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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 30, 2006 15:39:28 GMT -7
Well we shall see. I just popped for one of these: If you don't recognize it, check this site: www.tcelectronic.com/G-SystemThis will cause me to consolidate some of my equipment into one cohesive system, but it should be a lot cleaner to gig with. I'll probably put the processor in a rack along with a few key pedals so I can switch them in from the loops. This thing has four switchable loops, so that's a plus. Well I better go plug it in and see what it sounds like with the Stingray.
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Post by skydog958 on Dec 30, 2006 16:01:41 GMT -7
Oo shiney! Lost of buttons! Fun fun fun! ;D
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 30, 2006 16:15:27 GMT -7
Now that's a Committment!
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Post by DaSkip on Dec 30, 2006 16:37:23 GMT -7
I watched alot of the T.C. Electronics vids that you posted. That is a cool tool. I've just about finished the endless pedal search and I have to work them with my looper pedal (3 loops) for a bit and see how it shakes out.
It's funny kinda in a way, I still just like like my sound just straight into the MAZ-18 JR.
Gear will be the birth or death of me..........
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Post by Lefty on Dec 30, 2006 17:00:18 GMT -7
It scares me...so many buttons.
And I agree with Billy, that's one heck of a commitment! I can't even marry my Ol Lady!
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Post by mudskipper on Dec 30, 2006 17:12:36 GMT -7
oh, Steve.... LOL....
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 30, 2006 17:25:15 GMT -7
hehehehe... well, you know I've made a few other purchases in the past, eh?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 30, 2006 17:30:46 GMT -7
Well I just spent about 30 minutes with this thing plugged straight in to the front end of the Stingray and the Flexi-50. Not bad at all! I have some work to do - need to get the input level set right for my guitars, and I need to upload the latest firmware so I can program it for my needs, but right off the bat, all of the reverbs, delays and modulations sound excellent even going in to the front end of either amp. That's what I'm talking about! I'm now thinking no rack at all - just plop it on the floor and run power and signal and I'm done. Well, assuming I have my BB Preamp in one loop... I'll have to put together a custom pedal board to hold this thing and a few pedals in front of it so I can take advantage of the programmable loops. Need to do some experiments with expression pedals too - I'm used to at least one with a processor. I won't need it for the blues gigs, but for the R&R gig it will definitely be the shiznit.
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Post by (8^D) on Dec 30, 2006 18:06:35 GMT -7
Well I just spent about 30 minutes with this thing plugged straight in to the front end of the Stingray and the Flexi-50. Not bad at all! I have some work to do - need to get the input level set right for my guitars, and I need to upload the latest firmware so I can program it for my needs, but right off the bat, all of the reverbs, delays and modulations sound excellent even going in to the front end of either amp. That's what I'm talking about! I'm now thinking no rack at all - just plop it on the floor and run power and signal and I'm done. Well, assuming I have my BB Preamp in one loop... I'll have to put together a custom pedal board to hold this thing and a few pedals in front of it so I can take advantage of the programmable loops. Need to do some experiments with expression pedals too - I'm used to at least one with a processor. I won't need it for the blues gigs, but for the R&R gig it will definitely be the shiznit. Keep the performance posts coming. Have been wondering how they are in gig situations - and transporting. DW.
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k4jkb
New Member
Posts: 33
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Post by k4jkb on Dec 30, 2006 18:20:20 GMT -7
I think your Flexi 50 has an effects loop if it does go that route and I think you will be pleased even more. I have had one since August 05 and it is awesome plus it is one of the coolest looking gadgets out there. I always have someone comment on the way it looks. If you have any questions I will be glad to answer them for you.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 30, 2006 18:36:36 GMT -7
I think your Flexi 50 has an effects loop if it does go that route and I think you will be pleased even more. I have had one since August 05 and it is awesome plus it is one of the coolest looking gadgets out there. I always have someone comment on the way it looks. If you have any questions I will be glad to answer them for you. I could use it in the Flexi's loop if I get a buffer. That loop is unbuffered, and not many things work in it without adding one. Most guys who want to use the Flexi's loop get a VHT Valvulator or similar buffer and then it's a great thing. But I'm not hearing a sonic penalty for running the effects in front of the amp, so I may never go there...
