Boss GT-100 - thoughts?

Kebabkid

Stratavarious said:

Fine unit.. especially for live, with the footswitches.

 I use one, usually in manual mode, with a bunch of virtual pedalboards that I have set for different styles.  Loads of great sounding ODs and drives.  Unlikely you will need to use any more.  I do use it 4 wire method sometimes with my Boogie.. and it handles extra external drives/pedals fine.

The stock presets do not present it well and some amp models are better than others.  You generally will have them switched off if going into a tube amp anyway.

It is always in my rig as backup and I will use it for small gigs DI to desk and for theatre stuff.  

Recommended.  Quick to learn too.  Virtual pedalboard display and 4 knobs that make it work like a regular pedal when you select one.

Thanks and this is more like it

thomasw88

Keen to know why you not interested inthe gt1000 ?

ive had both units and the difference in quality / sounds is really significant.

Kebabkid

thomasw88 said:

Keen to know why you not interested inthe gt1000 ?

ive had both units and the difference in quality / sounds is really significant.

Basically, I can't afford it and I'm a pedal guy and this was just something for fun/a dip back into multi-fx and seeing if it also worked as a backup and for recording. With used prices ranging between £175-250, it's not too much of hit.

I've not tried the unit and so I need to do that, anyway, but if I'm going to go out full modeller and be serious about it and head into GT-1000 money, it's the Fractal FM3 (used) that I'd go for. I've loved the demos and sounds out of the box. A forumite mate is also using one and was using an AX8 before and I just really like the sounds of the Fractal units

monquixote

I think it's worth a punt if you want those quite processed sounding AOR type cleans that I think you like.

I think you could get a decent 80's clean if you used the JC-120 model with compression, chorus etc.

Where it struggles is with bluesey in between sounds and higher gain. However if you stick the Adaptive Distortion in front of the JC-120 model you get quite a decent processed 80's smooth drive sound (again especially if you stick some chorus and delay on it).

Add an IR pedal to the end of the chain and I think you could be on to a winner.

Kebabkid

Cheers monquixote said:

I think it's worth a punt if you want those quite processed sounding AOR type cleans that I think you like.

I think you could get a decent 80's clean if you used the JC-120 model with compression, chorus etc.

Where it struggles is with bluesey in between sounds and higher gain. However if you stick the Adaptive Distortion in front of the JC-120 model you get quite a decent processed 80's smooth drive sound (again especially if you stick some chorus and delay on it).

Add an IR pedal to the end of the chain and I think you could be on to a winner.

Cheers Nick

Kebabkid

Cheers monquixote said:

I think it's worth a punt if you want those quite processed sounding AOR type cleans that I think you like.

I think you could get a decent 80's clean if you used the JC-120 model with compression, chorus etc.

Where it struggles is with bluesey in between sounds and higher gain. However if you stick the Adaptive Distortion in front of the JC-120 model you get quite a decent processed 80's smooth drive sound (again especially if you stick some chorus and delay on it).

Add an IR pedal to the end of the chain and I think you could be on to a winner.

Cheers Nick.

 

ToneControl

I'm very fussy about preserving tone when using my real valve amps,
I bought a Boss GT-10 years ago, and was appalled by how much it destroyed the tone of my amp
Are the more recent models any better?

I had a VG88 and VG99, so knew the good/bad sides of Roland COSM modelling. and My Waza headphones are good, but not great for amp modelling

TheBigDipper

ToneControl said:

I'm very fussy about preserving tone when using my real valve amps,
I bought a Boss GT-10 years ago, and was appalled by how much it destroyed the tone of my amp
Are the more recent models any better?

I had a VG88 and VG99, so knew the good/bad sides of Roland COSM modelling. and My Waza headphones are good, but not great for amp modelling

I used a GT-100 for a while and liked the effects. It was as an MFX into an amp for me, not an amp modeller. One or two of the amps were decent (the Natural Clean comes to mind as being really nice) but mainly not so much. I only moved it on and replaced it with an HX FX because the MIDI control was poor and I needed a bit more flexibility. 

