ART SGX 2000 Express

The ART SGX 2000 Express is a rack-mount guitar preamp and effects processor, an upgraded version of the ART SGX 2000. ART describes the original SGX 2000 as a "preamp/analog/digital effects processor," and the Express keeps that architecture while, in ART's own words, increasing the unit's power by 400% with the ease of use unchanged¹. Its headline feature is a dual pitch transposer, which sits alongside the original's single Pitch Transposer and Reverb combination¹.

For a player, the Express is a self-contained rig in a double-high 19-inch steel rack case: preamp, effects, presets and MIDI control in one unit, designed for continuous professional use¹. It is a discontinued-era rack processor from ART's SGX line, which also included the SGX LT and the bass-oriented SGX NightBass.

A rack processor with a dual pitch transposer

The Express's defining addition over the original is the dual pitch transposer, two pitch-shifting engines in one algorithm where the SGX 2000 offered a single Pitch Transposer (abbreviated PTr in the display) combined with reverb¹. The dual transposer offers four modes: OFF, SMOOTH, NORMAL and QUICK, with SMOOTH as the default¹. Pitch transposing of this kind places the Express in the same territory as dedicated octave and pitch pedals, but integrated into the rack's signal chain.

The original SGX 2000's algorithm set also included an Acoustic Environment Simulator (AES), and the Express inherits the SGX 2000's overall structure, since its manual is written as an addendum to the SGX 2000 reference manual rather than a standalone document¹.

The unit's I/O reflects its rack heritage. Two inputs are available, an instrument input on the front panel and line inputs on the rear, and four kinds of output: a 1/4-inch instrument output, two 1/4-inch mono line out jacks, male XLR balanced outputs, and headphone outputs on both the front and rear panels¹.

A digital tuner is built in, with two dedicated presets in Bank A (STRAIGHT TUNER and TUNERTONE at presets 21 and 22). Its REFRNC parameter offers individual string frequencies, A 440, and an AUTO mode with a frequency window of 2.5 half steps, in which the unit detects which string you are tuning and switches the reference automatically¹.

Presets: 475 factory patches and 200 user slots

The Express ships with 475 factory presets across four banks, a large jump from the original SGX 2000's 115 factory presets within its 200 total slots¹.

Within Bank A, presets 23 to 28 are X-15 ready patches, set up for the foot controller out of the box¹. ART suggests storing your own presets starting with slot 200 and working down¹. On the original SGX 2000, the first 110 presets are protected from being overwritten, and all 200 presets can be reached from the front panel with the Preset button, keypad or rotary encoder¹.

MIDI Mode controls and the X-15 pedal

The Express is built around MIDI control, and its natural partner is the ART X-15 Ultrafoot. You can access all 200 memory slots of the SGX 2000 Express with the X-15, with programming done on the SGX itself rather than on the pedal¹. The X-15's Bypass Jack feature can also control one of the SGX 2000's Remote Jacks¹.

All of the analog and digital effects parameters, including the Mix Control parameters, are controllable via the X-15¹. The two expression pedals have fixed controller assignments: CC# 4 for the left pedal and CC# 11 for the right². The default Performance MIDI controller is MC 4, which is the left foot controller on the X-15¹. One note for envelope filter users: with the X-15 Ultrafoot, ART says you must assign a Performance MIDI controller to the Threshold parameter¹.

MIDI Mode itself is where the channel and program behavior live:

• MIDI Channel: OFF to 16, default 1; sets both the send and receive channel²
• MIDI Enable: PM (Performance MIDI) ON/OFF and PROG (Program change) ON/OFF, both ON by default, turning the two functions on or off independently²
• MIDI Program Table (MPT): editable via the PROG and PRESET parameters, mapping incoming program numbers to presets²

To change a setting, press the PARAM button, select the parameter with the Encoder, and adjust it; to exit MIDI Mode, press the MIDI button to return to Edit Mode, or the Edit button². The SGX 2000 is shipped from the factory in OMNI mode, receiving MIDI program numbers on any channel, and its MIDI receive channel can be set to 1 to 16, OMNI or Off¹.

The SGX 2000's firmware lives in a socketed EPROM, with the version and date viewable through the Edit Mode Utility screen, and an internal lithium battery with a life of approximately four years backs the memory; an illuminated right decimal point indicates low battery voltage¹.

How it differs from the original SGX 2000 and its siblings

The Express is not a new design but an upgrade: its manual is an addendum to the SGX 2000 reference manual, and ART frames it as the same machine with 400% more processing power and unchanged ease of use¹. The practical differences a player sees are the dual pitch transposer in place of the single Pitch Transposer and Reverb combination, and the much larger factory preset library, 475 patches against the original's 115¹.

Within the wider SGX line, the SGX NightBass serves the same role for bass, with over two octaves of pitch transposing, 200 total presets (115 factory, 85 user locations), full MIDI system exclusive codes, a MIDI data monitor, and a direct interface with the X-15 Ultrafoot³. The SGX LT is a smaller unit with 250 studio effect presets, MIDI in via a five-pin DIN jack receiving program changes, and an Increment Preset Mode that lets a footswitch sequence through up to 128 presets⁴.

Warranty and support

ART warrants the SGX 2000 Express to the original purchaser against defects in workmanship and materials for one year from the date of purchase, repairing or replacing the product at ART's option¹. The warranty excludes misuse, abuse, unauthorized alterations or repairs, and is void if the serial number is altered, defaced or removed¹. ART's customer service line in the manual is (716) 436-2720, staffed 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday¹.

Videos

Click to load

Click to load

Click to load

Questions