The ROCKMAN Headphone Amp | Def Leppard "Hysteria" Guitar Tones

[@RJRonquillo]

🔴 Other than Boston, Satch, and Def Leppard, other players that have recorded with the Rockman are Billy Gibbons, Jerry Cantrell, and Megadeth. Can you name some others and/or famous songs?? ALSO: I mistakenly claimed the UK brand, JHS (John Hornby Skewes) was not in business anymore. In fact they are: www.jhs.co.uk (Although the Rock Box is no longer in production)

[@matthias5163]

Steve Stevens!

[@RoelCyborg]

I saw in a vid in Eddie Van Halen's effect rack in his 5150 studio , the 9.5" Rockman Sustainer unit an Equalizer uinit (on OU812 there are some songs that remind me of it )in this vid " Eddie Van Halen's Home Studio (1998) | You Had To Be There"

[@TVoltG]

That was my first amp.

[@chrishopkins209]

Judas Priest used it on Ram It Down....you can really hear it on the track Heavy Metal

[@Particle67]

@@chrishopkins209 KK Downing said on an interview using Rockman on the Ram It Down/PainKiller era : kkdowning.net/steelmill/Q&A/february-2009/

[@anarchywon4170]

Only in the 80's would "normal mode" have echo & chorus on by default. Love it!

[@guntherachterhof4876]

That's exactly how I remember it.

[@springbloom5940]

The brilliance, is that a simple fixed value circuit for the modulation, is easy and cheap. These things are surprisingly simple.

[@stevelangenkamp4513]

Easily one of my favorite comments on a video ever.

[@dreyn7780]

Tom was actually making prior to the 1980's. So You're wrong. Some brands have development phases of 10 years before production.

[@TheStinkysteve]

That was the thing back then, you can’t really crap on sounds that we’re cool at one time but were not cool anymore and something else became popular. I think the 80’s hard rock guitar sounds aged not bad. The songs are still amazing and we all still rock out to them.

[@mdwayne741]

Those tones from the Rockman still hold up today and sound amazing.

[@dreyn7780]

From WHAT? There's over 2 million players since def leopard began. Just last year there was 500 headphones. Do you expecte me to tryout 500 headphones and 64,000 PC's and 5000 TV's? I think You're full of shit mate.

[@oogmeen1066]

@@dreyn7780 wtf are you talking about dude

[@ketterip1]

Seems more like oogmeen needs a History lesson in music and engineering. There are sounds such as the "Rockman" or the "Prince" clean R&B sounds that musicians and producers spend 10's of thousands $$ on gear to try and reproduce or "improve" and still fall short every time. The reason DM said they still hold up today is because they do. You're just hearing a hacked-up bastardized version of it..

[@oogmeen1066]

@@ketterip1 i wasn’t saying that to dwayne, i was saying that to some other guy whose comment is now gone that was being a prick

[@freddielee8500]

Agreed. Quality never goes out of style.

[@deanbibb3680]

Your face when you played the “Hysteria” riff in Clean II was priceless!

[@gina4319]

Governor Gretchen Grinster is having a blast becoming famous 😋 ​

[@DrProgNerd]

I had one of these in the 80's. I walked around high school - playing my Rockman X100 in my headphones - and just KNEW I was going to 'make it' someday. (I didn't - but still play guitar)

[@leegarza3605]

My buddy and I would walk through the neighborhood with our guitars and pignose amps...we had the same dellusions of grandeur. I too still fuck around with some new buddies now...still stink but we have a blast.

[@SEILLC]

@@leegarza3605 Same here. I had (still do) the talent, but wasn't willing to starve for a decade to get to the top of that shitty business.

[@KD-nb3mp]

@@SEILLC Yeah.... thats the biggest problem for most musicians. Being constantly broke even with two side jobs. Been there and done that. Some are lucky and make it.... must be a nice view from the top, no doubt.

[@edjones2199]

I resemble that remark, although I’m just a drummer

[@teriakamoto]

Yup. My brother had one and my brother in law. Instant Arena Rock 🪨 🤘 🔈. Making it in the entertainment business is overrated. The important thing is that you’re still playing. ✌️

[@robertiola88]

I was in high school in the early 80's and this is the best sound ever. Instant Boston, Def Leppard, and big smiles all the way around. Love it.

[@86FxBdyCpe]

The good Ol days, I'd go back in a micro-sec.

[@robertiola88]

Me too @@86FxBdyCpe

[@williamchiusano3185]

Yep I was in college as a guitar major on Long Island in New York City in the 80s and this fucking thing came out and I was blown away. I went out and bought it immediately. We used it inside the school all the time because he either had that or you had a pig nose amp little tiny ones

[@torainbowsend]

My wife bought me one, when they first came out... For my birthday. (Which coincidentally is today... 72 and still jamming) I think it was circa $180.00.... She handed it to me with a large smile and said "now you can play through the ear phones". It was a great sound.... And, It really loved to eat those AA's. After years of use/abuse it finally gave up.

[@torainbowsend]

@@MindsetMastery75 Mine was made in the 80's... Nothing new under the sun... you've heard of re-issues.

[@nonegiven9528]

Very thin, but try another pickup.

[@nonegiven9528]

Clean 2 is that mid boost Boston sound

[@MRxr400]

@@MindsetMastery75 did you watch the video? 80's bands used it. us old farts remember rockman from the 80's. what don't you understand? there's a photo in the vid of the creator playing live with racks of ...rockman products behind him.

[@torainbowsend]

@@MindsetMastery75 Here's a link... www.rockman.fr/Story/Story.htm

[@davedobson9801]

Back in the 80's, I had a Rockman Sustainor, Stereo Chorus, Stereo delay, and EQ in a rack case and ran direct into the PA. Our singer used the Distortion Generator direct. We had no amps on stage at all. This video brings back really great memories! The Rockman stuff sounded so great and you really couldn't make it sound bad. I wish I had kept all that gear!

[@JPTyler]

Wait... the singer has/used the Distortion Generator? Just out of curiosity, how did he/she use it exactly?🤔

[@hansemannluchter643]

So, you can still hear? Because, MAN, those 50 and 100 watt Marshalls,HiWatts, Twin Reverbs and what not where LOUD!

[@garyeckel1656]

Guitar Center probly has used gear, buy it back"

[@clarkburr]

That rack stuff has been really expensive on the used market for a very long time .Always wanted a chorus from Rockman back then.

[@gerardspringer8576]

@@clarkburr it's vintage now! I had a Pro co r2du. Double distortion . rack 1. Wish i had . i think they make something similar. Crazy prices for old stuff. They shld make it again. Plus a lot of that 80' s 90' s stuff is broken. The Rats were tuff. Built like a tank!

[@thomcat1969x]

My then 16yo girlfriend bought me one for Christmas 1987 when I left for the Air Force. I had never heard of it before receiving it. I do remember it was back ordered as Christmas came and went but I eventually did receive this amazing box. LET ME TELL YOU, I came to depend on that thing to get me thru 4 years of the air force and beyond. I could play without disturbing anyone, keep in mind this was 1987 and the ability to play electric via small portable unit with headphones was unimaginable at that point. I plugged it into my dual cassette boom box to play when I wanted to hear it without headphones AND I could record right to cassette. The tones were satisfying and inspiring, I still have it but has long stopped working. It lived it's life to the fullest for sure!

