Rocktron Chameleon

The Rocktron Chameleon is a 24-bit DSP professional guitar preamp built as a rack unit, "for use with a guitar amplifier or rack system setup"¹. It combines preamp duties with twelve effect algorithms, so a player can run it into a power amp and speaker cab, or straight into a mixing console using its speaker simulation. Rocktron describes it as providing "12 unparalleled effect algorithms" and 254 stored sounds called presets, arranged in 12 fixed configurations¹.

What it does

The Chameleon is a programmable preamp with built-in digital effects. Each preset stores a full preamp and effects setup, and the 12 fixed configurations determine the order and selection of the effect blocks, for example a high-gain distortion, chorus, delay and reverb chain¹. Complete programmability and full MIDI implementation are coupled with what the manual calls a user friendly operating format¹.

Its distortion stage models different tube clipping behaviors. The manual describes the Low Gain DIST parameter types: "The Solid State setting provides the hardest clipping, while the Pentode type provides a softer clipping and the Triode" A and B settings provide the softest clipping¹. That gives a player a choice of clipping character rather than a single fixed distortion voice.

A key feature for recording and silent practice is the speaker simulation. The manual states that "Advanced Speaker Simulation provides a strikingly realistic approximation of a miked speaker cabinet at line-level for direct mixer input or headphone listening"¹. A global OUTPUT parameter determines whether the unit's output is a stereo left and right signal or two mono signals¹.

Controls and connections

The front panel carries a 16-character display made of 14 segments per character, a standard unbalanced mono 1/4" input jack mounted for easy access, and a RECALL button used to recall the displayed preset¹. Around the back are the balanced XLR left output for direct connection to a mixing console, a 1/4" mono FOOTSWITCH jack for a momentary footswitch controlling the Tapped Delay feature, and a 4-pin DIN power jack¹.

For remote control, the Chameleon has a 7-pin DIN connector for a Rocktron All Access MIDI footswitch as a dedicated remote¹. As a MIDI device, its parameters are controllable remotely: Rocktron's MIDI Mate manual uses it as an example of a programmable device whose gain, level and other parameters can be set and recalled over MIDI³.

The unit accepts power from the supplied 9VAC/2A adaptor. Internally, this 9-volt RMS AC voltage is processed by a voltage doubler which generates bi-polar +/-15 volts for the internal circuitry¹. The unit is designed to operate between 32° F and 104° F (0° C and 40° C)¹.

The Chameleon 2000

Rocktron later released the Chameleon 2000, described on its product page as a "DSP Preamp w/ Effects" and as "Rocktron's most affordable DSP preamp to date"². It keeps the built-in 24-bit digital effects and adds internal MIDI mapping².

Its effects list covers Delay, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Pitch Shift, Tremolo, Reverb, Wah, Compression and more². Where the original Chameleon shapes its distortion through clipping types, the 2000 takes a channel-based approach with four separate gain channels: Clean, Texas, British and Mega².

Rocktron says each channel was carefully constructed using real Tube Amp DNA from some of the most popular amplifiers in history².

Chameleon On-Line

Presets and players

Rocktron's Patch Bay pages hold downloadable preset collections for the Chameleon. One file contains 127 new presets, both with and without speaker simulation engaged, for a total of 254, and the original factory preset collection follows the same format⁴. Another collection, the Guaz preset file, is meant to emulate Yngwie Malmsteen tones⁴.

The patch collections also document long-term users. One contributor, Martin in Germany, has been using his Chameleon since 1993 and shared his patches with other players⁴. Rocktron endorser Gary Hoey created presets used on his album "Animal Instinct"⁴, and in a 1996 Rocktron news item Hoey said he used the Chameleon, along with the Intellifex, RSP Intelliverb and VooDu Valve, during the recording sessions for "Bug Alley"⁵.

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