ADA Depot - A Forum To Support Users of ADA Amplification Gear
Non ADA Gear => Effects => Topic started by: Dante on February 22, 2016, 02:42:18 PM
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I've always wanted a Boss GT-8, especially after I bought my Boogie combo. I REALLY want to use the amp switching feature in conjunction with the onboard FX, so I hooked it up via the 4 cable method (4CM) but haven't had any time to play around with it.
We have a gig this weekend, I'm in bad playing shape right now because of other things, and I need to practice. I don't need to fiddle with knobs and be spending my time writing patches, I can do that after the gig.
So, I just look at the GT-8 on the floor and sigh...
UPDATE: It's a bit late (10pm) and I finished all my homework for the day. I flipped on the GT-8, wasn't getting any channel switchers from the [amp control] button. I could hear it latching, but no change in tone...still the clean channel. I figured out I had the cables routed incorrectly, corrected it, pushed the button and GREAT MOTHER OF GOD THE BOOGIE LIVES. haha, that channel was a bit loud for this hour ;D
At any rate, I hit the [amp control] button and voila! It switched the amp just fine. So, I know it works as it should. I got it so cheap, I had to wonder if it all worked as advertised. So far, so good. Just knowing now how to do that and knowing it works will keep my thirst satiated for a few days until i can really play.
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:whoohoo!: Go Dante :thumb-up:
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I had two Boss GT6's and two Boss GT8's.
The GT8's never made it out with me live. I was still using the GT6 live and was waiting to move over to the GT8's I already owned, but then I took a detour and got the GT5 which is half analogue and then merged rack shit with that :thumb-up:
GT8 was excellent though, the dual channels with independent channel editing for amps was awesome. Lots and lots that can be done with that unit.
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Lots and lots that can be done with that unit.
You ain't kidding, this thing has a STEEP learning curve. Much more complicated than my current rack stuff. It's gonna be a while.
Luckily, I found a guy online that wrote a whole bunch of valuable info about how to program it and use it.
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Yeah it took me years to get good at the GT6 and GT8. Funny I went back to the GT6 though. But yeah the GT8 is an awesome unit, the dual channel editing is totally amazing. You could go insane at the programability on it.
When you crack it it becomes second nature.
Dante you use the boss GX700 right? This should at least get you familiar with some of the boss GT8 programming, they are relatives after all.
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UPDATE:
I finally had some time to play with this thing...and you're right Gerry, some of the stuff in this unit is very reminiscent of my GX-700. I find the multiple output settings to be both a blessing and a curse. It's hard to find the 'sweet spot' sometimes. Compound that with differing guitars, and pickups, and... :crazy:
That said, I can get some nice clean tones with this thing, quickly.
I can also program some really terrible mushy distorted tones. So far, I like the Boogie's gain channel the best. My intention is to use the gain in the amp for 80% of my gainy tones, augmenting them with the GT-8 overdrives/distortions if need be. We'll see where i end up, but that is my intention.
Side Note: I went to the local music shop to buy a FS-6 pedal to toggle some individual FX. They didn't have one in stock, so I went online. I found a guy who posted a kit to make your own...much smaller. I've already ordered the parts, just waiting for them to arrive so I can solder it together and see what happens.
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I got some good distorted tones out of the GT8 but I had to be clever with the EQ. The Lo pass in the EQ block is masterful at cutting fizz without having to waste one of the mid plots on the EQ. I prefered the GT6 tones for some reason. I only really stuck with the Metal Preamp and then ran this into a power amp then into real cabs. It was great sounding I thought. Had the GT6 had some of these extra features of the GT8 but still kept the sound life with the GT6 would have been even better. I went back in time though and went for the GT5 and it's analogue drive section.
I just bought the behringer copy ab200. Great pedal, but it does my tits in because it requires a goddam battery!
I asked about modding this pedal on another board so it would operate without the need for a batter but apparently it cannot be done. The battery is essentially for the leds which are handy.
One thing I always wanted and still want for my GT5 is like a footswitch and sub expression pedal rolled into one so I can use it for wha but also use it to go into manual mode which is my fav thing ever!!
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I haven't had time to mess with the GT-8 since my last post, my clutch went out and I spent the last three days putting a new one in. I'm exhausted.
But...Check this out, I have an old ME-5!! There's some analog for you :)
I was considering running the ME-5 in manual mode, then routing it into the FX loop of the GT-8. I just can't see a need for all those though...like that ever stopped me before.
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Another Update:
I went to the local music shop to see if I could pick up a Boss FS-6 pedal and use it to control a couple FX in the GT-8. Well, they didn't have any, even though they showed one in their inventory :hair-out:
I went home to search online. I found a DIY kit to make your own. I don't need the latching/momentary option on my pedal, so I skipped the toggle switches and made mine with two latching buttons in a small enclosure (much smaller than the FS-6).
If I get bored (it happens quickly), I'll wire up an LED to let me know when it's on...but the GT-8 has lights to let me know too.
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Cool, go Dante, can't have you getting board LoL :wave:
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Another update: I have decided that I simply don't want to use the amp models in this thing at all....at least not yet. The Boogie DC-5 combo has excellent tone, clean or dirty, so I am basically using it as my 'amp model' haha.
AFAIC: Amp modeling is nothing more than a fancy word for EQ Settings. When you model an amp, and then plug it into another amp, each one is going to color the sound (unless you plug your modeler into a PA or other transparent amplification device). Why bother fighting one EQ with another? It just sucks the tone right out. Screw the 'Preamps' in this thing, they just mess up a good tone IMO.
