I guess I could give you all the usual talk about the professional sound and easy to use interface that manufacturers love to ramble about in their “reviews”, but I know you can get that from them. What I can tell you is how these pedals sound to me and how easy (or difficult) they are to use and how well they are built, from a guitarist’s point of view.
The RP series starts with the RP55 and continues through to the RP355 with more or less the same design and functionality throughout, with the addition of integral foot controllers on the RP255 and RP355. Where things really start to get interesting, especially for someone who plays live, is with the RP500 and RP1000.
Construction
The RP500 and RP1000 are basically built like a tank. Believe me when I tell you this helps when playing live. Nothing like a broken switch when you’re about to hit your favorite solo. I have also noticed that all the connection points on the rear of the unit are very robust (XLR, guitar in / out / USB / CD). This is probably because they are mounted in a steel casing, which helps resist movement and cracking. This has happened to me with some pedals. However, the best part is the footswitches. They are, again, made of steel. Pretty hard to smash in your size 12 cowboy boots, no matter how hard you step. The only weak point that I could see would be the rotary knobs used to adjust the effect. They are made of plastic and are located near the foot switches, so there is a chance that they will break there.
Characteristics
The RP500 and RP1000 are basically the same unit, with a few key features. Both have a row of stompbox switches to control compressor, distortion, chorus / fx, delay, and reverb. All of these effects can be modified on the unit itself using the buttons, or using the X-Edit software that comes bundled with the units. Many classic and modern sounds can be played with this setup, including distortions such as the Ibanez TS-9, TS-808 Tube Screamer, Arbiter Fuzz Face, Big Muff, Boss DS-1, and more. This can be found on quite a few multi-effects pedals, but some cool additions are the Digitech Whammy if you like Jack White, or Tom Morello, or the Univibe and Octavia if you like Jimi Hendrix or Doyle Bramhall II.
They both also come with a 20 second looper. If you’ve never used a looper before, it’s more fun than a barrel of drunken monkeys. This feature is actually what convinced me to buy the RP500 as I was looking to buy a dedicated looper (Line 6 JM4), but realized that I would get a lot more for the money with this unit. I also tried the JM4 at a guitar store and thought the sound was very poor.
If you have 2 amps, or even better a PA with a pair of powered monitors, you can run a stereo signal (via XLR or 1/4 “outputs) and create some amazing sounds., And a cheap practice amp, and WOW! Try some effects like the Tremolo Panner or the Rotary Speaker and you’ll get some really cool panning sounds through the speakers – I can only imagine what two great amps would sound like.
Easy to use
To rearrange my title here, it’s easy to use! I think it took me a total of 10 minutes from when I opened the box to start getting good sounds from this unit and start adjusting the presets. The presets aren’t really bad. I say this because normally I don’t expect any presets to be worth keeping, but in this case, I have saved them all. They are a good starting point if you are creating new sounds. Since there is room for 100 factory presets and 100 user presets, there is no need to delete anything. The X-Edit software is also quite easy to use. The adjustability of the effects is greater with the software than with the unit itself, so if you really like this, you will want to connect the unit to your computer.
Amp / Cabinet Bypass
Speaking of amps, what discourages most people from buying these types of effects pedals is how they sound through an amp. I have to admit, I’ve tried some multi-effect pedals through my tube amp and they sounded really bad (as did some individual pedals). This probably had a lot to do with the fact that you couldn’t turn off the amp modeling, which was designed to be heard through reference speakers or headphones, and not colored by the amp circuitry. One of the biggest advantages of the RP500 and 1000 is the amp / cabinet bypass switch. This simple little switch (at least the switch looks simple!), Allows you to apply the unit’s effects directly to the tone of the amp / cabinet you’re using (in my case, a Fender Twin Reverb). You really notice the difference when you hit the switch on a tube amp, and the sound becomes much warmer and more organic. When you activate the internal amps and cabinets by pressing the switch again, through headphones or computer speakers, the sound is fantastic, with pretty realistic sounds. I don’t really like this feature of the pedal (amp modeling), but I’m sure some would have hours of fun.
RP500 / RP1000 Differences
Well the first difference is the price. The RP500 normally costs around $ 300 while the RP1000 costs approx. $ 500. This price difference is mainly due to the RP1000’s second row of switches that allow you to control external pedals. This was added with the pedal fanatic in mind who wants the perks of the new generation of multi-effects pedals, but just can’t be separated from their old pedals around which they have built their sound. The secondary benefit of this is that it will allow you to experiment with new hybrid sounds, combining your old pedals and the new library of effects, tones and amps that comes built into the RP1000 (160 to be exact).
Combining solid construction, ease of use, and great sound, the RP500 and RP1000 would be a valuable addition to any guitarist’s pedal arsenal. After a while, I bet you will find that it is the only pedal you need.