This unit rules! The sounds and tones are amazing!! Over the years, searching for the perfect tone, I've spent enough to buy a small country. I will never use anything, but the DSP pro ever again. I can get any tone I want. It's great for all types of music. The distortion tones are incredible. Yes, I can see why Allan Holdsworth loves this unit. The smooth saturation, sustain, clarity and attack are incredible. It's effortless to get all the sustaining, rich harmonics you would ever want. I play in a few bands. I play in a rock cover band, which plays a pretty eclectic assortment of tunes. I also play in a prog rock band and I play in a small jazz trio. I use the Theta DSP Pro for it all. It gets the perfect tone for every style. My band was blown away when I first used it at rehearsal. They were all saying how amazing my sound was and how full, but yet subtle it was in the mix. I run it into a tube rack power amp and also run one out to the PA. It's insane!! It sounds great just running it into a PA. It has the best cab simulator around. Some people here are complaining about the price? Pssh! I haven't even touched on the effects. These are insane, studio quality effects. Some people will pay as much for this whole unit just on a chorus like this one. It's so rich and sparkling clear. It has an insane phaser which I love to mix with a distortion. The flange!! The flange is the absolute best! It is very hard to get a good flange sound that blends well with distortion. Before I found this one, the Mooer Baracuda flange was the best. This is way better!! It's nuts. It's great on a tune I cover, High Landrons by Eric Johnson. It's great for doing some way out stuff as well. I can get sick Trower like tones as well. . I can go on and on about this beast of a machine. All I can say is; you owe it to yourself to try this bad boy out. I absolutely guarantee you will be blown away. Part of me doesn't want to get the word out because it's my secret weapon now, but the folks at ISP deserve a shout out for making this most incredible product. Just try it. You'll be amazed.
This video sold me. It's a combination amp like/studio quality unit. All you need is the whisper quite ISP 180W STEALTH PRO POWER AMP and some Marshall speakers. Mitch Gallagher's playing and informative demo/tutorial is superb.
The ISP Theta Pro, Helix, AMPLiFire 12, Fractal, Mooer GE300, KEMPER profiler, HEADRUSH, BOSS GT1000, TC ELECTRONICS G SYSTEM, Eventide H9 MAX, and DIGITECH GSP 1101 are all boutique grade multi EFX units. I'm sure there's more to come. Please feel free to add to the aforementioned list above. Each of them have their pros and cons. Digital amps and efx have made spectacular advances. Each guitarist is looking for that tone pinnacle...keep looking!
I tried the Helix and hated it. It was very muddy sounding and made my pickups sound like they had tape over them. But the Helix had USB and a Built-in Foot switch. Which are mandatory for me. This unit sounds amazing. Much more crisp and responsive than the Helix. And the chorus is the best I've ever heard. But at this price. No USB = No deal for me. If I could somehow put this unit's sounds into the Helix's pedal hardware. I'd have my ultimate pedal.
+Andy Stevens Hey Andy, I cant find your other question but you could easily get that wah tone and now the theta has a pitch shifter too that will sounds even better than the link you sent me...
Mmmm, no USB, no IR loading, limited FXs, limited order of FXs, small limited screen, no amp simulation and limited cab emulations and THERE IS NO option for future upgrades!! But it sounds really really good, looks extremely simple to operate and it seems well built, but the price is just wrong! having the HELIX and the AX8 on the market that completely smokes this unit. What was ISP thinking???
The Guitar Geek probably, the unit alone sounds great!!! but for who is this aimed for in that price range?? They will have to do something about the price to move this unit.
+Nicolas Rivera Nicolas, I understand there are other units out there with tons of effects and features, The difference is that the Theta pro simply sounds way better. It sounds the best through an amp and it sounds the best going direct. It also gives you the most control over your actual tone as oppose to some factory templates. If you can handle a graphic EQ then you owe it to yourself to spend some hours with this unit and you may change your mind all together. You will be able to get updates for it. Some of the effects are also untouchable. Best Chorus you'll ever hear. It's the perfect box for the road and now it has a super accurate pitch shifter too. Believe me, It's just a better sounding unit hands down...Some of the touring pros are starting to get it and starting to use it out there...
