Boss GT-1 into Peavey Bandit Silver Stripe - best way to set up?

Stavros

I've just bought a s/h Peavey Bandit 112, fairly new-ish, and although the clean and lead tones are (to my ears anyway) pretty good direct from my Strat, thought I would see how the GT-1 sounded into the front of the amp (I've not used the effects loop, wouldn't know where to start).

What is the consensus - disable the pre-amp on each of the GT-1 presets, and go through the Bandit clean channel, which is currently set up with Low 7-9, Mid 6-8 and High 3-4? Or leave the pre-amps on and set up the Bandit differently?

Snags

Whatever makes you happy

Try them all and see what gives you the best result. I tend to only use my GT-1 as a direct to FOH solution for open mics or no proper power situations, as the amp modelling is generally considered "a bit shit", although for the money it's convenient, flexible, and gets the job done well enough for most pissed-up audience members.

If you're going into the front of the Peavey and are happy with the basic tones of the Peavey the logical thing to do would be to not use a pre-amp on the GT1 and just set up the effects chain you're after.

However, you might find you get some results you like from using one or more of the pre-amp options. You might need to think about levels etc. a bit more carefully so as not to push the Peavey too hard (or that might sound good).

Traditionally if you're going to use a pre-amp on the GT1 you'd plug the GT1 into the FX return on the Peavey, bypassing the Peavey pre-amp, but there's not absolute law says you have to.

Don't forget that on the GT1 you can change the output options to match the kind of thing you're connecting to, as that will then alter output levels and colour the signal differently.

Stavros

Thanks @Snags; so basically anything goes as long as it sounds ok!

I've just spent some time adjusting the levels between presets to try and get them roughly in the same ball park, so at the same time took your advice and tried with and without pre-amps, on the whole they tended to sound better with on the crunchier/ lead tones, but worse on the cleaner ones.

Don't forget that on the GT1 you can change the output options to match the kind of thing you're connecting to, as that will then alter output levels and colour the signal differently.

Yeah, good advice - it's set on Combo Amp so think that should be ok. Cheers!

ICBM

I’ve always preferred to run multi-FX into the front of a clean amp, even when there’s a preamp in them - I like having the hands-on control of the amp’s EQ and volume controls, and I just think it sounds better. I don’t find the popular wisdom that you must not run an amp emulation into another amp is necessarily correct - use your ears, try it both ways and see which sounds best. Also, don’t take the ‘combo amp’ output setting as gospel - try all of them, you might find the ‘wrong’ one sounds better. I think my GT-1 is set to ‘line’ and I generally use it into the front of combos like that... although it has to be said that I like a pretty scooped EQ on the amp. But then I sometimes find the amp’s overdrive channel with gain right down so it’s clean actually sounds better than the clean channel, which is doubly (or triply!) wrong. (Although with the Peaveys, I generally use the clean channel in Modern mode.)

Stavros

Cheers @ICBM, very interesting, so definitely comes down to what sounds right rather than convention. I’ve ended up with about 10 or so presets, some using the Peavey pre-amp, some without, and I will definitely try the other output settings.

My Bandit clean channel is in Classic mode, and I’m only playing at home with the amp not too cranked.