RE: VG-8 or 2112

[Andrew Taylor <andrew@bocs.com>]

dennis,

I haven't got a VG8 but do have a Roland GR1 guitar synth. I think the key 
to flexibility is to utilise a good mixer, one with as many
effect send as possible.
With two outputs to process ( guitar + synth ) you use two input channels 
( 
or 3 if the vg8 has stereo outs )
Now the signals are in the mixer , where they can be routed via the fx 
sends to various effects units. If you return the fx to other
mixer inputs then these signals can be sent around again and out to 
another 
effect on another send ( or heard on the channel return )
 Hence the usefulness of a mixer with many sends.  NB: you really have to 
spend time on this, as feedback loops lurk everywhere ! It's probably the 
biggest 'my brain hurts' inducer involved with this setup, but the results 
can be very interesting.
Unortunately you'll find most mixers come with only  two fx sends, usually 
a pre and a post. Pre is better, as
you don't have to hear the input ( dry guitar, or dry synth ) on that 
channel before you send it out again. A post signal has to have the
channel fader up before it goes post, so you can't hide that channels 
output. In order to hear the results of all this processing, the final 
output goes stereo out to a power amp and speakers ( or the inputs of a 
DAT 
etc ). Big setup !
A very good source of ideas on using a mixer and effects is the David Torn 
video ( number 2 ). Studying this and thinking how I
could adapt my equipment to dt's ideas has given me many hours of 
experimentation to puzzle over.
Many people on this list use mackie 1604 mixers. I've been using a tascam 
688, which has the ability to send to 4 effects, and a handy
little digital display ( 'scenes' ) to map the signal routing - but the 
688 
isn't really a gigging option, as it's huge..
Another useful aid is some kind of speaker emulator/load device which can 
take the output of your guitar amp straight to the mixer.
This means you won't hear anything until long after you've processed it.
Getting really gear frenzied now, a simple A/B box after your guitar 
signal 
where A goes to the 'silent' guitar amp and B goes to a 'heard' guitar amp 
means you can build a loop, switch to B and play over whatevers coming out 
of the mixer.

I'm off now to get a life.

hope this helps
At

-----Original Message-----
From:   ur eye [SMTP:ureye@hotmail.com]
Sent:   19 October 1998 02:45
To:     Loopers-Delight@annihilist.com
Subject:        VG-8 or 2112

Ok, this may seem like comparing oranges & apples but.... I'm trying to
choose between these. Does anyone have any comments regarding just the
parts you can compare? Like the basic guitar timbre processing of the
VG-8(or the synthesis there of?) I would especially like to hear from
you folks who loop with a VG-8. Stuff like how you configure your loop
setup w/ the unit. As a blossiming Guitar player/looper, I am ready to
move up from my lowly SE-50 to a "real" guitar processor. I use a GR-50
also and get into adding a little something special to that core analog
sound from my STRAT. That core sound is what impressed me about the
Digitech 2112. On the other hand I like synthesized sound too so here
lies my problem. Are the various pickup config patches on the VG
reasonably comparable to the 'ol analog ways?
Thanks, -Dennis

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