Rockman Tone in 2017
- Thread starter Sirion
- Start date
LLL
New member
One thing I think people confuse is:
"Rockman tone" = Boston's 1st (and 2nd by proxy) album tone.
It doesn't.
Scholz used a metal panel Marshall and other gadgets (including Eventide H910) for the 1st & 2nd album.
It wasn't until the 3rd album (Third Stage) that he actually used Rockman products on recordings.
All of which makes sense, because SR&D didn't start pumping out Rockman products until IIRC 1982; years after the 1st and 2nd album.
"Rockman tone" = Boston's 1st (and 2nd by proxy) album tone.
It doesn't.
Scholz used a metal panel Marshall and other gadgets (including Eventide H910) for the 1st & 2nd album.
It wasn't until the 3rd album (Third Stage) that he actually used Rockman products on recordings.
All of which makes sense, because SR&D didn't start pumping out Rockman products until IIRC 1982; years after the 1st and 2nd album.
Last edited:
maug2122
New member
I saw this thread come up while I was noodling so I dialed in a Boston-like tone on the Carvin. It was close enough for horseshoes.
I have a 1986 Carvin X-100 B. That Eq was the deal breaker, my Marshall JCM 800 was knocked off its perch ....
Now you have me thinking of taking my X-100 B out for a spin and trying your Eq suggestion !
Thanks !!!!
Securb
One of Jerry's Kids
Like I said, It was close enough for horseshoes. It definitely could benefit from a bit of compression and some chorus but all-and-all fun.
Sirion
Well-known member
So, I've been playing with this for a couple of days. I have been holding out for one of the 1U rock units, the XPRs, but the prices have become ridiculous and are unlikely to change any time soon. Even the headphone unit sounds great, though. It is obviously very limited, but you can also feel how much r&d went into it: the chorus, for instance, sits right where you'd want it, and only sounds like chorus when the musical situation seems to call for chorus. I swear that I could have finished a gig using only this unit if there were a way of switching between channels (and possibly a solo boost). It is surprisingly quiet for a 30+ y/o unit.
If anything, it goes to show how much proper design and build values can do for a product. This is bog simple technology by today's standards, but the sounds are far better than the Korg Pandora I bought a decade ago. I wouldn't be caught dead with the sounds that honk of plastic could produce live; I wouldn't mind these tones at all. (Of course, the lack of a power adaptor input is inexcusible by today's standards, but this thing was designed in 1983, when many of the standard solutions still weren't codified.)
If anything, it goes to show how much proper design and build values can do for a product. This is bog simple technology by today's standards, but the sounds are far better than the Korg Pandora I bought a decade ago. I wouldn't be caught dead with the sounds that honk of plastic could produce live; I wouldn't mind these tones at all. (Of course, the lack of a power adaptor input is inexcusible by today's standards, but this thing was designed in 1983, when many of the standard solutions still weren't codified.)
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beaubrummels
Well-known member
You might benefit from one of the other versions also. Perhaps you know all this, but for the benefit of the thread...
For example, the Soloist chorus is richer having a bit more depth (at least on mine), but the Soloist chorus can be turned off without the L/R 80ms/160ms delay line (the Soloist used a different more subtle echo circuit for its stereo widening). All the effects can be defeated on the Soloist, so you can use just the distortion module then use any chorus, delay, eq or outboard effects you want to improve and update the sound.
Also, the EDGE circuit of the Rev 10 Rockman is different from prior revisions of the Rockman. Previous versions of EDGE are like heavy distortion, then DIST is like a touch more into total saturation; whereas Rev 10 the EDGE circuit actually can play clean a little bit if you play lightly, then easily get heavy distortion when laying into the strings, behaving more like a real amp. The Rev10 DIST keeps the same total saturation of earlier versions.
Also, FWIW, I've gotten interesting and different Rockman sounds by plugging a guitar into a Bass Rockman, which allows you to control the compression completely, or turn it off, while still having the distortion and chorus circuits. It also has an interesting set of 3 EQ choices which helps move the distortion and response out of that one fixed 'opinion' Rockmans have of what narrow EQ and compression guitars should sound like.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
I'm wanting the JTEX Shockman, which could be installed into a guitar directly, or a mini-pedal enclosure.
https://www.jtex.ca/shockman
