Using Boss GX-100 with actual amps instead of PA

[chris m.]

duplicate

 

[chris m.]

Hey all, I had a Line 6 Pod Go but sold it because I was having a heck of a time getting it to play nice with both PA systems and amps. I tried to create two sets of patches-- one using a modeled amp and IR, and then another set of the same patches but without IR or cabinet...but I couldn't seem to really turn the amp off.

The Pod Go has an "amp out", but this didn't fix it either....it might have bypassed the IR/cab, but didn't bypass the amp. I tried all kinds of solutions, but I couldn't find an easy way to set up the POD GO so it could serve two different purposes: 1) as a complete modeling solution allowing me to plug into a DAW or into a PA; and 2) as essentially a multi-effects box that would plug into a "real amp".

I've been researching the GX-100 and it looks a lot smarter about giving lots of input/output control options in easily accessible menus. You can specify on the output control whether you're plugging into the effects return of an amp, into a PA/DAW, or into the guitar input on the front of a guitar amp, for example.

For anyone who has the GX-100, does this output control work well, or do you find yourself having to significantly modify your presets, or create different presets, for when you are planning to plug straight into a PA vs plug into a guitar amp?

I definitely want a box that makes it easy for me to run it either as just a multi-effects box, no modeled amps/cabs/IRs, OR as a complete modeling solution so I can go straight into a DAW or mixer-- i.e., using on board amp/cab sims.

I'm also well aware that a good trick is to use both high pass around 6.3k and low pass around 80 Hz filters in the global EQ control to get rid of fizz and unnecessary woof.

It seems that the GX-100 may be more flexible in terms of the signal chain, so it might be very easy to set up fully modeled patches, then copy them to another set of empty preset spots, and then just delete the amps and cabs from those presets, effectively turning those presets into "effects only" presets.

Another option would be to designate a switch to turn on/off the amp in the signal chain, so I could take a patch that provides full amp modeling and easily just turn the modeled amp off when I want to go into the front end of a tube amp. (My tube amps are older/vintage and don't have effects loops, so going into the effects return isn't even an option for me.).

A third option would be to set up a parallel signal path and have one path include an amp/cab, and the other path not include it.

So I guess I'm asking if any of you have used a Boss GX-100 as a glorified multi-effects box, not needing the amp/cab sims, and how did you configure it to do that? How did you make it convenient to use it either way? Or did just using the Boss's output control features and specifying whether you were going into the front end of a guitar amp vs. a PA system actually take care of the issue without any further muss or fuss?

 

[Guitarteach]

I use my earlier Boss GT100 unit like this.. fx pedal bank with a tube amp and the same patches copied with amp sim on for use with PA. I do sometimes use the amp sims as glorified Overdrives in the chain with a real amp too.

It looks like a standard boss design.. all flexible.

 

[NiceTele]

I use its relative, the GT1000 into a Deluxe Reverb as a big stopbox, sounds great, but took me a few days of tinkering with the configuration to get it sounding right. I also use the GT1000 into a PA with no amp for gigs, have it sounding very much like my DR

 

[ETMusic777]

I still use an old Boss GT3 and its amazing. Its the last GT model which has all of the old Boss distortion and over drive pedals in it. I bought a 2nd one, in mint condition a few years ago for less than $100. I can plug in to the GT3 and in to any speaker, even a computer monitor and get good tone with lots of effects. Id think you could probably do that with the newer units too.

 

[chris m.]

Great news. I got the GX-100 and am super happy with it. The presets are garbage. But I watched YT videos by folks like Studio Rats and Tom Quayle and created a couple of presets that sound fantastic. I'm very pleased with the output control on the GX-100. I leave it on line out/headphones but find it sounds amazing going either into the effects return of an amp set to clean that has an effects loop, or even straight into the guitar input of a tube amp set up clean that doesn't have an effects loop. With very minor tweaks to GX-100 output EQ, and to the tone stack of the amp (if going through the guitar input), I can get the GX-100 to sound quite natural, including using its built-in amps. There's also no sponginess or latency-- feels like plugging straight into a tube amp or using analog pedals. I don't know how they did it, but I'm finding it sounds great going into headphones, tube amp guitar input, or amp effects return with very little adjusting needed at all.

I think one of the key tips is to use high and low pass cutoffs to eliminate any frequencies above around 6.3KHz and any frequencies below around 100Hz. This gets rid of any fizziness or flubbiness. He shows this around 14:20 in the video below. I think the input/output control is super smart and easy on this unit and that helps a lot. Also the CTRL/EXP interface makes it easy to assign multiple things to a single footswitch. On one of my presets, one click of a footswitch turns on an overdrive and turns off chorus since I don't like chorus when playing lead, but do like it when playing rhythm (set to very, very subtle, almost unnoticeable...not chorus-y at all)....

Studio Rats also has a great video on how to create an "edge of breakup" tone by having dual amps-- something like a Brit Crunch combined with the "Natural" clean amp. You mix them together and get a very convincing tone that sounds very natural and organic. I'm quite pleased, really.

After just a few hours of tweaking it and getting to know it I'm actually going to gig with it, a week from today, so that shows how much I'm impressed with it.

 

[James J LaRue]

The cool thing about GT-1000 and GX-100 is you have the hi and lo pass on the parametric EQ. On the BOSS MS-3, the EQ doesn't have these controls.

I'm using GT-1000 or GT-1000CORE (depends how many footswitches I need, how much I feel like carrying) into Headrush frfr108. And I have the lows shelved off to avoid boominess, especially if it's on the floor.

This is basically like going into a PA, my own personal little PA, but I think of it like my amp. I also run into the main PA.

GT-1000 and CORE work well for me into amps (modelling turned off, only using FX into front of amp, not 4CM) but there's ambiguity about where unity gain is on the volume knob.

I love the Natural drive model. I use 2 blocks of that assigned to footswitches so I can stack them.

I DO wish BOSS had a few more models of well known drives like Bluesbreaker and ODR-1. But the bottom and direct mix controls (that they included with every drive model) are super handy and not usually found on the actual pedals.

I have been considering just selling my entire pedal collection, but I tend to use them as reference when digging for sounds in the GT. For example, by combining a tremolo with an EQ I was able to closely match the tone of my Analog Man modded TR-2.

 

[NeverTooLate]

Great news. I got the GX-100 and am super happy with it.

Could you tell me what the options for setting up the footswitches are?

Can one set 1-4 to be, say, phaser, phlanger, chorus, delay, and another of the switches to go back and forth between a few select pre-sets?

 

[chris m.]

Could you tell me what the options for setting up the footswitches are?

Can one set 1-4 to be, say, phaser, phlanger, chorus, delay, and another of the switches to go back and forth between a few select pre-sets?

Yes. You can also program a switch to do several things at once such as turn on boost, turn off chorus, and turn on delay, all with one push.