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ISP Technologies MS Theta Pro DSP Michael Sweet Preamp and Multi-effects Pedal

Item ID: MSThetaProDSP
ISP Technologies MS Theta Pro DSP Michael Sweet Preamp and Multi-effects Pedal
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ISP Technologies MS Theta Pro DSP Michael Sweet Preamp and Multi-effects Pedal Reviews

Guitar Preamp and Multi-effects Pedal with 32-bit Floating Point DSP and Speaker-emulated Output

Michael Sweet of Stryper has inspired fans the world over with his holy hair-metal tones: his tight, controlled chug; his smooth, sailing leads; and his tasteful bouquet of stereo effects. Now you can cop Michael's exact sound with the ISP Technologies Michael Sweet Theta Pro DSP guitar preamp/pedal. When we say exact, we mean it — this is the very same box Michael uses out on the road with Stryper. It ships with 11 of his personal presets and includes several enhancements over the original Theta Pro DSP. These include a 3-band parametric EQ, post-distortion bass and treble to smooth and sculpt dirt, a tuner, and a totally realistic rotary speaker effect. The ISP Michael Sweet Theta Pro DSP comes in a righteous Stryper-black-and-yellow chassis with Michael's silkscreened signature.

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Price:$1,409 and 00 cents
$235.00 suggested monthly payment§ with 6 month special financing‡
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We Can Get It!

While this isn't an item we normally stock, we can still get it to you as fast as possible due to our great relationship with ISP Technologies. Go ahead and place your order and we'll follow up shortly to let you know when to expect it. Estimated June 2026.

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April 21, 2026

The Decimator puts the Theta DSP above all competition!

By Jimmy R.
Music Background: Have been semi-pro at times, 48 years of gigging experience.

As everyone has said here, the guitar tones and effects are incredible, with the most variable EQ and usable, high quality, tight, high gain of anything I've tried in 52 years of playing the guitar. Unbelievable.

But I need to talk about the Decimator noise gate / suppression. This noise control is what allows so much gain to actually be usable. In other rigs, if we'd dial up gain levels as high as the Theta offers up, noise gates out there might suppress when you stop playing, albeit with a slight noise tail and popping artifacts; Theta has no noise tail or pops with the Decimator baked into the signal path. None.

Also in other high gain rigs, the gate can gate the noise, in a messy way as described above, but noise is still in your signal WHILE you play! The Decimator also extracts all hum and hiss from your signal...while you're playing!

Now this characteristic is rarely mentioned when noise gates are reviewed: how longer sustained notes experience a ragged break up, interspersed with noise, as the notes fade out. This does not happen on the Theta DSP, only natural smooth note decay, with zero noise interspersion.

These noise gate / suppression characteristics make it seem like it's not high gain at all, just sustain for days with effortless legato, without having to deal with hiss and hum. This is magic! This is amazing, and has to be experienced to truly understand how your playing can effortlessly shred and soar.

Want to play like the sustaining lead guitar as in "That Lady" by the Isley Brothers, at conversation volume, or high volume? Theta DSP is your Huckleberry.

I called iSP customer service with a question, and Buck Waller actually picked up, answered my question, and talked to me about his industry stories for 42 minutes!!!

Thanks Buck Waller for the best guitar rig I've ever played!!!

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December 11, 2024

Love it, but…..

By Scuzzy B. from Rocky Ford, CO

Truly one of the best boxes I've ever owned.
HOWEVER - be advised that the manual doesn't offer one peep about midi implementation. Not one iota. If you are planning to control this via midi, GOOD LUCK! Even Tech Support could not help me, and Buck even said it needed to be worked. Fast forward 5 YEARS later….it still hasn't been done (to my knowledge). ISP needs to do something about this!!!

March 30, 2023

Best Pedal

By Justin from Moses Lake, WA
Music Background: Christian Metal

I have owned a lot of pedals through the past 40 years and I have yet to own one that has so many sounds. 223 pre-sets to include the Stryper sounds. They will raise the price and they need to. Way more then it should be.

Get it while the price is low.

June 25, 2022

Incredible sound! Top notch costumer service!

By Steve from Texas
Music Background: Guitar player

This processor has everything you need and sounds incredible! Customer service is also to notch! I'm not very tech savvy and had some questions about set up and called ISP. Buck Waller explained the unit with great detail and answered all my questions. If you're on the fence on buying this I would not hesitate! The noise desimator on this unit is the best I've ever heard along with the Effects and multiple amp and speakers selection sounds make this the most versatile piece of equipment I own!

July 5, 2019

Incredible sound and response

By Tim L. from Michigan

This pedal delivers everything they advertise and more. The preset sounds are amazing and the product is very easy to operate. If you are looking for an "All-in-One" pedal that is easy to use, has great responsive sound, is light weight and gives you unlimited options, then do yourself a favor and check this pedal out. That is the only way you can truly appreciate how great this is.

