Rockman Gear
In the early 80’s Tom Scholz introduced the Rockman X100. Scholz is an MIT graduate and the Rockman gear was designed to let everyday people achive guitar tones that took hundreds or thousands of dollars of studio gear and knowledge to achieve. It was revolutionary at the time and was truly one of the first stack-in-a-box devices.
The Rockman line was expanded to include rack mountable modules. Including the Rockman Sustainor, Chorus and Echo.
If you have any questions or comments about Rockman gear please leave a comment on this page.
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R Campbell said,
March 2, 2007 @ 8:10 am
Hello,
Thanks for the great website, I have been looking for information on the rockman headphone amps and finding very little. I would just like to ask if you could provide more detail to the comment you made that the Ace series are junk in your opinion. I am very interested in getting a amp to practice with and haven’t seen an x100 for sale although the Ace series seems very popular.
Thanks for your your time and consideration.
R. Campbell
webmaster said,
March 2, 2007 @ 10:59 am
The “Ace series” did not have selectable chorus or delay. It may have had a small built in delay. Most people think the cases are cheaper and the units are nosier. Some people use the ACE series along with other effect units to wetten up the signal.
Honestly if you’re looking for a practice amp look no further that the Roland Micro-Cube. It’s battery powered, has a speaker if you want to jam out loud and it also has a headphone jack and a CD/Ipod input. The thing sounds amazing and blows the doors off the Rockman as a practice amp. I bought my MIcro-Cube used at Guitar Center for like $60. Check Ebay. I think used ones go for about $80-$90 there.
john jones said,
March 2, 2007 @ 5:54 pm
found an x100 on ebay today check it out
Joe said,
March 12, 2007 @ 5:13 pm
I have a quick question about the Rockman Power Soak. I own a Marshall MD100HDFX (digital) Halfstack. I also own a Marshall AVT20X (tube) amp. There is nothing like a tube amp, but the gigs that I play, I take my Digital Halfstack. Is the Power Soak ment for tube amps, or will it work for Digital? From my understanding, it was built for tubes, but I do not know if it will work/damage my Digital amp.
r/Joe
webmaster said,
March 12, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
I personally wouldn’t use it on a solid state amp. It probably wouldn’t help much anyways. Most solid state amps keep their power output stages clean and undistorted. They depend on the preamp to provide the distortion and in some cases also simulate power tube saturation. Unlike a tube amp you won’t get a nice tone running a solid state power amp into distortion.
The Power Soak is simply a bunch of resistors that it places between the amp and the head. There are some that say it’s not the best way to attenuate a power amp. Some people feel a “power soak device” should be an inductive/resistive load like a real speaker.
I used to run my power soak with a 50W Marshall head and to honest I was always holding my breath just waiting for things to blow up. Maybe I was always thinking that the THD and Marshall products were more refined.
SeanX said,
March 15, 2007 @ 8:44 am
the Scholtz Rockman is great for writing….and it works well with both well aged amps-s.state/tube (Yamaha,peavey )that soesnot exceed 50watts.
Never mind powersoak for amps/amperage…just get a good amp with a few good pedals,or decent processor (digitech 2100 series,Zoom 4040 ) &a good used gtr -that YOU customized to your own tasts-seeking Your own sound & just Rock On!
R.I.P. Brad Delp……we met,had a few laffs,goodtimes with good company!
the world is poorer now that you joined the great band in the sky…!
bart rose said,
March 16, 2007 @ 4:06 am
well well well . It seems the master guitar guru was in some part responsible for Brads “untimely” death! (suicide). Dont think so? Go check out the Boston Herald online, and read up. Turns out Toms constant acrimony with present and past Boston members helped stress Brad out too much! Thanks Tom. Fucking asshole.
Terry L. said,
March 16, 2007 @ 4:08 am
saugusg16 (14 hours ago)
Yes it’s very true! Tom Sholz was a controlling jerk when it came to Boston. Constantly putting down all the other members saying they we’re club players at best. Can you imagine?? It was all about Tom, Very selfish. He would also find other people to duplicate each original of Boston just for backup. Fran Cosmo being one of them. Can you imagine what Brad must have thought?? I read this interview from the original bassist.
