units, Can you point out some of the differences sonically between them?

[boogieman_dan]

I hear ya...I own both as well and I've heard the same thing. I MUCH prefer the DHP-55/Studio 5000. The 33's do the shimmer and arpeggiation thing SLIGHTLY better/differently. The 55's are pretty much untouchable for everything else.

[guitarman967]

 

I hear ya...I own both as well and I've heard the same thing. I MUCH prefer the DHP-55/Studio 5000. The 33's do the shimmer and arpeggiation thing SLIGHTLY better/differently. The 55's are pretty much untouchable for everything else.

 

 

How would I go about setting up the Shimmer on the 33? The actual factory Shimmer patch seems to be more of a Chorus/Delay patch and I thought the String pad algo was needed to create a true Shimmer.

 

It's hard to tell what's going on in the 33 sometimes because as of right now I can't find anyway to see the configurations, either from the unit or the Manual. I guess I could just mill around while editing and take note of the Effects that are available:freak:

I like that the 55 allows you to build your own preset from a list of configurations. That rules:thu:

[boogieman_dan]

How would I go about setting up the Shimmer on the 33? The actual factory Shimmer patch seems to be more of a Chorus/Delay patch and I thought the String pad algo was needed to create a true Shimmer. It's hard to tell what's going on in the 33 sometimes because as of right now I can't find anyway to see the configurations, either from the unit or the Manual. I guess I could just mill around while editing and take note of the Effects that are available:freak: I like that the 55 allows you to build your own preset from a list of configurations. That rules:thu:

 

Yeah, the patch titles on those units can be very deceptive. You're right on both counts tho. The string pad patch is the basic building block to make the Edge type shimmer effect. There's a few ways to do it on the 55...which is one of the reasons it rocks.

 

Heheh, they are no configuration to speak of on the 33's since the unit is operating flat out, meaning you can do anything that it does from any patch you create. Hence no need to have a algorithm configuration list.

[gimme411]

Dan, you get rid of that IPS-33B?

 

Oh man oh man, my Axe-FX should be around in the next week or so.

 

Giggity, Giggity

[boogieman_dan]

Dan, you get rid of that IPS-33B? Oh man oh man, my Axe-FX should be around in the next week or so. Giggity, Giggity

 

Yup, sold it last friday.

 

Are you getting the Ultra??? Sooooo, when can I come for a visit?

 

[gimme411]

oooohhhh yeah. You are welcome anytime my brothah.

 

Might be selling the IPS-33B, G-Force and definitely 2 MP-1's.

[boogieman_dan]

oooohhhh yeah. You are welcome anytime my brothah. Might be selling the IPS-33B, G-Force and definitely 2 MP-1's.

 

You're too kind!

 

I hear ya man, I'm pretty sure that I'll be thinning the herd around here as well to make room for the Ultra. My GSP-2101LE covers a lot of the same ground as my MP-1/G-force combo, more in some cases.

 

Getting back OT...my DHP-55/Replifex combo ain't going anywhere.

[SlipKid]

Yeah, the patch titles on those units can be very deceptive. You're right on both counts tho. The string pad patch is the basic building block to make the Edge type shimmer effect. There's a few ways to do it on the 55...which is one of the reasons it rocks.

 

Would you care to share a couple of your more effective ways of achieving the "shimmer" effect? I've monkeyed around with my 55 quite a bit, and just can't quite pin down the necessary settings.

 

I've been using mine primarily for a boost and for the whammy and wah/filter possibilities. I'd put it aside a couple years ago and only recently brought it back out, having remembered what wild sounds it's capable of.

[boogieman_dan]

 

Would you care to share a couple of your more effective ways of achieving the "shimmer" effect? I've monkeyed around with my 55 quite a bit, and just can't quite pin down the necessary settings. I've been using mine primarily for a boost and for the whammy and wah/filter possibilities. I'd put it aside a couple years ago and only recently brought it back out, having remembered what wild sounds it's capable of.

