T.C Electronic G Major / G Force

[Nostalgiaplatz]

How about this rack processor? It's been known as being one of the very best rack fx processor unit for guitar, anyone uses it? how's it in distortions? any thing you don't like about it? I'm pondering about acquiring one... would like to hear some info on it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[egan.]

I haven't used it but TC sent me a demo CD and the fx seemed high quality but leaning towards 80's cheese and special fx (I'm not that into phasers/flangers/ nutty pitch shifting). I'm sure the verbs/delays would sound excelent if you programmed your own settings tho and it has a very powerful routing section. Also, I'm pretty sure neither of those units have distortion. The force has a "drive" section but it's not really distortion.

 

[Asmus_Thomsen]

The G-Force is a very comprehensive effectsprocessor. The quality of teh effects are very good, and if you're into midi, there's not a thing this morherfucker can't do (at least if you own a decent board). As usual, there are many effects that sound "interesting" or funny, but come on - after a while you just need delay, a tad reverb, maybe a wah (go buy a dedicated wah-pedal), chorus - the ordinary effects. It takes time to learn to use it. On the downside, it is a bit slow when you change effects - espcially if you want to obtain effect spillover from one preset to another.

The "distortion" is lame...period. The chorus, reverb and delay are brilliant. Definately try it before buying......

 

[spaivxx]

With a footcontroller it can be operated in "stomp box" mode too, so instead of changing presets you can kick individual effects on and off.

About units like this in general, I always find it funny when someone evaluates a unit based on factory presets. Have any of you, ever used factory presets ? The thing about the G Major is if you make your own presets and set up just the effects you need, it sounds really good. I have some presets on mine where only delay is employed. Others with a little chorus and verb, but most of the time my wet/dry is set mostly dry, just a hint of an effect for added dimension.

The G Major is a great unit if you are comfrtable with multi effects processors.

a little off topic but.... I played once with another guitarist in a band and he had just discovered MIDI controllable processors.... man he sent me on an anti effects trip for a long time. Thanks to him and his Chorus drenched rhythm sounds, his blatent abuse of multitap delays, flangers swooshing away all the time, I started playing with one efect, my trusty Vox wah, straight into my Mark IV. It was he, with his SICK obsession with overkilling his gadgetry that was a big part in my realizing the joy of playing mostly naked, maybe a little delay on some solos, but even that was at like 20% of the dry signal volume, and thankfully our soundman was competent enough to patch my delay in at the board, so I never even had to activate it!!! In the studio I cannot say how many guitarists come in and act handicapped when I cut their reverb off!!!

Anyhow, sorry about the rant, I love effects as much as every other gear junky..... when used sparingly.

 

[Nostalgiaplatz]

Ouch... I was expecting to find decent distortions in this rack unit. So, are there any sugestions when it comes to distortions? I basicly wanted a unit that allowed me to have decent distortions, delays, chorus and reverbs in the FX Loop of an amp, running its clean channel.

Thanks for your answers!

 

[2dark]

maybe you should look at the Line6 POD XT Live .....
even though I'm not the biggest fan of those PODs, it actually sounds very good
through tube amps in a live situtation.
As long as you turn the reverb off ;-)

 

[Nostalgiaplatz]

I like the quality of those Line6 things but the only downside is that they sound way too digital, like v-amp's, Gt-6's as well as any other amp/speaker simulator that I've tried. Other sugestions are very much appreciated! Especially if they're not a stomp box or pedal of some sort. Rack's or pedal boards are fine, I hate pedals not sure why!

Thanks

 

[2dark]

i'm going to record a POD XT Pro through a Mesa Dual Rectifier this weekend
and the guitarplayer and I tweaked with the settings allready, and
honestly, it sounds killer. Well ok, it's not for metal stuff. Deftones/Limp Bizkit area.
In a live situation I wouldn't be able to tell if there's some amp simulation going on.

If you're looking for an all-in-one solution I guess you don't get far with it.
Either the dynamic section sucks or the FX section. I haven played one single
piece of gear that can handle both.