January 24, 2019

The incredible ISP Theta

By Steven W. from Janesville, WI

After spending a few day with the Theta Pro MS, I began to understand how great this unit is. Any tone is possible if you just spend a little time with it. Amazing high gain great cleans and the on board effects are incredible. I really love the chorus and delay. Just Amazing!!!!!!!!! Thank you ISP for such awesome products.

October 16, 2018

This module screams Stryper

By Vinny J. from San Juan Capistrano

This module screams Stryper! I finally found a sound I love! My solos scream now. Crunchy chords! Thank you Michael!

July 11, 2018

Perfect Stryper sound

By Rick from Arkansas
Music Background: Rock

Not user friendly at all and the Manual is not much help. Can someone please help me turn off the speaker emulated output to the main outs? The manual says it has to be done through the global function but I can"t find it. I would rate this thing a 5 if it were user friendly.

July 1, 2018

MS Theta Pro

By Sweetwater Customer

Great pedal. Still trying all the settings. Sound great!

June 12, 2017

Not a modeler, truly a unique and useable tool.

By Kerry M. from Michigan
Music Background: semi professional

I've been bitten by the guitar/amp bug since hearing those crunchy twin guitars at the beginning of Detroit Rock City from KISS Alive II sometime in 1978. Like many from my era, I bought a good guitar to try to be like those great guitar heroes we all list as favorites and esteem so highly. We esteem them for the notes they play (and don't play) and also for the tones they were/are able to coax from the gear they chose to create those sounds that continue to inspire us. So, the amp and cab quest has always been an ever elusive journey for me. For reference sake, my tone journey has been inspired by Eddie VH, Andy Summers, Larry Carlton, Jeff Beck, Vito Bratta, and Phil Keaggy.

So, like anyone reading this review, I've been toying around with the idea of "going digital" for over a decade, especially as I've been noticing the quality of tubes going south steadily in recent years. Every modeler has always delivered a similar experience. No matter how close the emulation is, I always end up feeling like I'm playing on the record... not in front of the amp IN the studio. Yes, admittedly, those emulations have gotten really good. Anyone investing in a Kemper, AxeFXII, Bias Head, Helix, etc. are going to sound as good as their chops will allow them. But, to my ear, they all will sound like I'm playing the recording, not an actual amp and cab. I always simply plug my cable into a real amp after I've demoed the modeler and instantly, I hear the difference and I KNOW which is the real amp (yes, even the Kemper). And nearly immediately, that modeler, no matter how esteemed and pricey, seems like a toy, not a real inspirational tool. It's been frustrating, right?

So, when Michael Sweet started pitching the fact that he had been able to hone his signature tone out of a digital device, I was intrigued. Not that I'm a fan of that half cocked wah tone for MY sound. But Michael shares a similar ear for tone and how could he possibly go digital with such a finely tuned ear over four decades?

So, I attended his seminar recently at SW. I played the Theta Pro DSP and compared it to the Kemper, the Bias Head, and the Helix over several hours and two separate days with my own guitar.
I played them all so much, I got ear fatigue and walked away frustrated because my ears were "fried" like smelling colognes for hours straight. Buck Waller was gracious in his conversations with me during that event. Michael Sweet was gracious. All the sales staff at SW were gracious.... I walked away that day because it's a LOT of money for a box and I can be a wussy at times.

And then a week later after processing the experience, I said, "man, I HAVE to try it live for myself in my own situation." and I ordered it through my main man with SW, Alan Carter.

So, here's where the review actually hits the road...

This box is not a modeler. It is NOT in the same competitive field as all of the other devices you know and may possibly love. This is a genuinely unique preamp with clean and dirty avenues (much like a two or three channel amp) that allow for virtually any type of tone your may want to pursue. The preamp is fully digital but uses a different language to conjure up the sounds than the typical software languages the competition use to create their models. In that fact, it is more immediate, more responsive, and simply more real feeling and sounding than anything I've ever played.

After a live gig recently playing it through the PA I know well, I was blown away by this simple observation, it always seemed like what I was hearing out of the PA was a mic'd amp/cab in the next room. It did NOT feel/sound like a model of an amp. The pick attack is so genuine. The chime and bloom of the compression is so professional and pleasing. I really enjoyed playing that gig and was almost giddy about it if it weren't for the fact that NO ONE else in the room would understand why I would be giddy. Having GAS can be a lonely venture, right?

The effects are all very usable and sound wonderful.
The stereo imaging is completely professional and easy to dial in.
The chorus is world class and makes both clean/dirty setting sound FULLER, not thinner. Weird.
"Song mode" allows a simple solution to the end of tap dancing on a gig.
Editing is very easy after a few minutes with the three different function knobs.
and MOST of all, the stage outputs AND the PA outputs BOTH sound great! That has always been a hassle with any other digital product I've tried. Not with ISP.