[@tonywallis6106]

also there was one called hot watt

[@MALoadedDiaper]

Get it refurbed. Mine is getting all cleaned up at the moment. It's a specialized piece of gear, so things like capacitors rotted out. Well worth refurbing.

[@thomcat1969x]

@@MALoadedDiaper great idea, who is doing the work for you?

[@MALoadedDiaper]

@@thomcat1969x His name is Dwight Baker. His email is [e-mail]. I opted to get the $85 refurb option & the $85 Embedded Power Supply (EPS) option. No more batteries. Altogether with shipping: $132.

[@thomcat1969x]

@@MALoadedDiaper thank you for that, I can't wait to get this going again. Best to you!

[@SouthpawSatch]

Why has no one created a pedal version of this? It would be an instant hit with us 80s lovers

[@pfaprado]

The closest thing I think would be that Ryan Adams pedal (which has reverb, chorus and a booster in the same pedal). Unfortunately I have never heard of something similar to Rockman :(

[@lobatoulr7154]

@@pfaprado Labels Sound Studio ^^pocket^^ Made in Germany ^^ Vintage 80" ^^ 💀

[@robertgiunta9653]

Back in 1985, ESS out of California made a footswitch enclosure for the Rockman X100 at a cost of $300. You had to ship the Rockman to them and they would modify it for the footswitch and ship it back. I still have mine from 1985 and it still works. Played gigs with the Rockman for many years.

[@earldobson8070]

Search KZbin for "rockman pedal"... there are two adaptations of the X100. One is American-made (I think!) and the other is Japanese (they call it "Goat'). It would seem that neither is reasonably cheap, but they do sound right.

[@paulshamblin6260]

Bc you clip it to your belt and feel like EVH in your bedroom 😆

[@wjatube]

Tom Scholz inspired me as a young guitarist to design and build my own amplifiers. It wasn't that my end product became as popular as Rockman but the process of my design, prototyping, tweaking, and constructing formed an incredible discipline for me. A hobby that was closely aligned with my guitar interests that kept me busy while others my age were out getting into trouble. I attribute these disciplines to my later successes while designing automation technologies used in both the manufacturing and in the equities trading markets. I also had a grandfather who was an electronics engineer who I used to visit and watch in wonder. Young people today all want to get rich and be like Elon. But instead of spending hours on TikTok dreaming they need to be seeking out mentors because without Tom Scholz and my grandfather I would never be where I am today.

[@meld2584]

Cool! Well said. God Bless!! 🏝🦋

[@GeorgeZimmermen]

Nerd alert!

[@HunnysPlaylists]

What do you do?

[@wjatube]

@@HunnysPlaylistsI retired young. Now working hard to raise my young boys to become men. My previous companies I sold are not my legacy- my sons are. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to be there for them everyday. :)

[@HunnysPlaylists]

@@wjatube What did you make.

[@jasonrackawack9369]

Its almost like it was designed by an engineer who was a musician that knew exactly what sound he wanted and created a no fuss magic box to get that sound in a convenient preset package without all the hassle of a bunch of different pedals and amps to record with...............oh wait it was!😉😁🎸

[@dreyn7780]

And Then forgot to force the world to buy just 1 record player brand. There's THOUSANDS Of different brands playing Def leopard source material. There's THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of different versions of this video.

[@raybeastbrook_2536]

Tom scholz😌

[@scandallpower]

Hell yeah!

[@freddielee8500]

Ha!

[@dankuchar6821]

And remember, this was the '80s, and this is analog! Man made a rock and roll power amp the size of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That's impressive!

[@RobertBakerGuitar]

I NEED ONE!!!!

[@RJRonquillo]

Me too, I need one more.....

[@satchrules101]

@@RJRonquillo Hey bro where did u get ur studio desk? its sick!

[@RJRonquillo]

@@satchrules101 www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/YeskJGV2--zaor-yesk-workstation-jungle-gray

[@snowdevil7727]

I’ve got one . . . somewhere.

[@satchrules101]

@@RJRonquillo Thanks bro!

[@DavidDiMuzio]

Damn, that's definitely the sound of my favorite records 🤘

[@l8tapex]

oh yea....

[@PickettMusic]

There is no such thing as 'over-produced' in Mutt Lange masterpieces. I have a Rockman 100 watt head, and it is a work of art.

[@TomStrahle]

It actually sounds really good RJ. Great video as always.

[@larslarsman]

Maybe groups could use it in studio recording sessions. Wait, they already did do that. If both my arms were not in casts, I would do a forehead slap.

[@ICACJ]

RJ to himself while browsing ebay/reverb for this relic: Are you getting it? Yes Armageddon It.

[@deringr]

HahahahahahhahahHh

[@finaljesus]

Awesome reference long live steve an amazing guitar player

[@reverb508]

Masterpiece of a comment right here

[@danny_davis]

Well done! 😂

[@matthewhill1689]

C'mon, Steve!

[@bigideaslittlefocus1154]

As soon as you played Hysteria, I got chills. So good! I guess I need chorus now

[@bigideaslittlefocus1154]

Spoke too soon. Once you turned on the drive, I audibly just said "whoa" while delivering mail. I need a rockman now

[@mttclifford]

Logan, I actually can't play clean WITHOUT a chorus, it sounds wrong for some reason...

[@robanderson3559]

The same thing happened to me.

[@raymcallister1309]

Still got mine... wonderful thing.

[@ericcarpenter3263]

Yeah. It stopped me in my tracks. I play on the weekends with a buddy and we will do Hysteria occasionally, I messaged him and said we needed a couple of these. That is THE sound. So awesome.

[@neilegan5088]

Never knew Leppard used the Rockman on Hysteria but hearing you demo it now it all makes sense. Wasn't everything so much simpler back then??!!!

[@OGPND]

That moment when you started playing Hysteria, sounded like it was lifted off the record, so cool

[@user-pd5ot4zd4b]

I guess it kinda was?!?

[@dappawap]

it totally sounds like Hysteria and also Boston's later albums

[@MetalMan73100]

Rockmans were used on Hysteria, along with Randall amps.

[@baby-sharkgto4902]

Insta chills

[@AutismRocksOfficial]

Saw Def Leppard on the Hysteria tour years ago. As soon as you hit those strings, I was taken back in time. Cool vid! ✌

[@RiffsAndBeards]

Damn. That sounds good.

[@DougDopplerMusic]

He sure does!!!

[@Tommy666666777777]

Hi Fluff!! 🤘✨🥳🔥

[@mexstrat96]

Thats what clean is suppose to sound like 👀👀

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

The whole reason I was happy to find the Amoon PokRok because of your video is that it kind of has this same sound.

[@mvyper]

@@mexstrat96 WOOWOOWOOWOO !!! XDXDXD

[@TraneFrancks]

Damn. That distortion sound was lifted straight off of the first Boston album. Amazing.