The unfortunate thing about the Theta Pro is that you CANNOT change patches via MIDI input...in 2017 what guitar effects box cannot be changed via midi ??? The ISP Theta Pro is the one, I own one, I love the sounds, wish I could link it via midi with my other gear
Omg that screen. What year is it? 1985? No doubt it sounds good but with that kind of interface, urghh just what were they thinking. With that price tag, i at least expect to have a friendlier user interface, like the boss gt 100 for example.
Actually it is more like the past brought back to the future. The guy is the originally with Rocktron before he left to start ISP. He started the company, and Rocktron didn't change much after he left. I had a Rocktron Pirannha, and still have the intellifex ltd, and you can really hear the similarities. This new version has way more saturation in the gain, and better Gate tracking with the Decimator. With the inclusion of amp cab modelling it, and extra EQ options, brought the old tech, and updated it. The Intellifex effects are really clear, and don't muddy up the sound at all, because you can send the direct sound though unaffected. I sold my Pirannha probably like six or so years ago for like, for $425, and they still are going for that price some 20 years after the fact. This tech has been a round for over 30 years with some updates.
Yeah, it's tough to sell this in a market heavily focused on number of features and crappy simulation. Who cares about sweetest, fattest, most badass, superb tones if they are not a poor, muddy, digital copy of some expensive tube amp? Who cares about much higher grade speaker sim when they can't load their own crappy files? Seriously, isn't it at least a little bit interesting that everything that was put out so far about this actually sounds fantastic whereas Helix at best once in a while sounds decent?
+D Bo Buck is working on the tuner and the Pitch/Detune next... we had the protype at NAMM, and I had a blast playing with the Pitch Shifter... the Detune was every bit as incredible as the Chorus.
+Poul Winther Knudsen: Yep... upgrades are in the works and you'll be able to upgrade. Buck at ISP can give you those details. The Detune works as a STELLAR doubler... hint: you can pan the direct signal to one side, and put the Detune or the Chorus on the other for a HUGE stereo sound... that's what caught Brad Gillis' attention at NAMM... you can see his whole expression change when I found that sound for him in the video that Shell posted of him.
The way it selects patches seem a bit..., well, dumb. I thought the idea of a programmable floor unit of ANY kind was that it STOPPED you having to go "Tap.. Tap, Tap...". I guess you could use an FCB1010 but then you're Helix territory, and the Atomic Amplifire sounds at least as good but is cheaper and can also be MIDI controlled. These days the human interface either makes or breaks most gear, as almost everything made in the last 5 to 7 years can give you solid usable sounds. Nope, sorry, this one's not for me.
I don't envy the guys introducing this to the market right now. I want to root for them, but this appears to have been greatly surpassed by a number of units at lower prices. Not a great formula.
What you said has literally zero to do with my comment. 1. If the Amplifire had people complaining about sound quality and left a large demand gap, then maybe the market would be hungry for a unit priced a little above it with much better sound. But it doesn't. People who buy modeling units love Amplifire. Even those who own other models. And they consumed a lot of buzz and excitement 2. ISP seems to be using an "other modelers sound bad. We know every DSP coder says theirs is the best, but ours totally is the best" argument. Rolling out a few artists who like the unit won't solve the issue that Kemper and Fractal, now HELIX sound incredibly good and there is very little dissatisfaction with their sound. So, what does ISP do? Start saying to potential customers have bad ears and don't know what they are talking about? Picking a fight with 3 pretty well loved products? It is a hard road. 3. People who buy expensive modelers generally demand flexibility and features. This unit is behind-market in both. You can sell "simplicity" but then hit the Amplifire or even Fly Rig crowd at a multiple of cost. 4. The value equation is tough. The unit is most of the cost of the upscale units, with a fraction of the functionality, and perhaps a modest improvement in sound. And the share of voice is very very small. 5. Given the above, if you did a SWOT analysis, it would be rough. This is just a business view.
