Multi FX For Recto

[Bekanor]

I'm thinking of buying a Multi FX with my birthday money and was pretty set on the TC Electronics Nova system until I read that it isn't really built for an FX loop as it doesn't put out a line level signal.

Can anyone recommend something of similar quality/price point (about $500)?

 

[Jind]

Maybe the Digitech GSP1101. It has some nice flexibility:

From the Digitech site:

How does the GSP1101 save your tone? By using the GSP1101’s unique and flexible preamp loop in conjunction with the easy to use setup wizard, you can quickly configure your GSP1101 to meet your connectivity and functionality needs. By allowing you to place your personal preamp in the GSP1101’s preamp loop, the GSP1101 places internal stompboxes, choruses before your amp’s input like discrete pedals. The effects like delays and the internal Lexicon™ reverbs follow after your preamp. Most rack mount products force you to run through some type of clean amp model changing your sound just so you can get a little extra. With the GSP1101 you longer have to sacrifice your tone and effect chain to use a rack.

Unlike most rack preamp / processors, the GSP eliminates internal sections that you are not using and places the effects in use in the correct order. You want an internal distortion and chorus before your outboard amp? No problem. The GSP1101 setup wizard quickly walks you through the setup and then internally reconfigures to meet your needs. You want just chorus, delay and reverb? No problem, the setup wizard makes it a snap to turn the GSP1101 into the ultimate effects processor.

 

[Bekanor]

I'm really looking at something floor based, that preamp loop sounds pretty neat though.

 

[Jind]

If thats the case - maybe the Digitech RP1000 - you can universaly turn off amp/cab modeling and use it for stomp box modeling and preset management only. I have a Digitech RP500 I use for the same function, but it's routing is not as versatile as the RP1000. Or perhaps the Line6 M13 Stomp box modeler?

Not sure what else is out there, but two, maybe three more possibilities.

 

[Bekanor]

I'm really interested in the M13.

The problem is, I'd have to buy it off ebay to get it for a reasonable price (it's $AU1,000 at stores here) and then I'd get gouged by the Australian Line 6 distributor on an Aussie power supply.

$140 for a power supply.


I know it's designed to discourage importing stuff but I can't help but feel that if Aussie distributors had better buying power and were actually trying to stop us getting fucked directly in the ass on every single piece of music gear we might not try to import so much shit.

 

[BLUElightCory]

The Nova System has a Line-Level in for the effects loop, it even confirms it in the manual.

In that price range, the Line 6 M13 is pretty hard to beat as well.

 

[Executioner213]

Just get a rack unit (avoid the G-Major) and get a shitty midi controller (Behringer FB-1010) to run it. Unless you drop the coin for a good unit like the Nova System, all the cheese dick floor units are really only good for practicing in your bedroom.

 

[Metaltastic]

I guess the most important thing to establish is what you're looking to accomplish Nic - do you just want some FX for solos, or for clean stuff as well? If the latter, you'd probably want to get a setup that will allow you to do one-button patch and channel switching, but that gets expensive and complicated - you'd need a MIDI foot controller, rack FX, and MIDI switcher to change your amp channels, unless you got a Multi-FX unit that had relays to send out channel switching info (unfortunately, the reputedly unreliable TC G Major is the only affordable option in that department; Rocktron's Xpression is a great unit but doesn't have the relays, even though its predecessors, the Intellifex and Replifex, do - WHY THE FUCK DID THEY GET RID OF IT GODAMMIT )

 

[Metaltastic]

Or there's the Boss GT-whatever setup with the 4 cable method, but I've heard that doesn't work too well with the Recto's parallel loop (you could look into doing the serial loop mod though, which would probably help)

 

[streetwise]

Or there's the Boss GT-whatever setup with the 4 cable method, but I've heard that doesn't work too well with the Recto's parallel loop (you could look into doing the serial loop mod though, which would probably help)

Any digital effects unit sucks with 3ch Dual Rectifier (don't know about 2ch or Single Recto, Triple is most likely the same as Dual?). This is because signal from FX return is fed back to send (through mix pot). I don't think this is a problem with analog effects, as it only gives you very little feedback. But when you're using digital effects, the feedback signal is being delayed in AD and DA transforms, and you get weird phased sounds...

I modded mine with a serial loop before I sold the piece of crap. It did work after the mod though. Maybe a mix pot of a bigger value could help too? I dunno...

AND you can't use relay switches with common ground, this would fuck up the switching matrix in Recto. All switches/relays need their own isolated grounds. So you could only use one relay in G-Major for example.

 

[Metaltastic]

Any digital effects unit sucks with 3ch Dual Rectifier (don't know about 2ch or Single Recto, Triple is most likely the same as Dual?). This is because signal from FX return is fed back to send (through mix pot). I don't think this is a problem with analog effects, as it only gives you very little feedback. But when you're using digital effects, the feedback signal is being delayed in AD and DA transforms, and you get weird phased sounds...

