Congratulations on choosing the DigiTechTM Red Special Pedal! DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Warning Manufacturer’s Name: DigiTech® This piece of gear is, in my opinion, a work of genius! I claim no credit! An Manufacturer’s Address: 8760 S. Sandy Parkway For your protection, please read the following: Sandy, Utah 84070, U.S.A. amazing DigiTech team led by legend Eddie Kramer have created a device Important Safety Instructions capable of making anybody sound like me! (If you should want to, that is!) declares that the product: “ Product name: Red Special Pedal 1. Read these instructions. Through an incredible new modeling technique, this pedal captures 14 of the most Product option: all (requires Class II power adapter that conforms 2. Keep these instructions. to the requirements of EN60065, EN60742, or memorable tones I’ve achieved for Queen over the years, and places them at your equivalent.) 3. Heed all warnings. 4. Do not use this apparatus near water. fingertips. conforms to the following Product Specifications: 5. Clean only with dry cloth. Safety IEC 60065 (1998) 6. Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in ac- But it does not stop there. Our hope is that you, the guitarists of the future, EMC EN 55013 (2001 + A1) cordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. EN 55020 (1998) 7. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, will use this machine as an aid to creating your own new tones, and inspire you Supplementary Information: heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including to greater heights. To enable this to happen, each tone setting on this pedal can amplifiers) that produce heat. The product herewith complies with the requirements of the Low Voltage be adjusted in gain, level, bass, treble, and many other parameters to meet the Directive 73/23/EEC and the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC as amended by 8. Protect the power cord from being walked on or Directive 93/68/EEC. pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, demands of your wildest dreams! Vice-President of Engineering - MI and the point where they exit from the apparatus. 8760 S. Sandy Parkway 9. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when From the searing harmonically rich solo sound of Bohemian Rhapsody, to the Sandy, Utah 84070, U.S.A. unused for long periods of time. churning saturated thickness of the climax of ‘We Will Rock You’, to the hitherto Date: May 12, 2006 10. No user serviceable parts inside. Refer all servicing to European Contact: Your local DigiTech Sales and Service Office or qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when inimitable ‘Deacy’ amp tone, which I’ve used for years to create ‘orchestras’ of the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as Harman Music Group guitars on record, this device will shock you! The Red Special Pedal puts a new 8760 South Sandy Parkway power-supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been Sandy, Utah, 84070 U.S.A. spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the spectrum of tones at your command, whether used as a preamp for a stage set-up, Ph: (801) 566-8800 Fax: (801) 568-7583 apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does or directly into the board in your studio (the Pedal models the amp cabinets too). not operate normally, or has been dropped. 11. WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, Plug in and turn it up – and ROCK! do not expose this apparatus to rain or moisture. 12. Refer to labels on the unit, including bottom cover, or Cheers!” other markings and pertinent information. May, 2006 Setup Directions Included Items Follow these setup directions before use: The DigiTech® Red Special Pedal includes the following items: 1. Turn the volume down on the amplifier/mixer you are connecting to. 2. Connect the pedal output to the amplifier/mixer input. • DigiTech Red Special Pedal 3. Connect the guitar to the pedal input. 4. Connect the power supply to the pedal. • Red Special Artist Series Gig Bag 5. Turn up your amplifier/mixer level to your desired listening level. • Sixpence Plectrum 6. Turn the selected Model on or off by pressing the TOE SWITCH or • PS0913B Power Supply the HEEL SWITCH. • This Owner’s Manual NOTE: To best utilize the built-in treble booster, plug your guitar directly into the Red Special Pedal (instead of placing the Red Special Pedal at • DigiTech Warranty Card the end of your effects chain). The built-in treble booster boosts the high • DigiTech Brochure frequencies of the guitar signal and attenuates low frequencies. However, it also has a relatively low input impedance which loads the guitar pickups more than plugging into a high impedance input (like a a