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Post by guitarboy02451 on Dec 30, 2006 19:53:28 GMT -7
I had the G-Major and wasn't impressed. Chorus sucked, delay was just "ok" and verbs were just OK. Lets see what they can do with this. I hope this is a lot better than the G-Major. It should be... it's way more $$$$
Good luck!
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 30, 2006 20:30:02 GMT -7
Steve: I thought you were the guy who had a beef with T.C.?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 30, 2006 20:59:36 GMT -7
I had the G-Major and wasn't impressed. Chorus sucked, delay was just "ok" and verbs were just OK. Lets see what they can do with this. I hope this is a lot better than the G-Major. It should be... it's way more $$$$ Good luck! These effects are derived from the G-Force algorithms.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 30, 2006 21:06:04 GMT -7
Steve: I thought you were the guy who had a beef with T.C.? Yes, I was, am, and still do. They didn't treat me right on the G-Major, and I've beat them up over it many times online. But I've done some homework on this rig and I've finally concluded that it's worth the risk. First, the store where I got it has sold a load of them and none have come back with problems. That would be good! Second, I have not been happy with any of the stomp-box type effects (for the most part) because they all lack the kind of flexibility that MIDI control affords. But third, try to buy this thing's competitor - there isn't one. None of the high end processor manufacturers of the '80's even offer anything these days. You get boo-teek stomp boxes, and modelers these days. I don't know about you, but the modelers leave me cold, and I've already got a butt load of stomp boxes. There just doesn't seem to be anybody competing in this area, so it is either make up with TC, or go without. I've been following the G-System thread over on TGP since about July of 2005 when this thing came out. It's made a load of progress, but there are still features coming in "future updates" whatever that might be. Suffice it to say that I've decided you can't be pissed off the rest of your life, especially if you want a high end guitar effects processor with very cool buttons.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 31, 2006 10:44:15 GMT -7
Good for you! I know about grudging equipment and manufacturers. After owning a Mesa Boogie Mark III I can't make myself seriously consider a Boogie again. It was very reliable but harder and stiffer than a Twin Reverb. A lot of guys are like me and fairly technically handicapped. So we would never consider this kind of thing. I think that's why boutique pedals are much more common. I wish someone could make some good modeling gear but it hasn't happened yet. Even Line 6 bailed on their amp modeler pedal pretty quickly.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 31, 2006 11:12:30 GMT -7
Well the best modeller out there (in my view) is the Vox Tonelab (and the SE model of the same ilk). But they all have guitar preamps in addition to the effects, and after all, I have some of the world's greatest guitar preamps already.
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Post by (8^D) on Dec 31, 2006 11:37:23 GMT -7
I had the G-Major and wasn't impressed. Chorus sucked, delay was just "ok" and verbs were just OK. Lets see what they can do with this. I hope this is a lot better than the G-Major. It should be... it's way more $$$$ Good luck! These effects are derived from the G-Force algorithms. And what wonderful algorithms those are! Really, really great unit! Love the idea of that in a floorboard...to put a few drive/comp/other into the loops and have in one 'space'. Ahhh....
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Post by mudskipper on Dec 31, 2006 12:13:29 GMT -7
i've always been a big fan of TC since the days of ParametricEQ/Compressor and 2290 (?) Delay unit in the 80's. i might look into something like this for one of my bands since we now have a different configuration and it allows me to add more sonic textures (whole another discussion here ). but i have to be honest and say that G-System is way too much money for me, especially for something that's going to be placed in front of the amp. i would like something like that as a part of a system rather than an add-on (which is more or less what i'd get). not to derail the thread but is there something like this but for much less money with high $ to performance ratio?