[@jmsdeco]

Actually, the original BOSTON sound use a marshall plexi full blast into the power soak Tom Scholz designed. It allowed him to record massive tones at very low volume. His guitar plugged into a preamp, then eq, then into the hyperspace pedal ( another Scholz invention he's never told how he built it) finally into the marshall. Scholz's live setup was also in stereo which was rare for the mid 70's.

[@TraneFrancks]

@@jmsdeco There's no "actually" about it. I didn't suggest that Scholz used a Rockman to record the first album. Fans know it was a Marshall head into a prototype Power Soak and a close-miked cab. That said, the "normal" Distortion track IS a classic Scholz tone. The specific EQ that gives it almost a cocked wah sound, delay ... It's remarkable how Scholz was able to take the tones he'd crafted and put 'em into a little analog box. 🙌

[@simonvanderheijden432]

@@TraneFrancks Great point

[@leftwing73]

Damn. Hysteria actually lives in that little box. It's really in there.

[@mitchellkruszyna109]

“Dated clean tone sounds?” Timeless tones!

[@derekvillorente4334]

Those sounds were never dated they will always be awesome tones.

[@Ozzmosisf35]

Yup, a dumbass statement ("dated")

[@NotAStranger2440]

Those tones are great, but they absolutely sound like the 80s. Some very different modulated sounds being used today by bands like turnstile. I love them all!

[@mr.brenman2132]

​@@NotAStranger2440 Dated....to a much better time lol.

[@mcsea1843]

I had a couple of these in the 80's. I was introduced to these by my friend whose dad (Paul Ahern) managed Boston. My friend had one of the first ones, given to him by Tom Scholz. You have to be careful with the input/output jacks. They can become unstable after a while, like a loose input on a guitar. I used to run these through an amp and would tape down the cables before they met the inputs to keep them from moving. Otherwise, I had no issues with these units and used them throughout the 80s/early 90s. This video brought back a lot of memories. Thanks for posting!

[@MrBostechman]

I recorded an entire album with The Scene in Malden,MA back in the late 80’s using SRD 1/2 racks. Scholz was a household name in all the Boston Area studios. Guy is a genius. The Rockman is THE Boston sound - think “More Than A Feeling” for cleans and dirty sounds and that’s what you get. These were way years ahead of their time and they did it with ANALOG components no digital modeling which were amazing for players at that time. Scholz Rockmans were the quintessential headphone rig that you could literally plug into a PA directly and have this amazing studio quality sound - without being mic’d. If you cranked your input gain more you would get that super thick overdriven sound that Scholz was known for. It was truly an amazing piece of gear but also limited you because you sounded like Tom Scholz lol. Definitely worth having if you want instant 80’s cleans. Thanks for sharing this with us RJ. Proof that a lot of the analog gear from yesteryear still holds it weight even to this day.

[@aylbdrmadison1051]

I still think analog is a far superior sound quality at their most basic levels. I use digital gear like anyone because of the convenience too, but as soon as any signal enters the digital realm, it's immediately transposed to all 1's and 0's. In the 80's this difference was more than clearly audible to me, it was annoying as hell. Since then though the sound has become mostly just audible to me, not annoying at all really, because the steps between those 1's and 0's has been shortened, and so smoothed out. Still, like how photographs are pixelated, digital sound is also "pixelated" and you will never get a realistic sound wave because it's not a wave or a curve, it's essentially a stairway. I still very much prefer recordings done on reel to reel tape because of this (especially for acoustic instruments), and the sound of records as compared to CD's. Even the newly mastered albums have mostly been run through the digital realm, and therefore are no longer analog only. Still I use digital gear for recording myself. I've found most people don't really notice the difference anyway, even side by side. Plus for the convenience and far far less loss due to degradation, you can't beat digital. But my guitar rig is all analog, even my effects. I also prefer to run through analog tube mic preamps and compressors in the studio. For my ears, getting more of the old warm analog sound helps counter the intrinsically harsher sound of digital devices. I've also noticed that lots of people prefer that harsher digital sound too, witch I find interesting and say: go for it. If you like how something sounds, no one can say you're wrong.

[@shawnmcvey7789]

I'm a Bostonian of a younger generation and growing up I was basically told Rockman stuff was great but it wasn't old enough to be cool yet. This was 20 years ago. They were so right 🤣

[@MrBostechman]

@@shawnmcvey7789 a lot of equipment back then defined THE sound of that era...and there was a lot of different gear. Pedals AND racks. As years went by, the way music had been recorded and mixed changed until a new “sound” came along. Fast forward years later, and it’s just something different for the younger generations because you guys are hearing it as if it’s new - but it’s been around for a long time. And I’m glad that analog gear is making a comeback. Digital is good for some things, but analog has a certain warmth to it you can’t get with digital and it’s no wonder why some of the most famous analog pieces of gear (Boss CE-1 and the Scholz Rockman for instance) are becoming more desired. We’ve also learned how to use them in different ways creatively in the signal chain and that also opens up many new ways of using them.

[@kellyjackson7889]

tube screamer and a eq pedal = no more sounding like Bwahston

[@douglasholdenjr.45]

Analog is still the best way to go....after all these years.👍♥️😎😁👊

[@davidbrucemusicvideo]

This is the best video I’ve seen on these units! Bravo! I bought one new when it came out and plugged my 1978 Les Paul custom into my cheap solid-state Peavey Bandit amp, and it sounded amazing! I always would play along with the album through the headphones with a friend listening on his headphones. It sounded like I was on the damn albums!

[@johnnyoneniner4820]

Rockman + Bandit (largely considered underrated) will run you about $500-$600 today!

[@davidbrucemusicvideo]

@@johnnyoneniner4820 right?! 🙌🏻

[@richiebricker]

78 les paul was heavy, I had a 76 rootbeer brown custom that had a shipping weight of 25 lbs

[@davidbrucemusicvideo]

@@richiebricker wow!!! 78#?!

[@johnhoerl7326]

Still have my Peavey Bandit 75 from 1987, I believe. Built like a tank and it can clear a room in a hurry!

[@SuperdangerStudios]

literally love every tone out of this thing. Tom Scholz was so far ahead of his time. Cheers!

[@NegdoshaManido]

Got my first Rockman, a IIb, last week. Absolutely loving it! Back when these came out, they were just too expensive for me, a newly-wed landscape maintenance guy. Now, 40 years later, I finally have one! : )

[@bwm5150]

Great stuff, so cool to see info like this reach the masses so thanks for covering it. Regarding Def Leppard and the Rockbox, it was apparently the clean sound of the main riff on the Hysteria track, according to interviews with Rick Savage and Nigel Green.

[@Majerly_Annoyed]

It's a bit crazy to go back and listen to Hysteria after listening to this Rockman demo. It couldn't be more clear that they were using the Rockman and it sounds amazing!!!

