Short story: I got me a Boss GT-100 on Saturday and am loving it. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Long Story:
I re-did my home project studio configuration last October/November. The cornerstone to all this was going to an Eleven Rack and subsequently the Pro Tools software. (Wow! I am hooked for life.)
To finance this whole thing I had to sell a couple things. One was my Boss GT-10. I hated to do it, but I figured it would not have a place in the whole guitar playing line-up. I was wrong.
My travel "rig", which is basically me bringing an electric guitar and something to play into that had headphones capacity, was my Boss GT-10. I got a guitar with USB capacity, but it proved to be, um, limiting, to put it nicely. Sooo, I decided to go back to the multi-effects thing> I didn't want to travel with the 11R. Kind of a hassle just getting it in and out of place here in home project studio land. That, and I didn't want to risk damage while traveling, etc.
I tried going the cheap route, but the tone on what I got was just too thin for me. Thin, as in sounded like TV speakers to me. My ear thing doesn't take to that type of tone very well. I mentioned to my GC manager that I wish I had gotten a better unit in passing. He told me I could turn it back in as it was still under the warranty that I bought. I could apply that $$ to something better. On top of that, he would give be an additional discount for the fiasco that surrounded the USB equipped guitar. Heck, i gotta at least explore that option, right? :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
I went into GC thinking I would walk out with the Line-6 HD400, but was going to test-drive the GT-100 just in case. The testing was not apples to apples. The GT was on a Boss display pumping out of Roland Cube amps. The HD was on a display spitting out of two M-audio 5" monitors. It wasn't even close. The GT sounded absolutely wonderful, and that was on a very clean pre-set. a couple very brief adventures into something more driven proved just as nice. I got the GT-100.
I fiddled with it last night a great deal. I do this thing with multi-effects when I get them where I just kind of breeze through the pre-sets for a few hours. I'll not play every one, but I'll read through them and try to pick out 1 per bank and play it for a minute or two. Maybe more if I hit a good one. Presets are never 100% usable, but blasting through them will give one a decent feel for what it can do.
The biggest thing I'm impressed with on this unit are the improvement in the preamps' . These things sound great. There are even some of the generic ones that I played last night that I would not hesitate to record with. The overdriven tones are not over-the-top noise, and the clean ones all have nice depth. Some of them even quite warm. :shock:
Some people knock the GT's preamps. Some knock the effects. Some knock Boss. Some knock Line-6, etc, etc. It's like what TR brought up last week with online reviews and such. You just gotta play it. Better yet, I'm of firm belief that you really need many hours on one to make sure you can understand how to do things and really get a good feel for the tone. Especially if your other option is the noisy guitar store. I've got my few hours into it now. It ain't going back. :)
I'll give a full review at some point and do some A/B testing with the Eleven Rack. Just know one thing. This can sit at the table with the Eleven Rack as far as some of the pre-amps go. That's a big statement. The effects on the GT100 are more numerous 2-1 or 3-1 in count, and the GT100 is wide open as far as flexibility is concerned. I did like one effect in particular. The Tube Screamer 'sim on the GT is really nice. At least in the preset I was playing. I don't have a vintage TS, but I do have the Ibanez TS9DX(has a TS setting in it) downstairs in front of my 'Twin. This GT sim sounded as good as that pedal on the TS sim setting.
Well, I've rambled long enough. I've got my third Boss GT product and am quite pleased. I'll make a recording once I know the unit better. Maybe even do a GT-100 vs 11R shootout using Pro Tools down the road.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
Couple of questions? Why did you dump the GT-10 for the 100 isn't it essentially the same thing and doesnt it do what the 11 rack does?
I'm assuming the GT-100 is new. Does everything need to be prgrammed or can you make adjustments like they are analog?
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Couple of questions? Why did you dump the GT-10 for the 100 isn't it essentially the same thing and doesnt it do what the 11 rack does?
Last Fall I got rid of the GT-10 for the 11R. It was a direct replacement, although I did lose some functionality and some effects. I gained in overall sound quality instantly. That's not even bringing the Pro Tools software into the picture. That changed the way I play music almost instantly. I only fired it up to make sure it worked because it's the only way in to the GUI of the 11R without being on it.
Fast forward almost a year and I'm missing the portability factor of the GT-10. Yes, I could travel with the 11R, but I was timid. That, and it would be a pain.unhooking it all and re-setting it all back up when getting home. The seperate unit is pretty much grab and go.
