DigiTech iPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard

[jerryratpack]

 

Originally Posted by DigiTechRep

It took hours of arduous effort but we were able to add what you need (it was already in the iPB-10) . Since the iPad can't take screen shots, here is a craptacular cell-phone pic:

The EQ is found under the "Other" pedals menu.

This gives me the opportunity to let everyone know that they can download our iPB-Nexus App from the Apple App store for free. Having the App under your fingertips will help solidify a lot of the GUI/NAV concepts that Anderton and I have been discusssing ITT.

 

I wrote an earlier response, but for some reason, it is not showing up.. First, Thanks for responding, but I am aware of the Semi parametric EQ currently in Nexus.

I was just saying that Anderton had mentioned in a thread about making Amp Sims sound analog, and using a full parametric, can rid unwanted frequencies by using the sweep technique. It seemed like a great way for the ipad to be utilized and would be great to see a 5 or 10 band full parametric added to Nexus in a future upgrade.

[kwicker]

 

Originally Posted by nerol1st

Yes, but I wonder why you chose 1 specific device to go with this. There are only 2 versions of the ipad...

So that means ipad or nothing.

 

DigiTechRep already said it - QoS from Apple and "Pick a horse and ride it". IMHO the QoS is the biggest reason, and if you respect DigiTech, then there was a ton of thought put into that decision.

[Anderton]

 

Originally Posted by jerryratpack

I was just saying that Anderton had mentioned in a thread about making Amp Sims sound analog, and using a full parametric, can rid unwanted frequencies by using the sweep technique. It seemed like a great way for the ipad to be utilized and would be great to see a 5 or 10 band full parametric added to Nexus in a future upgrade.

 

Gotcha. One band takes care of things most of the time, sometimes I have to go to two. Tell you what - let's make this review really interactive! If you can name one of the models that you think needs improvement, I'll have at it and see what I can do to sweeten it up.

[Anderton]

 

Originally Posted by jerryratpack

I wrote an earlier response, but for some reason, it is not showing up.. First, Thanks for responding, but I am aware of the Semi parametric EQ currently in Nexus.

 

Hey jerryratpack - your post is visible now, it was sandwiched in between around a dozen spam posts and got caught in the crossfire - they were all suppressed (we assume most people interested in the iPB-10 are not interested in imitation Coach handbags, counterfeit Ugg boots, and ads for really, really bad pron) and yours was too. Fixed.

Actually, the "semi-parametric vs. full parametric" isn't quite as much of an issue here as you do have three choices for Q. Most "semi-parametric" EQs are called that because you can't vary the Q at all, whereas with full parametrics, the Q is variable. So I guess the one in the iPB-10 should be called a "kinda full but also kinda semi" parametric.

[jerryratpack]

 

Originally Posted by schnizeer

Hi everyone.

Just joined. Got my IPB-10 last week and used it live the first night. Pretty much kept it to 3 factory settings to see what it can do. Used patch 5:2 Metal Head for distortion, 7:3 Funky Clean, and 9:2 Stevie Ray for blues. I am blown away by the sound and how easy setup is. I am interested in this forum because apparently you have a digitech reps ear. Two suggestions for digitech. Foot pedal access to the tuner and the ability to link more than 2 distortion pedals in the chain, maybe i can do this haven't figured it out yet. I am also completely paranoid about my ipad being on the ground. I am gonna talk to a plastics guy about a cover, I'll let you know how that turns out. I already know that magnets won't work to secure it so I'll have to go with some kind of posts. It does work fine without the ipad, but when turning pedals on and off the visual is convenient. I bought a 6 foot dock extender for my ipad and am convinced this is a must! Would like to know if people have gotten any cool sounds out of this. Trying to get a Tom Schulz Boston Sound, any help would be appreciated. Cheers!

 

Hey Schnizeer ,

Foot Access to tuner :

Hold down the preset button like you are going into Bypass, but keep it held down, and the tuner will appear

Multiple Distrotion:

I agree and I would like to see Multiple everything if possible. I know there is DSP limitations though.

Boston sound:

Mannydingo ( screen name ) I think can help you out here. He knows digitech well. He does not have an IPB 10 but probably can get you close. He posts here and thestompbox.net

Hope this helps

[jerryratpack]

 

Originally Posted by Anderton

Hey jerryratpack - your post is visible now, it was sandwiched in between around a dozen spam posts and got caught in the crossfire - they were all suppressed (we assume most people interested in the iPB-10 are not interested in imitation Coach handbags, counterfeit Ugg boots, and ads for really, really bad pron) and yours was too. Fixed.

