Scholtz Rockman ( original ) ---any good ?

[handyman11]

Have a chance to get an old original Scholtz Rockman .....wondering if it's just a heaphone / recording device .., or can I play live with it in front of a clean amp ....anyone ever use one ...is it worth $90-$100 ? ..thanks in advance ...

[meterman]

Eh. I've got one, used to use it as a headphone amp back in college. Basically two sounds, clean and dirty, with either chorus, delay, or both I think (been awhile). Pretty cheesy construction, I had alot of problems with the jacks going bad so I would never trust it live. Plus the drive sounds are, well it sounds like Boston, very saturated and compressed, and the cleans are kinda sterile. Fun little box, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't try to use it live....

[jaywalker]

Most of Def Leppards Hysteria was recorded on one of those, with lots of post production according to Mike Shiply. The arpeggio sound from the song Hysteria is just the rockman on its own.
I used to love that sound. I'm big now though. :-)

[4styx]

Used to use one for years.Dailed back 0ne notch from full dist(edge or something like that)and fed with a TS-10 it was pretty versatile.You could get the same sound through any amp.Power supply was a little shaky though.

[trisonic]

I've still got my Mk2B from '80/81.
Still record with it occasionally. Distinctive sound.
The cable kit that came with it was extremely useful. I paid $149.00 for it in LA.

Best, Pete.

[Bobby D]

i miss my x100......great recording device. one of the best clean chorusey sounds ever. but very "top gun soundtrack" sounding......ie: 80s city!

[VegaBaby]

Most of Def Leppards Hysteria was recorded on one of those, with lots of post production according to Mike Shiply. The arpeggio sound from the song Hysteria is just the rockman on its own.
I used to love that sound. I'm big now though. :-)
I think they used modded Rockmans. Same mod Billy Gibbons had done to his. Don't ask me what the mod is though...

Love the cleans. Nothing comes close to that super sterile plastic sound :)

[FFTT]

I have the Bass Rockman and the 1/2 rack Sustainor.

Fun toys!

[Zero]

I have used one live before but I went direct to the mixer. The sound of these things is compensated for direct use, so to use an amp it would need to be full range or have a full range speaker to sound it's best. Like a keyboard amp or powered monitor. Through a guitar amp/speaker it will sound very dark.

[HipKitty]

I had one back in the day and sold it later on....regretting it all along, but was fortunate enough to get another one through the TGP. It does what it does to great effect....it does turn every guitar into the same kind of sound, be it whether you like it or not. For me, it's great to pull out every once in a while and jam through the headphones.

FWIW, I was present with Allan Holdsworth in the early 80's at the Roxy in LA just after he received his...he plugged it into the FOH console at soundcheck and used the clean sound...it was incredible, he sounded just like him with his clean amp settings/chorus. He didn't go that way for the show, but it was a testiment that the player has the greatest affect on his sound....

[Bobby D]

had an XPR rack preamp and the rockmodules back in the day, loved them.

here's a studio session that was broadcast live on an FM station, with the rockmodules rig.......engineer LOVED the sound :band


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTZKP_MTrdQ

[gatordoc]

It's fun to bring out every now and then. It does have that processed 80s sound but it's great for that distinctive Boston tone so it's all good. It is exactly what it was made to be. As mentioned above, they do sound much better going direct and using full range speakers. But that's true for all SR&D gear. Through an amp, it can be quite noisy.

[Don A]

I bought one back when they first came out. They're great if you like Boston! Though I always love Boston, I played mostly blues, even then and sold to and never regretted it. There was really nothing comparable until the POD came along.

They're really cool, though I doubt I'd pay $100 for one.

[ToneZappa]

Have a chance to get an old original Scholtz Rockman .....wondering if it's just a heaphone / recording device .., or can I play live with it in front of a clean amp ....anyone ever use one ...is it worth $90-$100 ? ..thanks in advance ...

I still have one but the input socket is broken I used it on many sessions years ago. I had the input adjustment thing on the back changed for a trimpot and it worked really well with two of my guitars.

Heres a track I did with it. All the guitars were done with the Rockman the guitar was an Ibanez JEM 777 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTbsnbyQQh0

It does have its own sound if you really like it why not get it. :dunno