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Post by skydog958 on Dec 31, 2006 12:29:00 GMT -7
I just hope the G-System hits the tonal G-Spot! ;D
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 31, 2006 12:33:34 GMT -7
i've always been a big fan of TC since the days of ParametricEQ/Compressor and 2290 (?) Delay unit in the 80's. i might look into something like this for one of my bands since we now have a different configuration and it allows me to add more sonic textures (whole another discussion here ). but i have to be honest and say that G-System is way too much money for me, especially for something that's going to be placed in front of the amp. i would like something like that as a part of a system rather than an add-on (which is more or less what i'd get). not to derail the thread but is there something like this but for much less money with high $ to performance ratio? About the only thing you can do is put together a rack full of stuff and in the end, you spend the same or more dough. Of course an assembled system has more configuration options, but it's also got a mile of wire in it that is less roadworthy. Like I said, there aren't many high end processors left. You can still get the G-Force which has a guitar preamp in it, but it won't sound like your Z or your THD amps. You can still get a few dedicated preamps out there - the Triaxis is probably the most famous, but holy crap, that thing is WAY expensive. There are a couple others too, but all the "good" preamps are over a grand, and you still need a good power amp. Lessee here... if I was to put together something similar and buy individual components to rack together, and be equal to this thing, I'd need: Ground Control Pro - $399 G-Force - $1499 Rack - $150 Oops, went over the budget... And I still didn't get a power supply for stomp boxes, or a loop switcher, that are both included with the G-System. I think it's a much better value than folks realize. You could do slightly better with the Yamaha SPX2000, which is $999 (I have one of those too) but it's not really set up for guitar especially, and it won't fit in ANY of your existing guitar racks (it's 17" deep!). There is still the Rocktron stuff, but after they got sold to that Asian investment firm, all their high end stuff has gone stale - no new development since the early '90's or so. I still have the Intellimate here, and it's ok if you want to sound like Lukather in Toto, but not much else. And of course there are those modelers I mentioned - the Vox Tonelab, the Line6 stuff, the Yamaha Magic Stomp stuff. Feh... Like I said, I've been looking at this G-System for a while, because at this price, there really isn't anything that comes close. Edit: By the way Mudskipper, this has both of those effects you mentioned integrated in with everything else. Individual EQ per patch or for the whole system, and that same chorus (it's mentioned in the manual several times). Edit2: Just discovered the Ground Control Pro is $399, not $999. I must have been thinking of the original Ground Control.
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Post by Don on Jan 1, 2007 6:20:11 GMT -7
Hey Steve,
At first glance, and without checking their website, is this capable of switching amps also? Say A, B, and A and B?
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 1, 2007 10:27:30 GMT -7
Hey Steve, At first glance, and without checking their website, is this capable of switching amps also? Say A, B, and A and B? Well there was quite a long discussion of that in TGP thread, and I believe they made a firmware change to address that, but I don't have any specific information. Since it has five switchable loops, one for preamp and four for effects, my thinking is that I could find a way if that was my intent. Most loops can be used as A/B if you pay attention to how the routing works. But there's going to be issues that need to be addressed if you used this that way, not the least of which is ground current noise. Most A/B switches have a ground lift, so you would have to do that manually if you used this to do your A/B. It also has two switch outputs, so you could drive an external A/B with those if you weren't using them to switch a preamp for example. I'm thinking of using those to switch my Lehle 3@1 so my guitars can stay plugged in instead of always fiddling with cords when I switch guitars. That would be a lot slicker.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 1, 2007 15:53:12 GMT -7
Ha! It turns out my loop sounded like ss "Shane" because the preamp loop on the G-System was off... duh! Even though the Stingray has sort of a parallel loop, the G-System sounds awesome through the Stingray's loop. So now I have a bit of planning to do here. But I'm very excited at this development - the reverbs and delays didn't sound so great in front once I switched on the BB Preamp in the G's loop. Now they sound great. Got the system updated this morning (it cleared the two presets I had been fiddling with despite the instructions saying it wouldn't, but no great loss). I do have a couple of things to figure out here that I hadn't really thought about when I bought it - I have a Barber Burn Unit that I would like to have in one of the loops, but if I mount that back at the rack, I can only access one channel. Drat! I'll probably have to put another jack in it and try to remote switch it, but it might also take a relay. I'm not real fond of the idea of doing that level of mod to such a box... Initially it sounds to me like I'll be able to leave behind my compressor, my tuner, my delay, my chorus, so all I'll need to have in the loops are the BB Preamp, the Burn Unit, and my RC Booster. Cool! One minor quibble - I always use my guitar volume for rhythm/lead, and do not intend to use the built in boost feature. But leaving the boost off turns my guitar down by 6db. So I'll have to program the boost on for every preset. I wanted to lock it "ON" but turning on the boost lock does not seem to lock it on. I have a question active over on TGP on that. Looks like this is going to work great once I get it all set up and configured the way I want. Cool! Pics forthcoming once that setup is completed....
