GOAT "Blue Series" | Effects Pedals That Recreate the Legendary ROCKMAN Sound

The GOAT “Blue Series” was developed to allow modern guitarists to enjoy the sound of the legendary “ROCKMAN” effects pedals more easily.

While the original ROCKMAN has captivated many guitarists with its unique sound, issues such as availability, maintenance, and the difficulty of transporting rack-mounted units have become challenges today.

The GOAT Blue Series redesigns the ROCKMAN’s signature circuitry and rebuilds it as a compact effects pedal. Our goal is to create a product that lets you enjoy the ROCKMAN sound in a variety of settings, from the studio to live performances.

The original units were expensive, raised concerns about maintenance and malfunctions, and—being rack-mounted—were difficult to integrate into effects boards. The development of the Blue Series began in response to this feedback from users.

By redesigning the ROCKMAN circuitry, the Blue Series addresses issues with the original circuit, such as noise reduction. Assembled in a Japanese factory, these products are designed to deliver the unique ROCKMAN sound despite their compact size.

The project involved the TC Gakki Effects Team, GOAT, engineers with extensive experience in effects pedal design, and a domestic factory. TC Gakki is leading the development and overseeing the project.

This is an effects pedal dedicated to distortion and overdrive. It features a built-in compressor and an equalizer that lets you adjust the frequency bands best suited for guitar.

●Distortion Harmonix: Adjusts the distortion gain. A switch allows you to choose between three modes: Overdrive (Low), standard distortion (Mid), and intense distortion (High).

●Pre Dist EQ: Features three EQ bands—Bass, Mid Boost, and 2kHz—each of which can be boosted or cut.

●Treble Boost: Boosts only the treble range. It reproduces sounds ranging from deep, rich tones to those that are pushed to the forefront.

●CLEAN: Turning down the guitar’s volume emphasizes the clean sound.

●PHASE: Turning this switch ON creates a phase-canceling effect.

This chorus features an analog BBD. It produces a sweet, soft sound and pairs exceptionally well with distorted guitars.

●Sweep Speed: Adjusts the speed of the sweep.
Adjustable within the range of 0.25 Hz to 1 Hz.
●Deep Chorus: Adds a doubler effect (depth) to the chorus. The center position corresponds to the original “ON” state, and settings above the center allow you to create sounds that go “even further.” ●Direct Mixer: Choose from three output modes depending on your application.
●Wide Stereo: A stereo chorus effect that creates a wide, expansive sound through the interplay of in-phase and out-of-phase signals.
●Normal: Provides a standard stereo effect; mono output is also available. Offers a good balance between depth and width.
●Equal: Supports both stereo and mono. In stereo mode, the sweep speed is very fast, resulting in shallower depth. In mono mode, the sweep speed is fast, producing a chorus with deep depth.

This is a delay/echo effect that uses analog circuitry. It reproduces a precise stereo image in the sound space regardless of the setting.

●Feedback: Sets the delay duration.
●Echo Time: Adjustable from 75–300 ms on the left (L) and 125–500 ms on the right (R).
●Pan Select: Selects the output mode via a switch. In the top position, the stereo signal is mixed with the mono direct signal and output. In the middle position, both the echo and direct signals are output in stereo. In the bottom position, different mixes are output from the left and right channels.
●Experience a unique echo sound through the stereo output.

The SUSTAINOR—the most requested model since the launch of the Blue Series—is finally here! Not only does it deliver that signature drive sound, but it also marks the full return of the clean sound.

●MODE SELECT: Features two channels (CHAN A/B) that switch between DIST, EDGE, CLN, and CLN2.
●DIST: Deliberately boosts midrange frequencies to deliver a powerful overdrive.
●EDGE: An overdrive tone with good sustain,
featuring a slight boost to the midrange frequencies. ●CLN: The overall EQ is similar to DIST and EDGE, but it produces a clean sound with excellent sustain.
●CLN2: Features a natural EQ with extended high frequencies, producing a clean sound reminiscent of an electro-acoustic guitar with compression.
●GATE: Allows you to adjust the noise gate sensitivity. This noise gate acts only on high frequencies close to the noise frequency band. This provides a noise-reduction effect without cutting off the sound.

A key feature is its highly practical design, which allocates 3 bands to BASS, 2 bands to TREBLE, and 7 bands to the crucial MID section out of the total 12 bands. It’s an excellent graphic equalizer that lets you set up and manage your ideal tone exactly as you like.

● TREBLE BAND: Controls the top-end frequencies at 8 kHz and 16 kHz.
● MID BAND: Controls the key midrange frequencies at 500, 700, 1k, 1.4k, 2k, 2.8k, and 4 kHz.
●BASS BAND: Controls the low-end frequencies at 62, 125, and 250 Hz.
●Each EQ slider offers 12 dB of boost/cut and features a center click to precisely return to the “0” dB setting.

Tom Scholz, the leader of BOSTON, founded SR&D (Scholz Research & Development) in 1980 and released numerous effects pedals under the ROCKMAN brand.

ROCKMAN is said to have been developed based on the concept of “being able to take your guitar anywhere and enjoy playing it,” inspired by Sony’s Walkman.

The DISTORTION GENERATOR, known as one of ROCKMAN’s flagship models, is characterized by a unique distortion sound with emphasized midrange.

The STEREO CHORUS creates a rich, spacious sound when combined with distortion, while the STEREO ECHO produces a distinctive sense of width through different echo times on the left and right channels.

In the early 1990s, digital effects pedals began to dominate the market, and ROCKMAN—being a fully analog effects pedal—gradually faded from the scene.

However, ROCKMAN’s unique tone and distinctive distortion have not lost their appeal and continue to be cherished by many fans today.

Furthermore, the fact that musicians such as Tom Scholz and Takahiro Matsumoto of B'z used ROCKMAN products—including the Sustainor, X100, and XPR—helped make the ROCKMAN sound widely known.

“ROCKMAN is one of the pieces of gear I’ve had a personal connection with for many years. With the Blue Series, we didn’t just aim to reproduce the sounds of that era; we also prioritized making the units easy for modern guitarists to use in real-world performance settings.

During development, we meticulously studied each circuit and component of the original units, aiming to preserve the distinctive ROCKMAN sound while creating a design that integrates easily into today’s effects boards.

I’d be delighted if those familiar with the original ROCKMAN recognize ‘that sound,’ and if younger guitarists who aren’t familiar with ROCKMAN can enjoy this unique sound in a new way.”