Digitech 2112/20 - anyone else got one of these bad boys

[Patrick Deno]

I just bought a used 2112 with the Control One board included and after a preamp tube change I'm extatic. I love this thing! I read around and the consensus was right, the original tubes were crud. I dumped in a pair of Electro-Harmonix 12AX7s (the highest rated brand at the tubestore.com) and this thing is now the chunk monster from hell!

http://www.lord-jereth.com/Equipment.html

Anyone else out there got one of these? How do you like it? Any stories, anecdotes, or special patches to share? How do you run your's? Directly into a power amp? Through an amp head? Do you use a seperate E.Q.?

I'd love to hear some feedback.

LJ

[Spagbol]

Originally Posted by Patrick Deno

I'd love to hear some feedback.

LJ

Plug in guitar, turn up real loud and hold the guitar near the speakers...

Sorry dude, couldn't resist!!!

[The Dark Wolf]

[somata]

i have a johnson millenium, whose effects section is essentially the 2120. its a great unit. if i upgrade to a rack system, i'll get a 2120 for my effects unit...

you like the EH tubes huh? i've been trying to get one of my local stores to get them in for me, but they've been on backorder forever.
how have they improved the sound?

[motogod927]

I had one and it sounded like crap compared to a g-force or a eventide. Digitech is for bedroom players. Thats why you dont see them in any pro players rigs.

[Spagbol]

So that's why Rob Balducci used one for a while (in fact endorsed them), John Entwhistle uses one, Danny Lohner (from Nine Inch Nails) uses one, Derryl Gabel (played on George Lynch's Sacred Groove album) uses one, Coop Deville (TC Electronics endorser but also Digitech endorser. Toured with Malmsteen, Steve Howe, Pat Travers etc...) uses one, Jennifer Batten used one, Michael Wilton of Queensryche uses one, Carlos Cavaso of Quiet Riot uses one, Jack Owen of Cannibal Corpse uses one ... of course no-one would call them anything but bedroom guitarists would they? Tw@t!

[Alain]

I've got one!

And I love it, but I think there are better pre-amps than the one in that unit.

[Patrick Deno]

Originally Posted by somata

i have a johnson millenium, whose effects section is essentially the 2120. its a great unit. if i upgrade to a rack system, i'll get a 2120 for my effects unit...

you like the EH tubes huh? i've been trying to get one of my local stores to get them in for me, but they've been on backorder forever.
how have they improved the sound?

I got mine used and I have no idea how old the other tubes were but geebis, they sounded like garbage! The sound I got, no matter what I did with all those wonderful settings and even THROUGH A STUDIO RACK EQ, was so middle heavy I was in a panic. I'd just spent half of our extra money for the year on a new toy that was worthless to me. Ask Spagbol, I was a wreck.

Then I got the new tubes, dropped 'em in and tweaked a bit and WHAMMO, instant signature tone - MY signature tone. So yeah, I'm happy with the EH tubes.

Originally Posted by Spagbol

So that's why Rob Balducci used one for a while (in fact endorsed them), John Entwhistle uses one, Danny Lohner (from Nine Inch Nails) uses one, Derryl Gabel (played on George Lynch's Sacred Groove album) uses one, Coop Deville (TC Electronics endorser but also Digitech endorser. Toured with Malmsteen, Steve Howe, Pat Travers etc...) uses one, Jennifer Batten used one, Michael Wilton of Queensryche uses one, Carlos Cavaso of Quiet Riot uses one, Jack Owen of Cannibal Corpse uses one ... of course no-one would call them anything but bedroom guitarists would they? Tw@t!