 

 

Sure, the easiest way would be to use one of the string pad (SP) algorithms. You can also make one with the 4 voice pitch shift with regeneration (S4R) and chord shifter (CS) algs. If you use the chord shifter you're gonna need an external delay and mixer, so I won't bother covering it.

 

With the SP alg if you're making it from scratch try alg# 39 or 41.

 

left tone - 0-63 your choice

right tone - 0-63 your choice

left detune/vibrato - to taste

right detune/vibrato - to taste

splicing - choose the key, 0 for low, 1 for mid and 2 for the high registries

swell type - wet only

swell mod - none, or you could link it to a pedal or envelop generator for dynamics

 

Most of the real work is done in the MIX section, I don't know your setup so just balance the swell, wet levels and set the dry level a little higher. It'll really start cooking when you kick in the chorus, dynamic filter, stereo and 6-tap delays.

 

With the S4R you'll only need 2 voices (wet/dry) to make the traditional shimmer, so you can turn the others off in the MIX. You can get crazy and make a hyper-mega-super shimmer by using the other voices. This alg is one of my favs and can make some really strange/beautiful sounds.

 

Harm voice 1 - +12

Harm 1 Vibrato/detuner/volume to taste

Harm 1 delay - 0ms

Harm 1 feedback - start at 50% and adjust +/- from there

Harm 1 rolloff - to taste

Harm voice 2 - unison

Harm 2 Vibrato/detuner/volume to taste

Harm 2 delay - 330 to 400ms your choice

Harm 2 feedback - start at 50% and adjust +/- from there

Harm 2 rolloff - to taste

 

Then just tweak the pans and levels in the MIX.

 

I know a lot this is a bit vague and since I'm going from memory some things may be inaccurate.

 

Edit: SlipKid, PM sent.

[guitarman967]

More 55 stuff please

[boogieman_dan]

I haven't forgot about ya Joel, I've just been having a lot of fun with 2101 lately.

[guitarman967]

I haven't forgot about ya Joel, I've just been having a lot of fun with 2101 lately.

 

I had one of those back in the day..paired it up w/ one of those Marshall Poweramps..Great unit

[wicker.man]

I've just become the owner of a Digitech 55

 

I wanted it mainly for the whammy & harmony effects, but I'm well impressed with the range of other sounds it can produce...and I'm only just scraping the surface. It's going to take a bit of time to get used to it and learn how all the effects can work together, so if there are any idiot's guides that go further than the manual, I'd be keen to find out about them!

 

To be honest, I'm not sure I've got it hooked up right in my signal chain yet, so I'd welcome any comments on this for you guys:

 

Guitar > POD XTLive (wah/volume/MIDI) > DHP55 Input ®

DHP55 FX Send > JMP1 front input

JMP1 FX Send > DHP55 FX Return

DHP55 Output (L) > JFX1 Input

JFX1 outputs (stereo L/R) > JMP1 FX Return (stereo L/R)

JMP1 master outputs (L/R) > BBE > Power Amp.

 

I'll probably continue to use the JFX for most of my delay, reverb and chorus needs.

 

For the MIDI, I'm currently controlling the JMP/JFX with MIDI program changes from the XTL, and I figured that I could use the XTL expression pedal as a MIDI continuous controller for the DHP55 whammy effect. Any ideas how I'd set this up?

[boogieman_dan]

 

For the MIDI, I'm currently controlling the JMP/JFX with MIDI program changes from the XTL, and I figured that I could use the XTL expression pedal as a MIDI continuous controller for the DHP55 whammy effect. Any ideas how I'd set this up?

I'd just use the CC pedal input on back of the 55 and get a 250K ohm or less volume or CV pedal like the Boss FV-500 or one the Ernie Ball pedals.

 

Oh, I forgot to ask. What firmware are you running on your 55? All the extensive MIDI commands didn't get implemented till v.2.00.

[wicker.man]

Oh, I forgot to ask. What firmware are you running on your 55? All the extensive MIDI commands didn't get implemented till v.2.00.