[@BaronMcCausland]

I bought the Bass Rockman back in 83 (perhaps), it was $95 and the Adaptor was $35 IIRC (which was pretty good money at that time). I don't know Shutz or someone else manufactured this thing called, the RackMan; which was a single-space, metal rack frame which you inserted your Rockman into - brilliant - for your steel rack. Once the Rockman hit the stores, and caught on, we started getting people trading the Power Soaks in - which we sold for the used price of $25. I audtioned for a band once, and those guys were so stunned when I showed up with only my Steinberger headless bass and a Bass Rockman (talk about minimalist!), and they said: "but, but, but, how are we going to hear you?!?!? I laughed and said: just D.I. me into the monitors... and they were blown away by the tone of this little black plastic box pumping out of the floor monitors LOL!!! I miss the 80s! AND YES, you could as you say "daisy chain" together Rockman units. I used to write this way with a guitartist (me with my Bass Rockman), both of us "chained together", and plugged in to a Fostex (2+2) cassette recorder. So simply, so effiecient, so good for writing!

[@nulldude782]

In the late 80’s my entire home studio consisted of a Ross cassette 4-track, a Korg DM-110 drum machine and a Rockman

[@mordokch]

Crazy man - I had a tascam 244, a 110 and a rockman (and a few pedals) - made a hell of a lot of music with that setup. Now I have a room full of top end gear and I hardly ever bother to use it. Wish I'd had it all then when I was younger and had the energy, but I'd still want a rockman :)

[@MarkWadsworthYPP]

yup, that's all we needed.

[@HeRacesTheSun]

I still have my Rockman X-100, rack mount Sustainor & Chorus Delay, and Bass Rockman, the only guitar amps I use in my recording studio. During Boston's 1987 Third Stage Tour, I found out where the band was staying, we decided to go there for Brunch on Sunday. I felt so silly, but I took the face plate off my Sustainor and brought it with me. In the restaurant lobby I met and talked with Boston drummer Jim Masdea, and showed Jim the Rockman face plate, he laughed and said... "Oh wow, Tom would love that, that's his fun!" Then we walked out back where all the condo's were, we didn't go far, we didn't see anybody out there. We were just about to turn & leave, and in the distance I see a tall thin man with long dark hair walking with a little boy. I teased my girlfriend saying that's Tom Scholz, she hit me, stop teasing me that can't be him. We got a little closer, me still talking her into that it is Tom, her hitting me more but starting to believe me that it was Tom even though I knew it wasn't. Then as they were slowly walking toward us, nobody else around, my God it actually was Tom Scholz. Longer story shorter we talked a bit,i I thanked him for his music saying we were big fans, he was polite but reserved saying thank you. As I turned to leave, I almost forgot, and said... "Oh, and Tom, I'm not just a fan, I'm a customer also. He looked confused like what? Then I pulled out my Rockman face plate, and he got this huge smile and started laughing. We talked for a while, and I got my picture with him, still with his huge smile on from the crazy Boston fan who decided to bring his Rockman face plate with him, in the rare chance he might meet him, and meet him I did. I still have that awesome picture of me & Tom in my recording studio. Rockman still lives! All 3 of mine still work & sound like new.

[@isaacjohnson.]

Oh man memory lane! I had one of these when I was first learning to play in the '80's. Bought it used from a friend, and all of a sudden I had my first taste with effects and distortion! It was my first amp. It was amazing, then it died, and I attempted my first mod and jumped one of the wires to get it working again. No idea what happened to it now, but I remember it fondly. Lots of practice time with it. Cool find RJ

[@Incountry]

An amazing guitarists as well as an engineer... he had the best wide spatial sound effect in the 70s

[@fearmonkey]

my 80's HS era hard rock/metal band's guitarist had one, ran it it through our cheap sound system, sounded great for the time. A piece of advice though, if you going to use it, make sure that before you're on stage, and your keyboard player just did an epic opener, and you impressively jump on stage to do an equally epic windmilling Pete Townsend style power chord, that the power switch is turned to on.........

[@Marcus_C51]

Ahh yeah, the old silent windmill technique--woah, THAT must've been embarrassing!

[@MrBobbyNTO]

I hate when that happens!!

[@probusexcogitatoris736]

I'm so baffled. This gadget from 82 sounds way better than the Multieffect units I used in the late 90s. Amazing!

[@robclifford6756]

Loved your video on Tom Shultes Rockman. I started playing in 1977 with my 1974 Gibson ES 175D through my parents stereo unit . It used to feed back like nothing you have ever heard! Once I learned to tame it down a bit I was hooked for life. From there I went on to purchase my first amp in 1979 a Brown Pignose 30/60. My mom bought me my first pedal that Christmas a Jimi Hendrix Fuzzface. By the early80s I read in a guitar magazine about Tomorrow Shults and this breakthrough piece of gear he was working on called the Rockman. I saved money from my par route for many months and purchased my own rockman in 1982 one of the first ! It was a blast being able to play anywhere and sounded awesome. The only problem was the volume did not go up very loud. I solved that by making my own patch cord from an old headphone jack into two rca type jacks that fed into the stereo unit! I was in heaven. Your review gave me goosebumps. It took me back to the 80s! I didn’t know Def Lepard used it on Hysteria! I knew Joe Satch used it on Surfing with the alean but yes you nailed those DL riffs to a T. Thanks again!

[@Beacherchant]

Always wanted to see a complete demo and kinda wanted to buy one awhile ago, because of all of those Boston songs and Def Leppard songs like "Photograph", are so 80's and so rockin good and such distinctive sounds. Thank you for a great job putting the Rockman amp through the paces on this demo. Great!

[@garyjones783]

Tom Schultz is a genius and was the driving force behind the group Boston. Love it !!!

[@jonathansmith2710]

Tom Scholz was Boston. He played everything on the albums except for the vocals by the great Brad Delph. After the success of the first album, Tom had to quickly hire touring musicians to create the impression that Boston was an established group.

[@Lance37a]

@@jonathansmith2710 not entirely true, Barry Goudreau played most of the solos on the first album, I believe he played all of the solos on the song Longtime.

[@jonathansmith2710]

@@Lance37a Thanks, I will look that up. Pretty sure that Tom Scholz also hired drummers for the studio recordings.

[@Metalcop5150]

@@Lance37a Yeah this simply isn't true. Scholz had all of the songs completed in their entirety (demo stage) before he had even brought in any other musicians, save for Jim Masdea on drums and then the added vocals by Delp. Goudreau would double some of the solos on the recordings, but they were all created and played by Tom Scholz. He still plays all of his solos, to this day.

[@minkorrh]

@@Metalcop5150 Watched a video last week about him, and yes, Tome Scholz IS/WAS Boston. he did everything himself in the studio.

[@kerryleclair9624]

I still have the Rockman soloist I bought new in the eighties (Yes I'm old) Still plug it into the interface and reminisce now and again. It's "That" sound!

[@nocastus]

I still have my X100, I must dig it out sometime. I was a studio engineer in the 80s, this was an indispensable bit of kit. We’d sometimes use it alone, but usually we’d use a DI box to split the output from the guitar, feed one split into the Rockman then direct into the desk and take the other through tie lines to a mic’d up amp in the studio - often a Marshall combo or a Mesa Boogie. We’d mic the amp with a close SM57 and a pair of spaced condensers at about 10’. Then we’d get a sound by balancing between the two: the Rockman for clarity and focus and the real amp for scale and energy. It worked great, although the Rockman was always a noisy beast, especially on single coil pickups - the heavy compression was very unforgiving of rfi.

