Namm 2005: DigiTech announced the introduction of the Jimi Hendrix Experience Artist Series Pedal. Working closely in conjunction with Eddie Kramer, the legendary recording engineer and producer who captured Hendrix's amazing talent on the albums that redefined the role of the electric guitar forever, DigiTech was chosen by the Hendrix family to model Jimi's incredible tones and make them available to the world.
By applying its proprietary Production Modeling technology to craft this effects pedal, guitarists can now access key Hendrix sounds from seven classic songs that defined his playing. These include:
- "Purple Haze" Intro and Solo section -- modeled on the Fuzz Face pedal played into a 100-Watt Marshall Super Lead amp effected with an EMT plate reverb and Octavia (Solo)
- "Little Wing" Intro and Solo -- including the tone from the miniature rotary speaker recorded at London's Olympic Studios
- "Voodoo Child" Intro and Solo -- based on the VOX Clyde McCoy Wah pedal, brown Fender Bassman amp and an EMT plate reverb
- "All Along the Watchtower" Intro and Solo -- recreated using Hendrix's acoustic guitar plus a 100-Watt Marshall Super Lead amp
In order to capture and preserve the accuracy of each of these unique Hendrix sounds, DigiTech employed Production Modeling via the AudioDNA DSP super-chip. (In fact, the Jimi Hendrix Experience pedal requires two of the AudioDNA DSP chips). In addition, guitarists can draw on any of the modeled sounds as a starting point, with the ability to create and further develop their own tones using the Jimi Hendrix Experience pedal's controls.
Features include three dual concentric knobs, one model control and a multi-functional expression treadle for creative options, as well as separate amp and mixer outputs. In addition, the Jimi Hendrix Experience Artist Series Pedal has a rugged case metal chassis and comes with a custom artist pedal gig bag and its own power supply.
David Rohrer, DigiTech Market Manager for Guitar Products, underscores the achievement of the Jimi Hendrix Experience pedal when he states, "DigiTech is honored that the Hendrix family chose us to emblazon Jimi's prophetic musical vision into a truly remarkable performance tool through our Production Modeling technology. Based on our success with the award-winning Dan Donegan Artist Series Pedal, The Weapon, and realizing Production Modeling's vast capabilities, we knew we could accurately duplicate the tone that was on the original recordings."
To accomplish this, DigiTech went right to the source: Jimi Hendrix's original master recording tapes, made at Olympic Studios and Electric Lady Studios, and to Eddie Kramer, the sonic genius behind those recordings. "You realize what a tremendous body of work Jimi has left behind. What we are doing here is taking a little piece of Jimi and putting it in a pedal that will stun the world," remarks Kramer. "The next generation of kids who are going to pick up this pedal are going to be able to hear exactly how Jimi played by hearing first-hand how he got that sound."
For more information, visit the Digitech site.