Actually, the "semi-parametric vs. full parametric" isn't quite as much of an issue here as you do have three choices for Q. Most "semi-parametric" EQs are called that because you can't vary the Q at all, whereas with full parametrics, the Q is variable. So I guess the one in the iPB-10 should be called a "kinda full but also kinda semi" parametric.

 

HAHA .. Gotcha ! Figures my post gets in with that bunch !

I do see what you mean by this. ( still would be nice for a full sweep though)

[jerryratpack]

 

Originally Posted by Anderton

Gotcha. One band takes care of things most of the time, sometimes I have to go to two. Tell you what - let's make this review really interactive! If you can name one of the models that you think needs improvement, I'll have at it and see what I can do to sweeten it up.

 

OK Great ! Over the weekend I will go back into the IPB and see which one could use some eq work.

Thanks !

[DigiTechRep]

 

Originally Posted by schnizeer

2 distortion pedals in the chain

 

This may come in a future update, but also remember that you can use your amp sims in conjunction with your pedal distortions to achieve stacked tones.

 

I am also completely paranoid about my ipad being on the ground.

 

Don't be; it is quite difficult to get your foot in the dock area (by design) and there is a seal around the latch to prevent any spills from getting into the iPad. Any liquid just drains away from the iPad to the bottom of the iPB-10's chassis. I've actually been planning on making a video showing how the iPB-10 handles spills, it's just pretty far down on my to do list.

 

I bought a 6 foot dock extender for my ipad and am convinced this is a must!

 

Let me know if that works for you, all of the extenders that we have tested drop power and lose connection with the iPB-10. This is why we didn't offer one with the iPB-10, just too unreliable.

[Anderton]

 

Originally Posted by DigiTechRep

It is quite difficult to get your foot in the dock area (by design)

 

Looking back over the photos I did earlier in the thread, they make the dock area look shallower than it is because I was trying to show the iPad in action. If the weather's okay in the next day or two (my "photo studio" uses natural light) I'll take a shot that gives a better idea of the iPad depth compared to the latch.

Also...I'd like to give some public props to DigiTechRep, who totally gets the concept of a Pro Review. I really think these kind of reviews benefit greatly from the "open source" nature, particularly your comments and manufacturer input.

[Quatche]

This review is awesome. I've been reaserching the iPB-10 for a couple months now hoping to find reviews that are more than just basic demonsrtations. The level of info here has definitely helped me make up my mind to buy the iPB-10.

Great work.

[schnizeer]

Had a plexi-glass cover made in case something is dropped on the screen. Put a slight bend in it so it sits pretty snug over the screen, used 4 rubber feet to prevent sliding. The dock extender I am using is the CableJive dockXtender and haven't had any problems yet. I will let you know if I do.

[SkyhighRocks]

 

Originally Posted by schnizeer

Had a plexi-glass cover made in case something is dropped on the screen. Put a slight bend in it so it sits pretty snug over the screen, used 4 rubber feet to prevent sliding. The dock extender I am using is the CableJive dockXtender and haven't had any problems yet. I will let you know if I do.

 

Can you post a pic of this?

[Anderton]

As promised...here are some photos.

The first one shows how the footswitches are angled at the front, which naturally puts your foot in a "heel-back" position that makes it harder to rock forward and touch the top of the iPad. You would have to work at it to get your toe in there.

This next picture shows the depth around the back and right side of the iPad, in terms of it being recessed into the unit.

The last picture shows the depth around the back and left side of the iPad.

So I have to say that while putting an iPad on the floor isn't my favorite concept of all time, I do think DigiTech has done a pretty good job of making it difficult to hit by mistake.

The idea of an easily detachable plexiglas top would be a good one, but the retainer bar being curved complicates that. Putting a piece of plexiglas on the bottom would probably defeat the "seal" that DigiTechRep mentions in terms of beer-proofing the unit. The best option I could think of would be a piece of plexiglas that was hinged on the back of the unit so it could fold over the top of where the iPad is, although the curve would prevent it from having a tight fit along the lower part where the footswitches are.

[schnizeer]

Be happy to, but don't know how. When I click on insert image it asks for an http:// and I get lost there. Sorry, not too techno savy. I took the pic on my Ipad and would be happy to share it. Please advise.

[Anderton]

 

Originally Posted by schnizeer

Be happy to, but don't know how. When I click on insert image it asks for an http:// and I get lost there. Sorry, not too techno savy. I took the pic on my Ipad and would be happy to share it. Please advise.

