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

[nikitasius]

If everyone in the room thinks you’re the nut job, maybe it’s time to reflect a little bit.

In the psychiatric hospital there are more sick folks than the doctors, yep.

 

[paisleywookiee]

In the psychiatric hospital there are more sick folks than the doctors, yep.

Your lack of self-awareness is commendable.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I was trying to be funny. Mission not accomplished

Bah, and I was hoping already...
Well, only sort of. For small mobile duties the Stomp is a better choice anyway, even with all its shortcomings.

 

[headcrash]

Hi there!

Just wanted to share some of my experiences with the GX-100, and by doing so, complain about the industry's failure to make the perfect device (well perfect for me) .
I bought the GX-100 used in end of 2022, and it was supposed to be a substitute of my trusty G-Lab GSC-2 plus pedals (modulation, delay, reverb), was supposed to simply sit in front of my Fryette clone amps, so I'd only use it as pure FX device, amp switcher and foot controler.The GX-100 my first and only such device - so no comparison to similar devices.
With that said, I really like the UI, the form factor and the FX sounds by themselves.

However, I was disappointed of its noise floor, so I went for 4CM using its noise gate in loop, which works ok for me, but I hate that I hear the gate working, I simply don't want to use a gate. And I hate the fact that I need to do all the cabling hazzle.
Also there is a slight change in sound when in the signal chain, which I can tolerate, but once I noticed it, it's annoying.

Since I recently left the band project, it was mainly intended for, I put it away and built a VERY simple setup using a few boss pedals, a FS5L foot switch for amp switching, and a DIY relay based bypass looper with only ONE loop (based on a PCB of THC FX), to be ably to true bypass all the pedals for my main dry tones.
I tried several power supplies, and the one, which really works absolutely perfect, is the BOSS PSA-230S. I use this one and simply daisychain everything, and it's DEAD quiet. Amazing.

However, tap dancing starts to begin, and back I was in the neverending search for the perfect FX device for me, which would be the MS-3, but with three relay based loops, relay-bypassable internal multi-effects block for some bread&butter delays and reverbs, the UI as a a mix of the UI's of the GX 100 (for assigns and all the configuring of of settings and presets and stuff) and the ME-90 (for effetcs parameters), and finally the discrete buffer of the TU-3......
Since this device doesn't exist, I thought, before buying something new with a compromise, I might as well use the GX-100, put it in the loop of my simple relay loop switcher (to get rid of the hiss/noise, when playing dry amp sounds, which is about 70% of the time...), put a simple buffer in front, and let the amp ctrl function of the GX-100 do amp and looper switching, AND power all this via the GX-100's supply.
This works quite well, but only if I put a Joyo ZGP noise blocker before the 9V input of the relay looper, I suspect a ground loop.

BUT the GX-100 supply still is noisy. I wonder why I haven't noticed that earlier, since it doesn't change, when I only use the GX-100 by itself in front of an amp. It's somewhere in the 500...800 Hz region, that comes through the hiss.
So I just tried the small PSA 230S supply in the same setup and it works, the 500Hz component is gone!
BUT the supply gets quite warm and the voltage drops from around 9.4 V idling, to around 8.6 V, when the GX-100 is in use. All this is at room temperature. Will have to test this for a longer time than just 30 minutes.
Maybe I could also go the powerbank route, may someday try the Harley Benton Powerplant powerbank, which is said to work with the GT1000 Core.

But still, all this requires a quite complex cabling, the programming gets a little more complex too, because of the need to switch the bypass looper on, everytime I need a delay or phaser.
I could use a MS-3, put my most critical pedals in its loops, put all this in the relay loop switcher to have true bypass dry sound - but I can't imagine programming this setup without a laptop, and the cabling still is complex.
I was also considering the tc Plethora, but it is neither a foot controler, nor does it amp switching.

So the bottom line:
1. the GX-100 i quite ok, but not perfect (for me)
2. the perfect device (for me) doesn't exist
3. try the PSA 230S !!! It's REALLY quiet, simply fantastic (maybe not for the GX-100)

Cheers!

 

[paisleywookiee]

For a small shop, is it worth keeping both the GX 100 and the IR 200 in stock? I’m wondering if people really care about the 200, now that the IR-2 is around

 

[Sascha Franck]

For a small shop, is it worth keeping both the GX 100 and the IR 200 in stock? I’m wondering if people really care about the 200, now that the IR-2 is around

I'm actually wondering about how many people are purchasing either of the IR models in general.

For me, the value of the Boss modeling+MFX offerings is that they're just that, namely MFX devices. I wouldn't ever consider purchasing a dedicated amp modeling unit from Boss because IMO that's the weakest part in all these devices. Sure, the amp modeling is serviceable, no doubt about that. I have been playing some gigs with just the GT, enjoying the sound as well, and I will continue doing so. But whenever I can, I will use something else (either my full board or the little HX Stomp one I slapped together) because of the amp modeling.

Just yesterday I had a jazz duo rehearsal (double bass and guitar), took the opportunity to take both the Stomp and the GT with me. I was running just a single clean amp and some reverb all throughout. And even to the bass player it was absolutely obvious that the Stomp was a lot better. I even tried multiple amps of the GT (Transparent, Natural, JC, Deluxe), none of them could even remotely hold a candle against the Stomp's Super Reverb.
Yes, as said, all of them are serviceable, so if I had nothing else or needed to use the GT for other reasons (of which there are plenty, compared to the Stomp), I'd still be absolutely fine. But grabbing any Boss amp modeling unit for just the amp modeling aspect is something that is never going to happen at all. It'd even be almost absurd IMO.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I'm actually wondering about how many people are purchasing either of the IR models in general.

