X100 is the ultimate gig device

The definitive headphone guitar amp.
RockmanCentralBob
Posts: 421
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:10 am

Re: X100 is the ultimate gig device

Post by RockmanCentralBob »

A digital Rockman would go against everything it's founder envisioned.

On the other hand, I've profiled my Rev 20 Sustainor with Tom's EQ settings from his studio with my Kemper and it sounds amazing!!
I even used the Morph feature to emulate the Auto Clean effect and can go from crystal clean to full out lead distortion with just an expression pedal.
I'm finally down to a single patch for everything!

As for the complexity of the X100 boards.... compare them to any distortion stomp box and you'll notice there are quite a few more parts.
Hence the high price at the time.
JohnCT
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2018 2:48 pm

Re: X100 is the ultimate gig device

Post by JohnCT »

RockmanCentralBob wrote:A digital Rockman would go against everything it's founder envisioned.
That's true, but I don't really think Dunlop would care - nor should they. If they're going to (arguments sake) reissue the Rockman, they'll shoot for the *sound* it's founder envisioned and the fans of Rockmans want, but do it as cheaply as possible. Cheaply these days means digital.

Let's not forget that digital in the old days meant low sampling rates, sluggish microprocessors and limited memory. With today's high sampling rates, lightning fast micros and DA converters, any analog process can be duplicated, improved upon (if the designer wishes), and do it for far less than an analog setup.

Now if there were 50K folks willing to spend big money for a part-for-part reproduction of the X100, that'd be different. But I'm sure if you polled potential buyers and could offer them a better sounding Rockman (yes, today's digital will get you there) for half the cost, they'd be on board.

John
RockmanCentralBob
Posts: 421
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:10 am

Re: X100 is the ultimate gig device

Post by RockmanCentralBob »

No arguments on the quality of sound from digital.... like I said, I'm using a Kemper profile of my Sustainor!

I think the main issue is does a device that does 4 sounds have a place in a world where you can get hundreds, or thousands, of tones with effects on a device even smaller than the original X100? Yes, there are devices out there even today that only offer a few sounds.... but they are very inexpensive.

But, Dunlop has always had a long term strategy of buying up rights to names and designs and then sitting on them till the nostalgia factor and demand returns. I think we will probably see that day come for the Rockman, if digital profiling, modeling and tone matching from recorded samples doesn't make it obsolete by then.
eicca
Posts: 97
Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 1:26 am

Re: X100 is the ultimate gig device

Post by eicca »

I feel like if they were to attack the stompbox market with a reissue instead of the modeler market they would have good success. You’re right, Rockman just can’t compete with modelers. But from a pedal approach I bet they’d really get somewhere if they kept it analog and inexpensive.
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RockmanCentralBob
Posts: 421
Joined: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:10 am

Re: X100 is the ultimate gig device

Post by RockmanCentralBob »

eicca wrote:You’re right, Rockman just can’t compete with modelers.
Ironic when you consider it was arguably the first modeler on the market.
GuitarBuilder
Posts: 245
Joined: Sat Aug 30, 2014 7:14 pm

GuitarBuilder

Post by GuitarBuilder »

RockmanCentralBob wrote:A digital Rockman would go against everything it's founder envisioned.

On the other hand, I've profiled my Rev 20 Sustainor with Tom's EQ settings from his studio with my Kemper and it sounds amazing!!
I even used the Morph feature to emulate the Auto Clean effect and can go from crystal clean to full out lead distortion with just an expression pedal.
I'm finally down to a single patch for everything!

As for the complexity of the X100 boards.... compare them to any distortion stomp box and you'll notice there are quite a few more parts.
Hence the high price at the time.
Would you be willing to share the settings and profiling details with us? I'd like to try it on my Kemper!