We are DigiTech, makers of guitar pedals and effects processors. AUA!

When will there be a Space Station reissue in a yellow Whammy V chassis?

(billy) i would love to know this as well - :-)

(Tom) I'd really be into doing a new Space Station, but we are VERY wary of doing another since the first time around it was such a bomb.

Product launch is all about timing. There are so many examples of products launched at the wrong time doing poorly and later similar products doing extremely well. You have a chance to hear directly from your target customer base here and if you like money I'd recommend listening. The original XP300 can go for up to $700 on the 2nd hand market these days (typically atleast $400). This doesn't happen to gear people wouldn't buy if reissued.

(Tom) I am listening.

Good to know Tom. I wasn't trying to come off like a dick at all just trying to be clear that it would be a big deal for many of us since we can't afford the used prices where there isn't enough to go around.

(Tom) No worries! We're all just talking here, right?

If you could just do a pedal with the Space Station swells (settings 1-4) I would be happy.

(Tom) That is a possibility, though not my favorite possibility! :)

Even as a proud owner of an original XP300, I'd love to see what you guys can do with a reissue.

Along those lines, what's your opinion on the Jet Pack mod...the one that allows any one of the XP models to switch between ALL of the XP models?

Thanks for being here and doing this AMA.

(Tom) I think it is cool.

However, IME people with the Jet Pack Mod end up using only one model anyway.

Please could you make a stereo reverb pedal with a stereo effects loop built in? Thank you :)

(billy) interesting idea.

Does work get harder or easier for you with advancing technology? I imagine in the past most of the work was figuring out how to make a decent sound with the hardware that was available to mass produce. Now that people (even you guys) are starting to get way more software based with common equipment such as ipads, is the workload easier than in the past or is it an entirely different ballpark?

(Tom) Cool question!

People tend to think that software is easier than hardware, I have found that it is just as difficult. And tweaking/voicing takes the same amount of effort (sometimes more). I gotta say that the biggest problem for me when it comes to software are the super high release cycle expectations from customers. Companies far larger than us have set a standard that is very difficult to meet.

Who are some guitarists we might know who use your gear, if you're at liberty to say?

(Tom) Hi TheSanityInspector, there are tons! Off the top of my head: Page Hamilton, Steve Vai, Tom Morello, Nick Reinhart, Adrian Belew, Agata, Matt Bellamy, Steve Vai, David Gilmour, Ed O'Brien, Jonny Greenwood, Buckethead, Jack White, and on, and on...

What about Steve vai??

(Tom) He's in there. To give full props; Steve Vai and Tom Morello are the guys who put the Whammy on the map.

Pretty sure that was a joke. You mentioned him twice.

(Tom) Did I? I've been typing really fast!

Nick Reinhart getting higher billing than Muse, Radiohead, and David Gilmour! Fuck yeah!

(Tom) I have a man-crush on Nick.

Do digitech and other companies worry about their future with the new love of vintage tech? It seems like a lot of people these days just want sounds of the past. Is it frustrating as newer engineers to have to come up with new products to convince people their new sounds are superior and easier to use?

(billy) good question for sure. i think now days people just think of technology as a tool, whether it is coming from a vintage rack processor or modern amp modeler. musicians are just trying whatever is available (and there is so much available!) to get them the sound they are envisioning in their head. it may come from a vintage mic pre or a cool plug-in. both have their place in the world of creating music.

What are some resources you recommend for people wanting to get into music making?

(Tom) Go hang out with musicians. Seriously, go hang out with musicians and the opportunities will present themselves.

What are the next load of DOD/Digitech pedals to be reissued?

(Tom) 11geosno, I can't say specifically, but since they have been leaked the Gonkulator and Meatbox are next for DOD. DigiTech will have more pedals like the Obscura and Polara.

Hi guys, thanks for doing this AMA! The Bad Monkey was the first pedal I ever bought, and it's still on my board to this day.

What's the pedal design process like? Do you tend to start with a clear idea (e.g. let's make a brighter delay), or do you tinker effect until you find a sound you like?