For me, the value of the Boss modeling+MFX offerings is that they're just that, namely MFX devices. I wouldn't ever consider purchasing a dedicated amp modeling unit from Boss because IMO that's the weakest part in all these devices. Sure, the amp modeling is serviceable, no doubt about that. I have been playing some gigs with just the GT, enjoying the sound as well, and I will continue doing so. But whenever I can, I will use something else (either my full board or the little HX Stomp one I slapped together) because of the amp modeling.

Just yesterday I had a jazz duo rehearsal (double bass and guitar), took the opportunity to take both the Stomp and the GT with me. I was running just a single clean amp and some reverb all throughout. And even to the bass player it was absolutely obvious that the Stomp was a lot better. I even tried multiple amps of the GT (Transparent, Natural, JC, Deluxe), none of them could even remotely hold a candle against the Stomp's Super Reverb.
Yes, as said, all of them are serviceable, so if I had nothing else or needed to use the GT for other reasons (of which there are plenty, compared to the Stomp), I'd still be absolutely fine. But grabbing any Boss amp modeling unit for just the amp modeling aspect is something that is never going to happen at all. It'd even be almost absurd IMO.

Believe it or not, our shop sells A LOT of IR-2’s. We're starting to build boards around them, at this point. I agree, the amp modeling is indeed the weakest part. But the form factor/functionality people love (anecdotally speaking, of course).

 

[Sascha Franck]

Believe it or not, our shop sells A LOT of IR-2’s. We're starting to build boards around them, at this point. I agree, the amp modeling is indeed the weakest part.

I absolutely believe you, it's also that the thing seems to enjoy quite some popularity (from all I've gathered on the web), but I still think it's weird, especially when using it as a pedal platform, because the clean amps are very lackluster IMO. And that doesn't even describe it properly, I think they're pretty much "eating up" the character of what you're running into, most likely due to the inherent compression that you can hardly escape from.
And fwiw, believe me, I defenitely wish that was totally different as it'd save me both the Amplifirebox and Amp Academy on my board. But by now I've done almost endless comparisons, even trying to "trick" me into some pseudo blindtests (like carefully trying to mimic the clean baseline patches of the AFB and AA inside the GT and then stomping on the A/B selector switch multiple times so I wouldn't know what was active anymore) - the outcome has always been the same, namely me being able to instantly know what was active. Even tried in busy mixes, still the same. And all that happened to me, very obviously not the most picky or most authentic-mojo person there is.

But the form factor/functionality people love (anecdotally speaking, of course).

I can perfectly understand that, but then, by now there's really some decent alternatives.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I absolutely believe you, it's also that the thing seems to enjoy quite some popularity (from all I've gathered on the web), but I still think it's weird, especially when using it as a pedal platform, because the clean amps are very lackluster IMO. And that doesn't even describe it properly, I think they're pretty much "eating up" the character of what you're running into, most likely due to the inherent compression that you can hardly escape from.
And fwiw, believe me, I defenitely wish that was totally different as it'd save me both the Amplifirebox and Amp Academy on my board. But by now I've done almost endless comparisons, even trying to "trick" me into some pseudo blindtests (like carefully trying to mimic the clean baseline patches of the AFB and AA inside the GT and then stomping on the A/B selector switch multiple times so I wouldn't know what was active anymore) - the outcome has always been the same, namely me being able to instantly know what was active. Even tried in busy mixes, still the same. And all that happened to me, very obviously not the most picky or most authentic-mojo person there is.



I can perfectly understand that, but then, by now there's really some decent alternatives.

True, but as a small shop, we can’t just sign up with a company for just this device or that. Gotta look at the bigger picture.

Kinda wish the POD Express was more flexible functionally.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Kinda wish the POD Express was more flexible functionally.

What would you say is it lacking of the most in comparison to the IR-2? Personally, if I had to choose, I'd always go for the PE. And in case I was merely after clean sounds and needed no FX, I'd possibly even look at one of the recent NUX offerings (they seem to have improved amp modeling compared to the Amp Academy).

 

[paisleywookiee]

What would you say is it lacking of the most in comparison to the IR-2? Personally, if I had to choose, I'd always go for the PE. And in case I was merely after clean sounds and needed no FX, I'd possibly even look at one of the recent NUX offerings (they seem to have improved amp modeling compared to the Amp Academy).

Effects loop, IR loading, more tactile controls instead of finger gymnastics. The POD Express definitely sounds better though, by a long shot.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Effects loop, IR loading, more tactile controls instead of finger gymnastics. The POD Express definitely sounds better though, by a long shot.

Oh right, I forgot it didn't support loading IRs. Possibly a dealbreaker depending on which cabs they slapped in there. FX loop rather not so much, I really don't think I'd ever use it - but then, others may.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Oh right, I forgot it didn't support loading IRs. Possibly a dealbreaker depending on which cabs they slapped in there. FX loop rather not so much, I really don't think I'd ever use it - but then, others may.

Effects loop IMO is less of an issue if using it on a board to go DI to mixer, because IMO you're likely going to stick your delay and reverb after it, but then go to a good DI anyway.

And the cabs are luckily assignable, so you can use a Marshall cab on the 5150 or whatever, if you want. I really shouldn't have sold mine before the editor came out. Might need another one.....