Are Rocktron and ISP dead?

[Desertdweller]

Old guy here that played Rocktron stuff in the 90s. They were there before modelers and paved the way for amazing solid state technology. I’ve used all of their old preamps and a few of their power amps, plus their effects units still turn up in pro racks all the time (Intellifex, mainly). I know the guys behind Rocktron went to ISP, but I’ve seen nothing from them in about 5 years. They had the Theta Pro preamp box, but it looked and sounded somewhat uninspiring and I haven’t seen anything from either company since.

Are they completely dead? They are still paying to keep active websites for some reason if they’re not, and it just got me wondering if either company is even in business any more.

 

[deathbyguitar]

Sure seems like they're both near dead. Neither company seems to have made anything of significant note in a long time. ISP seems slightly more relevant but not by much.

I traded in my Rocktron shirts for Fractal shirts a long time ago. The VooDu Valve was a cool unit for what it was, however strange.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Looks like they're still making the Banshee? Which is the only thing I've used from them, and it's pretty cool.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Banshee2--rocktron-banshee-2-amplified-talkbox

 

[la szum]

They did a modeller series a decade or so ago. Floor units I believe. I owned one.
Utopia series?

Recorded in a studio with the Rocktron ProGap in like 1989. The Producer was so
stoked to have it that he insisted I use it. I didn't like it. I thought it sounded like ass,
but what did I know back then. I was just a punk ass with an actual amp! So I used it
and not my amp.

I have a few of their pieces around here. Exciters and Compressors. Hush unit, too.

They kind of ruled the gear world once upon a time. Innovators and trend-setters.

 

[gearJunkie]

I still use (and love) a Rocktron Intellifex and Pro-Q in my Triaxis + 2:90 rig.

 

[2112]

The intellifex is right up there with my favourite rack effects units ever. It had some sweet features like analog dry through and the 8 voice chorus.

I did a video for ISP recently and they seem to be a pretty small team with no dedicated marketing division. Lovely people to deal with.

 

[djd100]

The unfortunately discontinued 1U Rocktron Plexi is a great all tube Marshall preamp, with front panel options from JCM45'ish through JCM900'ish styles.

 

[mavrick102000]

I enjoyed my Rocktron All Access midi controller board way back in the AxeFX Standard and Ultra days.

 

[Desertdweller]

I was a huge fan of Rocktron back in the mid-90s to mid-2000s. I was a teenager when I got my first rack preamp, a Rocktron Chameleon, and I built my first rack rig around it. I used a tube mic pre to give it a little juice on the front end, which was always fun.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

All the ISP stuff is still available from online retailers? It’s not like they were ever cranking out new products with every NAMM cycle. Perhaps they just got tired of the eternal mocking of the theta…

 

[unix-guy]

I still use (and love) a Rocktron Intellifex and Pro-Q in my Triaxis + 2:90 rig.

The intellifex is right up there with my favourite rack effects units ever.

I don't remember exactly why I switched from Intellifex to TC G-Major, but I really liked mine, too.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Still have two of their half-rack units, a GAP (always wanted the ProGAP but couldn't afford it) and a compressor. The preamp is sounding pretty outdated but the onboard Hush NR (which is what made Rocktron quite famous among rack guys) is still a pretty decent noise reduction.

 

[Thermionic Aether]

I still have an old school Rocktron setup. Voodu Valve (witch doctor of course) into a velocity or mosvalve power amp with the blue All access midi controller.
It still sounds good to me. The pre-post eq is powerful and while it isn't a modeler it has its own thing going on. I don't use it often but every time I do i'm reminded of why i havent sold it yet. people get right into the high gain stuff but it will do low and mid gain really well too. I had an intellifex paired with it for a while but sold it.

 

[sleewell]

another round of ISP guitar subs would be cool

 

[GuitarBilly74]

ISP will stay in business on Decimator sales alone. It's probably the most popular noise gate pedal these days.
Their Stealth power amps seem to do well too.

I doubt that their modeling thing was ever a big part of their sales.

 

[Elric]

They're dead to me.
I wish I could say otherwise.