(billy) very good question. it is a bit of both a clear idea and tinkering combined with trying to fill a market need. in the case of bad monkey we all loved the tube screamer but one aspect of it was that you would lose low end when cranking up the tone knob - being a strat player this was a huge issue for me. our solution was to design a ts9 style overdrive (hence the green color) with both a high and low tone control so you could recover the bass frequencies lost when the tone was turned up.

Let me just say that the Whammy V is an order of magnitude better than the previous incarnations in terms of tone and tracking, but I desperately miss the separate output for the wet signal. Any chance that could be added back in the next version?

(Tom) Probably not, the Whammy V is meant to be super focused, that means shedding unnecessary complexity.

i also suspect the the true-bypass on the whammy V, limits this possibility as well?

fwiw i dont even use the old vintage switch on mine.

(Tom) Yes, true-bypass does limit the options. The second out would have to be buffered, millennium, or we could possibly use a 4PDT. VERY few guitarists used the second out, so we opted to eliminate it.

will you come out with anything like the Timebender soon?

(Tom) Probably not, the Timebender was a lot like the Space Station. It is a really, really, cool pedal that no one bought.

What's your favorite pedal and why? My personal preference is the Death Metal pedal, mostly due to the dark and fuzzy tone. The bloody logo helps too.

(billy) i have several favorites but one i loved was the brian may red special. it was so cool to work on all the artist series pedals but brian's tone was one i was always facinated with. nobody could get close to his sound prior to this pedal.

(Tom) I LOVE the old DOD 680 Delay. It has been the only constant in my ever-changing pedal collection.

What's your opinion on boutique builders like JHS or to a lesser extent Walrus Audio that have been accused of directly copying existing designs and selling them as their own for a much higher price?

(Tom) I'm good friends with a lot of builders and I have found that most guys are pretty open about who their influences are. Also there are a lot of common circuit designs, for example, we have been accused of copying MXR. So, my thought is; stop being sneaky, there's plenty of room in the pool even if you are wearing the same swimming suit as someone else. Just be open about it.

For a new player just starting out, what would be your top 3 recommended pedals? let's say you have a $250 budget. Thanks.

(Tom) Buy a Hardwire HT-6 tuner and use the rest of your money for a killer amp!

Has Fractal Audio's Axe FX II had an impact on your business?

(Tom) Not really, the Fractal stuff is very cool but way out of the price ranges where we live.

Okay Folks! It is after 5:00 and time for me to go home. Thanks to all who participated and feel free to ask more questions, I'll check back in periodically.

Thanks All! Thanks Reddit!

So the whammy pedal can do 2 octaves, would it be feasible to go for more? (4,5,10 octave range?)

(Tom) We can go way high and way low, but going up 5 or more gets out of human hearing range! Maybe a Whammy D, for dogs?

Are you planning to do anything new in the vain of the GSP1101? It still is the core of my setup and many others!

(Tom) I definitely have plans for all of our MFX. The RP360/XP were just the first steps in that area.

As a long time GSP1101 user, I got tired of waiting for an updated unit, so I eventually jumped ship to Fractal.

I still love my GSP though and I've kept it as a B-rig in case anything happens to my Fractal rig. I am super curious to see what Digitech can bring to the table to compete with the new Line 6 Helix line.

(Tom) Axe FX and Helix are in a price range that we have never played in. Don't wait for us to compete head-to-head with either of their offerings.

Tom, can I borrow one of those screwdrivers on your desk?

(billy) no you can't

Not a typical question, but what made Digitech want to specifically reissue DOD rather than develop new circuits under the Digitech name? This then sort of leads onto my next question, which is do you see DOD and Digitech/Hardwire as distinct brands or more as collaborators?

Hope that makes sense, and keep up the good work!

(Tom) It came out of pure fandom. I am a huge fan of DOD circuits and sounds, and the 250, 201, and 410 were pedals that I was modding in my spare time. Only later did I come to the realization that DOD should be the analog line and DigiTech should be the digital pedals. I've been hewing to that distinction ever since.

dbl

Do you think the iStomp failed to reach the level of success you were (presumably) expecting, and if so, why do you think that is?

(Tom) DigiTech has a long history of trying weird things. Sometimes they work (Whammy), sometimes they don't (Space Station). With the iStomp we really wanted to shake things up and get players thinking about their pedals in a new way.

The thing is, that goes completely against the grain of what pedal guys want right now.

Space Station is fantastic!

(Tom) Sure is!

Too bad guitarists hated it when it came out. Back in the day we couldn't give them away.

I feel like it was just ahead of its time. It's sort of funny how there is such a large demand for this pedal now (probably due to the advancement in experimental music, i.e. Math Rock/Post Rock), compared to when it was released.

Are there any other older pedals that didn't sell well on release, that has had resurgence in demand, that you've noticed?

And also, if you each could re-release an old DigiTech/DOD pedal, what would you choose? (Except the Space Station ;-) )

(Tom) For sure! The Gonkulator did not do all that great, but the demand right now is very high.

I loved the old PDS series, the 8000 in particular was so cool.

How does it feel to know that the Whammy is pretty much a signature pedal for lots of famous guitar players, and for it to have such a recognizable sound amongst guitar effects?

Edit: also, my 1st pedal ever was an RP80. Thank you guys so much for it.

(Tom) It's an honor and a responsibility. Any time our stuff gets used to make great music (that's what this is all about, right?) it feels amazing. I would say that it feels a lot like writing a good song...

Thank you so much for answering! You must be really proud about it and about what is has become today. Do you keep pursuing that kind of groundbreaking guitar effects or guitar pedal ideas nowadays (like you did back in the day with the Space Station, or most recently with the iStomp), or do you focus more on just developing and improving already well known and appreciated effects?

(Tom) We try to do both. For example, we just released TRIO and the Gunslinger. One is a technological marvel, one is a MOSFET analog distortion. Two very different pedals, one company.

Hi guys, really dig your pedals. I have a Whammy IV and an old school DOD stereo flanger on my board at the moment, I'd add a few more if I had the spare cash which leads me on to my question for you.

Is there any plans for a Space Station reissue? I really love the sounds you can get out of the pedal but the prices they go for online are way out of my price range. I'm sure there are plenty of others in my situation who'd also love to get their hands on one

(Tom) We get a lot of requests for a new Space Station and we have had quite a few conversations about what something like that would be. I can't go into detail, but know that we are considering it very seriously.

Thanks for doing this! I love my BP200, but it seems like there is less innovation for bass multi-effects processors than guitar ones - can you comment on that?

(Tom) We've decided to de-emphasize the separation. I'm a bassist as well as an guitarist so I decided that I would do everything in my power to make sure that all of our new stuff works well with bass. For example, by design, the RP360 sounds great on bass, you should check it out.

I recently got an XBS bass Multi-band compressor pedal and love it. Especially useful when I play my standup in a small room with a loud band to avoid low end feedback. My question is twofold. First why do they go through batteries so fast and why does the power block I got with my BP200 not work with it? Shouldn't a Digitech 9v power supply work with all Digitech 9v pedals? Or am I missing something? Thanks.

(Tom) The BP200 uses an AC/AC adapter, the XBS is probably AC/DC.

How do I get a job in this field? I'm a first year electrical apprentice in Canada, and hoping to move into instrument/effects repair and design. I'm 27 and been playing guitar and drums since I was 11, but I just couldn't break into the music industry and had to settle with a trade.

(billy) there are a couple of aspects to this business - the marketing/sales side and the design/engineering side. depending on which field is right for you i would recommend pursuing the studies required for those diciplines. also staying well versed and up to date on the many technologies and their uses (recording, effects processing, live sound etc...) is a huge plus.

The EHX Pitchfork is next up on my wishlist, though I still have to explore alternatives. What Digitech pedal should I take into consideration?

(Tom) It depends upon what you want to accomplish and whether tracking is a priority. If you are looking to just drop-tune, then I'd look at the Drop since it has way more intervals. If you are looking to do real-time Whammy stuff, then well, there's only one Whammy.

The tracking on the Drop and Whammy V/DT is exceptional, if you can I highly recommend A/B testing against the PF, that will be the best test.

Hey guys. I saw your tweet about doing this minutes after said tweet was tweeted... On Twitter. Thanks so much! My first pedal was a chrome Anniversary Whammy IV, a grad present years before I was into the pedal game. It still stands proud on my board though. I love the last few almost boutique flavoured pedals you have released and I'm hoping to grab a Polara soon. My question is if you could tell us what pedal that's come out from a different manufacturer recently has made you say "Damn! I wish we had that idea."?