 

Here's what I do...go to www.imgur.com, it's a free service. You can upload a picture from your computer to the site. When you do, you'll see a listing of possible URLs. Choose the one for BBCode (message boards and forums). It looks something like this:

IMG]http://i.imgur.com/70UCi.jpg[/img

Copy this and paste it into your post, and voila - the picture appears.

(The only reason the link above doesn't show a picture is because I modified it by removing the start and end brackets so nothing would appear, and you could see the format of the link but without the start and end brackets.)

[mannydingo]

 

Originally Posted by DigiTechRep

and there is a seal around the latch to prevent any spills from getting into the iPad. Any liquid just drains away from the iPad to the bottom of the iPB-10's chassis. I've actually been planning on making a video showing how the iPB-10 handles spills, it's just pretty far down on my to do list.

 

That is EXCELLENT. Man, someone in marketing dropped the ball or someone else dropped the ball by not filling him/her in on that info. You are really providing useful info here. Had this been explained on the Digitech page and given to the retailers to put on their ads, a lot fewer complaints about spilled drinks damaging their current or future iPad would have been all over the place. Yes, some people would still say a spill would ruin everything. Between you and Anderton this is going to be the number one place to come to for info on this particular unit.

As for hitting the iPad with a foot, I already had figured it would be unlikely but some people do have rough ways of playing live.

[schnizeer]

 

Originally Posted by Anderton

Here's what I do...go to www.imgur.com, it's a free service. You can upload a picture from your computer to the site. When you do, you'll see a listing of possible URLs. Choose the one for BBCode (message boards and forums). It looks something like this:

IMG]http://i.imgur.com/70UCi.jpg[/img

Copy this and paste it into your post, and voila - the picture appears.

(The only reason the link above doesn't show a picture is because I modified it by removing the start and end brackets so nothing would appear, and you could see the format of the link but without the start and end brackets.)

 

Alright here it goes

[Steadfastly]

I've only just discovered this unit today. Thanks very much for the review and updates. This looks like the cat's meow as we say where I grew up. I can't see why this wouldn't be the standard for bands who want a large pedal board set up or many different variations. It looks like Digitech has really done their homework with this one.

[Anderton]

 

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

I've only just discovered this unit today. Thanks very much for the review and updates. This looks like the cat's meow as we say where I grew up. I can't see why this wouldn't be the standard for bands who want a large pedal board set up or many different variations. It looks like Digitech has really done their homework with this one.

 

So far, so good from here. To make the review more interesting, I'm trying to find something I can complain about. I'm sure I will at some point.

Okay, how about this: No multiband distortion! Everyone else has used my Quadrafuzz idea, I'm insulted that DigiTech didn't consider it worth stealing

But seriously, one thing I didn't expect is that I feel the sound quality of the effects has moved up a notch since I last spent some serious time with DigiTech processors. In particular, there seems to be less aliasing. Hey DigiTechRep - is it just my imagination, or have you guys done something to reduce aliasing?

[Steadfastly]

 

Originally Posted by Anderton

In particular, there seems to be less aliasing. Hey DigiTechRep - is it just my imagination, or have you guys done something to reduce aliasing?

 

I didn't know that Alia could sing? I thought she was the guitar player! (He! He!) Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's getting late and I must be getting giddy or something.

[SkyhighRocks]

How about a bad monkey model, a 2nd noise gate so you can use one in the loop and in front for those REALLY high gain patches and ummm...uhhh....that's all I can think of right now! I used the IPB for the first time with a band yesterday and it was really fun to use. My tone was excellent and for once I didn't need to worry about my sound...I just played.

[schnizeer]

So this is the best way I've found to use this thing so far. I use the dock extender during rehearsal and set the ipad on a music stand in front of me so it is easy to edit and save the sounds without bending over or putting the whole pedal on a table in front of you. Once you save your sounds you are ready to go. Put the ipad back in the pedal for performance so you have the visual of the pedals in front of the switches. The plexiglass cover I had made gives me some peice of mind for drop hazards.

I was playing with the Acoustic patch 2:5 during rehearsal, sounded to tinny for what I was looking for. I just adjusted the bass up on the Simulated amp and the treble down. Still wasn't quite what I was looking for. I just added the Octave Pedal in the chain and bam! Exactly what I was looking for. Saved it and assigned it to the patch I wanted and was ready to go. I did all that in less than a minute. Powerfull tool. Well done Digitech!!!

[schnizeer]

 

Originally Posted by jerryratpack

Hey Schnizeer ,

Foot Access to tuner :

Hold down the preset button like you are going into Bypass, but keep it held down, and the tuner will appear

 

By the way, thanks for the heads up on that Mr. Ratpack!

