Boss GT-1000 (and possibly other things Boss...)

[Sascha Franck]

Just fooling around using the big GT as a MIDI controller, mimicking what I'll do with the Hotone (so far basically just switching between 4 patches) - and well, seems to turn this turd into quite an amazing setup, really. I can now use the Core's switches for whatever it might be in addition to switching patches (for now it's just tuner and some FX that I may or may not use, I'm sure I'll figure out something more elaborated one day), so no quick actions required, possibly resulting in stepping on the encoders.
Quite curious how well the switches of the Hotone operate, but I think it'll be pretty similar to the GT switches - and in that case I might be a happy camper already.

And fwiw, I can only repeat myself: The combination of the GTs and the Tonexes is absolutely gorgeous. Otherwise I would've sold that conglomerate of UI-experience-gone-completely-wrong contest winners already.

And fwiw #2, @JiveTurkey, the 2kOhm input impedance doesn't seem to bother me. Just compared running straight into the Core vs. running through the (always buffering) Hotone Soulpress II and it's been all fine with me. There possibly is a small difference when backing up your guitar volume, but it's small enough for me to get lost.

 

[nikitasius]

@Sascha Franck you need caps on your boss buttons. Btw everytime i edit something i always save preset via write. Afaik hotkey settings could be global and preset related.
For example: 1st left is global looper, 1st+2nd are global tuner. The rest (2,3 and external) i do per preset.

 

[Sascha Franck]

1st left is global looper,

What do you mean by "global looper"?

 

[nikitasius]

Boss could easily make this a *way* better device

Issue with boss is that they are lowered freq in dac from 96kHz to 48kHz in last devices (gx100 etc). I doubt they will make one more device like gt1000. It’s rock solid device with great built & sound quality.

Btw i tried actively noise gates in boss and i quite like them a lot
But always wanna test something different - i finally ordered yesterday tc electronic sentry. Wanna see how it will work with boss + wanna open and see what’s inside

 

[nikitasius]

What do you mean by "global looper"?

I mean that actions per button can be on global or local levels.
It was just my example: « no matter which preset i use looper is on 1st button and tuner when you press them both ».

 

[nikitasius]

Thats about your issue with turning off your boss and losing button config. I should re-read your post (i’m lazy and sick this morning), but button config per preset have to be saved via write.

 

[nikitasius]

Btw extra buttons for my boss for extra cheap money

 

[Sascha Franck]

I mean that actions per button can be on global or local levels.
It was just my example: « no matter which preset i use looper is on 1st button and tuner when you press them both ».

Yeah, that's precisely what I don't want.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Thats about your issue with turning off your boss and losing button config.

No, that's very clearly a bug when importing patches from the big guy.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Posted this in the Tonex thread already, but it might be of interest here as well..

---

So, you can't polish a turd they say.
Just that sometimes you can.
Quick demo of how this setup works, it's really just about 2 things:

1) Even with the GT-1000 Core controlled from the Hotone Ampero Control, then passing MIDI to the Pirate MIDI Pico, which will then convert the message to be suitable for the Tonex One, switching is incredibly fast and gapless (you can see that I'm even switching inmidst of a held chord).

2) There's delay and reverb spillover.

You'll also be able to see how I can easily manipulate patch 1 to become a lead variation.



Waiting for a bunch of patch cables to replace the ugly yellow/white ones (will likely take until tomorrow, grr...), then everything will be secured with cable ties, some rubber feet will be added and then on to some rehearsals and shows. Should be great.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Ok. Boss never ceases to amaze me with yet some more in-fucking-credible stupid things.

On the Core, you can assign the up/down switches to do some other things than patch up/down. Which I did, as I'm now calling up patches via MIDI. Fine so far.

And then there's manual mode. Not that I'd actually plan to use it live, but it's useful for soundchecks to, say, check the levels of my pre-comp and post-EQ individually (which are always switched simultaneously in the actual patch, but it's great to check them on their own to balance levels). There's also several other applications when manual mode could come in handy.

-> Entering manual mode should allow you to have a second, independent "layer" of switching options for the up/down switches. Just that it doesn't. Yes, you *will* be able to assign functions to the up/down switches in the manual settings, but these will be *ON TOP* (!!!) of the assignments of the main page.
IOW, as an example: In case I assigned a dirt block on/off switch for the down-switch on the main page and wanted to be able to switch, say, a phaser in manual mode, it'll still switch the dirt block on/off.

WHAT-THE-ACTUAL-FUCK?!?

Is there even ONE single person in Boss' headquarters actually trying out all these things? I mean, I've stumbled over sooo many things already, I completely can't believe how they even made it into a beta version, let alone a unit that has seen at least some updates.

So, there goes manual mode for me. Really only makes sense when you use the up/down arrows for single actions (defined on the "Control Function page) only, once you're using the assignment page, anything done there will be valid in manual mode as well.

