Digitech GSP1101

[mbengs1]

How good or bad is this rack effect? how does it compare with other rack systems that are more expensive like the TC G force? I might buy it since its cheaper than other rack systems i know.

 

 

 

 

[bigjd]

been using one for years now in lots of different configs. great unit,powerful and with c63 you can load ir's which make it more useable

[Kramerguy]

I have a love / hate relationship with mine. Let's start with the hate...

 

First off, it's dead. It completely fried, when something metal inside of the unit broke off (off backside of a pot), but I was unaware that happened during transport, so when I plugged it in... POOF. Gone.

 

The reason that happened might be arguable- someone bumped into the unit and bent that particular knob.. BUT.. also arguable is that the whole damn knob system is plastic.. and the posts are plastic too. The kind of plastic that krazy glue won't stick to either. It's not durable, and for that reason, I challenge the idea that it's "gig worthy". Commercial quality products are needed for heavy gigging, and digitech just isn't it. Too many cheap components.

 

But let's move on.. The c63 firmware as mentioned above was an outstanding addition to the unit, and in comparison, it had a LOT of great effects, such as several distinctly different choruses, flangers, other FX, and tons more amp and cab models that greatly improved on the out-of-box tones. However, the one thing about that unit is that it always, and I mean always sounded "boxy". No amount of tinkering, including turning off teh cab simulations, scooping the mids, re-EQ'ing the whole thing.. nothing could get that boxy sound out of it.

 

The worst part of the "tone" was simply that the low end bottomed out. It would just start distorting and sound like a blown speaker if you tried to (for instance) play next to someone with a tube amp and get the same level of bottom end. The high end also had issues with scratchy noise. Hit the strings too hard and you will get some kind of digital noise because the modeler couldn't handle the dynamic string attack.

 

I recently purchased the line 6 hd pro x to replace the digitech and NONE of these sound issues exist, I get all the bottom end in the world without the speakers farting, and shimmering highs. The pick attack sounds genuinely like a tube amp.

 

The Controller 2 pedal seemed like a great controller as well, but soon the rubber bushings in the pedal started going, and created all kinds of issues with volume control. Speaking of volume control.. even though you program the pedal to volume from 0-99, you never actually achieve zero.. you will always be able to hear your guitar cut through, so the volume only goes down to 1 in reality. The tuner on the footswitch is also difficult to tune-in, it has a hard time fining the note sometimes, and is twitchy. It takes me 2x longer to tune than when using other tuners.

 

Ok, the good:

It properly fit in the rack, and only took 1u space.

Stereo was really stereo, not "stereo effect"

lightweight

Footswitch control (stompbox mode) is incredibly user-friendly and intuitive (which is why I stuck with digitech so long)

 

summary:

 

The GSP1101 was the FOURTH digitech unit I've killed since 2009. Their stuff just isn't built to survive. I held onto my beliefs every time they launched a new line and sold it as "improved construction", but in the end, it was "improved to look more durable, but will still break just as easy".

 

Ok,

so yeah, I'm a little bitter.. I just dropped $1250 last week on the pod, pedal, new rack case because a digitech failed me, for the 4th time. I'm happy with the pod (happier really) as it comes to sound quality. Wish it worked more intuitively, but it's durability is going to be the key. Fingers crossed.