Re: rack vs. floor multi-FX

["Mike Biffle" <mbiffle@svg.com>]

Jim Carter wrote...
> I'm currently looking at replacing my Boss ME8 floor based multiFX
> with either a GT-3 (floor based) or GX700 (rack) processor.
> I already use a MIDI floor cntroller to drive an EDP and SX700
> so the rack option gives me one less box on the floor.
> However, I do rather like the immediacy of patch selection on a
floor
> based unit (especially when a jam suddenly takes a new direction)
> plus I can use my favorite stomp boxes in the send/return loop
> without too much extra cabling.

Hi Jim...

I had a GX-700 which I loved and have since switched to a GT-5. I use
a midi 
floor controller as well... a Digitech PMC-10. At first I thought
that having the GT-5 
on the floor as well would be a problem, but found out that there's a
huge hidden 
advantage.

I program one button on the PMC-10 to call the first patch in a bank
(5 patches
on the GT-5) The GT-5 patch appears (patch 1 of 5 in that particular
bank) 
I've basically copied that first patch and then varied it... more or
less disto, 
different modulation, etc. So for each button you program on the midi
box you 
get five accessible variants of a single sound (or a certain
ballpark). With one 
bank of ten buttons I have:

1. 5 clean sounds... some bright and shimmery as well as some good
jazz types
2. 5 amp sims of various grinds... mostly light to medium od 
3. 5 fairly conventional amp-like crunch-drives
4. 5 GT-5 heavy disto's... some with wild panning and delay tricks.
5. 5 Big Muff (turns on loop 1 of my loop switcher and selects the
patch)
6. 5 PE Experience Fuzz patches (loop 2 on the switcher)
7. 5 Big Cheese patches (loop 3 on the switcher)
8. Main Vortex on/off... (a/b switched with two DMC GCX Expander
relays)
9. Looper Vortex on/off... (a/b switched with DMC GCX Expander
relays)

This is ONE bank on my midi controller...

I have another bank for EDP control, one for Waldorf 4-pole control,
and am
programming another entire bank for the really wacked GT-5 patches
that aren't
falling into my basic 7 categories already assigned. Mostly deep
space, synth,
bass and pitch stuff. Only 4 banks will give me a boatload of
sounds... a single
GT-5 based performance bank gives me access to 35 GT-5 patches!

> More help please - if people are using multiFX wiht stereo outs
together with an 
> EDP, how are you wiring this? My current set-up goes:

My EDP is on aux send one of my rack mixer. Channels 1 and 2 are the
GT-5 
stereo output. CH3 and 4 are the main Vortex output... both of these
have the 
aux sends up so either can be fed to the EDP. There's a Looper Vortex
to mess
with the EDP mono output and get it stereoized as well. I'm currently
not using 
aux send 2 but will probalby add a Korg DL8000r for major delay
damage to my
already Vortexed stuff as well as the EDP itself. Can't wait to hear
how that
sounds!!!

> Ok, the easy solution is to buy (if I could) another echoplex and
keep stereo 
> throughout. I'm also thinking of swapping my mixing desk for a rack
unit to 
> keep the whole thing more mobile. 

Eventually a second EDP would be nice for me as well... I found a
used Roland
m120 line mixer which seems to be very nice sounding and has balanced
outs, a 
really loud headphone amp, 2 aux busses, and a cool stereo mix input
which only
goes to the monitors and not the mains for click tracks or whatever.
I also have a
Mackie 1202VLZ for further mix-mongering (vocals, filter,
drumbox...)

> Again, a rack FX processor might make things more portable but a
floor unit can 
> be used alone for non-looped/low FX  gigs and with MIDI in I can
always stick it in/on 
> the rack and drive it from the floor controller.

Believe me... The GT-5 ALONE on the floor going straight to the
mains, can be a great 
short delay (2 secs) looper as well as get totally freaky all by it's
lonesome. Once 
coupled with midi control you've got a huge ballpark to work with...

> Will someone please (only just avoided use of caps. lock) tell me
what to buy. 
> When I just had a line of stomp boxes the answer was simple -
another stomp 
> box, todays technology has fucked my head.

Get the GT-5 or GT-3... I've finally heard the POD sounds, and while
they're certainly
nice... the COSM Boss stuff sounds just as good to me. I'd say the
initial presets for
amp-like sounds are better on the POD, but once you've learned to
tweak the COSM
stuff, you're in exactly the same department AND have a built in
floor controller with
great control of tons of effects as well. 

best regards,
-Miko



Miko Biffle      "Running scared from all the usual distractions..."
mbiffle@svg.com