Bonus question, dream set up - guitar, amp, 3 pedals.

(Tom) I'm a fuzz guy, and we don't have a fuzz in our line-up, so every time anyone releases a cool fuzz I say that!

I've been totally in love with the Catalinbread Belle Epoch though, I'm also a total delay whore.

(Tom) Hmmmm, Gretsch Duo-Jet, Vox AC30, Bad Horsie, LSTR Fuzz, Obscura Delay (you guys realize that I totally made the Obscura for myself, right?)

Have you seen this guy's post about the DOD Phasor 201?

What did you all think about it?

Are you aware that we all want DOD phasors now?

http://www.bookmil.com/dod-phasor-201/

(Tom) Well, what are you waiting for? Go get 'em! The 201 is my favorite pedal out of all the new updates.

When you're testing a new pedal out, what's your rig look like? Anything special?

(Tom) We test on a lot of different amps and guitars in an attempt to make sure our stuff sounds great with any setup. That said, when it gets down to really tweaking I always use a Vox AC30 and a Gibson SG or Fender Telecaster.

Hi Guys, Sorry if this isn't the sort of question you can handle.

The input jack on my old Whammy II is messed up. I sent an email to Digitech to see if there was anyone who could repair it and I never heard back. is there anyone who can help me fix it? Is there a possibility of a Whammy II reissue?

Thanks!!!

(Tom) Try TCS again, they are going to be your best bet for repair. [email protected]

Sorry, there is no chance of a Whammy II reissue.

Is it true that there will only be 3000 reissue Meatboxes made? Juan Alderete said that's because you've found a box with old Samsung chips that the Meatbox needs or something.

Also, when can I buy one?

(Tom)That is true! We bought out the entire existing NOS supply of the IC that was in the original Meatbox. Get 'em while you can.

Will you have them overseas? I'm from Portugal! :(

(Tom) Yes!

you sure about that? ;)

(Tom) If there are more (that aren't for super high $) let me know!

What's your favourite non-Digitech pedal and why?

That's easy! The Black Arts Toneworks LSTR fuzz. It has the most amazing EQ section, I can get really high-gain muffy fuzz but also get a mid-boost that allows it to cut through in a band mix.

Thanks for stopping by to take questions. My question is, what kind of background do your engineers have? Mostly college educated? Bachelor's or Master's level (or higher)? Are they mostly electrical engineers, or are other backgrounds (computer science, physics, etc.) represented as well? Straight out of college, or seasoned professionals? (Sorry, I guess that's more than one question!)

I ask because I would like to get into the audio equipment industry as an engineer. My background is in physics and computer programming, and right now I'm studying engineering physics (which is like electrical engineering at my school). I'm hoping this program (plus projects and whatnot) will help me get there. It's always interesting to hear how others got into the field.

(Tom) All our engineers have degrees and as you mention they span disciplines and age ranges. Parker (who has been sitting here with us during this AMA) is fresh out of college and we also have engineers who have been with us for decades.

For my part, I'm a total electronics hack. So my entry to DigiTech was from the musician, marketing, modding side.

I saw a review of the new DOD Gonkunator online, i not sure exactly how connected Digitech is with the DOD reissues but is there any more info you can give me about it? (i.e. price range, functionality)

(Tom) It will Street @ $149.95 USD, it has a new adjustable carrier that allows it to be tuned.

any chance of you guys making a Multi effects pedal board or rack unit to rival the Pod hd, Fractal and kemper stuff???

(Tom) I would say that we have been making MFX that rival the companies you mention since the RP-1. We invented this stuff.

having owned a RP-150 i can safely say that right now Digitech isnt close to the POD HD series and i would like to see that change. the new L6 helix has the ability to load custom IR's which should solve one of the main problems with MFX the speaker response. cause most people who use the Digitech MFX pedal use them as a interface to run other programs and dont use the internal effects nd amps. What say you? im curious

(Tom) That is because the RP150 is our entry level MFX. If you compare the RP1000 or GSP 1101, they absolutely hang with the competition.

Our GSP1101 has had the ability to load custom IR's for 5+ YEARS.

albeit with an unsupported beta firmware...

(Tom) still our engineers though, and still directly addresses the question.