[Den]

So I returned from a week on the road and found my new iPB-10 waiting for me. Was up and running in about 2 minutes and let me say I haven't had this much fun with gear for a very long time! Kudos to Digitech on this one. I think this is really a game changer.

I've been playing guitar for more than 45 years ... so you can imagine I've seen a lot of gear come and go. I've been blessed to have owned many great amps, pedals and such over the years. I've also spent thousands of hours auditioning amps and pedals working to get "my tones". As I set up a rig on the iPB-10 in a matter of seconds, I think about how much time and effort went into wiring pedal boards, buying and selling gear, etc. And although I have built many good rigs that would do some great things, nothing compares to the overall ease of use and flexibility I find with this.

The interface and awesome design of the Nexus app has me now completely spoiled. The ease of use is the best I've ever experienced. The combination of the visuals and simplicity of the touch screen makes it fast and simple to build a rig easily dropping in different amps, cabs and pedals to build your tones. Having owned many modelers and multi-effects in the past, I'm also impressed to find quite a few presets that can be used right out of the box with minor tweaking. In most cases I first turn off all effects, adjust reverb to a very low level and work with the amp and cab from there. Simply put, great tones are easy to find with very little time and effort involved.

I first set the iPB-10 up running through my StudioLive 16.0.2 (thanks for that Pro Review Craig!) into Yamaha HS80M monitors. I'm not a high gain guy, so I can't speak to the quality of those tones, but I couldn't be happier with the blues and rock tones to be found. I quickly set up some great cleans, edge of breakup cleans, a few plexi patches, a few violin leads and few nice crunchy tones as well. My wife is a musician and has gigged with me over the years ... she kept coming into our small home studio telling me the tones were awesome.

The various effects pedals, for the most part, are outstanding. The dirt boxes work just like the real thing ... great reverbs ... many other excellent effects. There's a great collection of amps and cabs and of course I'll be looking forward to more options with further firmware updates. What so cool is that as you build your rig, you can audition any given amp, cab or pedal with a few taps of the finger. You instantly hear the new choice and with one double tap, the pedal enlarges on the screen so you can more easily adjust levels and other settings. Having the graphic of the pedal on the screen is just so much easier than scrolling through menus. It's really too much fun and very cool.

After spending some time playing through the Yamahas, I then hooked the iPB-10 up directly to one of my powered PA speakers, a Yorkville nx550p. The tones translated almost perfectly. Because I was playing close to gig volume, I found myself rolling off the highs, but was surprised at how well the tones built with the studio monitors worked with larger speaker. In the past I would often hear some high end fizz or other aspects of the tone that sounded artificial. Again, focusing on mostly cleans, crunches and rock lead tones, I was pleased with everything I heard.

What don't I like? I find it amazing that a unit so well designed on so many levels does not include a tap tempo footswitch. How could something so fundamental have been overlooked? I sure hope a firmware update in the very near future corrects this omission.

I'm also surprised that there's only a single 3-band EQ available. An 8 or 10 band would be so much more useful. It would also be cool to have an EQ that can be used on a global basis. When I run through my StudioLive mixer, I have EQ there I can use to adjust globally for the room, but for small gigs it would be cool to run directly to a powered speaker and have a global EQ for those situations, no mixer required.

Another great feature to have would some tone and sweep controls to apply to the wah pedals since it's great to be able to shape the highs and lows to better work with each patch.

I highly encourage anyone to sit down and give this amazing unit a try. I think too many have dismissed it without giving it a chance. Like the thousands of other options available in the guitar gear world, there's no single "best" for everyone. For me, this sounds great, is fun and easy to use ... and most important, inspires me to play music instead of tweaking and chasing tone endlessly.

BTW ... I had already purchased an iPad to use to organize my song charts and backing tracks. I'm using an app called OnSong which is great for this, allowing the lyrics and chords to scroll along as you play. After spending time with the iPB-10, I would have actually purchased an iPad for this purpose alone. When I think about how much money I've had tied up in pedals, amps, guitar processors, midi control pedals and so much more, I think this rig is great value. I know it's all relative, but hope this feedback is helpful.

Thanks again to Craig, DigitechRep and the others contributing to this thread.

[Den]

Forgot to mention that just like schnizeer, I'm using a 6' "CableJive dockXtender" cable to keep the iPad up where I can more easily work with it. I'll be ordering an iPad holder to mount to my mic stand for gigs. This will allow me to use the iPad with OnSong or other apps and then easily switch over to the Nexus app to use the tuner or make any other changes.