"Buy Boss and get ready to discover utterly stupid things each and every day!" - That should be their slogan.

 

[ian_dissonance]

That’s so weird that the core would have such a departure from the big one on some of this functionality.

 

[Sascha Franck]

That’s so weird that the core would have such a departure from the big one on some of this functionality.

It's in fact kinda similar on the big unit - which is why you should only ever use the lower row of switches in manual mode for "direct" controls rather than for assigments (had to find that out the hard way when fooling around with CurNum - and still haven't 100 deciphered the exact workings behind the scenes). But as they were changing some other things on the Core as well (such as it not being able to call up 3 patches with the 3 switches straight), they could as well have turned manual mode into something meaningful.

 

[ian_dissonance]

It's in fact kinda similar on the big unit - which is why you should only ever use the lower row of switches in manual mode for "direct" controls rather than for assigments (had to find that out the hard way when fooling around with CurNum - and still haven't 100 deciphered the exact workings behind the scenes). But as they were changing some other things on the Core as well (such as it not being able to call up 3 patches with the 3 switches straight), they could as well have turned manual mode into something meaningful.

I use a combination of direct controls/assignments/presets for the 1-5 switches. Most of my banks are presets on 1 and 2 and everything else varies depending on the preset. And Curnum for tap tempo. I don’t even think I’d assign anything by the CTRL switch on the core and just use external buttons because of how goofy it seems.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I don’t even think I’d assign anything by the CTRL switch on the core and just use external buttons because of how goofy it seems.

Tbh, if I wasn't using an external MIDI controller, I'd just trash it.
With the Hotone Ampero Control it's quite a great setup, though - almost unfortunately, because I really hate myself for calling that turd a part of a great setup.
The manual mode limitation isn't much of a limitation, either, as I hadn't planned to actually use it (it's really just nice for soundchecks when I use the big boy, as I have the pre-looper, pre-Comp and post-EQs sitting on those switches, allowing me to adjust levels while the looper is playing).

Anyhow, I should rather never met anyone from the GT development team in person...

 

[nikitasius]

btw tested today my noise gate tc sentry, damn awesome. I also disassembled it a bit and will share a teardown. It’s very good device solid and professionally built.
It have 2.4-2.6ms delay due digital processing.

 

[Sascha Franck]

So, I just got a Hotone Ampero Press II. Has an EXP out and a switch out.
Now, why in the world does the GT-1000 need a TRS connection for the EXP function to work? That's making absolutely no sense. Is it awaiting the EXP pot to work between tip and ring - instead of tip and sleeve?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Ok. The global block functionality of the GT-1000 is fucked up, at least on the Core. Global blocks *will* work between patches, but only as long as you keep the unit switched on. They will always revert to the last saved state after rebooting. That sucks incredible a**.
Will check whether it's the same with the big one later on.

 

[ian_dissonance]

Ok. The global block functionality of the GT-1000 is fucked up, at least on the Core. Global blocks *will* work between patches, but only as long as you keep the unit switched on. They will always revert to the last saved state after rebooting. That sucks incredible a**.
Will check whether it's the same with the big one later on.

Wait, are you saying you edited a stompbox, saved the patch, and while it’s powered on the stompbox works across multiple patches but then if you restart your stompbox settings are not saved?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Wait, are you saying you edited a stompbox, saved the patch, and while it’s powered on the stompbox works across multiple patches but then if you restart your stompbox settings are not saved?

No, as soon as I save the patch, the stompbox settings are saved and the same after rebooting. But, it's also like this:

For instance: I have that one acoustic patch that I often need to check separately and kinda thoroughly. I sometimes go in there and alter some things especially for one EQ. It's saved as my "steelstring" EQ stompbox. So, that works fine during soundcheck and if I need, I can as well balance the EQs volume during the gig (it's one of the parameters routed to one of the encoders).
Next, there's absolutely no need to save that patch. I mean, why would I? It's a stompbox, FFS, this is supposed to just stay where it was at the last time the patch was called up. And it even works that way. I can switch to all other patches, once I get back to that acoustic patch, the settings were just like I adjusted them. Without any saving. Which in my book is the second great thing of stompboxes (apart from working globally throughout patches).
Just that it doesn't anymore as soon as I reboot. In that case, the stompbox EQ is reset to the status I last saved the acoustic patch at.

Yes, this might actually be the way the weirdos in Boss-land think it should be like. But I think it's utterly stupid. A stompbox should work every bit like a stompbox. I mean, that analog dirt pedal you're using doesn't all of a sudden magically have it's tone pot set to noon when it was full up the last time you've touched it, just because you plugged the power off and back on.
In case I had more patches with more individual stompbox settings (which is actually what I'm currently setting up for the small board), I would run into this situation pretty often and had to resave each patch I was using on whatever particular gig so it would come back up the same for the next show. That's just cumbersome and super lame.