guitar amp). This has the effect of rolling off a portion of the highs and smoothing out the Please make sure that all of these items have been included before you overall tone. Since this “loading” effect cannot be reproduced digitally, an get started. input loading circuitry is utilized along with digital modeling anytime the signal path in the Red Special Pedal uses a treble booster effect. For more than 30 years, Brian’s signal path has begun with the Red Special Brian May’s Signal Path (Example) guitar and its multitude of pickup selections and phase options. The guitar signal is run almost exclusively through a treble booster and then directly into his customized VoxTM* AC30s. For many of the layered harmony guitar parts heard on numerous Queen recordings, Brian also used the infamous “Deacy,” a hand-built battery operated amp designed by Queen Bassist John Deacon. Vox AC-30s OR For effects, Brian has relied on a FoxxTM* phaser, digital harmony pitch Deacy Amp shifters, and more recently, chorusing effects using a single “dry” amp and two “wet” amps to create his huge live sound. Some post processing techniques used in the studio included tape flanging, reverb, and an assort- ment of mics and amp mic’ing techniques that capture Brian’s unique and instantly recognizable sound. Phaser Treble Booster CONTROL DESCRIPTIONS 4. INDICATOR LED This LED indicates the present (Ring) - GUITAR 1. OUT 1 (AMP)* mode of the model selected: Transforms your guitar tone to Connect this output jack to your OFF=bypass, GREEN=toe mode, sound more like Brian’s, using guitar guitar amplifier. Refer to the Flex- RED=heel mode. (Please refer to modeling technology. ible Output ModeTM Setup sec- the Flexible Output ModeTM, tion for more information. and Calibrating the Expression SC - Select this setting if you’re using a single coil pickup(s), typical Pedal sections for more informa- TM 2. OUT 2 (MIXER)* tion.) of a Stratocaster * guitar This output has been specifically tailored for use with a full range 5. (Tip) - TREBLE Red Special - Select this setting Increases or decreases treble. if you’re playing a Red Special audio system and is designed to be replica (or using BurnsTM* Tri- plugged directly into a mixer or (Ring) - BASS SonicTM* pickups). recording device for optimal per- Increases or decreases bass. formance. Refer to the Flexible HB - Select this setting if you’re Output Mode Setup section for 6. POWER SUPPLY JACK using a humbucker pickup(s), typi- more information. Connect only the included PS0913B cal of a Les PaulTM* guitar. (9V AC) power supply to this jack. 3. (Tip) - GAIN Note that the Red Special Pedal is 8. MODEL Increases or decreases gain. not equipped for battery power. This knob selects one of the seven different Models: (Ring) - LEVEL 7. (Tip) - CONTROL Increases or decreases level. Model dependent. Refer to the 1. Keep Yourself Alive Model Control table for more 2. Bohemian Rhapsody * Use only unbalanced TS instrument cables. information. 3. Tie Your Mother Down The Guitar Knob 4. We Will Rock You/Champions and the HEEL SWITCH (which The Red Special Pedal was designed to work Guitar Knob 5. Crazy Little Thing Called Love enable different modes within each in conjunction with Brian’s Red Special guitar, (outer ring) 6. Brighton Rock Solo - Live Model). Refer to the Model Con- but it can also be used with single-coil or 7. Deacy / A Winter’s Tale trol table for more information about the EXPRESSION PEDAL. humbucker-equipped guitars. Refer to the Model Descriptions The pedal’s proprietary Guitar Knob (outer section for more information. To engage the HEEL or TOE SWITCHES, press firmly on the ring, second knob from the right) uses Guitar 9. INPUT heel or toe of the EXPRESSION Modeling technology to transform your Connect your guitar to this jack. PEDAL. The INDICATOR LED guitar’s tone to sound more like Brian’s. will light green when the TOE 10. FOOTSWITCH If your guitar has single coil pickups (like a SWITCH is engaged or red when TM Plug in the optional FS3X the HEEL SWITCH is engaged. Stratocaster ), turn the Guitar Knob to SC. footswitch here. Refer to the If your guitar has humbucking pickups (like Using the Optional FS3X If the EXPRESSION PEDAL’s a Les PaulTM), turn the Guitar Knob to HB. If Footswitch section to see what range becomes diminished over you’re playing a Red Special replica, turn the the FS3X can do with the Red time, it may be necessary to re-cali- Guitar Knob to Red Special. Special Pedal. brate the pedal. Refer to the Calibrating the Expression Ped- Note that you can fine tune the Guitar 11. EXPRESSION PEDAL al section for more information. Knob’s position between the HB and the Red Serves as a variable control for Special settings, and between the SC and the some of the Models.