Lisa Runyon said,
March 16, 2007 @ 4:10 am
getchasumm (1 hour ago)
What is utterly paradoxical (is that a word?) is that if you read the liner notes of any Boston album, you’d think Tom Scholz was the worlds greatest humanitarian, trumpeting all those social causes. Turns out he was a controlling, heartless prick. And yes, AGENTARME, if you read between the lines, you’ll see Tom’s utter control-mad personality, COULD indeed contribute to Brad’s suicide. I simply wonder….how can Tom now sleet at night?
Here is the article! said,
March 16, 2007 @ 4:15 am
Home > Inside Track > More Inside Track > RSS Feed
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Suicide confirmed in Delp’s death
By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Thursday, March 15, 2007 - Updated: 01:29 AM EST
Brad Delp lit two charcoal grills in the bathroom adjacent to his master bedroom and committed suicide via asphyxiation last week, according to New Hampshire police who yesterday confirmed that the lead singer of the band Boston took his own life.
“He was a man who gave all he had to give to everyone around him, whether family, friends, fans or strangers,” the singer’s family said in a statement. “He gave as long as he could, as best he could, and he was very tired. We take comfort in knowing that he is now, at last, at peace.”
Delp, 55, a Danvers native, left two sealed suicide notes taped to a door and letters to his family and his fiancée, Pamela Sullivan. But Atkinson, N.H., Police Lt. William Baldwin said the cops were not told why he took his life. Toxicology tests by the state medical examiner’s office showed that Delp died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
“It’s very sad for all of us who loved this guy,” said ex-Extreme drummer Paul Geary, a close friend of Delp and his family. “Whenever I called him for anything he’d drop everything and help, and whenever he called me it was for someone else.”
Friends said it was Delp’s constant need to help and please people that may have driven him to despair. He was literally the man in the middle of the bitter break-up of Boston - pulled from both sides by divided loyalties.
Delp remained on good terms with both Tom Scholz, the MIT grad who founded the band, and Barry Goudreau, Fran Sheehan and Sib Hashian, former members of Boston who had a fierce falling out with Scholz in the early ’80s.
Delp tried to please both sides by continuing to contribute his vocals to Scholz’ Boston projects while also remaining close to his former bandmates. The situation was complicated by the fact that Delp’s ex-wife, Micki, is the sister of Goudreau’s wife, Connie.
“Tom made him do the Boston stuff and the other guys were mad that they weren’t a part of it,” said another insider. “He was always under a lot of pressure.”
As you may know, in 1976 the band’s first album, featuring Scholz, Delp, Goudreau, Hashian and Sheehan, was the best-selling debut album in history, spawning rock staples “More Than a Feeling,” ‘Peace of Mind,’ “Foreplay/ Long Time” and ‘Rock and Roll Band.’ But shortly thereafter things deteriorated.
Scholz’ penchant for perfection and his well-chronicled control issues led to long delays between albums. As a result, Goudreau, Delp and Hashian released an album without him, which led to an irretrievable breakdown.
Scholz claimed that the other band members - with the exception of Delp - attempted to steal the name Boston. While the bitter battle raged, Delp tried to keep peace with both sides. He continued to perform with Scholz and the reconstituted Boston but also did projects with Goudreau and remained friends with the other original members.
But the never-ending bitterness may have been too much for the sensitive singer to endure. Just last fall the ugliness flared again when Scholz heard some of his ex-bandmates were planning to perform at a tribute concert at Symphony Hall for football legend Doug Flutie - and then had his people call and substitute himself and Delp for the gig, sources say.
In fact, the wounds remained so raw that Scholz wasn’t invited to the private funeral service for Delp that the family held earlier this week.
“What does that tell you?” asked another insider. “Brad and Tom were the best of friends and he’s been told nothing about anything.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone after Delp’s death, Scholz said he and Delp were “friends and collaborators for 35 years but our bond ran much deeper than just Boston.”