+The Guitar Geek Well, your comment wasn't very deep but "greatly surpassed by a number of cheaper units" is just not factual statement unless you evaluate those systems based on features alone. I haven't tried Amplifire but if you believe that Fractal and Helix has received only praise you need to look a little deeper. Things like a constant "razzy overtone" or "dead" tone just doesn't comply with my needs no matter how many fancy features and effects you toss in there. To tell you the truth I have tried a lot of modeling systems and while I am usually initially impressed I just get really tired of listening to them in a very short time. Kemper might be the only one so far that actually can produce a lasting tone but now you're talking a very different price tag combined with probably the most hideous and cumbersome unit yet to be marketed. (That's just my opinion but still enough for me never to consider it). The value equation is tough on a lot of products, yet Rolex's and Ferrari sell like fresh coffee. I don't think ISP ever said that they are trying to compete in the market for expensive modelers since that's not what the unit is (and why the SWOT analysis is somewhat irrelevant). To me the the tones seem very convincing and far beyond that "modest improvement" in sound while the technical reasoning for how it is possible backs that completely. I don't believe I am the only guitar gear consumer that wouldn't sacrifice a single 1% in tone sweetness just to have yet another silly feature, useless effect or for being able to sound remotely similar to yet another tube amp. In reality I use just a handful of tones and only two things about them really matter: That they sound absolutely fantastic and that they are consistent, meaning they don't change with temperature, transport or even just time. (Bye bye tube amps). So even if the market for the Pro DSP is smaller than that of a Helix (which by the way wouldn't even survive a single gig with stage divers), I think there is a good share of true enthusiasts that will indeed want no compromise in tone. However, ISP seriously need a better marketing machine! Cheers!
+Poul Winther Knudsen "I think there is a good share of true enthusiasts that will indeed want no compromise in tone." That's actually why I bought it. That and these guys had a great track record for making amazing units back in the old Rocktron days. I've used probably a good 10 to 15 different guitar processors through the years...this just doesn't feel and sound like a typical guitar processor to me. More like a highly adjustable great sounding amp, no digital artifacts that I have noticed.
Without a USB editor, I'm stuck programming it on that tiny dot matrix screen. It sounds very dated. I hear a Rockman. The AX8 is the same price, has amp like knobs and can be edited via USB, and has great amp tones.
One of the Theta Pro DSPs was in ebay used but in new condition for 550€ (ca 600$) and i missed it argghhhh. But i now have a Theta Rack Preamp and it is absolutely killer (like new for 250€!!)
+Mason Stanley Could be? If a guitar player showed up with that to jam, as soon as they engaged that reverb, there would be a stick heading their way if not a floor tom. The chorus and wah sound sound great, but the reverb sounds horrendous.
+Mason Stanley Seriously. What the hell is going on in here? It's one thing for someone to go "yeah dude, it's a pretty cool piece of gear." But there are a few specific users in here ready to fight someone to the death for even the slightest criticism of the ISP Theta.
Wanted to like this so much,but it’s so limited in it’s usability (my opinion)plus There’s nothing new tone wise......sounds like a 10 year old pod....Great unit for the bedroom player with plenty of cash
This unit rules! The sounds and tones are amazing!! Over the years, searching for the perfect tone, I've spent enough to buy a small country. I will never use anything, but the DSP pro ever again. I can get any tone I want. It's great for all types of music.
The distortion tones are incredible. Yes, I can see why Allan Holdsworth loves this unit. The smooth saturation, sustain, clarity and attack are incredible. It's effortless to get all the sustaining, rich harmonics you would ever want. I play in a few bands. I play in a rock cover band, which plays a pretty eclectic assortment of tunes. I also play in a prog rock band and I play in a small jazz trio. I use the Theta DSP Pro for it all. It gets the perfect tone for every style. My band was blown away when I first used it at rehearsal. They were all saying how amazing my sound was and how full, but yet subtle it was in the mix. I run it into a tube rack power amp and also run one out to the PA. It's insane!! It sounds great just running it into a PA. It has the best cab simulator around.
Some people here are complaining about the price? Pssh! I haven't even touched on the effects. These are insane, studio quality effects. Some people will pay as much for this whole unit just on a chorus like this one. It's so rich and sparkling clear. It has an insane phaser which I love to mix with a distortion. The flange!! The flange is the absolute best! It is very hard to get a good flange sound that blends well with distortion. Before I found this one, the Mooer Baracuda flange was the best. This is way better!! It's nuts. It's great on a tune I cover, High Landrons by Eric Johnson. It's great for doing some way out stuff as well. I can get sick Trower like tones as well.
