In the open mind category: behold our first digital profile. A Pitch Shift/ Delay, half-rackmount from Boss. The RPS-10 was manufactured in the mid 80's. By current standards this unit is outmoded...EXCEPT for its two Inverse settings: with & without reverb. These allow you to play backward, live, Via a continuous, short, digital delay loop. It sounds something like an Echo- plex, until you turn the blend knob to zero: then; all you hear is reversed playback, with about a 1/4-1/3 second time lag.
If you've played, or been back stage in a large Arena, you've heard the music bouncing back at you from the opposite wall. That's similar to the experience you'll have playing backward through the RPS-10. But remember: You're a Rock & Roll Star, you can DO this!
This unit has a useful 800 Ms of delay time available for normal echo/repeat duties. It's most unfortunate that only a portion of that sampling length is freed up in the Inverse mode. Too bad large manufacturers don't rely on marketing focus groups more often. OK, memory chips were expensive in the 80's, but now...? Now Boss makes a newer pedal with an Inverse mode, but this unit has no blend option; you still clearly hear the normal, forward signal along with the inverse. Ay Carrumba!
"Let them eat price points!" BOSS' engineers aren't stupid; they know how to throw in a few extra resistors, Caps, or use a slightly better chip. It's not about that. It's about eight extra minutes per worker, and six extra dollars in parts per finished unit: It's about "price points". That's part of why we want to acknowledge the limited production builders: They won't cut the heart out of something to make a sale. Yes, you have to look around to find them...no full-page adds with sexy models, and their gear costs more, (they pay more for materials because they buy less), but whatever flavor you favor, the "good stuff" will be there.
That said, it's neat that RPS-10 takes the signal in; and throws it right back out, without waiting for a long loop to run. However, sustaining Albert King-type string bends will be cut short. But, what IS available, is really neat: a for-real, backward effect in a small, simple, metal box for around $100-$200 Street price. Henry Kiser features this type of effect using an Eventide Harmonizer; which is better all around than the RPS-10, but consider the vast difference in price! If you're in the market for an occasional burst of something all- together different; and your trust fund hasn't matured yet, check out one of these puppies. ***P.S.*** If you know someone QUALIFIED, who can modify this sort of device to enable a longer, (one or two second), continuous reverse delay time, please e-mail us. That's somebody we ought to know. Thanks!
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