But Scholz also made reference to the ongoing feud in the interview when he told the rock bible that “unlike other individuals eventually involved with Boston, Brad’s down-to-earth personality never wavered.”
Police discovered Delp’s body in his southern New Hampshire home at around 1:30 p.m. last Friday. Sullivan had gone to the house after failing to reach her fiance by phone. Police said Delp was alone at the time of his death.
Some friends expressed surprise at the timing of Delp’s suicide. He had been planning to tour with Boston and to marry Sullivan this coming summer. He was also content working with his first love - a Beatles tribute band called Beatlejuice. But friends say there was a dark side.
“He was a sad character to begin with,” said one close pal. “He didn’t think highly of himself. He was always very self-deprecating. He’s always been that way, though, so there was really nothing to lead anyone to believe that he would do this.”
micki delp said,
March 20, 2007 @ 2:18 am
DELP’S SUICIDE
Brad Delp’s ex-wife, Micki Delp, says the Boston singer may have taken his life, partly, because of problems in the band. If their rehearsals earlier this year were any indication, then Boston was set to hit the road without Fran Cosmo, Delp’s close friend and the singer who replaced him in Boston in the mid-’90s. Micki tells the Boston Herald that Delp was “upset” that Cosmo and his son, Anthony Cosmo, were “dis-invited” from the summer tour with REO Speedwagon. But, according to Boston guitarist Tom Scholz, “The decision to rehearse without the Cosmos was a group decision. Brad never expressed unhappiness with that decision…and took an active part in arranging the vocals for five people, not seven.”
Micki says, “Boston to Brad was a job, and he did what he was told to do. But it got to the point where he just couldn’t do it anymore… Brad lived his life to please everyone else. He would go out of his way and hurt himself before he would hurt somebody else, and he was in such a predicament professionally that no matter what he did, a friend of his would be hurt. Rather than hurt anyone else, he would hurt himself. That’s just the kind of guy he was.”
Fran Cosmo has issued a statement on Delp’s death, saying, “[He was] one of my dearest friends and co-workers, and one of the greatest voices in rock-n-roll. His friendship, his smile and his contributions to rock-n-roll will forever be sorely missed.”
micki delp said,
March 21, 2007 @ 2:13 am
DELP’S WIFE BLAMES SCHOLZ
Launch Radio Networks reports: The ex-wife of late Boston singer Brad Delp blames long-standing issues within the band for Delp’s suicide. Micki Delp told The Boston Herald that Brad has always been stuck in the middle of fights between bandleader Tom Scholz and former members of the group, and that the past 30 years’worth of tensions finally got the better of him.
Denise Findlay said,
March 24, 2007 @ 4:39 am
Wow….smart enough to design the Rockman, but too dumb to realize a (flawed) character trait can really hurt someone else. How sad. And how pathetic a person Tom is.
DANA RISHLING said,
March 31, 2007 @ 7:11 am
Hey, I know there’s alot of hatin’ of tom right now (I am not too happy
about things myself), but I am trying to sell a perfect xp100 with
smart gate and if wanted, midipedal. If you are interested in getting one
of these classics, get a hold of me via e-mail. Note- the only reason I
am selling it is the need to clear-out some gear for some cash flow for
my family, and to get a few pieces of new gear that are needs, not
extras. I also have a paul gilbert signature ibanez as well, if that’s your
thing. Plays and sounds awesome. It’s the red one with the reverse
headstock, gotoh hardtail bridge, dimarzio pickups (tone zone, sh-1, and
humbucker from hell) that he actually uses in some of his videos on
youtube. I need at least $1,000.00 for the amp and smart gate, but I’ll let
the guitar go for $600.00.