I used a Boss DD-3 in the loop of my 2 ch. Dual without any problems, and it had a parallel loop like the 3 ch's

 

[Harry Hughes]

Just get a rack unit (avoid the G-Major) and get a shitty midi controller (Behringer FB-1010) to run it. Unless you drop the coin for a good unit like the Nova System, all the cheese dick floor units are really only good for practicing in your bedroom.

Racks tend to rape your wallet in our part of the world.
TC-Electronics stuff is unfortunately not cheap at all in Australia, not one bit.
I like living in Australia, but fuck, when it comes to guitar gear living in the US would be much nicer on the wallet.
Americans complain about prices, but when they find out what we go through, they never take their prices for granted anymore

 

[Executioner213]

Dude, I keep seeing Aussie's with better gear than what I got, so I don't really think it's a valid complaint. TC isn't the cheapest in the US either.

 

[Bekanor]

I guess the most important thing to establish is what you're looking to accomplish Nic - do you just want some FX for solos, or for clean stuff as well? If the latter, you'd probably want to get a setup that will allow you to do one-button patch and channel switching, but that gets expensive and complicated - you'd need a MIDI foot controller, rack FX, and MIDI switcher to change your amp channels, unless you got a Multi-FX unit that had relays to send out channel switching info (unfortunately, the reputedly unreliable TC G Major is the only affordable option in that department; Rocktron's Xpression is a great unit but doesn't have the relays, even though its predecessors, the Intellifex and Replifex, do - WHY THE FUCK DID THEY GET RID OF IT GODAMMIT )

At this point it's really only for leads, I don't have switchable access to my clean channel. I used to have a G Major setup with my Powerball and while it wasn't really unreliable, it sucked a lot of tone (making my Powerball noticeably worse for pretty much anything) so I don't really wanna go back to that sort of setup. I have heard that digital effects are pretty lousy through a parallel loop and I can't be assed doing a serial loop mod and then going into a rack+controller+switcher setup. I was just looking for something that may do the trick around the 500 beans mark 'cos it's my birthday next week and I'll have some money that I have no idea how to spend.

I probably won't bother with effects and just get 2 custom necks built for my 7's and just wait until I can afford a G System or an Eventide Eclipse or something.


I have to agree with streetwise as well, I have a DD3 in my loop assigned to my lead channel and boy howdy is there a lot of feedback. I'll probably end up dropping it, it's just annoying the shit out of me.

 

[Metaltastic]

So are you using the Orange channel (cloned to modern I hope) for rhythm and switching to the red for leads? (with the DD-3 always on) And I'm surprised you get feedback, since I used it with the exact same amp and had no trouble; I assume you have the E. Level knob on the pedal maxed and control the mix with the loop mix knob on the back of the Recto? (as it's supposed to be )

 

[Force666]

I'm really thinking about the GSP1101. The footswitch especially, since it's powered and linked by one ethernet cable. Like that.

Then i'de just need a rack tuner, and custom rack TS, and rack decimator. FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

On top of that, everything digitech i've ever owned/used kinda sucked balls.

 

[Bekanor]

So are you using the Orange channel (cloned to modern I hope) for rhythm and switching to the red for leads? (with the DD-3 always on) And I'm surprised you get feedback, since I used it with the exact same amp and had no trouble; I assume you have the E. Level knob on the pedal maxed and control the mix with the loop mix knob on the back of the Recto? (as it's supposed to be )

Actually I have the red as my rhythm channel and the orange cloned to modern for my leads. I have the mix knob on the back maxed and the effect level knob on the DD-3 around noon. I can't really see fiddling with those knobs taking out the feedback.

For shits and giggles I took the delay out of my loop, so much less feedback and noise. I'll try it at rehearsals and see how it goes at proper volumes.

 

[Metaltastic]

Well the whole point of a parallel FX loop is to avoid tone sucking by having your FX at 100% wet and controlling the mix of the direct signal and FX signal with the loop knob, and I can definitely see how that would potentially affect feedback, as less signal going through the delay pedal is being mixed in with your main signal - it's the same thing as setting up a reverb send during mixing

 

[Bekanor]

I'll give it a run next rehearsal.


Right now it's hot and I just got killed like 10 consecutive times on Left 4 Dead 2 because the people I was playing with are fucking hopeless at it.

"Let's check every single fucking nook and cranny!"

"Look out! That zombie is next to you! I better open fucking fire because you clearly don't know it's there!"

 

[Metaltastic]

Hahaha, sounds like you got matched up with a gaggle of RPG nerds looking for treasure