I guess I could give you all the usual talk about professional sound and easy to use interface that manufacturers love to ramble on 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 built they are, from a guitarist’s point of view.

The RP series begins with the RP55 and continues with the RP355 with more or less the same design and functionality, with the addition of integral foot controllers on the RP255 and RP355. Where things really start to get interesting, especially for someone playing live, is with the RP500 and RP1000.

Construction
The RP500 and RP1000 are basically built like a tank. Believe me when I tell you that this helps when you play live. There’s nothing like a broken switch when you’re about to launch into your favorite solo. I have also noticed that all the connection points on the back 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. The best part though is the footswitches. They are, again, made of steel. Pretty hard to shred in your size 12 cowboy boots, no matter how hard you step. The only weak point I could see would be the rotary knobs used to adjust the effects. They are made of plastic and are located near the pedals, so there is a chance that they will break.

Characteristic
The RP500 and RP1000 are basically the same unit, with a few key features. Both have a row of effects footswitches to control compressor, distortion, chorus/fx, delay, and reverb. All of these effects can be modified on the unit itself using the knobs or using the X-Edit software that comes included with the units. Many vintage and modern sounds can be replicated with this setup, including distortions like the Ibanez TS-9, TS-808 Tube Screamer, Arbiter Fuzz Face, Big Muff, Boss DS-1, and more. This can be found in quite a few multi-effects pedals, but some interesting additions are Digitech Whammy if you like Jack White, or Tom Morello, or Univibe and Octavia if you like Jimi Hendrix or Doyle Bramhall II.

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 when I was thinking about buying a dedicated looper (Line 6 JM4), but I realized I would get a lot more for the money with this unit. I also tried the JM4 at a guitar shop and thought the sound was very poor.

If you have 2 amps, or even better a PA with a couple of active monitors, you can run a stereo signal (via XLR or 1/4″ outputs) and create some amazing sounds. I do this with my Fender Twin Reverb tube amp. , and a cheap practice amp, and WOW!

Easy to use
To rearrange my title here, it’s easy to use! I think it took me a full 10 minutes from when I opened the box to start getting good sounds out of this unit and start tweaking the presets. Presets are actually not bad. I say this because I normally don’t expect any presets to be worth keeping, but in this case, I’ve kept all of them. 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. Effects adjustability is greater with the software than with the unit itself, so if you really like this, you’ll want to connect the unit to your computer.

Amp/Cabinet Bypass
Speaking of amps, what keeps most people from buying these types of effects pedals is how they sound through an amp. I must admit I tried a few multi-effects pedals through my tube amp and they sounded pretty 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 circuit. 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 flipping the switch again, through headphones or computer speakers, the sound is fantastic, sounding quite realistic. I’m not really interested in this pedal function (amp modeling), but I’m sure some people will have hours of fun with it.

Differences RP500/RP1000
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 effects pedals. This was added with pedal fans in mind who want the benefits of the new generation of multi-effects pedals, but just can’t part with their old pedals that they’ve built their sound on. The added 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 come built into the RP1000 (160 to be exact).

With a combination of 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’ll find it’s the only pedal you need.