[@mvyper]

Out of curiosity, was DI recording and reamping a thing, back in the 80s?

[@nocastus]

@@mvyper To an extent. We wouldn’t often record a clean guitar with the sole intention of sending it back out to a guitar amp later, although we would very commonly send a recorded guitar out to an amp at mixdown if we felt the sound needed a bit more grit. Much more usual was doing guitar overdubs with the guitarist in the control room, which involved sending the guitar signal out to an amp via tielines. Of course a guitar pickup can’t drive a long line like that very well, so we’d either use a pair of passive DIs to convert high to low impedance and back again, or just DI into a channel strip and rack compressor and use that as a buffer amp to drive the line to the guitar amp, sometimes with a pad inline at the amp end so the input wasn’t totally saturated. The two DI boxes trick was the reason you would keep a few F-F XLR adaptors handy. Oh, and recording and re-amping bass was very much a thing. If you only have 24 (effectively 22) tracks, you don’t waste one recording DI and amp separately.

[@jamesparker1063]

what's "rfi"?

[@nocastus]

@@jamesparker1063 Radio frequency interference. It can be buzzes and hums from the mains electric installation and the dimmers on the lighting but in central London, where the studio I worked in was located, it was also very often the radio from the local cab firm. “Car 47, car 47, you have a pickup at Euston station” ruined more than a few Fender Strat/ Rockman guitar takes!

[@binomesprite7829]

I bought one of these at the Guitar Center on Sunset in the early 90s, while I was working on the video for Def Leppard's, Let's Get Rocked, funnily enough. Still got it some where. Will have to give it another go now I have a new respect for it.

[@markhammer643]

The Rockman employs an MN3007 and MN3011 chip to produce the chorus and stereo delay, respectively. The MN3011 was an unfortunately shortlived chip, initially developed by Panasonic/Matsushita to provide solid-state reverb emulation using 6 different non-harmonically-related "taps" to mimic early and late reflections. It could provide "stereo" by feeding the different taps to separate output channels. It didn't find its way into all that many commercial products, with only a few known standouts, like the DOD FX-45 Analog Reverb, the legendary A/DA STD-1 Stereo Tapped Delay (that Allan Holdsworth used), and several Gallien-Kruger amps. My sense is that designers didn't know how to tame it and make it sound more natural. Plus, before they learned how to do that, digital reverb got much better, much cheaper, and small enough to easily displace the MN3011 from the landscape.

[@rude_tech]

As a guy who owns a guitar pedal company that uses an MN3007 a lot, those are some BEEFY chips. They have as much headroom as you want to feed them. With just AA batts for power, I'm guessing an MN3207 would still sound exactly the same. MN3011 I've never found an exact replacement for. It sounds amazing to be sure, but I never thought it was the greatest. tl;dr - yeaaaah, these rockmans definitely have the goods!

[@rude_tech]

@Anthony Farrish 😘

[@markhammer643]

@@rude_tech Some folks make a big deal of the differences in headroom between the 30xx and 32xx series. There IS a bit of a difference, but I don't think enough to warrant the perceived differences. Panasonic also briefly made the MN3214, as part of the lower-voltage 32xx series. It had 1024 stages, like the 3007 and 3207 (and unlike the 3328 stages of the 3011), but with 5 taps instead of 6. There were precious few commercial music products incorporating it, and I've never actually seen any listed for sale anywhere (though I assume some guy in the Akihibara has a few). There are plug-ins to emulate the STD-1, but I can't find any KZbins showing off the real physical deal. Jeorge "Mr. Huge" Tripps sent me an MN3011 some years back, and I keep meaning to build a sort of "reduced" STD-1 in a stompbox with it. But yes, remarkable how well the Rockman nails those '80s sounds. Or maybe NOT remarkable if that was how they were originally produced!

[@rude_tech]

@@markhammer643 For sure. 9v (3207) vs 15v (3007) isn't a big deal when you are dealing with guitar outputs of... what, 250-500mV with humbuckers? I'm about to go down a youtube rabbit hole on these STD-1s. There goes monday 😅

[@larslevinberget9558]

Wow, thanks for the info! I always thought the GK had similar reverb as the Rockman echo. When I asked in stores about analog reverb they said that didn't exist.

[@flybybaby8008]

Absolutely one of the best ever reviews! This was the sound of my era from which morphed into other genres, most notably Pearl Jam, and my all time favorite, Alice n Chains. Definitely good times except for the drugs that were to kill off so many of my heroes. Like life, music needs to continually evolve, as we have all experienced what happens when life itself becomes stagnant, and it's not pretty. The future is just that; an amologaton of the past viewed in unique ways. Us dinosaurs aren't going down without a fight, which indeed is the imputess for the future. Live, Create, and take note of the lessons the past have to give you!

[@boctok55]

That was the bomb-diggity! It’s unbelievable how great those sound. Kind of a challenge to the effects makers of today to make something that great sounding. Tom was a genius.

[@guitarman4899]

I was playing the Grand Ole Opry in the 80s. My dear friend Jimmy Capps was staff guitarist and most of his life he did about 500 sessions a year. Someone loaned me a Rockman for about a week. I took it to the Opry. Jimmy played through it . His comment was tha it was $50,000 of recording equipment in a small box. We loved it and at the time and attempted to get that sound through an amp. We were unsuccessful. What current Rockman would be the closest to the original? What a great vid. A great modern review of a classic. Thank you so much!

[@OfficialAaronToney]

It's amazing. I found one and once I figured out how to use it, my mind was blown at how clean and distinct it really is. Such an amazing piece of vintage equipment. Thanks for showing us this RJ. 🙂

[@effdpaul1815]

This was one of the greatest guitar-sound breakthroughs in history. It was introduced on Boston's 1st album, of course. I always wondered what Tom did to get that sound ... it sounded a lot like a guitar going through a backed-off wah, blended with a dry signals ... then processed downstream with the obvious effects ... reverb, chorus, and phlanging. Too many guitarists got hooked on the sound ... so, to me, they all sounded alike. It was overused, for sure. I resisted the trend and didn't buy the Rockman in any version. I just wanted to sound like me. Thanks for a great video ... secretly, I'd still like to buy one of the Rockmans ... may still do that.

[@jareddonze4001]

This is incorrect. The first 2 Boston albums use Marshall amps. The Rockman gear first shows up on 1986’s Third Stage.

[@darenwobensmith4868]

I still use my ds1 and boss chorus and e.q.

[@jamesparker1063]

@@jareddonze4001 not quite.....the "Rockman" was TS's distillation of the gear he had already designed (i.e. the "Power Soak"/'doubler").....

[@chrisvalleqatsi]

I had one - fully underrated, especially for its time. They have defintiely gotten more expensive! I had the adapter and everything. As a side effect, I learned all those Boston riffs. That power-on POP really takes me back. It's been a long time - GET IT?!

[@matthewmcswegan7403]

Wanted to own one… at the time I couldn’t afford it. Now on reverb they’re 400.00 or better . Your first few notes of hysteria brought me right back to the 80’s !!