 

2.04

[boogieman_dan]

2.04

BTW, welcome a board!

[wicker.man]

BTW, welcome a board!

 

Thanks!

[guitarman967]

The 55 had a bit of a steep learning curve for me actually.. But, thanks to Boogieman Dan and all his help I got it running great..

 

The Hardest part is figuring out how to wire the damn thing!

I mean, in some rigs it's easier than others..Mine was not that easy.. Took me days of experimenting.

 

Right now I split my signal right after the GTR input and I use the DHP's Mono Input just so it recieves the clean signal of the guitar. I don't use the Return and I don't use the Gate or the Compressor anyways..

 

The FX loop of the DHP is switched off and on in a GCX Loop.

This way the DHP is completely out of the signal path when not it use but it stills gets the signal it needs for the Pitch detection.

There is no signal loss from the Split of the signal because the feedthru is Buffered.

 

All in all this works amazingly well and solved all the problems I was having with the 55. I drive my Channel vol's/fx sends pretty hot on my amp because I like the tone that way and the 55 doesnt have the headroom of my Intellifex. Patching them together in series just wouldn't work.

 

I wasn't too keen about keeping the 55 in my signal path at all times because like Dan had mentioned, it's not really that easy to bypass the unit cleanly if you're using the 4 cable method..and you really should use that method if you want it to sound like the killer processor it is.

[guitarman967]

Oh and Dan, I think a Noob Primer would be a great idea.. There's no one I would trust more than you to educate the future generations of 55 users:thu:

 

Then we have to get you hooked up to that FIZZBOT Program:idea:

[wicker.man]

 

The 55 had a bit of a steep learning curve for me actually.. But, thanks to Boogieman Dan and all his help I got it running great..

 

 

Many thanks to both yourself and Dan for your help and advice so far...it's great to find a couple of knowledgeable & helpful users!

[wicker.man]

Then we have to get you hooked up to that FIZZBOT Program:idea:

 

hehe..I found and downloaded that - just got to work out how to program the DHP now! Now, if I could get hold of the source code, I might even be tempted to try and develop a patch editing interface....

[guitarman967]

The GCX is Split right after the Input. There's a Passive and Buffered Feedthru.

My main signal Path travels through the Passive feedthru and is then buffered by a ISP decimator Prorack G which is also the First process of noise reduction in my rig.

 

The Buffered split is sent to the Input of the DHP 55's pitch detection input (Right Mono In).

You can basically look at the DHP as having two processes that are like two separate loops. The pitch detection circuit and then the FX loop

 

I found that by not returning the DHP's signal from this part of the loop that I can take it completely out of the Signal path by putting the FX loop portion in the GCX switcher.

When I had the Signal returning to the amp I remember that I had some problems bypassing my guitar signal with the DHP's Loop engaged. If I remeber correctly, the signal was cut completely when I tried to bypass the Loop portion of the DHP in the GCX this way.

If you look at PG 48 of the manual you'll see what happens to the signal path when the 55's FX loop is engaged.

 

At any rate, the Pitch detection circuit still get's it's Clean signal to analyze and the DHP doesnt effect anything else in my rig when it's not called up on the GCX..

The sidechain signal doesn't color my tone at all because it's being sent the Buffered signal. There's no noticable signal drop when it reaches the Dead End signal path.

[guitarman967]

hehe..I found and downloaded that - just got to work out how to program the DHP now! Now, if I could get hold of the source code, I might even be tempted to try and develop a patch editing interface....

 

You would be the man:idea:

We need to get going on this DHP-55 Community!!

[boogieman_dan]

Oh and Dan, I think a Noob Primer would be a great idea.. There's no one I would trust more than you to educate the future generations of 55 users:thu: Then we have to get you hooked up to that FIZZBOT Program:idea:

 

If I can find sometime this week I'll write up a some tips and secrets that I've found with the 55.

 

Patches huh? OK..OK...I'll werk on it pal.