Is the Boss GT 100 useable live?

Alnico

I know it sounds daft to say it like that, of course it is but i mean specifically, it's going to feed everything into the front end of the amp, inc delays etc. There is a loop in the unit but i think that's to include other effects if i wish to. I can't see a way of separating the effects that would be before the amp and those in the loop.
Does it sound bad when you do this or do you use the amp modeling and feed the whole lot directly into the loop and run it all through just the power amp?

It looks nice and easy to use and i was thinking how nice it would be to only have that on the floor but will that spoil the effects that should be in the loop when it's at gig volume or won't that matter as much as the internet would have me believe?

Info much appreciated if anyone has used one of these in anger or gigs with a multi FX and a normal guitar amp.

monquixote

The loop means you can do 4 cable and run it before and in the loop.

It's a great sounding unit, really easy to program and very practical.

I'm considering getting another one.

Alnico

monquixote said:

The loop means you can do 4 cable and run it before and in the loop.

It's a great sounding unit, really easy to program and very practical.

I'm considering getting another one.

Really !

So is that something you program into it then? Is it an onscreen editor app thing too?

monquixote

You run it like:

Guitar -> GT-100 input -> GT-100 loop out -> amp input -> amp loop output -> GT-100 loop input -> GT-100 output -> amp loop input

You can then move FXs between the front and the loop from the menu.

Alnico

monquixote said:

You run it like:

Guitar -> GT-100 input -> GT-100 loop out -> amp input -> amp loop output -> GT-100 loop input -> GT-100 output -> amp loop input

You can then move FXs between the front and the loop from the menu.

That's excellent, thanks man.

Let me know if you get another one?

Drew_TNBD

Yep, it sounds pretty decent. Way better than a Line 6 HD500 for the usage you're talking about. Really glad they made the Helix transparent!

Alnico

It looks like an impressive solution and what led me to look at it was recently rediscovering how much i like Boss pedals.
I hypothetically put a Boss only board together on paper and it came to over £1k so my caveman logic said that this is made by the same people, it's got to sound close if not the same ?

If the amp modeling is good as well then it really could be a perfect live set up, with patch numbers next to songs on a set list. It will also be really nice and neat in a diago style case and a 3 cable snake thing from @RobDavies to run to and from the amp it's quick and easy to set up and tear down too.

The thing i like about Multi effects units it's it's usually quite easy to  manage levels between effects and patches, especially with an onscreen editor. My Vox amp has that and tweaking it is so easy that i spent an hour when i got it and i've not had to bother since. 8 great useable sounds that are on preset buttons and no time wasted fiddling with the amps controls.

This Boss has 200 user slots and 200 presets.
If it can be set up properly in a studio at gig volume, i reckon it could be a proper workhorse for gigs. I know it's big when you see it but if there's no other pedals, surely it's not that much more than a normal pedaltrain with around 10 pedals on is it?

professorben

Ive used one a fair bit in the school I used to teach in ( above a music shop with Boss dealership)

the fx side is pretty good, amp and cab sounds are a bit dated now, but as a Stomps and presets type of unit using the drive of your amp, it works really well. 

The presets are dire tho. 
Best building from scratch. 

Alnico

professorben said:

Ive used one a fair bit in the school I used to teach in ( above a music shop with Boss dealership)

the fx side is pretty good, amp and cab sounds are a bit dated now, but as a Stomps and presets type of unit using the drive of your amp, it works really well. 

The presets are dire tho. 
Best building from scratch. 

Yes i've found that with the Zoom G3 and with this amp i have now. Some presets are ok and a good platform to tweak from but with the 8 sounds i have here and with however many i had in the G3, i prefer to start from scratch too.

I have Overdrive and Distortion covered if i don't like the drives or the amp sims but this was mainly to tidy things up and using separate drives wasn't the plan. When you say dated, is this unit really old? I didn't seem to think so but i don't know for sure?

scarry67

The presets are indeed dire and worse after version 2 "update". Unless you crave a return to early 90s LA rock scene... however, building from scratch it's a really impressive unit. Should start being cheaper s/h soon too. 