[@davijoski]

Great review! I had a Bass Rockman. My Dad worked with someone who was tight with Tom, found out about it being released through him, and got me one. I loved it and ended up practicing so much more; I was in a college dorm at the time and stopped having to worry about bugging everyone. Those headphones were fantastic. What a sound. The compressor was massive. I used it for years, playing out. I'd go direct in with it clipped to the carrying handle of my Peavy Centurion, then through a Peavy 2x15 refrigerator cab, and a 1x15, in case I wasn't loud enough. Lol. Gotta love the 80's. I actually played through it at gigs until 2003, when I got a Bass Pod.

[@ckmoore101]

Great video! Crazy how you just flipped it on, and PERFECT Hysteria tone. I wasn't expecting that. but..... my soul was slowly dying the longer you went without ripping into More than a Feelings power chords.... I know it was a Def Leppard tone video... but throw us a bone!!! :)

[@69fabricio]

Incredible sound from such a small device, definitely the Def Leppard Hysteria album sound! great video

[@CaptPostmod]

I've long wished a pedal maker would make clones of the Rockman X100 effects. Having just the Chorus/Echo would be an awesome pedal. But I'd also be open to a multistomp with everything from the X100 unit. Def Leppard Hysteria at your feet.

[@hammer9856]

IK Multimedia has it modeled now in their software in the Joe Satriani's amp pack.

[@thierrythierry1013]

If you want to hear a pedal that I consider being a near clone of a X100 you should definitly put an ear on Strymon's DECO if you already didn't . Based on analog tape lag to create effects, you can't get a setting combining chorus and echo together, but still it's a killer pedal and it blows everything out when it comes to stereo with its wide stereo mode.

[@CaptPostmod]

@@thierrythierry1013 Thanks for the recommendation. There are a TON of pedals that will get 80s type sounds. But there aren't any pedals that are actual clones of the X100 Chorus/Echo circuit that I'm aware of. I'd love to see the circuit cloned in a modern, accessible format.

[@johnvcougar]

I checked a few times last year, and you could pick up the half rack mount units of the Chorus and Echo for about 1K each (!) on Reverb. But recently I've seen refurb units around 200-300 bucks.

[@scottrocknroll3183]

@@johnvcougar WOW ARE U SERIOUS ABOUT THAT PRICE?... CUZ I STILL HAVE 1/2 RACK MOUNT UNITS

[@veritonepedals]

For ages, the cornerstone of my guitar tone was a Tom Scholz power attenuator (before he even came up with the Rockman brand). I used it to get actual power tube overdrive out of my 4x10 '59 Bassman without blowing out my eardrums. Dude's a genius.

[@hansfreekit]

Boston was my big album. It’s a great sound for recording because it leaves so much space. And Hysteria is not over produced. They found a sound that suited rock and this pedal was at the heart of it. Tom Scholz, what a dude.

[@derekstocker6661]

Love this, thanks so much for these demos, the little bit of what sounds like "Friendships" at 11:59 is amazing! So well done to explain the workings of these fabulous pieces of kit!

[@ericchristianson4955]

Dude, I had an original Rockman back in the day...why isn't anyone making these things today? I have no idea what happenned to my Rockman. Too Bad what a great thing!

[@DrDizzleFrizzle]

They still make them, but I hear that they're nothing compared to the original

[@philspill6854]

There's used rack Rockmans on Reverb (I had one in the 90s) for $400 and up. Tempted to but one

[@supernothing77]

There are several quality headphones amps that sound amazing for 20 to 40 dollars. Effects and everything... They probably would be all the rage in the 80s and early 90s

[@jefffogertymusic2023]

The Rockman is still made by Dunlop. It's not at all the same sounds. But cool for just hearing thru headphones... and the Dunlop are less than 100 bucks.

[@pastorofmuppets1968]

I had one of these back in the 80's when I was stationed at Ft. Sill in Oklahoma. It allowed me to rock out in the barracks! It was awesome!

[@dudejrryan]

Same here,at Ft. Hood.It & headphones opened up a world of Freedom in a place with absolutely no privacy

[@StuartKReilly]

I found out quick that once you've played the Rockman amps, then you start noticing the sound in songs because its so distinct. Whitney Houston's So Emotional the solo was clearly a Rockman and Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins was definitely 100% Rockman. If you listen to the two AOR genre albums that Fastway put out, On Target and Bad Bad Girls, the whole album is very Rockman. Even Joe Satriani was caught using their rack gear from time to time

[@kellyjackson7889]

Megadeth gargled with Rockman gear in the 80's

[@michaelgarcia2050]

Don Henley from that era as well.

[@NaturalMystic69]

Gotta love that rich warm Boston sound! Thanks for the breakdown! I'm tempted to pickup a guitar again after 30+years, along with one of these!

[@williambutler6414]

Thanks for this review! Ive owned the X100 since 1985. It lived in my guitar case with a pair of Sony Walkman headphones so I could practice anywhere. In ‘87, (i was 19) I bought an early ‘70’s 50 watt Marshall head and 4x12 cab. I was frustrated with any of the “master volume” mods that I’d experienced, and plugging the X100 into the Marshall gave me the crazy cranked sustain and distortion I wanted at volumes that kept me from getting kicked out of the clubs I was playing in. It really is a wonderful box with a personality all its own. It still sits on top of my desk (with tons of other stuff). I use it sometimes with a Radial XTC to bring parallel distortion into my mixes. Drums, bass, guitar, synths- all a lot of fun. Similar to how I use my original Sans Amp, but with that unmistakable ‘80’s character. It has a special place in my heart, all these years later! Thanks again.

[@gumpifalcon]

During my college years I use to own the entire collection of Rockman modules and MIDI module and pedal. They sounded ten times better than anything else at the time. Thanks for the video. It brought me plenty of fond memories.

[@wiltner]

I used one of these live for a few months back in the late 80's. I had specially made stereo leads to give the sound engineer two direct Di's to the PA from the headphone out. I then ran a mono i/4 jack to my amp for onstage. It sounded good but too processed and compressed for me. These units are a quick solution (impossible to get a bad sound out of it) but it is ''A'' sound. Very limited. And you needed a big 100 watts + amp onstage to really hear it. I once saw a guy use one live through a 2000 watt Crown PA amp through two PA speakers at ear level to hear himself. The 2 lead settings ,one for single coils and one for humbuckers did sound cool. Smooth as silk and sustain for days but 'small'. I stopped using it live and went back to pedals and a good amp. I had my big fat sound back. I used it at home to practice for years after that which for me was it's intended use. There were very few home studios back in the 80's. I knew a guy who bought the half rack live modules which cost a fortune but were as noisy as hell. A good amp, in my case Matchless, Badcat and Orange, boutique pedals, and good quality leads I haven't needed a noise gate in 10 years.

[@flyonwall360]

Back in the 80s I was in the Army, stationed in Korea. We had a band and got the privilege to open for a USO band. It was an outdoor event and I didn't realize that using my Rockman would be a bad idea. We went to do a sound check and the Rockman was picking up a Korean radio station. Fortunately, I had an MXR Distortion + and a Phase 90 as a backup. Good times.