What would you say is the must have product of you entire catalogue?

(Tom) TRIO.

I wish TRIO had been around when I was first starting out. I know I would have gotten better, faster.

I got one of those and I ended up selling it. It really just felt like you could have gone so much further with the idea. The tracking works and it's a neat pedal, but why no software to let me bank my patches and put them together in to songs? I realize that you were probably trying to keep the price/complexity reigned in, but it just feels like a practice tool. A really cool practice tool, though.

(Tom) Yep, it was designed to be a practice tool.

What're the chances of a Thash Master reissue? Thats my go to pedal for making brutal feedback.

(Tom) Sorry but those chances are slim! If you want controlled feedback then take a hard look at the Boneshaker, that'll easily get you what you want.

What are your future plans for your multi-effects product line? The RP360 looked like a nice update to the RP355. Any plans for similar updates to products like the RP1000?

(Tom) Yes, I have plans...

;)

would it be possible to add a solar panel to a pedal to keep from having to replace the 9v?

(billy) hmmmm, might not work the bar though...

for a software guy, what sort of career opportunities are there at digitech? what are the primary skills you guys look for in a software developer? would you need cross disciplinary skills in EE and strong knowledge of DSP?

(Tom) Strong knowledge of DSP for sure! We employ a wide range of engineers from many disciplines, but the one common requirement is that they are a musician!

If I could only have one pedal company on my board, it would be Digitech/DOD. Good shit, you guys! I'm thinking about pre-ordering a Gunslinger...does it work really well into a clean amp? I know some pedals, like the 450, are best-suited to an edge-of-breakup situation, and the Boneshaker is aimed for lower tunings. Where does the Gunslinger fit? Cause it sounds badass.

(Tom) The Gunslinger works great into a clean amp. In fact one of our design goals was for it to play nice with Fender Twins.

The Boneshaker is designed for mid-gain lower tunings, and the Gunslinger is a flat out rock machine.

Is money a means to an end for human happiness or is human happiness a means to an end for money? Also give one example of how your company functions according to this ideal.

(Tom) Money is a shared illusion.

Two things:

1) Does JamSync work between different models of JamMans?
2) Are you re-issuing other pedals from the FX line? Buzz Box, Ice Box, Milk Box, Echo Fx, Bass Grunge, etc.? Also, why didn't you go back to the nonsensical knob labels?

(Tom)

1. Yes, all of the XT's: JamMan SoloXT, JamMan VocalXT, and JamMan ExpressXT.

2. I'm not planning on it, but demand could change that.

I'd love if you guys went back to nonsensical knob labels. They really gave a lot of character to the DOD FX line that I don't think is too common these days in effects pedals. I've seen a lot of that sentiment online too.

(Tom) I enjoyed the crazy labels too (that era is when I first started working for DOD) but the indecipherable labels are a support nightmare.

If you had to gig with just two pedals, what would you take and why?

(Tom) Assuming I have a good amp that does good clean-ish breakup then it would be Fuzz and Delay.

I can get clean, rhythm grit, rhythm gain, and lead.

After fiddling with the Trio for a bit, myself and my mates have found that it lacks a few key elements. We were wondering if version 2, or even a deluxe version might be in the works to rectify the shortcoming?

What we've found is that the device needs storage. The ability to store grooves would be huge.

It also needs even a rudimentary looper built in, or shoot, I'd even be happy with an interface work in conjunction with an existing DigiTech looper. I'd be happy to purchase the additional device if I could use the two in together.

Last, it seems that the functions of the external footswitch were pretty poorly thought out. It seems like an engineer made the choices as to what the switches do instead of a player. Button one is a dupe of the pedal button, so waste of a button there. More logical would be button one toggles between part select and style select, and up and down would actually move up and down through the selected option.

So, what are we going to see in the future for this line?

(Tom) TRIO was meant to be a practice and songwriting tool, the features you are suggesting seem more oriented toward live use. This use is outside the purpose of TRIO.

That said, what you suggest makes total sense for the practicalities and challenges of live use.

Do you ever regret your company name, especially since boutique analog pedals are all the rage currently?

(Tom) There is a very real dividing line between the big manufacturers and the boutique builders, and that line is digital. You will find scant few boutique guys building digital pedals. To regret our name would be to regret what differentiates us from hundreds of wannabes.