I personaly can't say enough good things about the Marshall JMP-1 preamp.
I use that together with on old Roland GP-8 to add some chorus for leads and
to switch the JMP-1 (live, not studio).
There's also the Rocktron Intelliflex collection dust on my bookshelf because it makes
everything sounding like 80s pop/rock.

If you're not going for a POD, then I'd say get the G-Major plus a decent preamp.
The Mesa TriAxis or the Mesa Rectifier Recording Preamp are worth a test
(including the JMP-1 off course;- ) )

As for stompboxes: the Line6 MM4 and DL4 sound great too (with headphones
at the Line6 booth at the Musikmesse Frankfurt last year).

NP: The Haunted - Revolver

 

[Nostalgiaplatz]

Oh, wow, thanks for the insight you provided us! I think I do understand now the users of stompboxes...

Wish I could work a setup like yours...if I had a rectifier, I'd sure not care about the POD, but that POD XT Live, sounds promising

Thanks

 

[TheSweetener]

I love the G-Major. The only drawback is the tuner which is not that cool.

The verb and chorus sounds are awesome. The specialefx like phaser flanger are typical for a modern multiefx unit. Nothing special but ok.

A good thing is that it lets the reverb tail + the echos "hang over", when you switch via midi.

 

[Ermz]

Alot of people here seem to swear by 'Tubescreamer' stomp boxes. Apparently brings out alot more character in amps.

I use a Boss ME-50 pedalboard. It's sort of like a watered down version of the GT-6. It gives great sound, and I really haven't been able to fault it. It's very versatile and is more like a collection of stompboxes than a modelling unit (it doesn't offer amp modelling.. only FX and distortion).

I have a video of myself playing through it and a Marshall MG100DFX at a local rehearsal place. The camera mic was clipping like shit because it couldn't take the volume, but you can get some kind of indicator into one of the many sounds you can expect to achieve. Biggest drawback is a 'pause' between patch changing. That's very destructive in a live setting

http://webpages.acs.ttu.edu/wdenman/ermin_forest5.avi

 

[Nostalgiaplatz]

I love the G-Major. The only drawback is the tuner which is not that cool.

The verb and chorus sounds are awesome. The specialefx like phaser flanger are typical for a modern multiefx unit. Nothing special but ok.

A good thing is that it lets the reverb tail + the echos "hang over", when you switch via midi.

Do you have anything to say about its distortions?

I'm looking to build a tone similar to that o old/mid era in flames, at the gates, nevermore (Dead heart in a dead world), etc.

Once more, any sugestions welcone!
Thanx

 

[silverwulf]

To clear up confusion, the G-Major is not a preamp. It has no distortion in it. It's just an effects processor. With that said...

I use the G-Major, and it's perfect for me. I use it for a little reverb/chorus on cleans, maybe the occasional noise gate only on my heavy rhythms, and a little reverb or delay, possibly a boost on my solos. I also use it to do all of my amp channel changing, so I can go from a clean sound with chorus, to a dry heavy rhythm, to a boosted lead sound with delay all with the push of a button. There's no delay in patch switching, and it doesn't color my tone to any noticable degree. I gave $350 used for it, and it's one of the best investments in my rig. I was going to invest in a G-Force, but I had no reason to. The quality of the effects and this unit just saved me the extra cash. Highly recommended.

 

[J the TyranT]

Lexicon makes some killer effects shit also.

 

[DIOBOLIC5150]

I run a Lexicon MPX550 in my rack. It's wicked. I got it for the price of an MPX100 because Guitar Center mis-marked it and put it in the "clearence section". Turns out it was a special order for someone, but they had to sell it to me for $150.00. I feel bad for the meat head who lost his job over it! haha.

I also have run my PODxt into my Randall head and cabs... to be honest, the distortion sounds much better running the XT through it than the heads own distortion. People somewhat underestimate the PODs potential. I know it's "fake" and whatnot, but it delivers...