Gigrig Z-cable: thoughts?

ruoma

Hi there,

I've done a search on this but can only mainly find people who've sold their's. Why is this? If this is such a revolutionary tone savior then why are they getting sold? Is there a minimum amount of pedals you would need for it to have a noticeable effect?

My chain at the moment consists of 6 pedals, included are a Cornish buffer and audio kitchen small trees preamp, so the signal does get pimped already. But still, it never feels the same as going straight in. 

Any thoughts? Also, the cable looks like my Cornish cable, is it the same?

Cheers!

hotpickups

Personally I think it's cork sniffing @ruoma That's why people sell them as the difference isn't that noticeable. Certainly from the youtube videos I've seen I can't tell a difference but that could be just youtube compression or my lousy laptop speakers 

Sassafras

A bit like the Mad Professor Red Cable.
Imaginative marketing hype.

mgaw

i hd one and it definately makes a very noticeable difference, i liked it

ThorpyFX

I have one, it's very noticeable. However I'm selling mine as I've moved to a stereo setup and didn't want to buy two. 

ICBM

Sassafras said:

A bit like the Mad Professor Red Cable.
Imaginative marketing hype.

No, I don't think so - the Mad Professor cable is pure pseudoscientific bullshit.

From what I understand the GigRig one seems to work by having an audio transformer in the cable (and possibly some other gadgetry) so that to the amp, it behaves somewhat like a guitar pickup rather than like a buffered output.

ThorpyFX said:

I have one, it's very noticeable. However I'm selling mine as I've moved to a stereo setup and didn't want to buy two. 

So, good but not *that* good?

I'm actually genuinely curious about it - one thing I have discovered from experience is that old transformer-balanced DI boxes sound better for guitar (and bass) than the 'better' electronically balanced type (similar to a buffer).

ruoma

From what I understand the GigRig one seems to work by having an audio transformer in the cable (and possibly some other gadgetry) so that to the amp, it behaves somewhat like a guitar pickup rather than like a buffered output.

Does this mean it would sort of nullify the effect of the Cornish buffer?

ecc83

Ah! I see it is an active device so, there is a lot of potential for it to be useful. Really speaking it would IMHO have been better being split, a buffer from the guitar, perhaps with some HF pre-emphasis? Then a 'receiver' post pedal chain to compensate for any losses.

But since the makers cannot know the source impedance of guitar or pedals nor, to a degree the input Z of the amplifier I am not surprised people love or hate them. That is not to say I think the cable is totally great, bit of BS there!

"I'm actually genuinely curious about it - one thing I have discovered from experience is that old transformer-balanced DI boxes sound better for guitar (and bass) than the 'better' electronically balanced type (similar to a buffer). "

'Better' IC or just more preferred? This is possibly another case of what is TECHNICALLY best does not translate to SOUNDING the best in a guitar scenario?  Even the 'hottest' passive, traff based DI box will only present some 280k to the guitar. An active DI SHOULD present the 'magic meg' . It is sometimes said that the transformers impart 'colour' but I doubt it. Guitar signal levels are pretty low and are unlikely to drive such a transformer into distortion?

That said, some of the cheaper DIs use a VERY wee traff! Be interesting to see if there is an inverse correlation twixt DI box cost (hence traff quality) and subjective judgement of 'niceness'?

But like SO many things to do with guitars/amps etc, NOBODY is doing any serious work AFAIK.

Dave.

ICBM

ecc83 said:

'Better' IC or just more preferred? This is possibly another case of what is TECHNICALLY best does not translate to SOUNDING the best in a guitar scenario?  Even the 'hottest' passive, traff based DI box will only present some 280k to the guitar. An active DI SHOULD present the 'magic meg' . It is sometimes said that the transformers impart 'colour' but I doubt it. Guitar signal levels are pretty low and are unlikely to drive such a transformer into distortion?

Not for DI'ing an un-preamped guitar - passive boxes present too low a load and sound dull - I meant for going after an FX board, so they're being driven by the buffer. Cheaper transformer-based ones just seem to sound better - 'warmer' and more 'natural' (sorry to use the usual nonsense terms ).

For DI'ing an un-preamped instrument, or anything acoustic (preamped or not) where you want it squeaky clean, active all the way.

ecc83 said:

That said, some of the cheaper DIs use a VERY wee traff! Be interesting to see if there is an inverse correlation twixt DI box cost (hence traff quality) and subjective judgement of 'niceness'?

But like SO many things to do with guitars/amps etc, NOBODY is doing any serious work AFAIK.

It is very subjective, certainly. I would also be interested to see if there's any correlation - I wouldn't be at all surprised if the 'worse' they are technically, the 'better' they sound for guitar.

ennspek

I've never used one but in my experience Gigrig stuff is generally very good.

ThorpyFX

ICBM said:

Sassafras said:

A bit like the Mad Professor Red Cable.
Imaginative marketing hype.

No, I don't think so - the Mad Professor cable is pure pseudoscientific bullshit.

From what I understand the GigRig one seems to work by having an audio transformer in the cable (and possibly some other gadgetry) so that to the amp, it behaves somewhat like a guitar pickup rather than like a buffered output.

ThorpyFX said:

I have one, it's very noticeable. However I'm selling mine as I've moved to a stereo setup and didn't want to buy two. 

So, good but not *that* good?

I'm actually genuinely curious about it - one thing I have discovered from experience is that old transformer-balanced DI boxes sound better for guitar (and bass) than the 'better' electronically balanced type (similar to a buffer).

It does indeed have an audio transformer, along with a  balanced cable, certainly not pseudo-science 

I've had it for a fair while, the problem I have is that if I use it on one side of the rig and not the other I end up with a mismatch of signal that annoys me. So it is great, but I have moved to a totally over the top and different setup that switches amp heads and outputs buffered guitar signal to four separate heads, and cabs (AMPETE 4X4|) sort of like a pedal looper for amps.