I made the decision after two weeks with it that it is worthy of staying in the arsenal and becoming the cornerstone of my future gig rig. It simply sounds as good as my present amp rigs when mic'd up, without the hassle of having to haul in the cabs, heads, rack, and midi board.

My only "ding" to what would be a five star rating is that the power supply that is shipped with the unit is a large wall wart with a very thin cable ending in a typically weak barrel plug. For the price, I would rather have something a little more substantial/sturdy to ease my mind on a gig.

If you're like me, ever wanting a great tone with minimal hassles and a wide palette to create your own sound, but more often than not being let down by modelers that leave you less than inspired, I completely understand. If you would rather search for and find your own sound rather than end up sounding like others (albeit possibly JUST LIKE others), I cannot recommend this product highly enough.
In the digital realm, the Theta Pro DSP by ISP is a truly world class professional tone tool in a class by itself at this time, IMHO.

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February 24, 2017

Excellent

By Richard H. from Chicago, IL
Music Background: Professional Musician

This is a EXCELLENT unit. I love the addition of the Tuner. The tones this puts out are amazing. The low noise of the unit is also amazing. Michael's presets are very tight. I use this in the studio for my band 7th heaven and when we tour on road/fly dates and it works perfectly. Def. a gem.

February 24, 2017

ISP Michael Sweet Limited Edition Theta Pro

By Paul P. from Prairie du Sac Wisconsin
Music Background: Rhythm Guitar Player

I was fortunate enough to be at the 2017 NAMM convention in Anaheim where the ISP MS Theta Pro was being demoed and I was completely blown away by its versatility and ease of use. I'm not a tech-head when it comes to effects pedals, and frankly, I was a bit intimidated thinking that there was no way I'd be able to figure this thing out. However, after speaking with Buck Waller, the owner of ISP, and having him walk me through how the pedal operates, I immediately called my Sweetwater Sales Representative, Scott Auguststyniak, and ordered one. I was also fortunate enough to see Michael and Ethan Brosh demo the MS Theta Pro and I was completely blown away by the sound. Whether you are a Stryper fan or not, you need this pedal. If you want the Stryper sound, its there, the exact tone Michael uses. If you want to tweak the settings to develop your own sound, its there, and its easy. This thing is nearly fool proof.

As a guitar player, I always loved the Stryper sound and wished I could replicate it, but I had no idea how to do it. Then, this thing comes along and I was so stoked. What's funny is that as much as I like the Stryper tone, I also like the non-Stryper stuff and have found myself gravitating toward my own set-up which I didn't think I would do. When I first plugged this thing in, I found the tone best suited for me and literally played for 4.5 hours. My fingers hurt and I couldn't believe I had played that long, but I was having so much fun, I didn't notice. If you are like me, if your tone is off, so is your playing. The ISP MS Theta Pro improved my tone to the point that I don't want to put the guitar down. Not that I ever wanted to before, but it sounds professional, makes me feel as though Im a better player, and it's easy to use.

It's a Friday and I cant wait to get out of work to go home and play. By the way, I also bought the Washburn PX-SOLARV6-MS, Michael's signature Flying V through Sweetwater (custom order). To me, this is a lethal combination. The guitar is amazing, has incredible sustain, and now with the tone dialed in, I'm a rock star in my own right.

If I didn't believe in either of these products, I'd be the first to tell you because I'm very particular when it comes to instruments, gear and quality. I don't like anything that is made cheaply and performs cheaply. These products are an absolute homerun in my book, and I encourage any of you reading this, don't walk, run out and buy the pedal and the guitar. You will not be disappointed.

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February 23, 2017

The MS Theta Pro: Killer Tone in one box!

By Axel v. from Thermal, CA

I have made dozens of fairly significant Guitar and equipment related purchases in the approximately 4 years that I've been playing -but this is the 1st time that I've felt strongly enough about a particular item to write a review. And the score I'm giving the MS Theta Pro says it all (5.0 -WOW! Blown Away).

I owned the original (Red) Theta Pro and recently sold it to make room for the Michael Sweet signature edition -and boy am I glad that I did! Not that there is anything wrong with the Red unit -it's great- but to upgrade to the MS Theta Pro for only a few dollars more is a No-Brainer! Not only does it come with several addition features not included in the original (the super accurate and easy to use Tuner eliminated a $100 pedal all on its own) but Michael's 11 personal presets are absolutely amazing. Stryper and Michael Sweet have long been acknowledged as having one of the very best Guitar Tones -and now I do too!

With the MS Theta Pro, a noob-hack like myself was able to literally plug-in and play with phenomenal tone, right out of the box!

If your in the market for an all-in-one pedal (or just Killer Tone!), do yourself a favor and try out the MS Theta Pro.

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