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 13, 2007 10:15:03 GMT -7
Lots of progress here getting the G-System integrated into my Stingray setup. Check out the rack with the new custom shelf. I've got the G-System's processor just under the shelf, with power below that. When I extend the shelf, the connections to the G-System are right in front of me without having to crane my neck (you know what I'm talking about if you've ever mounted anything up top of the rack). First, I had to put a 3/4" shim in the rack cab to bring the slides out past the rack rails: To mount the plywood shelf to the slides, I just drilled a hole, stuck a T-Nut down in there, then threaded the screw in a bit and used a claw hammer to reef on the screw head till the T-Nut conformed to the hole: I was worried about the shelf banging around in there during transport, so I cut the shelf long in front and in back, so that when I put the covers on, they are tight against the shelf. The extra bonus is I get a couple extra acres of real estate to mount up pedals. When I originally looked at putting the pedals on the bottom of the rack, I didn't have room for the Burn Unit. But with this shelf, there is all kinds of room. I could probably put a couple more small pedals in there if I wanted to carry them: I plan to put the head on top of the rack. With the shelf fully populated, and with only two rack devices in there, I'm pretty sure it will tip if I don't have the head on top. The shelf fully extends, so it's a pleasure to set up, but there is some risk there. On a gig the shelf will stay retracted unless I need to make a tweak: Still to do: have to put down the carpet on the shelf so my pedals Velcro loop fasteners will catch hold, and make up the right length cables for all this stuff. Also have to make one custom cable for the control on the Lehle 3@1 since I have to do some special programming to get a single stereo relay plug to drive all three channels of the Lehle. Then wire it up and start programming again...
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Post by Joey Beverages on Jan 13, 2007 11:51:05 GMT -7
holy, that looks a wee bit too complicated I seem to have enough trouble remember which end of the cord goes into the guitar ;D
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Post by ke4unr on Jan 13, 2007 14:04:54 GMT -7
Lots of progress here getting the G-System integrated into my Stingray setup. Check out the rack with the new custom shelf. Steve, it's looking really nice. The DIY shelf unit looks like it turned out very well. I especially like the convenient CD holder in the back of the rack. ;D Ray K.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 13, 2007 15:17:11 GMT -7
Steve, it's looking really nice. The DIY shelf unit looks like it turned out very well. I especially like the convenient CD holder in the back of the rack. ;D Ray K. Yeah, well you didn't see the wide screen TV on the side either...
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Post by ke4unr on Jan 13, 2007 17:16:31 GMT -7
Yeah, well you didn't see the wide screen TV on the side either... Well, no I didn't. I suppose you're able to change channels with that new fangled controller thingy? Ray K.
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 13, 2007 17:52:46 GMT -7
Yeah, well you didn't see the wide screen TV on the side either... Well, no I didn't. I suppose you're able to change channels with that new fangled controller thingy? Ray K. Yep. And wait till you see the "fetch a beer" patch I have on this thing!
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