I'm assuming the GT-100 is new. Does everything need to be prgrammed or can you make adjustments like they are analog?
Yes, it's new. Nothing needs to be programmed, technically speaking. I will make my own patches (or pre-sets) as well as tweek a setting or two here and there. The factory pre-set patches are pretty good and in many cases cn be played out of the box. perhaps even recorded in the rare instance. Keep in mind that when I'm setting up a track to record guitar on in Pro Tools or anything else for that matter, I'm optimizing the signal in the 11-Rack. If I was to use the GT-100, I would have to go through a similar routine.
You can make adjustments just like analog with either unit. You just have to navigate to it. You've got a technical back-ground. It's got kind of an object model look and feel to it, but with some hierarcheral aspects. Kind of like this:
GT-100 ->
System Settings ->
System Input ->
Pre-sets ->
Effects Chain ->
Effect or Amp ->
Settings for Effect or Amp ->
System Output
One only has to navigate to the area that you want to adjust. Then page through the various settings. Tweek and enjoy. Many people complained about the navigation of the GT-10. I loved it. I'm a geek. I got it. The 100 sort of hides some of the hierarcheral aspects. You can get to it from the same "level", so to speak.
If the COSM engine of your ME-70 (it's what you have, IIRC) is similar to the 100, you should be a really happy camper. If it's like the 10, you're still happy, but there might be a tone improvement step up. Either way you spin it, you've got a good MFX unit. Heck, I could go up and up and up from the GT-100 or HD series to the 11-Rack to supposedly the Axe-II to Kemper and so on and so forth. There's still the Vox ST series for comparatively little change that does very well from what I understand, and I think would have been the step up from the RP-255 I had briefly. Once I hit the GT-100, I was sold. personal preference.
Duplication of functionality: I have tons. I have a more convienient travel unit. I have something I can use as a stomp box should I ever get good enough to play out live. I also have 2-3X more effects. This is overkill, but consider that it's also one of the few hobbies I can mess with for the past five years. It doesn't justify the green, especially to my frugal side, but it's a small price to pay for some shallow minded mood-boosting.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
That's what I don't want in a multi FX the fact you have to navigate through pages in order to adjust and I think that's what the selling point on the ME-70 was you can adjust on the fly with the knobs for each effect no need to scroll through anything.
Even though I'm a technical guy I'm lazy too and I don't liek having to preset everything in patches. I know in some cases it would make life a hell of a lot easier.
But you don't need to justify to me why you have all those toys I'm just jealous :D
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
Sounds cool! Myself, we got some processing stuff around here but I'm not a big FX user. I got an old KORG pedal board type processor. The antique version of your new toy! It is from the early 90's so very basic but it still works and back then KORG and Marshall were the same company so ....... My son has an Digitec RP something or other cheap pedal around here that neither one of us uses. He has a bass pedal from Zoom that he doesn't use either. :lol: My direct rig? SansAmp! Knobs like an amp, all analog and no FX what so ever. For travel? Peaver VYPYR 15, a tiny amp with headphone jack. Processing out the butt .... for me to not use. :lol: The nice thing about your GT-100 Roy is you could plug into someone elses amp at a jam or whatever and get your sound. It can do many things for you.
Enjoy!
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
That's what I don't want in a multi FX the fact you have to navigate through pages in order to adjust and I think that's what the selling point on the ME-70 was you can adjust on the fly with the knobs for each effect no need to scroll through anything.
Even though I'm a technical guy I'm lazy too and I don't liek having to preset everything in patches. I know in some cases it would make life a hell of a lot easier.
But you don't need to justify to me why you have all those toys I'm just jealous :D
I'm a knob guy too Chris ..... but toys are cool. 8) I'd just buy one of the ones with the knobs too. My antique KORG has knobs.
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
The big pain unless I'm missing something is what do you do at a gig when you need to modify something.. :shock:. I can't imagine stting there trying to scroll through pages to get to the effect you want, I'm a KISS kind of guy and trust me the simpler the better.
The few times I played at the open mic recently that's what I did just bring the ME-70 and plug into an amp already there worked perfect and I didn't have to lug an amp around.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
The concensus I see out there is that people unlike me who like the knobs approach dug the GT-6 and GT-8 instead of the GT-10. I think I'm one of the few warped individuals that dug the 10. The knob lovers like the GT-100. I think it's a nice mix. I like the way the 11-Rack handled it. It's kind of similar to the GT-100.
