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ADA GCS-2 + Stereo Rig = ... Two GCS-2s???

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swipesy:
Hello all.  I've been thinking hard about getting a GCS-2 soon.  The reviews and audio samples (the good audio samples, that is) have convinced me that the GCS is the way to go.

The trouble is, I run a Digitech 2112 stereo rig, and the on-board sim is ... well, let's just say it leaves a lot to be desired.  It sounds either really fizzy or has blankets all over the tone.  I love the sounds I get through an amp and speakers though, so the tone is definitely there.  I've come to the point where I want to get away from using amps and cabs and go direct, but the sim on the 2112 just doesn't cut it.

I've read you can put the GCS-2 in a loop before the preamp tubes, but wouldn't that color the tonal character of the generated distortion differently from using the sim after the preamp as would be normal?  I'm concerned about that.  I've never done that before, and I like the tones I'm getting through a cabinet.

I can't spend a great deal of money, and if I have to get two GCS-2s I might be better off trying to find an old microcab or something.  However, this new one appears it may sound a bit better than the old microcabs, and two of the GCS-2s may equal what an old Microcab might cost.  It would be a tough call there.  Tougher for me, too, because I've never heard either myself before.

Anyway, if anyone has any opinions on what running a single sim before the tubes might change tone-wise, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

MarshallJMP:
Well if it was me i would get a mirocab,more tonal options and for me it sounds better.Plus it's 19" so easy to build in a rack.

MikeB:
I use a gcs-3 in the loop of my mp1 and therefore all my stereo effects are added later and i find that it sounds fine.  So far i have only really used it regularly at home with my rig plugged into a line6 ux1 so that i can use headphones and play along with other stuff.  I don't want to get divorced, so i have to keep my practice quiet.  I have used it through rnolan's mixer and it sounded great.  Wasn't exactly like my cab but i didn't expect it to be.  I have just copied my patches to a new bank and then added the loop to all those patches.  The gcs-3 stays in the rack, but is only called into play when i am going direct.  Mono cab simulator in a stereo rig.  :banana:

Perhaps you need to see if you can borrow one to try first.  I am not as fussy as some.

rnolan:
Generally the FX loop in rack preamps is after the preamp tubes, it is in the MP1 so works well (e.g. MikeBs setup), although looking at the Digitech 2112 manual, it says the loop comes after the wah but before the distortion section (which one assumes is where the tubes are) so this is a "pre" preamp loop intended for stomp boxs' etc that you would run before your normal guitar amp, just provides a convenient place to plug them in and some level matching.
So putting GCS2 in this loop will cab sim the clean undistorted signal, which as you say, is not what you'd want.  So you can run mono GCS 2 after 2112 (not optimal) but will work fine, get 2 x GCS2s, $ but will work well, go with the microcab (seems the best idea and as MJMP says more options).
The other alternative, maybe even more expensive and may not even be doable would be to get the 2112 loop modified to be after the distortion stage where signal still mono, but before the FX stage.
I find if you cab sim the distorted signal then feed it thorough FX works very well.

swipesy:
Thanks guys. Yeah, I'm aware that the effects loop in the 2112 is before the tubes, and it's hardwired that way.  Creating another loop between the tubes and effects would raise too many unknowns, such as impedances, voltages, etc.  Putting a cab sim in the existing loop is definitely not an option, and if I decided to create a new loop I would do it myself, but I don't have the information I would need to get that done. So ... dual cab sims appears to be the only viable solution in my situation. At least I know that now and can deal with it.

Thanks again guys!

[EDIT]

I just realized something. The 2112 is set up with dual signal paths - tube on one side and solid state on the other - and each may be panned anywhere.  Since that happens before distortion is generated (tube or SS) it also prevents a single cab sim from being used. If I had thought of that before I wouldn't have bothered you guys.  Panning tube distortion hard left and SS distortion hard right (or vice-versa) sure does create some great sounds. I certainly wouldn't want to lose that.

[/EDIT]

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