DANA RISHLING said,
March 31, 2007 @ 9:49 am
TO AD TO MY PREVIOUS POST, AFTER LOOKING AROUND AT OTHER SELLERS OF XP-100′S, I MUST LOWER MY PRICE TO $800.00, AND YOU PAY SHIPPING. I’LL STILL INCLUDE THE SMART GATE TOO. I DO BELEIVE THAT MINE IS IN MUCH BETTER CONDITION THAN THE OTHERS I’VE SEEN…I GUESS IF THOSE ARE “GOOD” CONDITION, MINE MUST BE “MINT”. AND, WHILE I’M IN A GENEROUS SPIRIT, I’LL LET THE IBANEZ GO FOR $500.00. I JUST WANT TO BE FAIR ABOUT THIS. I NEED A FEW BUCKS, BUT DON’T WANT TO SCREW ANYBODY IN THE PROCESS. TELL YOU WHAT…IF YOU BUY BOTH THE GUITAR AND AMP, I’LL GO FOR $1,100. END OF STORY.
DANA RISHLING said,
March 31, 2007 @ 10:07 am
SORRY, I THOUGHT MY E-MAIL ADDRESS WOULD BE THERE AUTOMATICALLY. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN THE ROCKMAN XP-100, OR IBANEZ PAUL GILBERT GUITAR, E-MAIL ME @ NCDRUMGUY@HOTMAIL.COM.
James Leadon said,
April 4, 2007 @ 5:31 am
Tom Scholz killed Brad Delp. How? By being a heartless, power-mad, egomaniac, lawsuit-loving asshole! Tom was ALWAYS in court with someone, usually over petty, trivial shit!
One of the last lawsuits involve Tom sueing the record co. because the album “Corporate America” didnt sel well enough! Hey Tom: It didnt sell cuz it SUCKED! And just last year he tried sueing two members of Boston, the Cosmo’s, because they used the words “Of Boston” to advertise a solo show! Its petty shit like that that was too much for Brad to take, and he killed himself. The blood of dear Brad should be all over that heartless piece of shit, Tom Scholz. May he burn in hell!
PS the irony of all this is that if you read any Bosotn album liner notes, Tom comes off as this socially aware, humanitarian. What trash…it seems it was okay to kill Brad but not animals! Go figure! I’d like to punch his smug evil face in!
Joe said,
April 11, 2007 @ 6:28 pm
I am purchasing a Rockman Sustainer model 200, and a Rockman Stereo Chorus. I was wondering if you can buy a Rockman footswitch to turn them on and off. If there is, can it be any rockman footswitch, any footswitch (in general)–or are there certain ones built for certain models?
Thanks
kobus said,
April 12, 2007 @ 4:40 am
Is Rockman available in South Africa and is it better than Digitech?
webmaster said,
April 12, 2007 @ 9:35 am
Joe,
Here’s what I know about footswitches for Rockman . Keep in mind the only time I use one is for the chorus unit sweep stop. All you really is is an simple on/off swith with dry contacts to control the units. The rack units are not midi aware. I’m pretty sure this is all the octupus is nothing but dry switches controlled by midi.
I have a feeling something like the Boss FS-6 Footswitch would work for you.
webmaster said,
April 12, 2007 @ 9:35 am
kobus - I don’t know the answer for this.
Gerry said,
April 15, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
Looking for a manual for the Bass rockman
DougD said,
April 16, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
I am looking for a power supply for my Rockman X100. Do you know where I can find one or perhaps an aftermarket power supply that will work? Thank you in advance for information you can offer.
DougD
Ace said,
May 16, 2007 @ 6:05 pm
I’m sorry, and perhaps others won’t feel this way. but blaming someone else for a suicide is the pinnacle of chickens#!t. The damage that Brad did to his family, friends, loved ones, and fans is way worse than anything Tom could’ve done to him. So maybe Tom is a self-serving, controlling, ass. A lot of the things I’ve heard from people besides him kinda lead me to think that might be true, but he didn’t kill Brad. Brad’s death is the sole result of Brad’s actions. The taking of any human life, unless it’s done to save life, is murder. That’s right, suicide is the murder of one’s self. Your life is a gift from God, and it is not yours to take. Taking a life is the sole responsibility of the one taking it. Defending one’s own or another’s life, physical well-being, liberty, or freedom or a child’s innocence, are the only justifications that I can think of for taking a human life. Not wallowing in self-pity. Was he too selfish or cowardly to even care about the feelings of his girlfriend? She was supposedly his longtime love and he was going to marry her this summer. What he did to her. his loved ones, the members of the various bands he played in, and even his fans is terrible.
