It seems that there is a very mixed response to the G out there.
Some say it's killer, others that it has volume jumps and dated, buggy firmware.
But, it covers delay, mod and pretty much everything else. I don't need it for amp switching, but looking at it and the 4CM system, it seems that you need a rack and a floorboard at the same time, to avoid long cable runs.
But it is mega versatile, and once mastered, it seems like it could do just about anything.
I have been looking for separate effects, because I have a great drive, but no delay or mod (Boss CE5 is fine, but that's all there is up to press), so I was wondering if any forumites had a definitive answer.
There's one up on ebay now, but it will be several months before I could afford to buy, even second-hand, unless I start to offload existing stuff.
Quandary.
Comments
Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
I have the amp in loop3 with a zendrive and pinnacle in in loops and two and a decimator noise gate in loop 4. I use midi to change amp channels. This gives a ton of options with drive from the amp or pedals and the gat only on patches that need it.
It's not as hard to program as some people would make it but it isn't as intuitive as most other multifx I've tried.
I've done a lot of gigs with it through a number of amps - mesa dual rec + triple rec, H&K switchblade + triamp, marshall jubilee, fender twin etc etc and the G system will be the centre of my rig until something better that can do the job comes along.
The mod and delay effects are stunning with most options covered. For me it's the combination of assignable loops and quality of effects alongside super heavy duty construction and reliablity that makes it a keeper.
The downsides
- setting it up isn't quick enough that I can edit during a gig - that said most things I would want to edit are external to the G (pedals, amp settings) so I can live with that.
- weight, my pedalboard is heavier than my fender twin but I could make better use of an exp pedal instead of a dedicated wah and volume pedals, or separate the pedal and brain
- crowded sockets, there isn't a lot of space to fit all the cables in the back if you're using all the loops but that would apply to any programable loop pedal system.
iirc Drew felt the switching wasn't as instant as he wanted but for me it's as fast as anything I've used and very smooth.
I haven't come across any volume jumps but I can see how they could arise if you don't set up the loop levels correctly and I've never had any glitches or software bugs but maybe I've been lucky.
Anything more specific you want to know about using one, fire away... one last thought - if you don't need drive pedals stored in loops/patches then I'd be very tempted to get another Nova system but control it via a midi board to stop the annoying patch switching delay.
Noted with the Nova system. I'd heard that midi switching is instant but switching on the pedal is delayed. Weird. I'd be using a Tube factor for drive in one of the loops, so wouldn't be an issue.
Thanks again. Food for thought here.
However it is not plug and play. You need time to get it all working well.
It is also a victim of it's own success. You keep thinking, "great I got this working now lets go one stage further, damn not possible"
The FX in the GSP are not as 3D as the G System but they're very good plus you have modelled drive pedals, modelled amps and user configureable IR's to feed your PA (with the C63 beta firmware). I appreciate that it's not as 'sexy' as the G System but I found it far easier to set up and easier to use live for very little loss of quality.
A nova drive is controllable from the G-system.
Tonight I set up patch that does the following.
Switches my amp to OD channel. Switches in a Marshall Govn'r pedal. Switches the Nova drive on (not even in a loop, just on the input.
With my heel down on the expression pedal I just have a nice warm soft drive (nova drive gain at zero volume at 1/2) as I put my toe down the gain and the volume on the nova drive increases, the delay mix goes from 0 to 50% as does the detune mix. Giving me a really nice medium gained lead sound with a bit of echo and I've only used one patch. Also there is no big jump on volume, just a nice gradual lead in.
Figured out the basics of programming, and now have a 94 page Laird manual to read. I am pleased, to say the least. I have been GASing for one of these for years now. It has, unfortunately, completely exhausted my GAS fund.
I'm still happy, though.
Impulse spending vast sums of money - there is almost no feeling like it, well done that man.
I personally couldn't live without my stompboxes, or "Sweets" as my wife calls them, but if you're happy and you know it clap your hands (Or make a patch that will do hand claps for you).
Be careful with the Vysor software though, its full of bugs and will mess with some settings without you knowing about it....it did for me anyway!!
If you put a gate on the o/d patch, when switching channels from loud clean to a drive with a fuzzbox, it doesn't do that split second "fuzzbox boosting clean massively before amp switch - ear punch" thing. Just saying.
I lost several hours last night just tweaking.
Must say though that the G did everything I needed + more..