I've never been able to get an MFX unit to have the same tone as my amp when A/B'd. I decided it was too difficult and too mind bending to even try. I just dial in an amp tone I like with the HX FX in the signal chain (not effects turned on) and don't compare it with the sound I get when it's removed. My amp tone is great with the HX FX in the chain, but the control settings to get that tone on the amp with and without the HX FX are not the same. A/B'ing isn't helpful. 

@Kebabkid ;: I'd say you'll get something from using the GT-100 as an MFX. It's got some nice stuff in it. 

thomasw88

Kebabkid said:

thomasw88 said:

Keen to know why you not interested inthe gt1000 ?

ive had both units and the difference in quality / sounds is really significant.

Basically, I can't afford it and I'm a pedal guy and this was just something for fun/a dip back into multi-fx and seeing if it also worked as a backup and for recording. With used prices ranging between £175-250, it's not too much of hit.

I've not tried the unit and so I need to do that, anyway, but if I'm going to go out full modeller and be serious about it and head into GT-1000 money, it's the Fractal FM3 (used) that I'd go for. I've loved the demos and sounds out of the box. A forumite mate is also using one and was using an AX8 before and I just really like the sounds of the Fractal units

Fair do's.

For a bit extra you could get a HX stomp.. which is a big leap up in sounds again from the GT100  and as it is small it could be integrated quite nicely into  a pedal board and replace some of your other pedals.  

I used one for Delay/modulation/reverb for a while and soundwise it's very good.  Plus you still have the luxury of having the modelling side to it as well. Plus you can decide whether you can live with the number of footswitches (same as the FM3 I believe?)

Kebabkid

thomasw88 said:

Fair do's.

For a bit extra you could get a HX stomp.. which is a big leap up in sounds again from the GT100  and as it is small it could be integrated quite nicely into  a pedal board and replace some of your other pedals.  

I used one for Delay/modulation/reverb for a while and soundwise it's very good.  Plus you still have the luxury of having the modelling side to it as well.
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I know and I wish that would work as size, concept etc are spot on but I've tried the HX Stomp and HXFX quite a few times and I just don't like the sounds, especially the FX. I tried to mimic my board with the HXFX and it didn't sound like the pedals


This is quite a long demo but I've bookmarked sounds I like and I'd use from the FM3, in particular the ones in bold. Granted that used this would cost @£1K but something just works for this. If the GT-100 can get close, I'd be happy, otherwise, I'll just wait and save:-

https://youtu.be/Cr0N8hv8EAw

 

0.10 - Intro Lead & Backing Synth Pad

2.10 - Octaver

5.12 - Synth Pad

5.42 - Jazzy

7.19 - Comp Clean

7.58 - Clean but I'd get rid of the arpeggios

9.00 - Rhythm

9.42 - Clean Rhythm

11.25 - Owner of a Lonely Heart Solo (5ths)

12.19 - Gary Moore

15.00 - EJ Clean

15.33 - Hot-Rodded Lead

16.40 - Crunch Plexi/Andy Timmons

18.25 - Friedman

Kebabkid

I'm now actually more interested in having a small-ish multi-fx unit on my board and it working around my pedals i.e. something along the lines of a HX Stomp, but not that unit.

Whilst pricey, the FM3 is the one still piquing my interest

Yearofthegoat

Tenebrous said:

I will say though that one of the biggest reasons a lot of the default patches sound dead is because of overly aggressive noise-gates. Once I figured that out I was much happier with the unit.

Absolutely. And, setting the GT-100's input level correctly for your guitar(s). Lastly, getting the output setting right for where you're sending the sound (kind of obvs, that last one but makes a huge difference).

Definitely under-rated, the GT-100.

If 80s are your thing, Lukather did some patches that you can d/load into the Boss Tone Studio software, IIRC.

Voxman

The GT100 is built like a tank, excellent connectivity and switching, and the dual LCD screens are good.  Very good quality fx and lots of them. The amp modelling and cab models are a bit lacklustre ....to be fair the amp modelling is ok its the cab models that are disappointing. But there is a solution. Turn off the stock cab models, connect an IR pedal in the fx loop and position this where the cab model would go in the signal chain and it will positively transform the amp models.