[@minkorrh]

Well, to be honest, these days a home studio consists of a computer, midi keyboard, DI box and a pair of monitors.

[@danxthexman82]

Wow, yes the Rockman sounds like instant 80's arena rock ! Crazy cool! I had no idea anything like this had come out so long ago!

[@williamelrod4199]

Took me back to my First Studio, wrote and recorded many songs with that plastic box, Many fun times to say the least, Thank you for the blast from the past I am most grateful

[@ajhoyt2552]

Back in the day, the "official" bass headphone system was call a "Bassman". Great video capturing what some of us "learned" on. Then, I got to play a fine electric guitar with a proper amp and pedal set - I decided to leave the effects spectrum to the great players and withdrew to the basics (bassics)! Just too many toys to keep up with. But the Bassman helped me practice bass with accompaniment without disturbing anyone in the room to become a "fully mediocre" bass player, feeling like I could boldly and competently sit in with any group that would have me. Thank you, Tom Scholz!

[@richerworldproductions]

I had one of these long ago, and used it for recording. I have never been able to find a sound comparable. I loved it. If you can find one on Ebay or whatever, get it.

[@tinamichelsnelson1563]

OH WOW!! I OWN one of these. IT STILL works. I got it when it first came out. It was a really big deal at the time There was a rack mountable Rockman too. Although you could use the plastic box live through an amp, it couldn't duplicate the arena affect that you heard through the headphones.

[@JohnFromArlingtron]

Funny. My band's lead guitarist used a Soloist straight into the board for the lead parts on a song we recorded in the 80's. Sounded fantastic. So compressed and tight.

[@curtcogley3389]

I own the Soloist version, bought it new when it came out, I still use it to impress my guitar player friends. They are blown away by the sound!!!! Excellent video, you are now a believer!

[@dcuss7294]

In 1984, I went on the road playing bass with a large R&B top 40 show band, but before I took off, I made some purchases at a music store and stumbled across a Rockman. Love the way it sounded. Being that I also played guitar and brought a modified Fender Strat on the road with me, I decided to purchase one to help keep my guitar chops up. Also brought along a 100-watt Marshall Super lead top, to go along with my Acoustics/Sunn bass rig, and also to have a backup amp for the guitar player in the group if he needed one. Besides R&B, we we're covering all the top 40 material, and started including Van Halen in our repertoar. So when it came time for us to do those songs, being that I was a little more fleet fingered with both hands then the guitarist in the group, I played guitar for those songs, and I would run the guitar into the Rockman using it as a preamp into the Marshall Super lead, using RCA cables and quarter inch plugs. Also started running it through one of those old Maestro tape Echoplex. Other than that noise you'll get from that high-gain signal, I was getting that big 'Arena Rock' sound that ending up turning the Van Halen material into our main show stopping songs. The audiences were blown away seeing a top 40 R&B group in bow ties and cumberbuns cover their material like that. And in the lot of the town's we toured in, we'd be finished by midnight, go to the clubs and check out the other bands which would be playing till 2 or 3. Even the more big haired metal oriented bands were not covering the Van Halen as well as us, and a lot of it had to do with me running that Rockman as a pre-amp into that Marshall top.

[@offbeatbassgear]

The real secret to the Rockman X-100 was the belt clip, along with the fact that it could fit into the inside pocket of an acid-washed Levi's Jean Jacket, preferably one covered with a back patch portraying a cover image from "Appetite for Destruction..."

[@dudejrryan]

Master of puppets backpatch too🤘

[@fullclipaudio]

Slayer Hell Awaits backpatch! Napalm Death and Kreator patches on the front.

[@johnvassos82]

Can't forget the Maiden backpatch!

[@leeherring470]

Amen I remember scroungin the $ for one of those. The headphones were destroyed a few days into playin

[@tokingreens]

Still have mine - gigged with it into my amp through the early 90's...my bass player would always ask me to turn off the chorus but I loved it too much...sorry Steve

[@MichaelJ023]

Using the headphone output is more hissy than if you use the Low Level Out for recording. I used mine for recording in the early 90s, and found it worked better that way. Also in the 90’s that hysteria sound was getting quite tired so I just used Edge with no chorus. Also try dropping your guitar volume even more on the Edge circuit. It sounds quite good with just a hint of breakup.

[@MetalMarcJK]

RJ, this is ABSOLUTELY the "Hysteria" sound! The first time I used one of these was after "Hysteria" was released. I tried it out with a Charvel and was shocked at what I heard: I sounded like Phil Collen on the new album! It's a great piece of gear. I think I bought mine in 89 w/the power adapter for just over $200. I was a bass player (still am), but I dabbled in guitar, and this was great for me: I could get a killer rock setting with only this. In 91-92, when I was doing bass-for-hire gigs, I would occasionally play with a band where the guitarists used these along with a few pedals and plugged into keyboard amps. Sounded great.

[@davidweaver4702]

When you first plugged that in and played your first licks, every hair on the back of my neck stood on end 😲 I was instantly back in the 80's (My best and favourite decade - I am 68 now). Thanks for sharing this, as I'd never heard of that headphone amp. It was totally awesome 👌 🎸🎶

[@louisdesisto2219]

Still have one and still love it! Be careful with the input jack as well, they're notoriously weak, had to resolder mine.

[@Me37368]

Can confirm

[@patricklennox9572]

I love the Boston sound, but the Hysteria album is exactly where I jumped ship with Def Leppard. The sound of the whole album was way too studio processed. But to be fair, Rick Allen had to switch to digital drum set and sound, so their sound automatically underwent a fundamental change. They essentially became a pop-rock band for the girls at the point. The Pyromania album was their pinnacle as a solid rock band, but the rawness of the first two albums was great.

[@dudejrryan]

Totally agree. Hysteria always bummed me out. Pyromania is a masterpiece of in your face Rock. It is one of the few albums that you don't find yourself switching tracks on, just press play & enjoy every song

[@JosephWheeler14]

@@dudejrryan Too Late for Love, Foolin, Rock of Ages, Action not Words?

[@patricklennox9572]

@@dudejrryan From my perspective, Def Leppard's new-found popularity with Pyromania is what actually brought guitar back to the forefront. This was just before VH's 1984, before Motely Crue's Shout at the Devil. As much as Ozzy and Randy did their part, British New Wave and keyboards and other rock alternatives stuff was still ruling the day. In my neck of the woods, Pyromania inspired so many of my friends to pick up guitar. Pyromania gave real rock a new respect and prominence, which opened the flood gates for so many new bands, while putting the spotlight on already existing great guitar bands, like Van Halen. Essentially Dep Leppard reminded the world that rock still exists and is still relevant.

[@Me37368]

@@dudejrryan I’m assuming you haven’t listened to the whole album then

[@offbeatbassgear]

I remember that the X-100 ran about $180 and the Soloist ran about $130; both came with headphones. It had a plug in AC powerpack too, but it really never fit in securely so keeping it held in place often involved using a velcro strap or band to keep it engaged. Recording from a Rockman often used this weird two 1/8 jack adaptor that plugged into both of the headphone jacks running into a signal return cord into a board. Sometimes there would be two of these linked together and it worked remarkably well, considering that it was never intended for heavy use in studio settings. The soloist was decent as well, the bass was so-so...