I am using the GT-8 as an effects device. The new switch I made allows me to control a couple of settings in the GT-8, I have it set now to globally toggle the OD and Tuner. The OD is set different for each patch, but I am primarily using the Booster, direct signal maxed out, effect level zeroed out, just a volume boost = solo button.
Hitting the CTRL button puts me in manual mode, meaning I have a bunch of stomp boxes now instead of presets. This is really handy and allows me to use only three patches so far. I have two clean, one of which is wet, each of the two has a different delay/chorus/EQ/Comp/Wah settings. Each patch has two more effects available via FX1 and FX2 in manual mode, each effect can be unique. I have a badass univibe solo sound I've been digging...it reminds me of Jimi :thumb-up: Right now, i have a modern rock crunch going on in one patch and a pseudo metal patch that I don't like much (it's using a preamp model...the cleanest I could find and still has that wet blanket over it).
The effects are very useable, and have the option for delay spillover that I love. I can see this being my ZZ Top rig.
Funny story about the ZZ band; I brought the GT-8 to practice & ended up unplugging it. I used the amps channel switch instead. It has an EQ toggle too, which is a great solo boost. I used that pedal and the guitar plugged straight into the amp for the whole set. :metal:
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For all the wrongness of using the the amp sims on the GT8, they are pretty usable at that. When I had mine I only ever used like 3 of them. But I can see you don't want to get mixed up with them, you have a real amp to use so it makes sense. I use my GT5 for the exact same thing. But I have incorporated the GT5's analogue OD to put in front of MP1-MDRT.
I've saw and heard those GT8's making a lot of great sounds by themselves. Great unit so I think you scored a bargain man.
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I use the Boss Gt-10 with my setups now. The amp sims aren't worth the trouble. I use the ada or hughes and kettner gain instead through the GT-10's effect loop and just use the effects. Sounds great. O0
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ANDY!?!
I hope thats you, not somebody hijacking your account :amaze: Nice to see you in here, bro.
I totally agree about those sims, whatta bunch of mental masturbation for nothing. I've finally got the GT-8 doing what I need, and I have my home built footswitch controlling the solo/delay for each patch. The CTRL button is a 'special' effect for each patch (I use the slicer in the song Legs, a nice rotary for Blue Jean Blues)
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Yeah buddy, it's me.... came out of my hibernation. lol
Nuno is currently using a GT-8 in his live rig. I use the FS6 with my GT10 which gives me 4 total control pedals.
I'm going to do this mod though so I can replace the FS6 to save room.
https://youtu.be/3qnIxbvugF4 (https://youtu.be/3qnIxbvugF4)
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Hey Panda,nice to have you back :thumb-up:
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I built my own FS6, using some web page that provided the wiring diagram. I get two buttons on that and the CTRL button for three FX per patch. How do you get four? ???
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Thanks Marshall! Good to be back.
Dante, the GT-10 has 2 Control pedals on it already so I can add control #3 and control #4 which are currently controlled by my FS-6.
(https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.roland.com%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2Fgallery%2Fgt_10_top_gal.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bossus.com%2Fproducts%2Fgt-10%2F&docid=EUBAfC6_CxN1kM&tbnid=1ogJVfiroW-HGM%3A&w=1680&h=849&hl=en&safe=off&bih=467&biw=1263&ved=0ahUKEwiVo5SZ0r7MAhWHZj4KHRoWD_YQMwgsKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8)
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AH! :thumb-up:
So, you could actually get FIVE if you used your CTRL pedal too? O0
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You are correct sir.
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Necro - bump in this old thread....
I just scored a GT-8 outta Yahoo Auctions 2 weeks ago and this thing is probably the best 40$ I spent last month (aside from a bottle of Ki No Bi Gin).
I got invited by some Japanese friends to join various sessions the last few months. I mostly use the backline or whatever gear is at the venue (I bring my own guitar and a (occasionally) a Mesa Flux Drive to get the backline amps a tad bit more to my tastes.
In Tokyo you cannot drive to the venue with your car, unload and park the car...there´s no space.
Gigbag with guitar and backpack and the Tokyo Metro takes you where you need to go....
So during the last session one of the guys had an awesome guitar sound....and I mean really awesome. And that dude was just using a Boss GT-3 into the Loop return of some backline amp. I was stunned.
Since everything worth doing is worth overdoing I found a GT-8 for the above mentioned 40$ and sat down with it (...and I RTFM!). The COSM amp sims as they're stored in there were somewhat meeeeh....but page 63 of the manual ("Customizing the COSM Preamps") revealed the whole potential.
I recorded some loops with my go-to presets from the AxeFX and also used some recorded bits of my "real" Boogie amps and sat down with the GT-8 and started editing and comparing.
The "Connoisseur" might hear a difference (and most certainly somehow feel it) but at stage volume and (Dante quote:) for the folks screaming "Freebird" this thing gets me real shocking close.
(http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af41/MagnusBausW/0A159285-DD45-4251-A492-07F0D4531894_zpstdsukwpi.jpg)
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Stoopid drunk guy with his friends: FREEBIRD!!!
me: look buddy, we don't even play that song....you wanna pick one from our setlist? like, one in this set? like maybe this song right HERE?!?
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Nice score SC!! I never had the patience for that thing. It took me a couple months to figure out a decent gain tone and, buy then, I moved on to other things. I dreamed of just carrying one of those and a guitar. Good on you, bro. :thumb-up: