6505+ footswitch replacement/alternatives

[paladin shredder]

So i just bought a new 6505+ head for $999 and it kicks major ass! Only thing is I'd like to get another pedal for channel switching options. I know the amp has an effects insert, but if i go from the lead channel with delay to clean channel with no delay i have to hit two separate switches, plus the delay would get cut off in a weird way and not carry out the distorted lead.

I'd want something like the voodoo labs gcx audio switcher or a boss gt8/gt10 where i can just hit one switch and go from one preset sound to another. only problem is the pedal/cable on the 6505+ is a weird midi looking thing, not a regular 1/4 inch guitar cable.

so my question is, what is the best way to achieve this? can i split this cables signal into separate 1/4 inch cables. is there some kind of multi-effects unit i can just plug this thing into? halp!

edit: i believe the cable connection i have is a 7pin midi.

 

[Metaltastic]

It is a 7-pin, and you can use a 7-pin MIDI cable - BUT, it's not a MIDI input, rather, just an analog multi-pin input. The only way you'll be able to do one-button switching is to get a MIDI switcher with a custom cable (this guy would be my choice), OR a TC Electonic G-Major (or G-Force, if you really wanna spend over $1k on fucking FX ), and get/make a custom cable with a TRS connection on one end and a 7-pin MIDI jack on the other, with connections to the correct MIDI pins (there are diagrams to be found online, but fuck if I can read 'em).

 

[AdamWathan]

GT8 with 4 cable method. That way you can use the distortion from the amp and setup a clean patch in the GT8 that goes directly to the power section of the 6505+ and you can do any crazy effects presets you want no problem. The digital clean in the GT8 is capable of clean sounds infinitely better than any 5150. That's how I run mine, works fucking great! No need to even bother with the channel switching on the amp at all this way.

 

[paladin shredder]

thanks for both of your suggestions! my last amp i had was a combo with built in digital effects, so my my massive pedal rig consists of a boss tuner and a bad horsie wah. i'm definitely needing some delays and such. i figure if i go with the CFX4, i could actually be switching between the 3 channels on my amp which would be cool, but then i have to get a midi controller, the gcx, and whatever effects pedals i want, which seems a bit expensive at this point for me.

one of my friends has a gt8 that he's thinking of selling to me, so i will probably go that route. i'm still not quite sure i understand the 4 cable method totally, but i think i have an idea. so basically, i would still be on the lead channel all the time, i would just be able to bypass my amps pre-amp in the gt8 signal chain, allowing for basically a completely clean sound?

 

[Metaltastic]

Yeah, and come to think of it, that is a really fucking good solution...I never realized that it allowed one to bypass the preamp and go straight into the power amp!

 

[16S]

read here...its not too tricky

http://www.bossgtcentral.com/tipsntricks.html#4cm

 

[paladin shredder]

i just got a great idea. i could actually get the gt8 (using 4 cable method) and the CFX4, have my amp set on the crunch channel by default, and use the CFX4 "channel/ctrl2" output to switch between the crunch and lead channel with the gt8 channel switcher. then i can have gt8 clean, 65605 crunch and 6505 lead! very badass

 

[Metaltastic]

Damn, that would be - it'd take a bit more time to wire it up at shows, and of course a bit more cash, but would essentially give you a 3-channel amp!

 

[paladin shredder]

Damn, that would be - it'd take a bit more time to wire it up at shows, and of course a bit more cash, but would essentially give you a 3-channel amp!

very true, i figure i could always get the gt8 and expand on it's capabilities in the future with the CFX4. thanks for pointing that out to me btw!

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

i just got a great idea. i could actually get the gt8 (using 4 cable method) and the CFX4, have my amp set on the crunch channel by default, and use the CFX4 "channel/ctrl2" output to switch between the crunch and lead channel with the gt8 channel switcher. then i can have gt8 clean, 65605 crunch and 6505 lead! very badass

That's pretty much what I'm doing with my Digitech GSP1101. Bad ass clean sounds and any other cool mid crunch preamps from the Digitech, and killer metal sound from the amp through a Maxon OD-820, on which I can use the Digitech as an fx send for delay, reverb, flange, whammy or whatever... And the delay keeps going as much as you want from one preset to the other, pretty smooth. Also and advantage, you can set the 6505 Post Gain as high as you want, it's the Digitech that deals with the amp volume.