Brad killed himself on March 9th. On the following thursday, a friend of mine also took his own life. He got up that morning, waited for his son to go to work and for his wife to drive his youngest daughter to high school. His 21 year old daughter was still in the house sleeping when he walked out in front of his garage near the front of his house and stuck his deer rifle in his mouth. When his loving wife came home just a few minutes later she saw the entire mess. When his 19 year old son who is a clean and upstanding young man returned home, he had to run past the police roadblock down a long rural dirt driveway, only to see the huge mess his beloved dad made of himself. He fell to his knees and sobbed his heart out. The HAZMAT team that had to come clean it up worked until dark then had to come back the next day to finish. It was really sad, because his family and loved ones didn’t feel much sorrow or pity for him, it was more of an outrage that he would do such a terrible thing to those he left behind. He was raised as a good christian and what he did was totally inexcuseable. If he would have lived, we all would have kicked his ass. Now Brad didn’t make a royal mess like my friend did, but the loss of humanity is the same.
I’m sure Brad Delp was a nice guy, everybody who ever knew him said so. But if he would rather kill himself than tell Tom off, then he definitely had a problem. I’m the biggest Boston fan I personally know, and I think it is such a shame and the complete and utter waste of one of the best voices and nicest individuals in rock and roll that I have ever seen. You can all stop blaming Tom and thank Brad for taking that away.
Anthony said,
July 6, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
Hey everyone I am selling my 100 watt rockman XP100 it’s a classic and in very good condition..if your interested email me…Thanks supercell369@aol.com
david said,
July 17, 2007 @ 12:43 am
i am looking for a manual for the rockman x-100, does anyone have one that they could post or possibly send me a copy?
david said,
July 17, 2007 @ 12:45 am
by the way, in case my email didn’t show in my last email, i’m at tiempofugo@yahoo.ca
and i would be glad to find a way to return the favour if you could post or send me a copy of the x-100 manual.
Phil said,
August 25, 2007 @ 12:48 am
Hi everyone,
I just bought a Rockman X100 off ebay and it came with the Rockadapter. I havent used it yet as I need to buy a +6.4VDC -6.0VDC 200ma AC adapter (Im in Australia so the one that came with it is useless for now).
Anyway Im wondering if anyone could please tell me what the purpose of the Rockadapter is, since there is already a power supply input on the side of the X100? Also how can the Rockadapter be removed, Ive tried to pull it out but it wont move and im scared of breaking the plastic and I dont really want to unscrew entire unit.
Thanx heaps!
Phil said,
August 25, 2007 @ 12:49 am
Oh and my email is:
pjbinnion@gmail.com
Cheers
Grey said,
August 26, 2007 @ 11:10 pm
I’m still to some of the electronic modification world but all I want to know is exactly what do i need to get the unique and almost synthesizer-like sound he got.
BigSqueez said,
September 8, 2007 @ 5:41 pm
ACE,
you said exactly what I was thinking!
wile.e said,
October 1, 2007 @ 2:11 am
I can’t find any info on SR&D full range speakers. I would like to duplicate Boston’s stage equipment as much as I can, at least on a small scale.
Thx!
daveaftermidnight said,
November 19, 2007 @ 12:04 pm
What is the difference between the Rockman Sustainor and the Rockman X100 ? I know the features are different as far as the chorus and echo sounds but what is the difference in sound quality other than having more control?
thank you
dave@guitarflow.com
webmaster said,
November 19, 2007 @ 10:25 pm
If you add a Rockman Chorus and Rockman Delay to the Sustainor you can get a sound that is close to the X100.
Quality wise the sustainor is much better. Think of it as studio gear while the X100 is mainly for practicing.