Danny1969

I use a GT10 live for delays and compression, chorus and octave effects. Never touch the drives though, they are truly awful sounding in comparison to valve amp channel dirt. 

monquixote

The amp modelling is absolutely shit.

All the other FX are great. 

If you want amp modelling for not insane money then Amplifire is your way to go.

Alnico

monquixote said:

The amp modelling is absolutely shit.

All the other FX are great. 

If you want amp modelling for not insane money then Amplifire is your way to go.

I would have had the OD1X and DS1X if i hadn't seen this and it will eventually run into a 2203 JCM800.
Do you think the drives in the GT100 are comparable to the OD1X and DS1X ?

Would it be better to have them as well running at the side and just use the GT100 for effects inc 4 cable loop stuff ?

siraxeman

I've got one, don't use it much to be honest - just take my pedaltrain 2 and about err 10 pedals lol. But!! It is a good unit and I keep thinking to myself I should get it back in action. I do use it at home occasionally going into my HS7 monitors thru my pootah...and its fine here. As others have said, the FX are great. The amp modelling isn't as bad IMO as many make it out to be...there's a couple of vids on youtube of a GT-100 vs a HD500 and the modelling in the HD500 only just edges it to my ears its certainly not a night and day thing that people often make out. People jump on the COSM is crap bandwagon, even believing that COSM for the 90's is the same COSM of today. It isn't! Check Glenn Delaunes demos on youtube and hear how good they can sound in a good players hands. 4CM has got to be the way to go if you have a good amp dirt channel, just like how Nuno used his GT-8. The FX are without question very decent and worthy of pro use.

When I have used my GT-100 a few times live I've just put my 2 fave dirt pedals in its loop and used them with the GT's FX into my clean AC30, sounded pretty much like what I get out of my pedalboard really...hence why I keep wondering why I'm hardly using it! And just 2 weeks ago in between our 1st n 2nd sets I went for a breath of fresh air outside to cool down a bit, and the pub literally next door had a duo playing, one guy was running an amp and the other was a GT-100 direct to the PA and he even sounded good....amp modelling n all !

siraxeman

Danny1969 said:

I use a GT10 live for delays and compression, chorus and octave effects. Never touch the drives though, they are truly awful sounding in comparison to valve amp channel dirt. 

guessing you mean via 4CM then since delays won't work well in front...??

monquixote

Alnico said:

monquixote said:

The amp modelling is absolutely shit.

All the other FX are great. 

If you want amp modelling for not insane money then Amplifire is your way to go.

I would have had the OD1X and DS1X if i hadn't seen this and it will eventually run into a 2203 JCM800.
Do you think the drives in the GT100 are comparable to the OD1X and DS1X ?

Would it be better to have them as well running at the side and just use the GT100 for effects inc 4 cable loop stuff ?

If you get the V2 software update you get the Adaptive Distortion which is the forerunner of the DS-1X and that's very good.
The other drives are reasonable especially if you want a mild TS or clean boost. Most of the distortions and fuzz sounds are a bit weak. but that's the same as nearly all modellers.

monquixote

One trick you can do (if you don't need the GT-100 to switch your amp) is to get a Suhr pedal like a Riot and use the control output to switch it on patch change using the relay input.
I also tried it with a Bogner pedal, but it didn't work because of the way the relay switching works on those.

Alnico

siraxeman said:

I've got one, don't use it much to be honest - just take my pedaltrain 2 and about err 10 pedals lol. But!! It is a good unit and I keep thinking to myself I should get it back in action. I do use it at home occasionally going into my HS7 monitors thru my pootah...and its fine here. As others have said, the FX are great. The amp modelling isn't as bad IMO as many make it out to be...there's a couple of vids on youtube of a GT-100 vs a HD500 and the modelling in the HD500 only just edges it to my ears its certainly not a night and day thing that people often make out. People jump on the COSM is crap bandwagon, even believing that COSM for the 90's is the same COSM of today. It isn't! Check Glenn Delaunes demos on youtube and hear how good they can sound in a good players hands. 4CM has got to be the way to go if you have a good amp dirt channel, just like how Nuno used his GT-8. The FX are without question very decent and worthy of pro use.