.
I can go on and on about this beast of a machine. All I can say is; you owe it to yourself to try this bad boy out. I absolutely guarantee you will be blown away. Part of me doesn't want to get the word out because it's my secret weapon now, but the folks at ISP deserve a shout out for making this most incredible product. Just try it. You'll be amazed.
I've seen a pic of Holdsworth at ISP's booth holding Adam's guitar. Did Holdsworth actually have one of these units?
There are some rad sounds on this thing. The EVH present, Pete Who, Pop Clean and Wasted Chorus sound amazing.
This video sold me.
It's a combination amp like/studio quality unit.
All you need is the whisper quite ISP 180W STEALTH PRO POWER AMP and some Marshall speakers.
Mitch Gallagher's playing and informative demo/tutorial is superb.
Mitch is terrific.
The ISP Theta Pro, Helix, AMPLiFire 12, Fractal, Mooer GE300, KEMPER profiler, HEADRUSH, BOSS GT1000, TC ELECTRONICS G SYSTEM, Eventide H9 MAX, and DIGITECH GSP 1101 are all boutique grade multi EFX units.
I'm sure there's more to come.
Please feel free to add to the aforementioned list above.
Each of them have their pros and cons.
Digital amps and efx have made spectacular advances.
Each guitarist is looking for that tone pinnacle...keep looking!
I just checked out the Atomic Amplifire video and the Theta Pro is WAAAY better sounding in a "direct in" application.
Oh yeah it is. This this sounds incredible.
I tried the Helix and hated it. It was very muddy sounding and made my pickups sound like they had tape over them.
But the Helix had USB and a Built-in Foot switch. Which are mandatory for me.
This unit sounds amazing. Much more crisp and responsive than the Helix. And the chorus is the best I've ever heard.
But at this price. No USB = No deal for me.
If I could somehow put this unit's sounds into the Helix's pedal hardware. I'd have my ultimate pedal.
Sounds killer and like Plug n Play ! .. and it's made in the USA:
+Andy Stevens Hey Andy, I cant find your other question but you could easily get that wah tone and now the theta has a pitch shifter too that will sounds even better than the link you sent me...
Mmmm, no USB, no IR loading, limited FXs, limited order of FXs, small limited screen, no amp simulation and limited cab emulations and THERE IS NO option for future upgrades!!
But it sounds really really good, looks extremely simple to operate and it seems well built, but the price is just wrong! having the HELIX and the AX8 on the market that completely smokes this unit. What was ISP thinking???
+Nicolas Rivera The Atomic Amplifire beats this at less than half the price.
***** yes!!
+Nicolas Rivera I'm sure development started a while back on this - then they watched Amplifire come out, and HELIX and went - Ohhhh Shhhhhh.......
The Guitar Geek probably, the unit alone sounds great!!! but for who is this aimed for in that price range?? They will have to do something about the price to move this unit.
+Nicolas Rivera Nicolas, I understand there are other units out there with tons of effects and features, The difference is that the Theta pro simply sounds way better. It sounds the best through an amp and it sounds the best going direct. It also gives you the most control over your actual tone as oppose to some factory templates. If you can handle a graphic EQ then you owe it to yourself to spend some hours with this unit and you may change your mind all together. You will be able to get updates for it. Some of the effects are also untouchable. Best Chorus you'll ever hear. It's the perfect box for the road and now it has a super accurate pitch shifter too. Believe me, It's just a better sounding unit hands down...Some of the touring pros are starting to get it and starting to use it out there...
Excellent video
Extensive clean demo would be helpful.
The unfortunate thing about the Theta Pro is that you CANNOT change patches via MIDI input...in 2017 what guitar effects box cannot be changed via midi ??? The ISP Theta Pro is the one, I own one, I love the sounds, wish I could link it via midi with my other gear
OH that is a no go! Sorry for your luck.
Excellent review!
I would like to hear more of the preset sounds ... :-/
More clean demo please
Omg that screen. What year is it? 1985? No doubt it sounds good but with that kind of interface, urghh just what were they thinking. With that price tag, i at least expect to have a friendlier user interface, like the boss gt 100 for example.