The big pain unless I'm missing something is what do you do at a gig when you need to modify something.. :shock:. I can't imagine stting there trying to scroll through pages to get to the effect you want, I'm a KISS kind of guy and trust me the simpler the better.
The few times I played at the open mic recently that's what I did just bring the ME-70 and plug into an amp already there worked perfect and I didn't have to lug an amp around.
Absolutely not. I've never gigged, but I can assure you that going from one patch to the other is simply a matter of stepping on a pedal switch. No more difficult than turning on or off your effect pedal. That's without getting creative.
Folks who gig have their songs' patches all moved to an area. Even if you do 50 songs with 50 different patches, it's no more easier than kicking the pedal button. You just gotta know where the patch is. Navigate one pedal for bank, the other pedal for patch number 1,2,3 or 4.
Even if you have the need for an overdrive to kick in, like during a solo or anything, you can add that functionality to your patch. The GT-10 had something like a "Solo" button, while the GT-100 has some big button named "accel". When you create your patch, there's a little area that allows you to define what kicking that accel pedal does. Volume boost, increase gain, whatever. If you don't feel like that, just have two patches for the song.
I would think a multi-effect would be much simpler during a performance, especially between songs. Go from a hard rocker to a soft rocker with by kicking on or off a few regular pedals, or go to the patch using your patch navigation pedals. No settings to remember. Just where the patches are, and what you named them.
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
....... My direct rig? SansAmp! Knobs like an amp, all analog and no FX what so ever. ........
I've got one of those. I used it to track my acoustic guitar w/piezo on the song I'll be sharing soon. I did the first bass track with it too, but found a bass patch on the 11R that was good. It's quite a nifty item to have. Everyone should have at least one. 8)
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
No Roy I don't mean switching patches I mean adjusting an effect. At some point you are going to need/want to adjust during a performance and that thing doesn't seem like it would be easy.
On the ME-70 if I want more distortion I just reach down and twist a knob no scrolling no having to pick what patch what level.
It would be hard for me to set up a patch and then go play live without needing to adjust something.
I don't use alot of effects and I don't really cahnge alot of settings so the ME-70 is fine for me I have never used nor tried to modify or create a patch on my own as I really don't have a need.
I just recently started adding a few effects for certain songs like flanger etc. at some point when I get more than a few I will probably start looking at the patches and setting my own up. In theory I know how but I never bothered to actually do one.
"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!
On the ME-70 if I want more distortion I just reach down and twist a knob no scrolling no having to pick what patch what level.
Ahhh, I gotchya. They allow for the one on/off type of thing, but I don't know how they handle it on the 100 yet. The Gt-10 was easy. press the distortion button, there was a GUI display of exactly where you are. Twist up or down from there. On the GT-6, you had to turn the knob until you hit where it was you were currently at, and then go from there. I didn't like the not-knowing part.
It would be hard for me to set up a patch and then go play live without needing to adjust something.
Interesting. You mean during songs even, or just in between songs? I don't know how the GT-100 is yet on quick changes on the effect level. I spent most of last night just going from preset to preset.
I don't use alot of effects and I don't really cahnge alot of settings so the ME-70 is fine for me I have never used nor tried to modify or create a patch on my own as I really don't have a need.
I just recently started adding a few effects for certain songs like flanger etc. at some point when I get more than a few I will probably start looking at the patches and setting my own up. In theory I know how but I never bothered to actually do one.
I started off the same way. By 1/2 way during ownership period I probably never used a Factory pre-set. My own creations or user creations. I had a whole series of them that I made starting off with my favorite pre-amps, and then the various distortions, etc. I've got far less in the 11R so far, but I'm doing a ton more other things because of Pro Tools. Heck, my main go-to patch in the 11R is still something I explore all the time. Getting to the little zones of perfection with each guitar and just playing. I need to broaden my horizons a bit more. :lol: :roll:
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
My FX? A little reverb and delay. Amp model? Marshall Haze, Peavey Windsor, Peavey Valve King or Classic 30 depending on which of those amps I am playing through. No patches. But! .... That is me. Knobs all the way.... connected to pots. I've tried the amp modeling processor thing but always end up with one setting that I use, all the time. :lol: That thing does look like it is amazing though Roy. :mrgreen:
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