Also it’s possible to make the Sustainor not sound like “Boston”. Also as you mentioned you have a lot more control with the Sustainor.
daveaftermidnight said,
November 20, 2007 @ 2:20 am
What was he using on the first two albums? I think that was his best tone.
thanks,
Dave
webmaster said,
November 20, 2007 @ 7:55 am
On the first two albums Tom recorded with Marshall amps. Among other things he ran his guitar through an EQ pedal prior tp the amp. By running an EQ before any distortion generating device you can really shape the distortion. He may have also been running a power brake on his Mashalls to crank the snot out of them without outputting ear crushing decibels. I’m not sure when Tom would have applied delay and echo, probably during mastering. I’m sure he also EQ’d more in mastering.
It wasn’t until the Third Stage album that some of the Rockman gear was used for recording.
A lot of people tend to focus on the guitar tones when they think of “the Boston sound”, but the drums and vocal mixes are just as amazing.
daveaftermidnight said,
November 20, 2007 @ 1:20 pm
I agree, As an amateur sound recording engineer I have always marveled at the mixes and production, especially on the first two albums. They are Better quality than most recordings of today. And the way he sets things in the mix, like the vocals, I am still trying to figure it out. I put on my headphones and I still have trouble hearing what he has done. It is wonderful and I love the mystery.
Have you ever noticed that Boson mixes, like his guitar sound, have allot of mid range?
Dave.
daveaftermidnight said,
November 23, 2007 @ 9:00 pm
Any thoughts on the distortion generator?
Thanks,
Dave
Kale Walker said,
December 1, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
I love rockman there’s still nothing like it in the world.. If you can find the video by Kurt mitchell. (guitar in the style of Boston) he goes indepth on the rockman sound. describes it as a Nasally guitar sound. Also reading some of the statements here on the recording, ya got to rememeber Tom records analog. So if your DAW or recording system doesn’t have a analog patch, or you don’t use a anlaog setup you proably won’t come close to a good “boston” reproduction. And as a working drummer myself.. For those who like the drums of the thirdstage album and forward, Tom uses Ddrum red triggers on the acoustics to give them that extra umph on tape.
Peter said,
December 2, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
Hi I have a Rockman X100, I have the pedal box , I took out the Rockman X100 and would like to use it on my belt but I don’t have the battery compartment cover, do you know where I could find one!!
Any help appreciated!!!
Tim Erskine said,
December 7, 2007 @ 1:04 am
If you are really interested in discussing the recording process and how Tom Scholz gets that amazing guitar sound, check out my egroup at the link above.
Tim
Kale Walker said,
December 18, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
I know Tom uses the DDrum Red Shot triggers, for the drums. But does anyone know what drum module he usues. Could be anything from an Alesis Dm5 to a Roland TD-20
Dave Nieve said,
February 18, 2008 @ 8:13 pm
I need a power supply for my X100. Any advice?
thank you
Kingsford said,
February 22, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
From what I’ve been reading here, lots of finger pointing…. I get the feeling Scholz is a narcissist A$$. ( Go check his article on why digital sucks for personality insight)
However, Brad is a Dumba$$ for allowing people to control him EVEN if Tom was the “cause” of his death. You don’t get taken advantge of unless you send out an invite.(maybe he really enjoyed being used as a toliet by people)
No one really knows for sure, but i’d be willing to bet that Delp had some mental problems( Bi-polar/ Manic/sadistic issues) he was hiding.
What’s the next move Tom, Hibachi Rockmans???
Steve Bennett said,
April 3, 2008 @ 6:31 am
Is it possible to use the effects of the rockman through your amp?
Can some one help me
webmaster said,
April 3, 2008 @ 7:01 am
I’m assuming you’re talking about the X100. Not really. You would have to go through the x100 and then into your regular amp input or the effects return of your amp. Either way you’re going through the preamp of the Rockman. You may want to experiment with CLN1 or CLN2. It may sound transparent enough to not color the sound of your amps preamp.
vman91 said,
April 30, 2008 @ 9:50 pm
Hi!
http://www.tom-scholz.com has EVERY instruction manual you need in a printable format.
Jark at http://www.rockman.fr has probably the greatest tribute to the rockman line available. look at his photos of his “museum”. my God the amps and gear!!!
The site will also lead you to the premiere ROCKMODULE repairman alive. I am on his waiting list…get on it soon if you need it!!!