This really is the future.
Actually it is more like the past brought back to the future. The guy is the originally with Rocktron before he left to start ISP. He started the company, and Rocktron didn't change much after he left. I had a Rocktron Pirannha, and still have the intellifex ltd, and you can really hear the similarities. This new version has way more saturation in the gain, and better Gate tracking with the Decimator. With the inclusion of amp cab modelling it, and extra EQ options, brought the old tech, and updated it. The Intellifex effects are really clear, and don't muddy up the sound at all, because you can send the direct sound though unaffected. I sold my Pirannha probably like six or so years ago for like, for $425, and they still are going for that price some 20 years after the fact. This tech has been a round for over 30 years with some updates.
Does anybody know why I get the preset "0 ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ" when I try to map presets in Song Mode?
Yes and other weird character shit
This unit sounds really great, I hope the price will come down at some point though.
Yeah, it's tough to sell this in a market heavily focused on number of features and crappy simulation. Who cares about sweetest, fattest, most badass, superb tones if they are not a poor, muddy, digital copy of some expensive tube amp? Who cares about much higher grade speaker sim when they can't load their own crappy files?
Seriously, isn't it at least a little bit interesting that everything that was put out so far about this actually sounds fantastic whereas Helix at best once in a while sounds decent?
Amen brother.... I've had mine for a while and it's incredible.
+Poul Winther Knudsen Spot on Poul!
+D Bo Buck is working on the tuner and the Pitch/Detune next... we had the protype at NAMM, and I had a blast playing with the Pitch Shifter... the Detune was every bit as incredible as the Chorus.
+McLeanAB88 Does it mean it will be possible to upgrade to receive those effects? Any talk of a doubler?
+Poul Winther Knudsen: Yep... upgrades are in the works and you'll be able to upgrade. Buck at ISP can give you those details. The Detune works as a STELLAR doubler... hint: you can pan the direct signal to one side, and put the Detune or the Chorus on the other for a HUGE stereo sound... that's what caught Brad Gillis' attention at NAMM... you can see his whole expression change when I found that sound for him in the video that Shell posted of him.
So all the bottom row buttons just go up and down presets?????? Already confused as many other guitarists will be
What an awesome unit, you explained the functions very well. Now I just need $1,300 to buy one Yar!. mww
The way it selects patches seem a bit..., well, dumb. I thought the idea of a programmable floor unit of ANY kind was that it STOPPED you having to go "Tap.. Tap, Tap...". I guess you could use an FCB1010 but then you're Helix territory, and the Atomic Amplifire sounds at least as good but is cheaper and can also be MIDI controlled. These days the human interface either makes or breaks most gear, as almost everything made in the last 5 to 7 years can give you solid usable sounds. Nope, sorry, this one's not for me.
I don't envy the guys introducing this to the market right now. I want to root for them, but this appears to have been greatly surpassed by a number of units at lower prices. Not a great formula.
+The Guitar Geek So according to your logic a Pocket POD surpasses a Mark V head??
What you said has literally zero to do with my comment.
1. If the Amplifire had people complaining about sound quality and left a large demand gap, then maybe the market would be hungry for a unit priced a little above it with much better sound. But it doesn't. People who buy modeling units love Amplifire. Even those who own other models. And they consumed a lot of buzz and excitement
2. ISP seems to be using an "other modelers sound bad. We know every DSP coder says theirs is the best, but ours totally is the best" argument. Rolling out a few artists who like the unit won't solve the issue that Kemper and Fractal, now HELIX sound incredibly good and there is very little dissatisfaction with their sound. So, what does ISP do? Start saying to potential customers have bad ears and don't know what they are talking about? Picking a fight with 3 pretty well loved products? It is a hard road.
3. People who buy expensive modelers generally demand flexibility and features. This unit is behind-market in both. You can sell "simplicity" but then hit the Amplifire or even Fly Rig crowd at a multiple of cost.
4. The value equation is tough. The unit is most of the cost of the upscale units, with a fraction of the functionality, and perhaps a modest improvement in sound. And the share of voice is very very small.
5. Given the above, if you did a SWOT analysis, it would be rough. This is just a business view.
One last thought - I really am not trying to poop on the parade. I'm sure the unit sounds very nice. I just worry for the sales.