When I have used my GT-100 a few times live I've just put my 2 fave dirt pedals in its loop and used them with the GT's FX into my clean AC30, sounded pretty much like what I get out of my pedalboard really...hence why I keep wondering why I'm hardly using it! And just 2 weeks ago in between our 1st n 2nd sets I went for a breath of fresh air outside to cool down a bit, and the pub literally next door had a duo playing, one guy was running an amp and the other was a GT-100 direct to the PA and he even sounded good....amp modelling n all !

Wicked thanks !
Just to clarify, the eventual goal is a JCM800 set to just the wrong side of clean in the High input (Gain around 5-6) and then use Boss pedals for the drive stages and boost etc. I'm fine with the Boss pedal drive sound, it's what i want. The option of routing the effects that need it through the amps loop is a great addition but the drives that are in the GT100 will probably be good enough and if not, as has been said i can include my favourite drive pedals externally, which happens to be the OD1X and DS1X anyway.If the amp modeling isn't any good through this set up then it's no loss but if there's something in there i can tweak to sound good then all the better. The Direct to PA thing is a godsend as a backup which is another reason why i would like to spend a day tweaking this through the JCM at gig volume and see whether the amp models react differently under more normal live conditions, again through a JCM at healthy volume.
It's going to take a while to implement all this but like those that commit to the Kemper or Axe FX route, i think i've found the route i want to go with all this.

I'm not bothered at all about the latest, greatest, just something solid that sounds good. Most of the character will come from the amp with the effects in whatever configuration either boosting or enhancing it. That's the plan anyway.monquixote said:

One trick you can do (if you don't need the GT-100 to switch your amp) is to get a Suhr pedal like a Riot and use the control output to switch it on patch change using the relay input.
I also tried it with a Bogner pedal, but it didn't work because of the way the relay switching works on those.

No i don't need amp control, it's a single channel amp.
I will look into this, cheers.

thomasw88

I'm going to use one for a gig next weekend.   I like to use a wah pedal before any drives so used the fx loop and S/rR to put my drive stomp boxes after the GT100 compressor and wah. 

The delays are pretty good, once I figured out to get tap tempo working, reverbs perfectly usable, chorus is ok (i hardly use chorus tho), other effects sound pretty good.  I've not used any of the amp modeling stuff.

I've tried a few multi Fx since the 90's and not got on with any of them (TC nova system, various korg units, all the Zoom G series ones, plus a couple of others I've forgotten. The GT100 has been my favourite of them anyway.   I'm gassing for a fractal FX8 or AX8 tho.,....

Alnico

thomasw88 said:

I'm going to use one for a gig next weekend.   I like to use a wah pedal before any drives so used the fx loop and S/rR to put my drive stomp boxes after the GT100 compressor and wah. 

The delays are pretty good, once I figured out to get tap tempo working, reverbs perfectly usable, chorus is ok (i hardly use chorus tho), other effects sound pretty good.  I've not used any of the amp modeling stuff.

I've tried a few multi Fx since the 90's and not got on with any of them (TC nova system, various korg units, all the Zoom G series ones, plus a couple of others I've forgotten. The GT100 has been my favourite of them anyway.   I'm gassing for a fractal FX8 or AX8 tho.,....

Thanks.
That last few sentences are what i was looking for from people. I've owned a Zoom G3 and years ago a Digitech RP7 and that's it really so to hear it's your favourite after stuff like the G system is quite inspiring.

Let me know how you get on at the gig with it will you?

Cheers Tom

stratman3142

Danny1969 said:

I use a GT10 live for delays and compression, chorus and octave effects. Never touch the drives though, they are truly awful sounding in comparison to valve amp channel dirt. 

I'm still using an ancient GT-6. But I use a couple of dirt pedals in the Fx loop instead of the 'awful' internal drives and amp emulations. The other effects are OK though.