DigiTech GNX4 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedalboard with Drum Machine

by DigiTech

Product Features

• 99 total stompboxes, amps, cabinets, and effects
• 11 Total Distortions, Amps and Effects at one time
• Built-in 8-Track Digital Recorder to arrange, record and produce songs
• Built-in MIDI drum machine w/8 kits and over 100 patterns
• Compact Flash memory allows you to save your ideas on the road or at the gig

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 26 x 5 x 12 inches ; 15.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0002GYYTK
• Item model number: GNX4
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,354 in Musical Instruments (See Top 100 in Musical Instruments)
  • #74 in Musical Instruments > Instrument Accessories > Guitar & Bass Accessories > Effects > Electric Guitar Effects > Multieffects > Floor Multieffects

Product Description

Tone Evolution Meets Tone Creationism. Evolve. The GNX4 is the only guitar multi-effect processor with GNX technology that allows you to genetically create new guitar tones by spicing the mathematical “DNA” of amplifiers. Blend your favorite amps to produce your signature tone. Create. The GNX4 is not only a guitar multi-effects processor it has a built in 8-track recorder with an extraordinary MIDI drum machine. Compose and arrange music with your signature tones and style. Your music can be saved onto the Compact Flash memory card to transfer to your computer or record live via USB. To finish your songs, use the included Pro Tracks Plus™ recording software for your PC or Bias ® Deck™ 3.5 for your Mac. Lexicon® Pantheon reverb plug-ins are also included. The GNX4 also features a phantom powered microphone input that allows you to lay vocal tracks down as well. Perform. The GNX4 is not only a formidable recording device, the footswitches and signal chain make the GNX4 a top-notch live performance processor. Take your personal tones on the road.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars workstation power!, May 30, 2005

By 

Ilia Asafiev (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DigiTech GNX4 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedalboard with Drum Machine (Electronics)

GNX4 builds upon the guitar workstation concept of GNX3, with the same underlying Genetex modeling technology but vast improvements in the user interface. Also, many additional features may just render useless much of your other equipment because GNX4 has it all on there.

Main improvements over GNX3:
- Global patch level control (making it easier to overdrive the amp models using master volume without clipping)
- More assignable controllers (interface slightly different and takes getting used to, but learning curve is small as with all DigiTech products)
- MIDI drum machine (no longer limited to 4/4)
- CompactFlash memory card (making GNX4 no less than a virtual 8-track digital recorder)
- MP3 player (allowing to conserve space on the memory card)
- Additional and/or improved I/O section and including phantom power for mic input as well as speaker compensation
- USB connectivity allows for numerous PC-based applications

Many multi-effects processors on the market today (see Line6 PODxT Live, Boss GT series, Vox Valvetronix, etc) pack more "models" "effects" and "features" into their mix. The DigiTech approach is rather different: the effects that are provided can be controlled any way the user desires.

So for example: although there are only 5 "official" delay types included with the GNX4, the actual possibilities are virtually unlimited as to how many delay models you can come up with. There are many parameters allowing you to tweak the delay pretty much any way you wish.

Of course, there is only so much tweakability you can pack into a single workstation under $500. So, DigiTech provides two LFO controls that allow real-time "parameter editing" to occur automatically at a set rate. Further control is provided by allowing user to adjust LFO speed in real time. The combination of expressive controls and adjustable parameters make the GNX4 a very powerful, flexible piece of equipment.

The GeNetEx amp-warping features, again, provides infinite tweakability with only a handful of starting options. By taking two of the 16 amp models, setting each up with its own EQ gain etc, then warping them together to a desired ratio makes it possible to create a perfect amp for your application - no need to rely on the built-in "historic" and "legendary" models. Same can be done with speaker cabinet models, whose perceived size can be adjusted by changing the resonant frequency. The interface for GNX4 is vastly improved over GNX3, making the amp- and cab-warping very easy.

Of course the GNX4 is not all-powerful (yet - maybe GNX5 will be?). There are certain things it won't allow you to do, most notably:
- you cannot run two different amp models out of the L/R stereo channels.
- volume level triggering is only available on certain pre-defined effects (there's a triggered phaser, flanger, etc) - compare to BOSS GT-8 that lets you use input level as yet another expressive control.
- S/PDIF output has been taken out.
- Order of effects in the chain cannot be changed, so compression always comes before noise gate, etc.
- The display is similar to a 4-function calculator, which can be limiting sometimes.

That said, GNX4 is one powerful machine. If you've never had a multi-fx before, definitely give this a try - it'll blow your mind! Plus, DigiTech offers great customer support and provides user forums for discussion, so you'll never have to be stuck trying to figure out how to use something.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very well engineered and capable, October 18, 2004

By 

D. Renner (Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: DigiTech GNX4 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedalboard with Drum Machine (Electronics)

With the upgraded (over the GNX3) drum machine in it, this unit has become very strong. After retiring my electric guitars for the past 10 years, I decided to lay down some tracks. I looked at the state of the art and this unit is what I settled on. I'm very happy with the effect quality, drum voices, and recording capabilities. I can plug in my guitar and microphone and get to work. I mic my classical guitars through this unit with good results. With the talkbox, whammy pedal, and wah effects, I don't need any stompboxs strewn about. I haven't read the manuals, but learning how to modify effect parameters, record to the compact-flash, and get the unit up and running with the accompanying software was a cinch. It has been troublefree. Although it's an excellent value, I realize that it's a bit much for the up-and-coming young musician. If you're serious about your craft, this is a good peice of equipment to have.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very nice, September 24, 2005

By 

Kjh (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: DigiTech GNX4 Guitar Multi-Effects Pedalboard with Drum Machine (Electronics)

I like it.
I haven't tried the drum machine too much and don't have too much hope for it. And it's a little complicated to use. It would be cool if there were more connection with a computer, so that you could link up to a computer and create drum patterns or create new sounds or do custom tones by using some nice graphical software, rather than turning knobs and watching little LEDs.
That said, the thing ROCKS! I use it all the time now. The sound is more than passable, and the ability to toggle through a nearly limitiless selection of effects is really, really cool. I have 5 or 10 favorite pre-sets and just switch over to "blues" or "jazz" or "rock" or whatever I"m in the mood for.
The recording ability is really a winner. You can easily dump the track to the same compact flash card i use in my camera. Then playback and record at the same time. You can even easily pull tracks off a computer onto compact flash and play them while reacording new tracks. Makes mixing really easy -- just record the tracks, pull out the flash card, slide into the computer and import into your favorite mixer sofware.
All-in-all, well worth the $$