Sick 'em Spag!!! Rip 'is bloody head off and $h1t down his ... ooops ... umm ... never mind. He he he

LJ

[motogod927]

I had one for 2 yrs. and it is complete low grade stuff. Dude! Look at the people you named who are those bums? I reconized a few bum but cmon. Im talking aboout the best guitarist in the world. EVH,VAi,Petrucci,Lukather,satriani. tThe only thing that Digitech makes that is good is the whammy pedal. Back in the day when they came out with the dhp-55 and ips harmony machines those were pretty good but now. Go to huge racks web site and they have thousands of pictures of basically every pro's rack from the 80's until now. And you know what . No digitech. All you see is eventide,lexicon, t.c. yamaha. Oh yeah cant forget those old roland and korg delays they are truely top notch . I dont mean to be rude but I really really tried to get a good sound out of that box for 2 yrs. and at one point i thought i did. Then i joined a band with another guitarist who had a t.c. 2290 and a eventide Dsp 7000 and when i heard this guys tone compared to my totallyprocessed cheesey sound I unplugged the unit and pluged straight into my marshall. That guy really taught me alot about racks and stuff and told a few websites to browse on. What you should do is sell the digitech for about $300 and go on ebay and pick up a yamaha spx 90 for $200 . Thats if you are on a low budget.

[bryangraye]

If anyone is into the heavy stuff, checkout Emperor's album Prometheus. Ihsahn uses a 2120, and it sounds absolutely perfect - the best death style tone I've ever heard - clear, dirty, chunky, but not harsh, not scooped too much, but heavy as hell.

[bduersch]

I've had a 2101 and 2120 (plus a Johnson JM150) at various times in my life. For the money, they're great preamp/FX boxes. I used my 2101 into two combo amps (a Fender M80 and Crate Blue Voodoo) for major stereo separation. The 2120 was short-lived--I bought it to add FX to my Triaxis/2:90 rig, but there wasn't any way to bypass the preamp, so it ended up altering my tone too much for my taste (so I sold it and got a G-Major, which doesn't have as many bells & whistles as the Digitech but does sound a little better). Still, sometimes I get a little Digitech nostalgic--I started out with the GSP21 Legend many years ago, and still have a IPS33 pitch shifter in my rack now.

--G

[davester1234]

when i buy a processor it will be a tc, or a lexicon.
That doesh't mean i think digitechs are crap, just prefer the sounds of the above names

[track7]

I bought a 2120 in '98. Thinking it would be a sound investment and i'd never need another pre-amp effects pedals again.

Big mistake. The FX section is actually very nice [except for the xp-like whammy shudder]..and as a processor its fantastic. But the pre-amp really lets it down. Admitedly i didn't change the tubes to something good, but to my ears...the harsh pre-amp coupled with the digital effects then into a solid state combo was just nasty after a couple of years.

I had some great learning experiences with it though and i dont regret it. I learned about midi rack gear programming, and how to use every kind of guitar effect known to man [which the 2112/20 have and then some]..but in the end i needed a more pleasing tone.

What would have been good is if i could just get the rackmount of the FX section and leave the pre-amp behind. But that aint possible..so i sold it to get a smaller much simpler mesa combo and a few pedals.

I think if i do get any rack gear in the future it would only be an fx unit and definately not pre-amp [except for maybe the tri-axis]. I would be intersted in the eventide t.c. electronics stuff in conjunction with a mark IV IIC+ or dual recto! yummy. But stompers are the way forward i'm afraid.

Digitech aint all that bad though! I just bough myself a whammy pedal the other day..whamm meeee

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[Gearjunky]

I have one if someone wants it. It is brand new and used for about 10 hours tops...
The problem that Digitech has always had was NOISE....
Did I say NOISE...
Well, I always buy stuff and never use it after I don't like it. It does make a nice paperweight.
I will agree that if they just removed the preamp section and reduced the tons and tons of noise that the unit makes, it would be OK at best. I guess I am spoiled by my Eventides and my TC stuff.
For someone looking for an entry level processor, it's a good unit. But it definately has no place in a PRO rig.
Just my .02

[track7]

nice sales technique gearjunky! lol just kidding

i'll second the great entry level processor thing

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