+The Guitar Geek Well, your comment wasn't very deep but "greatly surpassed by a number of cheaper units" is just not factual statement unless you evaluate those systems based on features alone.
I haven't tried Amplifire but if you believe that Fractal and Helix has received only praise you need to look a little deeper. Things like a constant "razzy overtone" or "dead" tone just doesn't comply with my needs no matter how many fancy features and effects you toss in there.
To tell you the truth I have tried a lot of modeling systems and while I am usually initially impressed I just get really tired of listening to them in a very short time. Kemper might be the only one so far that actually can produce a lasting tone but now you're talking a very different price tag combined with probably the most hideous and cumbersome unit yet to be marketed. (That's just my opinion but still enough for me never to consider it).
The value equation is tough on a lot of products, yet Rolex's and Ferrari sell like fresh coffee. I don't think ISP ever said that they are trying to compete in the market for expensive modelers since that's not what the unit is (and why the SWOT analysis is somewhat irrelevant).
To me the the tones seem very convincing and far beyond that "modest improvement" in sound while the technical reasoning for how it is possible backs that completely. I don't believe I am the only guitar gear consumer that wouldn't sacrifice a single 1% in tone sweetness just to have yet another silly feature, useless effect or for being able to sound remotely similar to yet another tube amp.
In reality I use just a handful of tones and only two things about them really matter: That they sound absolutely fantastic and that they are consistent, meaning they don't change with temperature, transport or even just time. (Bye bye tube amps).
So even if the market for the Pro DSP is smaller than that of a Helix (which by the way wouldn't even survive a single gig with stage divers), I think there is a good share of true enthusiasts that will indeed want no compromise in tone.
However, ISP seriously need a better marketing machine!
Cheers!
+Poul Winther Knudsen "I think there is a good share of true enthusiasts that will indeed want no compromise in tone." That's actually why I bought it. That and these guys had a great track record for making amazing units back in the old Rocktron days. I've used probably a good 10 to 15 different guitar processors through the years...this just doesn't feel and sound like a typical guitar processor to me. More like a highly adjustable great sounding amp, no digital artifacts that I have noticed.
Without a USB editor, I'm stuck programming it on that tiny dot matrix screen. It sounds very dated. I hear a Rockman. The AX8 is the same price, has amp like knobs and can be edited via USB, and has great amp tones.
Sounds very good, but The price... Too much.
TO GET THE GREAT SOUNDS COSTS MORE AND THIS THING HAS PRESETS THAT SOUND GOOD!
A few more demos that are posted on the ISP website:
soundcloud.com/user-494697619
www.isptechnologies.com/portfolio/theta-pro-dsp/
How much do these run for?
+Tucker Guthrie Please check the link in the description. as of today, $1298
+Tucker Guthrie worth every cent...
One of the Theta Pro DSPs was in ebay used but in new condition for 550€ (ca 600$) and i missed it argghhhh.
But i now have a Theta Rack Preamp and it is absolutely killer (like new for 250€!!)
Too much
Sounds very Digitech:)
Can you send me one for Christmas? Pleeeeease
Comment section seems like its almost filled with paid shills lel
+Mason Stanley: Nope, just a couple of diehard ISP users who dig this company and their gear! I've been called a shill before!!!!
+Mason Stanley
Could be? If a guitar player showed up with that to jam, as soon as they engaged that reverb, there would be a stick heading their way if not a floor tom. The chorus and wah sound sound great, but the reverb sounds horrendous.
D Bo Sounds muddy and full of bad harmonics.
+Mason Stanley Seriously. What the hell is going on in here? It's one thing for someone to go "yeah dude, it's a pretty cool piece of gear." But there are a few specific users in here ready to fight someone to the death for even the slightest criticism of the ISP Theta.
Wanted to like this so much,but it’s so limited in it’s usability (my opinion)plus There’s nothing new tone wise......sounds like a 10 year old pod....Great unit for the bedroom player with plenty of cash
Sounds nice but all that programming makes my brain ache
sounds good, but navigation is idiotic... also a very 1988 screen.
WASTED CHORUS
BEST CHORUS EVER MADE!
A lot of tap dancing. Pass.