[@mttclifford]

I have to disagree with your assessment of its effectiveness in the studio. Tom Scholz developed the Rockman initially for recording the long awaited Boston Third Stage album (absolutely FANTASTIC album btw), the liner notes are very detailed as to how critical the Rockman was to the recording process.

[@offbeatbassgear]

@@mttclifford I'm not commenting on how it sounded, only that it was (and still is) fairly unwieldy to integrate into a traditional recording setting. That's illustrated in RJ's need to purchase a separate, specialized cable and the like. Tom Scholz' studio was/is "built to order" and that meant that it wasn't an issue for him. The studio and outboard gear at the time included patching bays, XLRs and the like, (as did Scholz' rackmount units) that the Rockman lacked.

[@larslarsman]

All my years of utube viewing, and this gadget was used for studio recording, but I never heard of it until your vid. Great history lesson. Now I don't have to buy that 2000 combo amp that I can't afford, and wasn't going to buy anyway.

[@ATK10155]

Chills went down my spine when you played the Hysteria riff. I need to have one.

[@andrewawakened628]

13:57 "It's noisy, its hissy" Yep. I had one of the half rack ones back in the day, and it had a pretty loud staticky hiss.I had no idea it had been used on Hysteria - they must have had some pretty great noise reduction skills/tech to make it work, but I'm sure Mutt Lange was more than up to the task.

[@markanthony1606]

I used to run mine behind a pretty tight noise gate directly to the board live. You either got sound or no sound! It was 80s metal, hair-band type music. On and loud or off an silent.

[@eddievhfan1984]

One of the Rockman half-rack units was the Smart Gate (that Dunlop would later sell as MXR). It tackled the problem by using a 1-pole low-pass filter instead of a simple volume-based gate; the idea was, as a guitar note decays, its high frequencies drop off faster than the fundamental, and you could have a detector circuit keyed to those frequencies, so that the filter would gradually close as high-end died off, taking out the more noticeable high-frequency noise.

[@Hamer4114]

The clean makes the tone sound so thin, and I think that’s what makes this tone stand out. It almost sounds like an electric & acoustic guitar tone combined. Especially with that heavy compression that that almost seems like it replicates the buzz of acoustic strings, and the reverb/chorus that sounds like the resonance of an acoustic. I think that’s probably why they started using these things, so they wouldn’t have to stop using their 80’s shred guitars. Bet if you plugged a 12 string into it, you could get the perfect Bon Jovi, “Wanted Dead or Alive” tone. No doubt they were using one of these.

[@qua7771]

I was thinking the same thing with regards to tone. It would sound thin playing along side a tube amp. Remember college students getting these for practice back in the day. It was a new concept.

[@strangequark420]

That sounds phenomenal, and you've done a great job presenting it. I wonder how the Dunlop versions today sound? I want one!

[@srhatfield]

I had one of these back in the 80s and 2 Peavey amps... I went out to both amps, and separated them in the room and the stereo separation was amazing! What a rockin little amp!

[@ChristopherClause]

Thanks R.J.! NEVER owned one but saw them in the wild. Clean 2 is SO clean you could eat off of it AND see your reflection in it. All these years I have been curious to hear how this sounds - thank you for a great demo (as always)!

[@mttclifford]

I suspect that if you used passive pickups, the edge setting would have cleaned up even more than it did. It would probably take on that warmth that rolling back a guitar volume pot does, minus a treble bleed circuit, of course.

[@craiger2399]

Maybe adjusting the input on the back would have helped too.

[@johnvcougar]

Tom Scholtz recommends a Dimarzio SuperDistortion for driving Rockman modules. I've found PAFs are ok, single coils very thin and higher output pups certainly do respond nicely with the X100.

[@simonmaton]

That is pretty cool, back in the day I used to use a Zoom 9002 that had very similar tones! I used to run that on the guitar strap with a wireless and a wireless headset mic (long before Michael Jackson!) :-)

[@tomdavidson9565]

I still have a zoom 9002 in a box somewhere. I dont know if it even works anymore. It was great for quiet jamming when I was out at sea in the Navy

[@freddyfudd253]

Back in '92 I was looking at the Rockman and the sales guy showed me the Zoom. I bought it and used it for years. My oldest son borrowed it and it grew roots at his place. Same with my SG... lol.

[@surfdigby]

Why has nobody put this circuit into a pedal, with a footswitch to change between the "channels"? I would buy one in a heartbeat.

[@Crunchifyable2]

I think the creator patented the circuit. Plus probably lack of interest. I'm sure any multi fx can get close.

[@Mark70609]

The effects are very tasteful, some of the modern multi pedals can produce some awful sounds.

[@whiskerbiscuit6674]

Because your amp and cab would change it a lot and it wouldn't sound like this.

[@surfdigby]

@@whiskerbiscuit6674 My cab is FRFRF, so no it wouldn't. An alternative would be to DI it into the desk instead of having a traditional amp setup.

[@barryholloway4715]

No doubt surfdigby. I’m down for one right now right now 👍🏻🇺🇸😎

[@ELEVATETHESKY]

beautiful sound at 7:21-7:25

[@RuggieroCampopiano]

Still have mine. It was sold to me by the Rockman reps in the 80s. I just happened to be in the guitar store trying out some amps when these guys showed up with this little box. I must've stayed there 2 hours...we even plugged it into a PA system, to try it out live, through monitors etc... It absolutely blew me away. Bought it on the spot!! I must've been the first buyer in Montreal!

[@robhosea6734]

I had one of the original units in the early 80's. I was playing in a cover band at the time and that was my rig, guitar into the Rockman and into the amp (it was a Marshall "master lead combo 2x12" solid state... It was what I could afford). I actually got lots of compliments from other guitar players on the tone. The experienced guys would always roll their eyes when they saw what I was doing.. lol. You can use the low powered output on the left for a mono line out to your amp. It is a stereo out but I used to use a mono 1/4" cable plugged in all the way and then pulled out one notch, the other end into the front end of the Marshall. It always worked flawlessly. I think I paid $199 for it. Spent a fortune in batterys though. Haha. Kinda wish I still had it....

[@bigdaddycool4242]

Lol,did the exact same thing. Sounded great!

[@wabisabi6802]

7:30 instant 80's tone. No patch tweaking needed! 👌

[@sneifert1968]

Tom Shultz is a technical wizard. Such an innovator.

[@alext7860]

Tom Scholz said getting two registration cards for the Rockman filled out by Jeff Beck was one of the greatest thrills and achievements of his life. I still love the power soak, though bit bulky by 2020 stds, but genius is 1976. The excessive layering on Hysteria (not a dis, one of my favs) have lead many to joke that every guitar string had it's own track. Love the Lukather EMGs, you just got yourself a subscriber, we're definitely in sync here.

[@PhoenixSun-b1c]

The first time I knew this equipment is using AmpliTube Boston effect and I fall in love with it. It feels like no matter the clean, overdrive, and distortion, it’s right there sound I need. I played played and played the sound, it gets me back to the beatiful 80s rock n roll age.