I'm going to regret this... TC G-system info please

[Twisteramps]

I think HippieTim has one of these, and I'm sure a few others. Looking for your impressions of it. I *may* be retiring the GT8 to direct recording/rehearsal use. Don't know yet. Getting tired of having to lug it around... space is getting to be at a premium. If I do quit using it, I may look into the G-system.

Any pros? Cons to the TC stuff? Does it sound the same as the G-major? Better? etc... any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Pete

[jgcable]

Hey Pete, isn't the G-System roughly the same size as the GT-8?? On top of that, you will need to add an expression pedal or 2 to it because all it has is buttons. Looks to me like its actually more gear to lug around.

[Dave L]

I gave one of those a good testrun when they came out, and I was very impressed. I´ve used the G-Major on and off thru the years, and the G-system sounded better. It was easy to use, as well... but since I run rackmounted FX it was too much money for a new rackmount and a new MIDI-board, even though they were top-notch in their own right. I´m sure it´s more attractive (and practically without competition) for those who run their FX on the floor... which I guess you do, Pete.

I´m not sure I´d shell out that kind of cash to get a smaller unit, though... when loaded with the actual FX-unit it´s gotta weigh upwards of 20 lbs and be two feet wide. It´s not a small unit, in any case.

[Twisteramps]

"lug it around" meaning take the GT8 off my pedalboard into my small guitar room and have to put it back on for gigs. It's a pain in the ass. I don't know, I get on these kicks where I do upgrades to my gear in one swoop. Sounds interesting though!

Pete

[Robotechnology]

Really, really sounds killer... just set aside some setup time.

[Dave L]

Yeah, if you just want something similar to the GT8, but without all the modeling- and distortionstuff, you could do alot worse than a G-system.

[hippietim]

Pete - I've been very pleased with mine. The trick is to get the levels balanced between your preamps and pedals and the loops. All the effects are pretty darn good but that sort of thing is subjective - suffice it to say that both the GT-8 and G-System sound great.

It does both more and less than the GT-8.

In the more department there are 4 pedal loops and an insert loop for your preamp. It can control four latching switches (IIRC the GT-8 did two). You can reprogram just about any of the buttons if you want more instant access switches. The boost function is like the G-Major and is somehow just a whole helluva lot more handy than any other scheme I've scene in a box like this. The effects unit and the pedalboard can be separated so you can get everything in a tidy rack - you just use a standard ethernet cable to connect them.

On the less front, the G-System has far fewer effects. There are no amp models and no distortion effects. The one I miss the most is the lack of a rotary effect - supposedly this is to be included in the next update. Also, no acoustic simulator, slow gear, pickup simulator, fretless, or feedbacker. There's probably more. The G-System does not have any expression pedals built in so you'll need a couple of those. The G-System does not have flexible effects rerouting but there are a few paralell/serial options.

I have two rigs with my current band. One is a dinky rig for dinky clubs and opening situations. The other is a rack setup based around the G-System. That one looks like this:

Guitar -> Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster -> Bad Horsie II -> G-System -> Mesa Boogie 2:100 power amp -> pair V30 loaded cabs.

I have a Vox Over The Top Boost and a Clark Gainster in the first two loops of the G-System. My preamp is a CAE 3+SE which is in the insert loop of the G-System. The pickup booster is just to balance when I switch between single coil and humbucker guitars.

My dinky rig is just an Orange Tiny Terror and a Boogie Thiele 1x12 cab with a Yamaha MagicStomp, a TS808 and a boost pedal. Funny thing is I can cover most of what I need with just that

[Twisteramps]

Tim - can you use it like the GT8 in 'four cable' mode where the host amp's preamp can be moved around and different effects can be swapped around order-wise? The more I think about it, I'd have to have some sort of clean preamp going in the TC setup, since right now I have the GT8 setup to provide a clean tone (My VHT is set with both channels to burn).

Pete

[hippietim]

Tim - can you use it like the GT8 in 'four cable' mode where the host amp's preamp can be moved around and different effects can be swapped around order-wise? The more I think about it, I'd have to have some sort of clean preamp going in the TC setup, since right now I have the GT8 setup to provide a clean tone (My VHT is set with both channels to burn).

Pete

You can't move the order around (another thing that is supposedly planned for a future update). I've got a patch or two where I just run that Vox pedal as the preamp and bypass the CAE. So it's definitely doable.