Besides, I also have DOD, So I get both. ;)

Love your stuff since my old RP6 in the 90s , but what's with the complete signal dropout when you change banks?

Same issue still on the RP80 and (I presume) the RP500 I am expecting to arrive later this week.

(Tom) The older RP's had slower processors and slower load times (and the RP6 is positively ancient). The RP500 is much faster.

how do you guys feel about the DIY community's involvement in making effects pedals? has it helped/hurt your company's bottom line?

(Tom) We have always been pretty free with our schematics. DOD was born out of the DIY ethic, and also now re-born out of that same ethic. The only thing that fires me up is the people who fly-by and scavenge stuff from the DIY community and then pass it off as their own.

Any plans for a JamMan with MIDI sync? I'm aware of JamSync, but it'd be nice (really nice) to be able to sync up with other MIDI equipment.

(Tom) Have you seen this?

http://customliveelectronics.com/en/effets-guitare/accessoires-pedales/24-syncman-jamman-volca-monotribe-midi

What are your feelings on the following statement: "Concentric Pots 2015 - Never forget" ?

(Tom) LOL, now that we have custom concentric pots and knobs I have free reign to redesign something else and destroy a new set of timelines and predictions. ;)

Would you ever consider making your own sequencer for the whammy?

(Tom) We are good friends with Molten Voltage and I dig what they do. I think that they have carved out an interesting niche that is exactly proportionate to demand.

Hey guys, thanks for doing this AMA.

I had an rp200 and I can't get it to not feed back like crazy. I've tried lots of settings, amps, guitars, all to no avail. It works fine when it's quiet but if I crank the amps the feedback comes on. I've been forced to stop using it because it's not stage quality construction.

Do you have any idea why this would happen?

(Tom) Feedback is usually a volume or an EQ issue. Try pulling down the volume of your patches to match bypass level, and reduce any EQ boosts to the +3 dB range and see if that helps.

Is there going to be a new super duper Whammy coming out?

(Tom) It would make sense for us to do something more to the Whammy V, but the current Whammy V/DT are still going strong.

Hey guys! Longtime DigiTech user here. I'm in Salt Lake City, and it just dawned on me that I've never really seen a local DigiTech event, or facility tour or anything like that. Is it something you guys do? Would love to support any local events if they're open to fellow pedal addicts and aficionados.

Also have a question about the Supernatural...when I bought mine it was a Hardwire "Made in the USA" edition, what made you move the production over to a regular DigiTech line pedal?

(Tom) A local!

We sometimes have tours and we sponsor local show sometimes as well.

The Supernatural started out as a PGS exclusive and part of the exclusive was that it would be made in USA. Once that deal ran out our international partners wanted the Supernatural available to them. As you can imagine, our international customers don't care if a pedal is made in the USA.

Where the heck does one learn about making instruments and effects? I've always wanted to jump into the field but other than the diy pedal crowd and things like the mfos, there don't seem to be many areas to learn the musical trade. Did you all go to school to learn, or did you mostly learn by hobbying?

Either way, what was the best resource or activity that you think helped you really understand how to make a career out of this?

Follow up question, how many people are even employed as designers? Are these companies much smaller than I imagine?

Thanks if answered these are a bunch of questions!

(billy) i learn everything from youtube now! :) honestly in this day and age there is so much information available to anyone it is just a matter of focusing in on a discipline and going for it. speaking for myself i was a musician that was a hobbiest with electronics and effects. my forte was being able to get the sounds from effects pedals my contemporaries were not able to which helped get me involved with product development here. i work side by side with hardware and software engineers to bring these ideas to fruition. these guys have formal engineering degrees with emphasis on hardware, dsp and software designing.

How do you make the default effects for the multi effects processors? Does somebody just sit there and turn knobs until it sounds good, or do they have to go through all sorts of testing with different guitars/amps?

(Tom) That usually ends up being Billy's thing. He starts with target sounds like "I want a british-sounding amp with chorus and delay, and a lead boost" and then he twiddles from there.

Can you lower your prices? Or maybe just give me free pedals?

(Tom) We make all our stuff as affordable as we can, often accompanied by criticism for being cheap.